Calorie confusion..
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Basically.. I don't know how many calories to consume in order to lose weight.
I'm 5ft 3, female, 22 years old and currently weigh 218lbs. I've always been around the 140lbs mark, but this last year have gained loads of weight through general laziness and eating too much of the wrong foods!
I know the general rule of thumb is 1200 for a women seeking to lose weight, but then there's other information that'll tell me to eat say 1400, then others that say 1600-1800 and then others that say my BMR - a %.
It's so confusing, I'm not sure where to start or what number to go with?
There is no mystery to weight loss, everyone thinks something is wrong, their metabolism is broken, they have low thyroid, they have menopause or whatever issue, they are as unique as a snowflake, whatever. I thought a lot of these things once too but once the doctor helped resolve the health issues for me I learned there is still no magic pill. Most people eat more than they need to and are not at good at estimating calories as they think they are. Most people have a lower BMR than they think they do. The only way to know for sure is to go to a lab and have it tested. It doesn't seem fair to have to eat less and feel a little hunger. It's hard to face the truth of it, very hard. It's not fun. It's drudgery at times. But if you learn to enjoy your smaller amounts of food (necessary to lose weight, since the reason we got fat in the first place was eating too much whether we knew it or not), and rejoice in your victories it can be done.
All I can do is share what worked for me. I achieved my goal at age 50 after beating my head against the wall for 15 years. Yeah anyone can do it, but I can tell you that you are up against a lot when you are older and I believe females have some unique issue to face with hormones and such. The sooner you can get a handle on it the better. DO NOT GIVE UP. As I got older and the weight piled on (and I didn't feel I was eating too much!) everyone kept telling me to give up, this is what happens when you get older. I'm small, and I didn't realize how small I was until I lost the weight. Everyone said I had big bones. I looked hefty because I worked out. Once I lost the weight I realized how small I really was and that small people don't need to eat as much as big people. HINT: If you are short you are probably small.
Your body loses weight in chunks, not linear. I have found that you can do everything right and your weight loss seems to plateau but if you are patient and keep exercising and eating at a deficit (however slight) you will lose it, it will suddenly "whoosh". There are so many variables for the scale; water retention, digestion, hormones, allergies, sodium, carbs, water intake, DOMS, inflammation, the list goes on. People mistakenly think they lose or gain weight when they eat more or less because of these fluctuations.
Losing weight requires tremendous patience. You will not lose it when you want it or where you want it. The body does its thing. Some apparent plateaus can last a month or so. You cannot make it happen faster. You must focus on two things; calories and exercise. Nothing else matters. Scales and metrics don't matter. The day in and day out grind of exercise and calories are all that matters. It is not very exciting until things fall into place. You get your victories and you ride one victory to the next.
The scale is a trend tool. The scale is good but put it away and only check once a week and only use it as a trend tool. It will fluctuate, it does not matter. Take front side and back progress pictures at least once a month. You will see differences that the metrics won't tell you and it's that little bit of NSV that will keep you going until the next victory.
To say eat more is wrong.
To say eat less is wrong.
To find the exact calories needed for YOU to be in a healthy sustainable calorie deficit is the right answer. Wait, if you need to adjust by 100 do it, wait, adjust, wait, adjust, wait. The tortoise wins this race.
All that matters is calories. A healthy balanced diet within a calorie budget for a deficit that is right for YOU is all that matters for weight loss. Don't make it complicated.
Also people play mental accounting games with calories just like with finances. Make steps to make sure you are making accurate measurements. Packaged foods can have MORE than they say but not less (they get in trouble if less so they would rather error with MORE).
If you typically intake sodium at a certain rate your body adjusts, but if you make a sudden change then you will see a spike.
Exercise is for making your lean body mass pretty (especially lifting weights) for when the fat is gone. Losing fat with no muscle is ugly and cardio alone will not make you pretty. You cannot out exercise too many calories.
