Calories - Should I be eating more?

kbooth
kbooth Posts: 49 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been on a 1,200 calorie budget for as long as I can remember, but I'm wondering if I should be on a higher calorie budget as I've seen some people on here do.

Here's my info:
5'1" - 182.0 lbs.
Run 2-3 times a week
Weight train 2-3 times a week
Starting 30DS today (my after Thanksgiving promise to myself to kick things up a notch)

I am a picky eater so I've had a difficult time on the diet portion of loosing weight, but I have found some things I really enjoy and have been able to do pretty well so far. I hope to add more foods soon as I've been experimenting with different websites such as Skinnytaste.com to find new ways to cook or mix things. :)

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I just don't know if I should stick with a 1,200 calorie budget or maybe try a 1,400-1,600 budget and see how it affects things.

Replies

  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    How long have you been trying it and how much weight have you lost?
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    Find your TDEE (without exercise).

    From there, set calories to TDEE-10% to 20%.

    Eat back exercise calories.
  • kbooth
    kbooth Posts: 49 Member
    I'm actually on my second round of trying to loose weight. The first time was in 2010 and I lost 33 pounds in 6 months.

    This time, I just started again around July and I've lost about 15 pounds (I had gained back about 15 of the 33 I lost the first time, so I'm pretty much picking up where I left off two years ago).
  • kbooth
    kbooth Posts: 49 Member
    What is a TDEE?
  • TheCaren
    TheCaren Posts: 894 Member
    Not sure what's best for you, but my doc just told me not to go lower than 1200 net calories. So if you're burning 300 in exercise, you need to eat 1500 that day.
  • JLgettinghealthy
    JLgettinghealthy Posts: 39 Member
    hey girl - on 1200 i was able to lose about 5 pounds, but after that i plateaued. i upped it to 1500-1700 a day and now it's coming off more steadily. maybe try increasing it for a week or two and see what happens!
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    TDEE is your Total Daily Energy Expenditure.

    General rule of thumb is to eat above BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate, the calories needed to keep organs functioning), and below your TDEE (number of calories you burn in a day).

    You are eating the minimum MFP suggests possible, and are exercising several days a week. You are setting yourself up for a crash course.

    The way MFP sets itself up is it takes your TDEE and subtracts however many calories per day is needed to achieve your weight loss goal, with a floor of 1200 calories. So, if your TDEE is 2000 and you want to lose 1 pound of fat a week (3500 cals a week), it subtracts 500 from 2000 and says your allowance is 1500. If you exercise, this adds to the number of calories burned in a day, meaning you can eat more.
  • stlhrs
    stlhrs Posts: 67 Member
    TDEE is Total Daily Energy Expenditure. Basically, it's how many calories your body needs in a day based on your activities. From there you figure a safe deficit (usually 5-20%).

    Give this a read:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • JanaCanada
    JanaCanada Posts: 917 Member
    hey girl - on 1200 i was able to lose about 5 pounds, but after that i plateaued. i upped it to 1500-1700 a day and now it's coming off more steadily. maybe try increasing it for a week or two and see what happens!

    ^^THIS!!!!!!
  • mdhummel
    mdhummel Posts: 201 Member
    If I don't exercise I eat 1200 calories. If I do exercise and burn, let's say 400 calories, then I will eat 1,600 calories that day. Eat whatever calories you burn so that you are always netting 1,200 calories.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    It makes no sense to me to eat the bare minimum of food to survive. It makes more sense to have a small deficit, then drop your calories if you don't lose. But you need to allow 4-6 weeks to even see if it's working. One or two weeks is not enough time for your body to adjust.
  • thomaswaterhouse
    thomaswaterhouse Posts: 1
    Hey Im new to these message boards, But I recently Started a new diet regimen and have lost 50+ pounds and have kept it off for over a year almost effortlessly. Try upping your calories by no more than 200 to 300 calories when weight loss stops. That will work for you for awhile probably 2-3 rounds of raising your calories, then you may plateau and the reality is that the fewer calories you eat the more weight you lose and 1200-1500 for a women is the average. You can try adding a bad meal with high carb and high fat once a week like a slight cheat day but very controlled with your calories. I know for me intermittent fasting is an incredibly useful and forgiving tool that I have used for almost a year. You can try adjusting your carbs to your workouts as well, weightlifting sessions eat higher carb and then cardio days eat lower carb. You need to replenish glycogen stores especially after weight training sessions, go big, lift heavy for short amounts of time and cardio very intese for short periods of time.
  • kbooth
    kbooth Posts: 49 Member
    WOW!! Thank you! :)

    I just did all that and I've been starving myself 500 calories a day! I should be around a 1,700 calorie budget!

    I'll try that for 4-6 weeks and see what kind of improvement I can make! Thank you so much....this type of stuff seems so foreign language to me!
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    WOW!! Thank you! :)

    I just did all that and I've been starving myself 500 calories a day! I should be around a 1,700 calorie budget!

    I'll try that for 4-6 weeks and see what kind of improvement I can make! Thank you so much....this type of stuff seems so foreign language to me!

    Good luck! Weight loss is supposed to be slow and easy to maintain. Its when we go all hog wild, barely eat, exercise a ton, that we crash really quick. It is why so many have trouble losing weight.

    With the increased calories, you may gain a little weight. Do not be alarmed. IT IS NOT FAT. With chronic deficits, your body will most likely have raided quick energy stores (such as glycogen in the muscles). It will then replace those and that requires extra water.

Categories