Calories

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Cristin129
Cristin129 Posts: 49
in Food and Nutrition
Ok this is part rant, part plea for help. I've been at MFP for 90 days now. I cannot for the life of me get a calorie goal that creates a decent loss. My weight goes down, then right back up. It's been suggested I'm eating too little (1200)...so I increased it & I didn't see any great loss there either. Can someone point me to a reliable source for how many calories to eat? I'm doing Power90 for a workout program with the addition of extra cardio.

Feel free to add me or private message me. Thanks!

Cristin

Replies

  • kittyhasclaws
    kittyhasclaws Posts: 446 Member
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    You actually are probably eating too little. The best thing that I've seen so far for figuring out what you should eat is this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    It's a long read, but once you get to the tools at the bottom, it all makes sense and really does help. I found out my BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate, which is what your body would be burning if you were in a coma and just needed your organs to function on a long term basis) which was 1740 calories, then my TDEE (Total Daily Expected Expendature, which based on your activity level gives you what your body is probably burning daily). I'm now eating TDEE - 20% at 1863 and have started losing weight at this level. I didn't lose anything when I followed MFP's calorie count which was much lower (like 1400 or something). I haven't even been working out more than my normal daily activities plus packing boxes and I've lost 4 lbs in the past two weeks. It makes a difference.
  • Huney411
    Huney411 Posts: 10 Member
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    I personally am not sold on that BMR stuff. I figured mine and it was some ungodly number, like over 2000 calories a day I know that. I would put on 2 pounds a week if I ate 2200 calories a day personally. I have my daily goal set to 1250. I have days here and there where I DO splurge and eat up to 2000 calories and then the next week I am working off the 2 to 3 pounds I seem to add overnight (maybe it's from salty foods, who knows.) THAT SAID. I actually was a member at curves for a couple years and they have a diet plan there that seemed to work okay for me for a bit. You started out at around 1250 calories a day for a week. Than, you increased to 1500 a day for 3 weeks. Next, you increased to 2000 a day for at least a week, or until you gained back 1 to 3 pounds, then you started the cycle over. They called it a "weight management" plan I suppose because once you get to your goal weight you can put on those 3 pounds and then "diet" again to lose it. I guess the idea is to jump start your metabolism, you start out essentially on too low of calories (starvation) then you increase and your metabolism increases to accomodate the increase in calories, then you increase, then when you go back on the 1250 you are burning off a ton of calories but taking in little. Does any of that make sense? HOWEVER THAT said now... I have had my goal set to 1250 for ... well, since February and have SLOWLY been taking off weight. It isn't just pouring off like crazy, and I have been hitting the gym for an hour and a half 4 days a week, sometimes 5, burning off 400-600 of those 1250 calories. Based on that you would think either A. I am starving and would be super duper skinny by now or B. I am a lazy butt all day and just lay in bed and never move... which is the contrary.

    Soooo now that I am done rambling... I think maybe you should increase a chunk of time and then try a decrease again. See if that helps... But I don't necessarily think you can always go by BMR. Doesn't hurt to try though... I have heard it works for some people, just NOT for me. :o)
  • bogdanb94
    bogdanb94 Posts: 4
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    Hi Cristin,
    My guess (which is based on first hand experience with others that I've helped a.k.a no science added :) ) is that either your carbs / fats are too high... I know it sucks to hear that but even at that low-cal diet you're carbs / fats are maybe too high .. OR you haven't stick to a certain daily calorie goal and got too crazy with it and you're body did not adapt fast enough....
    Good luck !
  • kmumansky
    kmumansky Posts: 119
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    I had stayed the same, pretty much for a month. I started eating back half or more of my exercise calories and dropped 3..8 lbs in 2 weeks, which is amazing for me :) Hang in there! Consistancy will win every time! Sometimes our bodies just need to catch up I think :)
  • kmumansky
    kmumansky Posts: 119
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    un-related to calories, but maybe will help keep you motivated :)

    I was in your same place a few weeks ago, I was frustrated that the scale wasnt moving. What I did was I re-visited my "WHY". Maybe you haven't established this yet, maybe you have and just need to remind yourslef. WHY are you doing this? Really sit down and ask yourself this. For most people it's MUCH deeper than just wanting to loose weight. This is a very difficult question for most people to face, when they are honest with themselves. HOWEVER...I believe it's the single most important thing you can ask yourself. It's whats going to make you successful in reaching your goals! If you haven't already established your why...do it! And WRITE IT DOWN! Writing it down helps you commit to it!

    After I did that, I set myself a long term goal. A lot of people focus on the short term goals, and that works for a lot of people. I was getting frustrated by that, so I established a long term goal. I have about 20 more lbs I'd like to loose to be at what I consider my ideal healthy weight. I've given myself until the end of June 2013 to do it! To some people that might seem like a long time to loose 20 lbs. Lots of people have the unrealistic extpectations to loose that weight in 2 months. By setting my goal out for a year...When I reach these plateau's I'm able to push through because I still have a year to get there, but STOPPING is not an option because doing nothing will not accomplish anything but going in the WRONG direction.

    ETA - Short term goals are also good, and I set those as well. My next short term goal is I want to be down 1 pant size and 12 lbs after I complete the 90 day Turbo Fire Challenge I'm starting on Monday. But its the long term goal, that helps me through the plateaus because it takes my focus off failure, and puts it into pushing through. :)
  • leodru
    leodru Posts: 321 Member
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    I've used fat to fit radio in the past - its a podcast but their website have the calculators on them. YOu may want to pay attention to your macros - i find when i'm not losing weight my carbs are too high - if you dont eat enough good food will cause a similar problems.
  • kmumansky
    kmumansky Posts: 119
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    Huney411 - if you're only eating 1250 and burning 400-600 calories...the weight is coming off slowly because your body is clinging on to whatever fat it can because it thinks it's starving :) You're really only giving it 650-850 calories a day! I'd bet if you upped it to 1500-1600 you'd see faster loss :)
  • Huney411
    Huney411 Posts: 10 Member
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    I don't think my weight is coming off slowly though.... I have lost 40 pounds since february... that is only 5 months... to lose 40 pounds in 5 months I thought was pretty good.... maybe not??? But... I also have like almost 100 pounds to lose total... I was 254 pounds and now am at 214 since Feb 1st. I was just saying that when I do have a "binge" day I do tend to gain like 2 pounds from that one day of "binging" and yeah, maybe because I am not used to eating 2000 calories a day. I was also told my my Dr. that I really only should be taking in 1800 calories a day, not 2000, when I am just maintaining. I guess she said women don't need as many calories as men do...

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