Seriously. How many calories?

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whitney_elyse
whitney_elyse Posts: 24 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So, I have about 15 lbs to lose. Never really been super over weight, but at one point I was about 10 lbs heavier than I am now. Recently, nothing. will. BUDGE. Seriously, nothing. For the past several months, I've stayed between 1350-1500 calories per day. I work out (heavily--spin and body pump classes) 5 times per week at least. Things should be happening. They aren't. Any ideas for those of you out there (women in particular) who've always been average sized but have managed to get the last 10 or 15 off? I always read things about calories in this range being too low but I'm just not sure...thoughts? tips? anything?
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Replies

  • bsuzanne88
    bsuzanne88 Posts: 61 Member
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    I would like to know also! Great question.
  • RawVeganFlirt
    RawVeganFlirt Posts: 189 Member
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    for reference what are your stats? height/weight/etc
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
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    Calculate your TDEE and eat what it says to. I had the same problem as you - got all the way to 12 pounds from my goal and everything just stopped for months. I calcuated my TDEE (fat2fitradio.com - military body fat calculator and BMR calculator), upped my calories by 400 a day as it suggested, and son of a gun, started losing again. It is really slow - 2 pounds a month since the change - but I am ok with that.

    I am 5'2" tall, weight is 128 (goal is 120), I run 3 days each week, and I eat 1750 calories per day.
  • bsuzanne88
    bsuzanne88 Posts: 61 Member
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    Height: 5 foot 6 inches
    Weight: 130
    Age: 23 (almost 24, woo hoo)
    Calorie: 1500
    Exercise: 30 day shred and sometimes 6 week 6 pack (4 times a week average)
  • bsuzanne88
    bsuzanne88 Posts: 61 Member
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    Height: 5 foot 6 inches
    Weight: 130
    Age: 23 (almost 24, woo hoo)
    Calorie: 1500
    Exercise: 30 day shred and sometimes 6 week 6 pack (4 times a week average)

    Also: my measurements are
    35
    27
    36


    My goal is 125.
  • RawVeganFlirt
    RawVeganFlirt Posts: 189 Member
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    i am 5'2", fluctuate between 110-115 lbs, my BMR is 1300 and my TDEE is 1600.

    most days i'll eat at 1300 but occasionally ill eat 1600 when i need it (deficit: 300)
    i've been going to the gym 6 days a week the last 2 weeks (deficit: 400)
    and also getting atleast 30 min of fast paced walking everyday (deficit: 150)
    = deficit: 850 on most days
    in these 2 weeks my waist went from 27" to 26"

    maybe you are under estimating calories eaten? or maybe even over estimating exercise calories burned?
    that's why i make sure i have a pretty large deficit (850) to make sure i have wiggle room and still lose even if i estimate wrong.


    remember that losing weight takes time and effort especially when you get to the dreaded last 10 lbs
    don't give up!!! <3
  • _granola
    _granola Posts: 326
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    Go here: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Enter stats. I recommend 15% calorie reduction with only 15 lbs to lose. 20% is ok if you have more to lose. Include exercise in your activity level (so likely moderate - strenuous). The macros calculator is not that important.

    Scroll down a bit to where it says, "Daily calories based on goal in step 6" and eat that amount, total, every day. A little less on rest days if you want. Don't "add" exercise calories on MFP since they are already included.

    It will probably seem like a lot of calories at first, but it's not.
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
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    One thing is certain: with so little to lose, you should be assuming a weekly weight loss goal between 0.5 to 0.75 lbs at the most, which is a deficit of 250 to 375 calories below actual maintenance.

    By exercising as frequently as you are, and with your stats, your maintenance range is likely a bit more than 1350 to 1500 calories. So if you are "maintaining" weight with that calorie intake, something is up. Either you are underestimating calories eaten or overestimating calorie expenditure during exercise. That, or you have something going on with your endocrine system related to your RMR and leptin levels that have caused your TDEE to drop lower than normal.

