General Help

ashbrowning

I have been working out and eating better for 5 weeks now this is my 6th week. And i have been eating usually 1200 calories/day and 4 times a week i burn about 600-800 calories working out. I am doing a mix of cardio and weights. This past week i have been at a stand still and someone mentioned i am not eating enough. PLEASE HELP. I started 5 weeks ago at 315 and now weigh 293. Ultimately i feel like if i increase what i eat in my head i will gain weight. Because i attibute food to weight gain.

auddii

Eat back your exercise calories. And 1200 is likely too low for you. Did you accurately complete the information for determining your calories, or did you put yourself at 1200? At your weight, it isn't likely that MFP picked 1200 calories as your target.

ETA: I eat 1850 calories every day, and I consistently lose 1-2 pounds a week, and I'm a female that weighs 222.

ashbrowning

No my target is 1550 but in my head i feel like that is too high. Is it possible that some days i am starving myself being that i would eat 1200 and burn say 600

auddii

You are netting 600 calories on those days. While you are larger and can technically "take" a large deficit, a lot of people stall out when they eat far too few calories (and it seems you might already be in a stall). Also, you are likely losing muscle mass in addition to fat. You can preserve as much muscle as possible by eating at a moderate deficit and lifting weights.

Your TDEE is total daily energy expenditure, and it's how many calories you use in a given day (breathing, sleeping, chewing, blinking, exercise, everything). If you eat less than that, you will lose weight. At your weight, you can likely do TDEE-30% and lose a good amount of weight each week. But, that's a LOT more calories than you are currently eating. I also am doing TDEE-30%, and like I said, I eat about 1850. (Since exercise is included in TDEE, you don't eat back your exercise calories.) If you don't want to bother with this method, eat all of your 1550 and then eat back your exercise calories.

Under eating for long periods of time can lead to medical problems, including heart issues (some of which are not reversible). At your weight that may take a long time, but you've already seen that what you're doing isn't working.

RunHardBeStrong

You are netting 600 calories on those days. While you are larger and can technically "take" a large deficit, a lot of people stall out when they eat far too few calories (and it seems you might already be in a stall). Also, you are likely losing muscle mass in addition to fat. You can preserve as much muscle as possible by eating at a moderate deficit and lifting weights.

Your TDEE is total daily energy expenditure, and it's how many calories you use in a given day (breathing, sleeping, chewing, blinking, exercise, everything). If you eat less than that, you will lose weight. At your weight, you can likely do TDEE-30% and lose a good amount of weight each week. But, that's a LOT more calories than you are currently eating. I also am doing TDEE-30%, and like I said, I eat about 1850. (Since exercise is included in TDEE, you don't eat back your exercise calories.) If you don't want to bother with this method, eat all of your 1550 and then eat back your exercise calories.

Under eating for long periods of time can lead to medical problems, including heart issues (some of which are not reversible). At your weight that may take a long time, but you've already seen that what you're doing isn't working.

I agree. I'm at 205 and eat 1800-2100 cals/day. After exercise, NETTING 1500ish.

now_or_never13

No my target is 1550 but in my head i feel like that is too high. Is it possible that some days i am starving myself being that i would eat 1200 and burn say 600

You are eating far too little especially if you are not eating your exercise calories back.

You need to be netting your goal. So you eat your 1550, than if you exercise you eat those calories back.

Consistantly netting far too little will cause you to lose muscle mass.