It really is about calories. I tell people this all the time and they say "Well if calories are all that matter why do you eat so clean???!!" Well, because it makes me feel better, sleep better, and perform better at my sports.
Too many changes at once can be hard on some people. I've always eaten healthy so it easy for me to simply eat less. Eating at a calorie deficit is hard on people; even a small deficit puts your body in a state of flux with hormones and such. Everyone is different. Some people can handle a deeper calorie deficit than others, this is not right or wrong, it just is. Stress in your life affects your hunger hormones; lack of sleep, fatigue, job stress, family stress, financial stress, etc. Add in emotional eating issues and it gets even more complicated. Most people can only handle so much change/stress at once, they try to do too much and fail. Sometimes it might be a better strategy to eat at maintenance and make some small changes first, it really depends on how much stress you are taking in at the moment.What is the exact number of calories for you?
We’ve been trying to figure out an exact NUMBER of calories that everyone should be eating, without recognizing that everyone is slightly different. In truth, the calories aren’t the end game. Your body is. So the EXACT amount of Calories that are right for you is the EXACT amount that will allow you to maintain your ideal bodyweight no matter what some calculator or chart says.
In other words, an online calculator might tell you that you need to eat 2,500 calories
per day to maintain your ideal bodyweight. But the only way to know for sure if this is
the right amount for you is to test it out. If you gain weight or can’t lose weight eating
that much, then you know you need to eat less to lose weight no matter how many
calculators and text books say otherwise.
This doesn’t mean your metabolism is broken, it just means the estimate of your needs
was just a bit off.
-John Barban (The Body Centric Calorie Guide from the Venus Index and Adonis Index Manuals)
The good thing is you don't have to worry about the starvation mode myth if you are fat. Only skinny people have to worry about starvation mode. It does not mean you have the capability to eat at a large calorie deficit if you have emotional eating disorders or other issues going on, but at least you don't have to be afraid of it anymore.
The Theory of Fat Availability:
•There is a set amount of fat that can be released from a fat cell.
•The more fat you have, the more fat can be used as a fuel when dieting.
•The less fat you have, the less fat can be used as a fuel when dieting.
•Towards the end of a transformation, when body fat is extremely low you
may not have enough fat to handle a large caloric deficit anymore.
At the extreme low end, when your body fat cannot ‘keep up’ with the energy deficit
you've imposed on your body, the energy MUST come from SOMEWHERE. This is
when you are at risk of losing lean body mass during dieting (commonly referred to
as ‘starvation mode’). This happens at extremely low levels of body fat, under 6% in
men and 12% in women [Friedl K.E. J Appl Phsiol, 1994].
-Brad Pilon and John Barban (from The Reverse Taper Diet in The Adonis Index and Venus Index manuals)
Lifting weights is KEY. I recently had my DXA scan done and at 51.5 years of age I have the bone density of a super athletic 30 year old. That is a direct result of lifting for over 30 years. Now if that is not scientific proof that lifting weights keeps you younger I don't know what is! Also I believe it is why most people think I look much younger than I really am.
Start lifting now, lift heavy and change it up often, find a lot of weight routines with free weights, make it fun, embrace it, make it part of your life. Only 3 days a week is all it would take. Crank up your tunes and learn to love it, because your body will love it and it will make your quality of life better in many ways, especially when you get older like me.
Because of this I don't have to worry about osteoporosis. If you wait until you are older and your bones start to deteriorate it's a bit too late, you can't get back what you lost, and you can only start a resistance routine that will prevent further damage.
If you are female you don't have the hormones to get big naturally. I lift heavy and I'm still really tiny. My lean body mass is only 104 lbs and that is fairly heavy for a 5'1" female, and quite a bit of this is due to my having very dense bones from 30 years of lifting, not all muscle, and I'm still quite tiny.
