Can I check I'm understanding it right?

slimjoycenow
slimjoycenow Posts: 16 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So, I'm a woman, 5 foot 8 and I have around 60 pounds to lose. I have my 1200 calories a day, and I do (according to my heart rate monitor) around 900 calories of exercise daily. Now I couldn't possibly exercise at that level on 1200 calories (I don't think!) so I'm eating about 1500 cals in total each day, sometimes lightly less, never more. I feel comfortable eating 1500 calories - ready for my meals but never ravenous, allows me the odd biscuit/glass of wine/banana before I go to the gym etc. it seems to be working so far - 9 lbs down in a couple of weeks, but should I be trying to manage on the 1200 - or is it ok to be eating some of those exercise calories as well? I'm just confused as my friend who s a nurse said eating 1500 was far too much for a weight loss diet and I should be aiming for 1000-1200 max. That just sounds really hard to manage, especially as this is not going to fall off in a coup,e of weeks, it needs to be sustainable. Am I being a wuss??

Replies

  • LittleMissDover
    LittleMissDover Posts: 820 Member
    Have you set MFP to lose 2lb a week?

    For a start I'd lower it to a lb loss a week and also if you're using a HRM so know what you're burning then you should be eating most of those calories back.
  • minizebu
    minizebu Posts: 2,716 Member
    You are not being a wuss. What you are doing seems to be working for you. You didn't say how long it took you to lose the 9 pounds, but as long as you are managing to lose around 0.5 lb. - 1 lb. a week, I'd say keep doing what you are doing.

    Edited to add:

    Be aware that you lose weight much more rapidly during the first two weeks of any weight loss program, much of which is water weight. After the first two weeks weight loss will level off. Aiming for around a pound a week or less is a good goal. Slow and steady wins the race.
  • slimjoycenow
    slimjoycenow Posts: 16 Member
    I set it to lose 1.5 a week. I'm used to a fairly high level of exercise - it's just that I (used to have!) an even higher level of intake! I know that the loss will slow down after the first couple of weeks are past, I don't plan on losing at that level forever.
  • seekingstrengthX2
    seekingstrengthX2 Posts: 771
    1500 calories is probably about right on days of rest. On days you burn 900 exercising, you actually need to eat more. You are only netting 600 calories on those days.
  • RellaBelle
    RellaBelle Posts: 70 Member
    Have you set MFP to lose 2lb a week?

    For a start I'd lower it to a lb loss a week and also if you're using a HRM so know what you're burning then you should be eating most of those calories back.

    This all confuses me as well. May I ask the reason for eating back most of the exercise cals?
  • slimjoycenow
    slimjoycenow Posts: 16 Member
    That's a relief then that I can/should be eating more than 1200. I had visions of a very miserable 6 months ahead trying to get by on eating 1000 cals a day.
  • slimjoycenow
    slimjoycenow Posts: 16 Member
    You are not being a wuss. What you are doing seems to be working for you. You didn't say how long it took you to lose the 9 pounds, but as long as you are managing to lose around 0.5 lb. - 1 lb. a week, I'd say keep doing what you are doing.

    Edited to add:

    Be aware that you lose weight much more rapidly during the first two weeks of any weight loss program, much of which is water weight. After the first two weeks weight loss will level off. Aiming for around a pound a week or less is a good goal. Slow and steady wins the race.

    That's what was worrying me really, as I know it will slow right down, but my friend was implying that it would stop completely if I ate more than 1000 calories. Need to get my head round this net calorie biz :). Thanks.
  • LittleMissDover
    LittleMissDover Posts: 820 Member
    Have you set MFP to lose 2lb a week?

    For a start I'd lower it to a lb loss a week and also if you're using a HRM so know what you're burning then you should be eating most of those calories back.

    This all confuses me as well. May I ask the reason for eating back most of the exercise cals?

    Because if for example you're eating 1200 cals a day and burning 900 cals a day your body is only receiving 300 cals of energy. Not enough. MFP already sets you at a 500 cal deficit per day for every pound you want to lose, you don't need a bigger one.

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