    Because sometimes various TDEE prediction formulas can be a bit off, I always tell people to up calories gradually until they discover their actual TDEE calorie amount and they maintain weight for a month or so while engaging in whatever amount of exercise they are doing. Once they establish their true TDEE, then they can make the appropriate deficit and perhaps even let RMR and hormones go up to optimum levels if one has chronically restricted calories a bit too long.

    Edit: Often times, over training and lots of stress, whether it's from life or dieting or excessive exercise, can lead to elevated spikes in cortisol which lead to high amounts of water retention that can mask fat loss.
  • whitney_elyse
    whitney_elyse Posts: 24 Member
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    So, if I've been maintaining at the weight I am now for a couple of months, is it likely that this is my TDEE and I should drop my calories? I also have a lot of digestion/stomach issues that coincide and I know on some level, they are related. But even so, I know there must be SOME formula out there that will work for me I'm just not sure what it is. I'm scared of upping calories and gaining weight and then having an even bigger problem to deal with.
    I could be overestimating calories burned via exercise but I don't take exercise calories into consideration. I eat the same no matter what I do. There's always some human error in calorie counting but I always measure/weigh/etc. and I've been counting calories for as long as I can remember...I don't think there could be enough error there to totally offset my progress, you know?
  • gddrdld
    gddrdld Posts: 464 Member
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    Don't overthink it... You don't need (neither does one exist) a perfect formula for weight loss. Just try decreasing yor calories a bit and increase activity if possible. You might also try to increase your protein a bit and replace processed carbs with whole plant products. lean protein and healthy fat sources will keep you full and help give you a slight metabolic boost over carbohydrates as an energy source.
  • tammietifanie
    tammietifanie Posts: 1,496 Member
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    bump
  • tloewe6
    tloewe6 Posts: 3
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    :flowerforyou:
  • Fat2Fit145
    Fat2Fit145 Posts: 385 Member
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    So, I have about 15 lbs to lose. Never really been super over weight, but at one point I was about 10 lbs heavier than I am now. Recently, nothing. will. BUDGE. Seriously, nothing. For the past several months, I've stayed between 1350-1500 calories per day. I work out (heavily--spin and body pump classes) 5 times per week at least. Things should be happening. They aren't. Any ideas for those of you out there (women in particular) who've always been average sized but have managed to get the last 10 or 15 off? I always read things about calories in this range being too low but I'm just not sure...thoughts? tips? anything?


    what do you eat???
  • Game8
    Game8 Posts: 442
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    Decrease your calories. Simple as.
  • Navotc
    Navotc Posts: 97
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    Bump!
  • Cmclow84
    Cmclow84 Posts: 10
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    I found that I didnt start losing weight till i lowered my cal intake to about 1250 cals a day.
  • LaNena01
    LaNena01 Posts: 61 Member
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    bump
  • Shara126
    Shara126 Posts: 144 Member
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    bump
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
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    If 1350-1500 is your total intake, and your not eating exercise calories back, then I'd say you're eating far too little (it can actually have the opposite effect to what you'd expect)

    You are exercising very heavily by the sounds of it, which is good if that's what you enjoy, but you need to fuel your body. From my own personal experience I started on 1500 net (1500 + exercise calories) I had about 20lbs to lose. I lost the first 12lbs roughly, fairly easily on this, but then stalled and it seemed like it was taking forever (months in fact!) to lose the last of it. I upped my calories to 1750, more out of frustration than anything else as I hated being in a deficit. Quite soon after that I lost the last 5lbs roughly. It was so much simpler, and all from more calories.

    Now I'm bulking (trying to add weight / muscle) and eating an average of about 3300 total each day (with an active lifestyle and gym 5x a week) and only gained 2lb in just under a month. Honestly, my metabolism is nothing special or anything like that. I'm just very active and need the calories to fuel my workouts. I'm not saying you need to go anywhere near that high but maybe up them to 1800, or just start eating exercise calories back, and I'm sure you'll see a great difference :)
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    Set your account to maintain for 2 weeks. That should help regulate your hormones again. Once you are done that, drop it to .5 lb per week. Make sure you include your exercise in your TDEE. So if you exercise 5 days a week, set your account to moderately active (this way you don't have to worry about eating back exercise calories and your give your body more nutrition on rest days for recovery).

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