My muscles really are not that big, but they show a lot of definition because I'm quite lean. If I gained some fat then I would have a softer more toned look (which is OKAY too!). Then if I gained more fat I would look bulky and hefty like I did most of my life until last year. YOU CAN HAVE WHATEVER YOU WANT. Lean and ripped, soft and toned, or hefty, it all depends on how much fat you leave on your body. Calories are the only thing that changes fat. Exercise is for changing or maintaining your lean body mass only. Lifting weights will give you the best bang for your buck for shaping your body. I finally changed my shape by putting lifting first and cardio 2nd. You cannot out exercise too many calories.
Awesome post! Very informative.0 -
So my current BMR is 1790, and I'd say my activity level is lightly active so I'd multiply my BMR by 1.2 right?.. giving me 2148. Minus a 500 calorie deficit - cause I think 1000 would be too high & depriving - meaning I'd consume 1648 calories to lose 1lb a week? & I could exercise to burn more calories yeah?
My TDEE at GOAL weight is 1680, which I'd eat to maintain my weight when I'm there, but if I eat 1680 now I should lose shouldn't I seen as that's what my current BMR - a 500 deficit has given me to lose 1lb a week?
& 10 x my current weight of 218lbs is 2180, minus a 500 deficit is 1680 too lol, so about 1650 seems cool right?0 -
So my current BMR is 1790, and I'd say my activity level is lightly active so I'd multiply my BMR by 1.2 right?.. giving me 2148. Minus a 500 calorie deficit - cause I think 1000 would be too high & depriving - meaning I'd consume 1648 calories to lose 1lb a week? & I could exercise to burn more calories yeah?
My TDEE at GOAL weight is 1680, which I'd eat to maintain my weight when I'm there, but if I eat 1680 now I should lose shouldn't I seen as that's what my current BMR - a 500 deficit has given me to lose 1lb a week?
& 10 x my current weight of 218lbs is 2180, minus a 500 deficit is 1680 too lol, so about 1650 seems cool right?
I would say if you get the same answer three ways than that is really good.0 -
This is amazingly good advice!! And you are my hero for taking the time to answer her question so thoroughly:flowerforyou:Basically.. I don't know how many calories to consume in order to lose weight.
I'm 5ft 3, female, 22 years old and currently weigh 218lbs. I've always been around the 140lbs mark, but this last year have gained loads of weight through general laziness and eating too much of the wrong foods!
I know the general rule of thumb is 1200 for a women seeking to lose weight, but then there's other information that'll tell me to eat say 1400, then others that say 1600-1800 and then others that say my BMR - a %.
It's so confusing, I'm not sure where to start or what number to go with?
There is no mystery to weight loss, everyone thinks something is wrong, their metabolism is broken, they have low thyroid, they have menopause or whatever issue, they are as unique as a snowflake, whatever. I thought a lot of these things once too but once the doctor helped resolve the health issues for me I learned there is still no magic pill. Most people eat more than they need to and are not at good at estimating calories as they think they are. Most people have a lower BMR than they think they do. The only way to know for sure is to go to a lab and have it tested. It doesn't seem fair to have to eat less and feel a little hunger. It's hard to face the truth of it, very hard. It's not fun. It's drudgery at times. But if you learn to enjoy your smaller amounts of food (necessary to lose weight, since the reason we got fat in the first place was eating too much whether we knew it or not), and rejoice in your victories it can be done.
All I can do is share what worked for me. I achieved my goal at age 50 after beating my head against the wall for 15 years. Yeah anyone can do it, but I can tell you that you are up against a lot when you are older and I believe females have some unique issue to face with hormones and such. The sooner you can get a handle on it the better. DO NOT GIVE UP. As I got older and the weight piled on (and I didn't feel I was eating too much!) everyone kept telling me to give up, this is what happens when you get older. I'm small, and I didn't realize how small I was until I lost the weight. Everyone said I had big bones. I looked hefty because I worked out. Once I lost the weight I realized how small I really was and that small people don't need to eat as much as big people. HINT: If you are short you are probably small.
