Need help with calories!

IamOnMywayNow

I am going into my 2 week of SL and I am eating 1500 cals. This past weekend I did go over that limit but I am back on track. I am 4'11, 138lbs and 30 years old. Is 1500 too many calories for me? Even before SL I did the whole 1200 cals and ate back exercise cals which averaged out to about 1500 anyway. Weight loss has been SLOOOOOOOWWWW! I am a SAHM with a 2 1/2 year old. I do clean my house, go grocery shopping once a week, cook etc. I do have a lot of down time to watch a little tv or play on the computer. I am doing the SL 3 times a week and plan to add 30 minute runs on the treadmill on the days I dont do SL with one day of rest. Should I keep my calories at 1500 or should I lower them? Any advice would be appreciated!

RunDoozer

I wouldn't down them at all if anything maybe consider upping them. However, since you're pretty short and don't weigh very much 1500 calories seems about right.

Have you calculated your TDEE and BMR if you havent you should check out this link.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912914-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
Due to your height and weight I wouldnt go under your TDEE by more than 10% it would just be too much of a cut.

Weight loss is going to be slow with stronglifts. You'll start to retain a lot of water in your muscles because they need to repair. Plus until the weight gets really heavy you won't be working at your full potential. So at first the weight loss will be minimal.

That said this is nothing to be concerned with. I repeat NOTHING. You will be losing inches faster than you lose weight on this program. There will also be some newbie muscle gain at the beginning. Although people tend to over estimate how much is actually gained. Eating at 1500 calories will not make you gain weight. It would all be water. Honestly if you ate 1500 calories a day a little further in youd have a hard time finishing or lifting as much as you should due to lack of energy.

Keep your off day exercise low 30 mins on the treadmill should be fine but trust me fight the urge to up it just because you feel like you can. Your body needs time to rest and recover after lifting weights.

Be Patient. Stick with it and you'll definitely see results

tameko2

I wouldn't down them at all if anything maybe consider upping them. However, since you're pretty short and don't weigh very much 1500 calories seems about right.

All of what doozer said is pretty much what I was going to say.

Also - you ARE making slow progress right? and you only have around 10lbs to lose? So I would say slow progress is VERY appropriate for you. I would just stick it out at 1500 if you're losing at that number. Why change what's working?

Amazing1985RSD

Yea I agree. Maybe eat just a little bit more.

xidia

You should also know that once the weights get heavy, you may not want to run on your off days!

vegannlg

I second what they said, just be patient.

I have similar stats: Ht. 4' 10", 123 lbs., but age is 52, similar workout sched., I average betweet 1550 and 1600 cal. and I'm not gaining. I'm not losing either, but most likey because of A. not consistantly getting 3 sessions a week, B. sloppy logging, and C. possibly my age/ slower metabolism. I DID, however, drop a whole pants size, so recomp. IS going on. I don't really know how long it took though, because I had them (the smaller pants) in the bottom of the drawer nd had to wear them because I was behind on the laundry.

IamOnMywayNow

Thanks everyone for the advice! When I did the road map I subtracted 20% from it and it gave me 1500.......I will go with -10% and see if that is better. Thanks again!

lwoodroff

ooh this is the topic I needed! BMR and TDEE all confuse me totally, I'm at the top end of 'normal' BMI but at 180cm carry it well, I've been maintaining for over a year now at this level, have set 'final' target at another 7lbs off but more to keep me from burying my face in cake than anything else. my understanding if I'm going to try the 5x5 is that I shouldn't be thinking too much about eating exercise cals back (let alone getting into the problems with hrms and weights..), so have been thinking I need to set myself a target that includes exercise, and not eat anything back.

it makes my brain hurt though! so like I said I'm 180cm and 177lbs, 36yo, obviously if I'm going to follow the programme I'll be at the gym 3x/week which is really my max at the moment - I go for twice and hope for 3 times currently.

So, any of you brainy people have any suggestions? Wondering about setting it at 2000 (nice round number) but have no science to back me up!

tameko2

What's your day like, outside the gym? Do you walk to work? are you doing a lot of housework/childcare/cooking at home? Or do you sit at a desk and drive to work and watch TV in the evenings?

I'd do 2000 for the latter (and call that maintenance) and 2400 for the former and that might be a slight deficit

lwoodroff

Sedentary desk job, not lots of non gym stuff so will try 2000 and see how it goes. I guess the point is it can be adjusted in a few weeks if needed! Thanks!

linski24

Hi just ran your numbers through fat 2 fit radio which the roadmap uses ... Coz of your lifting and running I put your exercise as moderate .. (Even though it could actually be higher )... I got your TDEE to 2157 and with a 15% cut it showed you should b eating 1833 cals per day :-)