Calorie deficit----HELP!!!

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llrbaker
llrbaker Posts: 11 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
For the past 15 days, I've been good about logging everything I consume, as well as, any exercise I've been doing onto MFP. However, the scales are not moving according to what I should be losing per calorie consumption and exercise, which leads me to believe that I'm not doing something right when it comes to understanding the deficit. I don't think that I'm consuming the correct amount of calories for the amount of exercise I'm doing. Should I be eating some of the deficit back?? I'm so confused. Please help!

Activity Level: Lightly Active
Net Calorie Goal: 1530
Weight Loss Goal: 2.0 lbs per week
Exercise Goals: 5 times/week

*Note: I usually exercise between 60-90 minutes 5 days a week, with a calorie burn between 700-1100.*

Replies

  • mcbmetcalf
    mcbmetcalf Posts: 4
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    I am not expert but you need to consume at least 1200 calories a day even without exercising or your body stores the fat. What I have learned to date is 1200 calories, higher in Protein and consumed over 6 meals a day. That keeps your metabolism working.
  • Jester522
    Jester522 Posts: 392
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    The body requires 1500 calories just to sustain life each day regardless of physical exertion.

    I'd have to look at your diet. Somethings obviously off.
  • celeste_xo
    celeste_xo Posts: 88
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    Your net calorie goal is 1530, which means you need to eat back your exercise calories. If you burn 600 calories or whatever working out for 60 minutes in a day, you'll need to eat 2130 calories in order for your net to be 1530. If you're below 1500 you're probably going to plateau because your body doesn't like it when you don't feed it enough fuel to work! I started eating a net of 1675 calories per day and the weight started dropping off when I started eating better. Just make sure you eat a diet as high in protein as possible and you maintain your net calories!
  • t1dude
    t1dude Posts: 11 Member
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    Its definitely possible that you are restricting your calories too much. I am no expert, but I can share my experience. I started MFP 6 weeks ago and have lost 21 lbs. My calorie goal is 1800 and I have been eating about 100-200 less than that everyday. If I exercise, I usually eat more and always try to end up a few hundred calories below my goal + exercise.

    Several years ago, I tried a 1200 cal per day diet and I didn't lose as much as quickly, and it was MUCH harder to stick with. Honestly, the last 6 weeks have not felt like I had to sacrifice. I am very surprised that I have lost weight so fast. I do not feel deprived at all. Mostly, MFP has helped me to reduce portion sizes.
  • GabyG69
    GabyG69 Posts: 213
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    I don't understand how the deficit works either. I eat less than 1300 calories on days when I work out but I feel like that's really unhealthy.. I'm scared of gaining weight if I up my cals since I've been eating so little for a while now..
  • SuperSexyDork
    SuperSexyDork Posts: 1,669 Member
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    Weight loss is not linear. Your body doesn't follow calculations. Give it some time. If you're still not losing, I would seek out medical help to have metabolic testing.

    I would recommend reading http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12 and checking out http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less.
  • celeste_xo
    celeste_xo Posts: 88
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    Gaby, if you start upping your calories you might gain a little at first, but honestly once your metabolism increases again you'll start losing. It's way healthier for your body overall and you'll feel a lot better when you're not depriving yourself of food. Personally, when I upped my calories I noticed that I had a lot more energy and felt a lot better overall than when I was only eating 1300 calories a day, and I started losing more weight after I plateaued for a couple weeks
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    For the past 15 days, I've been good about logging everything I consume, as well as, any exercise I've been doing onto MFP. However, the scales are not moving according to what I should be losing per calorie consumption and exercise, which leads me to believe that I'm not doing something right when it comes to understanding the deficit. I don't think that I'm consuming the correct amount of calories for the amount of exercise I'm doing. Should I be eating some of the deficit back?? I'm so confused. Please help!

    Activity Level: Lightly Active
    Net Calorie Goal: 1530
    Weight Loss Goal: 2.0 lbs per week
    Exercise Goals: 5 times/week

    *Note: I usually exercise between 60-90 minutes 5 days a week, with a calorie burn between 700-1100.*

    The exercise goal has no bearing on the math to determine your daily eating goal.

    Deficit is in place whether you exercise or not - hence the instruction to eat back your exercise calories - your deficit is still there anyway. Too big a deficit is counter-productive, as your body under extreme stress (diet and exercise taking more calories) will find a way to balance and conserve energy.
  • Arexxx
    Arexxx Posts: 486 Member
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    Open up your diary?

    You should be netting at LEAST 1200 calories
  • Shaunak2009
    Shaunak2009 Posts: 2 Member
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    HOW MUCH CAL i SHOULD EAT IN A DAY
    my body weight- 138lb
    Goal weight - 125lb
    height -5.2''
    Now adays I am struggling to lose weight bt not able to do tht
    pls guide me...
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    HOW MUCH CAL i SHOULD EAT IN A DAY
    my body weight- 138lb
    Goal weight - 125lb
    height -5.2''
    Now adays I am struggling to lose weight bt not able to do tht
    pls guide me...

    For the info that was given, BMR 1284, Sedentary TDEE is 1605.

    But you don't provide enough info to go beyond that.

    But I do know this, you are close enough to goal weight you should select 1/2 lb weight loss a week.

    I'm sure you are at 1200 now, and probably not eating back exercise calories.

    Change your goal loss amount to 1/2 lb weekly, log your exercise, and eat it back to whatever MFP says is the new daily goal.
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
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    HOW MUCH CAL i SHOULD EAT IN A DAY
    my body weight- 138lb
    Goal weight - 125lb
    height -5.2''
    Now adays I am struggling to lose weight bt not able to do tht
    pls guide me...
    You only have 13 lbs to lose, so you should not be setting a weight loss goal of 2 lbs per week because it isn't going to happen - the leaner you are, the longer it takes to burn 1 lb of actual fat. Thus, implementing a small to moderate deficit of both calorie restriction (eating less) and exercise caloiries between 15%-25% below TDEE is optimal.
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
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    Copious amounts of exercise and a tiny net amount of calories will not help you lose weight.

    Why would your body burn fat when you are under-eating so much? It wants to live.
  • sandstrum
    sandstrum Posts: 2 Member
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    Make sure you eat your base calories ALWAYS. Sometimes as you loose you may loose inches and NOT weight. Take measurements of yourself and watch this as well as the pounds. Remember your body may be adjusting to this new you and in SHOCK!!!! LOL Keep up the good work. If you feel you aren't loosing you can always eat some exercise calories back. Give yourself time. :heart:
  • sandstrum
    sandstrum Posts: 2 Member
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    Make sure you eat your base calories ALWAYS. Sometimes as you loose you may loose inches and NOT weight. Take measurements of yourself and watch this as well as the pounds. Remember your body may be adjusting to this new you and in SHOCK!!!! LOL Keep up the good work. If you feel you aren't loosing you can always eat some exercise calories back. Give yourself time. heart

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