Your body loses weight in chunks, not linear. I have found that you can do everything right and your weight loss seems to plateau but if you are patient and keep exercising and eating at a deficit (however slight) you will lose it, it will suddenly "whoosh". There are so many variables for the scale; water retention, digestion, hormones, allergies, sodium, carbs, water intake, DOMS, inflammation, the list goes on. People mistakenly think they lose or gain weight when they eat more or less because of these fluctuations.
Losing weight requires tremendous patience. You will not lose it when you want it or where you want it. The body does its thing. Some apparent plateaus can last a month or so. You cannot make it happen faster. You must focus on two things; calories and exercise. Nothing else matters. Scales and metrics don't matter. The day in and day out grind of exercise and calories are all that matters. It is not very exciting until things fall into place. You get your victories and you ride one victory to the next.
The scale is a trend tool. The scale is good but put it away and only check once a week and only use it as a trend tool. It will fluctuate, it does not matter. Take front side and back progress pictures at least once a month. You will see differences that the metrics won't tell you and it's that little bit of NSV that will keep you going until the next victory.
To say eat more is wrong.
To say eat less is wrong.
To find the exact calories needed for YOU to be in a healthy sustainable calorie deficit is the right answer. Wait, if you need to adjust by 100 do it, wait, adjust, wait, adjust, wait. The tortoise wins this race.
All that matters is calories. A healthy balanced diet within a calorie budget for a deficit that is right for YOU is all that matters for weight loss. Don't make it complicated.
Also people play mental accounting games with calories just like with finances. Make steps to make sure you are making accurate measurements. Packaged foods can have MORE than they say but not less (they get in trouble if less so they would rather error with MORE).
If you typically intake sodium at a certain rate your body adjusts, but if you make a sudden change then you will see a spike.
Exercise is for making your lean body mass pretty (especially lifting weights) for when the fat is gone. Losing fat with no muscle is ugly and cardio alone will not make you pretty. You cannot out exercise too many calories.
It really is about calories. I tell people this all the time and they say "Well if calories are all that matter why do you eat so clean???!!" Well, because it makes me feel better, sleep better, and perform better at my sports.
Too many changes at once can be hard on some people. I've always eaten healthy so it easy for me to simply eat less. Eating at a calorie deficit is hard on people; even a small deficit puts your body in a state of flux with hormones and such. Everyone is different. Some people can handle a deeper calorie deficit than others, this is not right or wrong, it just is. Stress in your life affects your hunger hormones; lack of sleep, fatigue, job stress, family stress, financial stress, etc. Add in emotional eating issues and it gets even more complicated. Most people can only handle so much change/stress at once, they try to do too much and fail. Sometimes it might be a better strategy to eat at maintenance and make some small changes first, it really depends on how much stress you are taking in at the moment.What is the exact number of calories for you?
We’ve been trying to figure out an exact NUMBER of calories that everyone should be eating, without recognizing that everyone is slightly different. In truth, the calories aren’t the end game. Your body is. So the EXACT amount of Calories that are right for you is the EXACT amount that will allow you to maintain your ideal bodyweight no matter what some calculator or chart says.
In other words, an online calculator might tell you that you need to eat 2,500 calories
per day to maintain your ideal bodyweight. But the only way to know for sure if this is
the right amount for you is to test it out. If you gain weight or can’t lose weight eating
that much, then you know you need to eat less to lose weight no matter how many
calculators and text books say otherwise.
This doesn’t mean your metabolism is broken, it just means the estimate of your needs
was just a bit off.
-John Barban (The Body Centric Calorie Guide from the Venus Index and Adonis Index Manuals)
The good thing is you don't have to worry about the starvation mode myth if you are fat. Only skinny people have to worry about starvation mode. It does not mean you have the capability to eat at a large calorie deficit if you have emotional eating disorders or other issues going on, but at least you don't have to be afraid of it anymore.
