Am I eating enough calories?

peace_frog21

Hi all! I changed my diet over a year ago and have lost 50lbs since then without much exercise. I've been at the same weight (215) since about November. I've been exercising more and I work an extremely active job (I wait tables, run around like crazy, carry heavy trays, etc), but I haven't really been eating more. I've recently stopped eating meat and cut back on my sugar intake. I do make sure I get enough protein (soy, greek yogurt, etc), but I haven't been doing this long enough to see any weight loss, although I'm hoping it gets me over my plateau.

I'm just wondering if maybe I'm not intaking enough calories given my job. On days I work, I usually eat around 2000 cals but, according to the "waiting tables" input on here, if I work for 6-8 hours I might burn off 2000-3000 cals. My tracker usually show that I can still eat another 2k calories and break even, but then on days I don't work (like yesterday) I only had 400 cals left. I've only tracked on here a few days but my eating habits haven't really changed much in the last year. I probably intake around the same amount every day, because I eat very similar things for every meal.

My BMR is almsot 1800 cals, but like I said, I work an active job, am a hoop dancer, and lately have been exercising 4-5days a week. Am I just not getting enough calories to get over this plateau?

Thanks!

auddii

I'm not sure that I would count your waiting tables as calories burned (it's likely greatly over-estimated). But, I would change your activity level to "active" as one of the examples is waitress. (If you already did and are entering waiting tables as exercise you're double counting those calories.) Or you could enter very active and not count your hoop dancing as well. I'd also put in a 1.5lb per week goal. If you do that, what does MFP tell you your calorie goal should be (and what does it say your BMR is)?

peace_frog21

I currently have my daily activities set to Sedentary and my goal as 1/lb week.

auddii

Yeah, you are in no way sedentary, and considering how off calorie estimates are for exercises, you might be over estimating your burns. Try changing it to active and then don't log your work as exercise.

peace_frog21

Should I put in anything under how many times a week do I plan on exercising?

auddii

Depends on how you like to eat your calories back. If you like eating the same amount, I'd calculate your TDEE (again using active as your base and don't count waiting tables when figuring your exercise levels) and then do 20% off of that. If you prefer sticking with the MFP way of eating back calories, I'd record your calorie burns each day, and then eat back at least half of the exercise calories. I never trust their suggested burns, so I usually use 2/3 of what they say I burn. Or if you have a heart rate monitor, you can go with what it tells you for cardio burns (some people find them really accurate, some say they are also overestimating).

Unfortunately most everything is an estimate, so you're going to need to pick a method and try it for a few weeks and see what happens. If you're upping your calories, you may gain a little at first, so you'll need to stick with it for 4-6 weeks. If you're still gaining at the end of that, you should probably lower by 100-200 calories. It's going to be a little bit of trial and error. Either method of TDEE or eating back exercise can work, but which ever works for you will end up being what you think is best. (I personally do TDEE method unless I do more exercise than I planned, and then I tack on an extra 200 calories for that one day.)

heybales

Should I put in anything under how many times a week do I plan on exercising?

That is a goal for exercise, just like the goals for eating.

It has no bearing on the math done for eating goal.

It is only seen on the Exercise tab, after the x/time and x/ calories.

Since the exercise though when you correctly eat it back has a bearing on keeping a healthy deficit, what is the exercise, and how are you getting the calorie burn estimates?

Walking in MFP calc is very accurate if you do the pace specified level.

Other entries are much more subjective and possibly off one way or another. You may balance out, you may be totally on one side or another.

ApexLeader

i'd try changing to lightly active or active as suggested earlier and only record exercise calories if you are actually exercising (like running or jogging).

i waited tables for a few years and it is extremely light exercise if that.

WaterBunnie

If you can afford it you might benefit from wearing a FitBit which will give you a far safer guide to calorie burn and adjusts your food goals accordingly if you link it here.

I'm assuming your calories have dropped as you've lost weight rather than sticking to the same daily amount you've set for yourself?

peace_frog21

I don't know where you waited tables at socio but my job is extremely active. I never stop moving, I'm always lifting trays sometimes weighing 20+ lbs, so yeah. That's why I was counting it. Sometimes I come home feeling like I've been killing it in the gym for hours.

I changed my activity level to active and will only record my workouts and my hoop dance if it's an on body exercise day and not a hobby session. And see if that helps.

I just don't want a "starvation" mode type thing to kick in of I'm not eating enough for my lifestyle

I just recently started logging calories since I've hit a plateau. I wasn't logging when I weighed 265 so I'm not sure what my intake was then. I just changed my eating habits overall for the initial 50lbs without exercise. I'm just afraid that with adding regular intense exercise I'm going to be not eating enough. I guess my biggest iffy issue is should I eat back the exercise calories?

heybales

I just recently started logging calories since I've hit a plateau. I wasn't logging when I weighed 265 so I'm not sure what my intake was then. I just changed my eating habits overall for the initial 50lbs without exercise. I'm just afraid that with adding regular intense exercise I'm going to be not eating enough. I guess my biggest iffy issue is should I eat back the exercise calories?

Yes, depending on what I asked above.

Good plan not counting the hobby stuff.

But indeed, no need losing muscle mass if not required.

And indeed a full work day like that is tiring, but that is different from a strong workout that causes improvement. Long tiring day rarely does. Just stressful. So sure, no need adding stress by eating to little.

peace_frog21

For hoop dance as exercise I've used numbers calculated by groups like ACE and hoop fitness instructors to put varying levels of hoop dance in my tracker. A light intense, moderate intensity, high intensity and mixed intensity level.

The other things I do are cardio/strength exercise vids such as Tae-Bo or Jillian's 30 Day shred. People in other forums have said to use "circuit training, general" for 30ds. But I know Jillian gives a way on her site to calculate what you've burned from the workout as well.

I'm just new to this site, and "tracking", but I've been at the same weight since November so I'm trying to figure out why and get over it.

auddii

I just recently started logging calories since I've hit a plateau. I wasn't logging when I weighed 265 so I'm not sure what my intake was then. I just changed my eating habits overall for the initial 50lbs without exercise. I'm just afraid that with adding regular intense exercise I'm going to be not eating enough. I guess my biggest iffy issue is should I eat back the exercise calories?

Agreed, if you are doing pure exercise, eat the calories back, at least half.

Shellbug75

I don't know where you waited tables at socio but my job is extremely active. I never stop moving, I'm always lifting trays sometimes weighing 20+ lbs, so yeah. That's why I was counting it. Sometimes I come home feeling like I've been killing it in the gym for hours.

I changed my activity level to active and will only record my workouts and my hoop dance if it's an on body exercise day and not a hobby session. And see if that helps.

I just don't want a "starvation" mode type thing to kick in of I'm not eating enough for my lifestyle

I just recently started logging calories since I've hit a plateau. I wasn't logging when I weighed 265 so I'm not sure what my intake was then. I just changed my eating habits overall for the initial 50lbs without exercise. I'm just afraid that with adding regular intense exercise I'm going to be not eating enough. I guess my biggest iffy issue is should I eat back the exercise calories?

I waitressed for a while, and let me tell you...it was a workout at times. I was always on the go. Anybody who hasn't done the job before doesn't understand. Others suggested you change your activity level to active, and I personally agree.

Good luck, and don't get discouraged