The Theory of Fat Availability:
•There is a set amount of fat that can be released from a fat cell.
•The more fat you have, the more fat can be used as a fuel when dieting.
•The less fat you have, the less fat can be used as a fuel when dieting.
•Towards the end of a transformation, when body fat is extremely low you
may not have enough fat to handle a large caloric deficit anymore.
At the extreme low end, when your body fat cannot ‘keep up’ with the energy deficit
you've imposed on your body, the energy MUST come from SOMEWHERE. This is
when you are at risk of losing lean body mass during dieting (commonly referred to
as ‘starvation mode’). This happens at extremely low levels of body fat, under 6% in
men and 12% in women [Friedl K.E. J Appl Phsiol, 1994].
-Brad Pilon and John Barban (from The Reverse Taper Diet in The Adonis Index and Venus Index manuals)
Lifting weights is KEY. I recently had my DXA scan done and at 51.5 years of age I have the bone density of a super athletic 30 year old. That is a direct result of lifting for over 30 years. Now if that is not scientific proof that lifting weights keeps you younger I don't know what is! Also I believe it is why most people think I look much younger than I really am.
Start lifting now, lift heavy and change it up often, find a lot of weight routines with free weights, make it fun, embrace it, make it part of your life. Only 3 days a week is all it would take. Crank up your tunes and learn to love it, because your body will love it and it will make your quality of life better in many ways, especially when you get older like me.
Because of this I don't have to worry about osteoporosis. If you wait until you are older and your bones start to deteriorate it's a bit too late, you can't get back what you lost, and you can only start a resistance routine that will prevent further damage.
If you are female you don't have the hormones to get big naturally. I lift heavy and I'm still really tiny. My lean body mass is only 104 lbs and that is fairly heavy for a 5'1" female, and quite a bit of this is due to my having very dense bones from 30 years of lifting, not all muscle, and I'm still quite tiny.
My muscles really are not that big, but they show a lot of definition because I'm quite lean. If I gained some fat then I would have a softer more toned look (which is OKAY too!). Then if I gained more fat I would look bulky and hefty like I did most of my life until last year. YOU CAN HAVE WHATEVER YOU WANT. Lean and ripped, soft and toned, or hefty, it all depends on how much fat you leave on your body. Calories are the only thing that changes fat. Exercise is for changing or maintaining your lean body mass only. Lifting weights will give you the best bang for your buck for shaping your body. I finally changed my shape by putting lifting first and cardio 2nd. You cannot out exercise too many calories.
Ditto.. great advice and thank you because you've helped me understand things alot clearer
0 -
10x your weight minus 500-1000 eat most of your exercise calories.
Or
10x your goal weight eat only the exercise calories after you burn 500.
This only applies if you are sedentary. The more active you are, the higher the multipliers. People that exercise 5-6 days a week have a multiplier more around 14 because your body needs more calories as you exercise.0 -
So my current BMR is 1790, and I'd say my activity level is lightly active so I'd multiply my BMR by 1.2 right?.. giving me 2148. Minus a 500 calorie deficit - cause I think 1000 would be too high & depriving - meaning I'd consume 1648 calories to lose 1lb a week? & I could exercise to burn more calories yeah?
My TDEE at GOAL weight is 1680, which I'd eat to maintain my weight when I'm there, but if I eat 1680 now I should lose shouldn't I seen as that's what my current BMR - a 500 deficit has given me to lose 1lb a week?
& 10 x my current weight of 218lbs is 2180, minus a 500 deficit is 1680 too lol, so about 1650 seems cool right?
This is pre workout. If you workout and burn another 500 calories, you should be eating some of those calories. Also, based on your picture, I would ask if you are breastfeeding? If so, it's another 300-400 calories. My best advice is include your exercise in your TDEE. If you workout 3-4 days, then set it at lightly active. This way you don't have to chase exercise calories. Additionally, eat higher protein foods (meats, beans, fish, etc..) and minimize processed foods. Protein is critical to maintaining your muscle. Also, fruits and veggies = awesomeness so try to get most of your carbs from them.
Additionally, you should always calculate your numbers based on current weight and evaluate your numbers every 3 months or maybe every 10-20 lbs. The best advice I can tell you is get some body fat calipers and learn how you use them. Body composition is critical during weight loss and improving the accuracy of your calculations. This is because, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. So if you have more muscle than the average person, you will need more calories. If you have less than the average, then you need less calories.
Additionally, when it comes to exercise and maintain your metabolic rate, the most important exercise is heavy resistance training. Cardio is good for heart health but weight training maintains your lean body mass. And the more muscle you have, the tighter your body, the leaner it will be and the more you can eat. If you want to improve the heart, you can do compound moves while WT to get your heart rate up... aka, you make the workout anaerobic.
If you do all that, it makes weight loss sustainable.0 -
Nooo I'm not breastfeeding, my little one is 16 months old now :-) that's a fairly old photo!
I put lightly active as my activity level when I did the TDEE calculation anyway, so followed your advice there! My TDEE at my current weight being lightly active is approx 2148.
I have a big amount of weight to lose, like 80lbs, so is it ok for me to create a larger deficit than 500 cals if possible? Like today for example, I'm not sure if I can squeeze in a workout around work, my LO & the other bits and bobs I have to do, so if my TDEE is 2148 cause even without exercise I'd say I'm lightly active with my job being on my feet all day & chasing my little boy around.. so if I created about a 750 cal deficit from food & ate 1398.. would that be ok? & then on workout days don't create such a large deficit and eat in the 1600 range?
I read someone mention that it's impossible for your body to enter a starvation mode when there's plenty of available fat to burn, which for me there is, so right now at the beginning of my weight loss journey are the bigger calorie deficits okay?0 -
Nooo I'm not breastfeeding, my little one is 16 months old now :-) that's a fairly old photo!
I put lightly active as my activity level when I did the TDEE calculation anyway, so followed your advice there! My TDEE at my current weight being lightly active is approx 2148.
I have a big amount of weight to lose, like 80lbs, so is it ok for me to create a larger deficit than 500 cals if possible? Like today for example, I'm not sure if I can squeeze in a workout around work, my LO & the other bits and bobs I have to do, so if my TDEE is 2148 cause even without exercise I'd say I'm lightly active with my job being on my feet all day & chasing my little boy around.. so if I created about a 750 cal deficit from food & ate 1398.. would that be ok? & then on workout days don't create such a large deficit and eat in the 1600 range?
I read someone mention that it's impossible for your body to enter a starvation mode when there's plenty of available fat to burn, which for me there is, so right now at the beginning of my weight loss journey are the bigger calorie deficits okay?
Starvation mode isn't a concern for anyone regularly eating. Eat between 1400-1600 calories daily. Keep in mind that a larger deficit doesn't always mean fast weight loss due to hormones like cortisol. I would adjust your macro's to 35% carbs, 40% protein and 25% fats as a high protein diet will help maintain your muscle mass. If you want, have 6 days of 1400 calories and one day closer to 1800 just to help regulate some hormones and provide your body with extra nutrition. Generally when I help people, I always suggest 20% below TDEE and focus on eating whole natural foods with plenty of fruits and veggies. This will help prevent a plateau which occurs more easily with larger deficits. You can eat 1400 calories for awhile and if you weight loss slows down or stops, then take a week break and eat 2100 calories a day and then go back into a deficit at a higher calorie range.0 -
wow thank you this was great information.0
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Bumping this is really helpful...thanks a million0
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So my current BMR is 1790, and I'd say my activity level is lightly active so I'd multiply my BMR by 1.2 right?.. giving me 2148. Minus a 500 calorie deficit - cause I think 1000 would be too high & depriving - meaning I'd consume 1648 calories to lose 1lb a week? & I could exercise to burn more calories yeah?
My TDEE at GOAL weight is 1680, which I'd eat to maintain my weight when I'm there, but if I eat 1680 now I should lose shouldn't I seen as that's what my current BMR - a 500 deficit has given me to lose 1lb a week?
& 10 x my current weight of 218lbs is 2180, minus a 500 deficit is 1680 too lol, so about 1650 seems cool right?
That sounds just about right!! Good luck, it seems like you are getting the hang of it!!0 -
5'5" here, started at 196lbs, currently 6lbs away from my goal (148lbs) at 154lbs - I lost this weight with no exercise and eating 1650 calories per day!
I have only now just dropped them to 1450 calories and am trying to get to the gym 3 days a week
You don't have to eat a low amount of calories, sweetie. Start high, and work your way down. I couldn't survive on 1200 per day!0 -
5'5" here, started at 196lbs, currently 6lbs away from my goal (148lbs) at 154lbs - I lost this weight with no exercise and eating 1650 calories per day!
I have only now just dropped them to 1450 calories and am trying to get to the gym 3 days a week
You don't have to eat a low amount of calories, sweetie. Start high, and work your way down. I couldn't survive on 1200 per day!
Sorry to those I haven't replied to yet, busy in work so just replying to the most recent reply quickly!
I thought it was best to start low calorie wise and then work your way up gradually so in the end you're eating maintenance calories and maintaining goal weight - can anyone shed some light on this please?
Congrats on your amazing loss! :-) how long did it take you?0 -
5'5" here, started at 196lbs, currently 6lbs away from my goal (148lbs) at 154lbs - I lost this weight with no exercise and eating 1650 calories per day!
I have only now just dropped them to 1450 calories and am trying to get to the gym 3 days a week
You don't have to eat a low amount of calories, sweetie. Start high, and work your way down. I couldn't survive on 1200 per day!
So if you lost a lot of weight by eating 1650 with no exercise... and then you add in exercise which requires more food, why would you drop your calories? It's a recipe for disaster and catabolization of your lean body mass. If anything you should increase calories by 200-300 on days you exercise to prevent muscle loss.0 -
5'5" here, started at 196lbs, currently 6lbs away from my goal (148lbs) at 154lbs - I lost this weight with no exercise and eating 1650 calories per day!
I have only now just dropped them to 1450 calories and am trying to get to the gym 3 days a week
You don't have to eat a low amount of calories, sweetie. Start high, and work your way down. I couldn't survive on 1200 per day!
So if you lost a lot of weight by eating 1650 with no exercise... and then you add in exercise which requires more food, why would you drop your calories? It's a recipe for disaster and catabolization of your lean body mass. If anything you should increase calories by 200-300 on days you exercise to prevent muscle loss.
Because I log my calories and exercise and eat back exercise calories to compensate for days I overeat?0 -
5'5" here, started at 196lbs, currently 6lbs away from my goal (148lbs) at 154lbs - I lost this weight with no exercise and eating 1650 calories per day!
I have only now just dropped them to 1450 calories and am trying to get to the gym 3 days a week
You don't have to eat a low amount of calories, sweetie. Start high, and work your way down. I couldn't survive on 1200 per day!
Sorry to those I haven't replied to yet, busy in work so just replying to the most recent reply quickly!
I thought it was best to start low calorie wise and then work your way up gradually so in the end you're eating maintenance calories and maintaining goal weight - can anyone shed some light on this please?
Congrats on your amazing loss! :-) how long did it take you?
No, it's fine. I work and go to college too so my replies are always late :P
To be honest, I think it's best to start on the highest calories you can lose the most amount on. Not too sure, though. Only because I wouldn't be able to survive on 1200 calories, especially not when I just began. I think it's just best to up to maintenance slowly when you get to goal.
And thank you! It's taken me 8 months 0
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