I know I am probably being silly

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tschaff04
tschaff04 Posts: 296 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I took the advice of some people yesterday and changed my stats on the MFP calculator today. I changed my status from sedentary to slightly active(I have three children under 6 and stay at home with them so I am rarely sitting down), and I try to do C25K three times a week too but I can't always guarantee that.

Anyway, I also changed my pounds I want to lose a week from 2 to 1, simply because it's recommended and plus I was worried that because I nurse trying to lose 2 pounds a week was to much.

So it took me from 1200 cals a day to almost 1600!! 1580 I think is around the exact number. Now I have to add 500 cals to that sine I do nurse. I had been eating 1700 cals but that takes me to over 2000 cals. This scares me!

I am afraid this is way to much! Do these stats sound right? Just fyi I am 5'5" and 178 pounds.

I'm probably being way to silly but I just feel like that's a lot of cals! Thanks for any encouragement, tips, advice, etc. :blushing:

Replies

  • kristen6022
    kristen6022 Posts: 1,926 Member
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    My advice. Eat the calories. Weigh yourself once a week, at the same time of day. If after 3 weeks you've gained, back off the calories a bit. It took a while to put the weight on and it's gonna take 2x the amount of time to take it off...sorry, that's the breaks.

    No one's body responds to a set number of calories like someone else's. So, we really don't know if you'll lose or gain on 2000. Some people lose on 2300! I lost on 1650 better than I lost on 1400. It took a bit of "playing around" to find my sweet spot. I maintain on 1900/day. But I don't nurse and I'm not doing as much activity as you (aka I maintain with diet alone).
  • deb3129
    deb3129 Posts: 1,294 Member
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    I understand completely where you are coming from!! I have also just increased mine based on a lot of research, and the fact that I have been at a plateau. I really believe it is the right thing to do, but I am still scared. What you are eating now is not enough to cause you to gain weight, the worst that could happen is it would slow down. So just try it, and if it does not work (give it enough time before you decide it doesn't work), then you can always reduce. I really do think that most people try to eat way to few calories!
  • crunchywhit
    crunchywhit Posts: 11 Member
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    I am also nursing and I never know how to treat that. I usually give myself 300 or so calories a day (I've seen recommendations between 250-500 cals.) I am around 1600 calories a day and am losing weight better than at 1400 - I feel less cranky too. I have found that while nursing I can easily lose a lb a week but that losing 2 lbs a week was almost impossible (even when the calories were adding up.) I wouldn't eat just to get your calories though - nutrients are so much more important when you are breastfeeding. Remember, your body feeds the baby no matter what, it is YOUR body that will suffer if you aren't getting the nutrition that you need.
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
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    Anything within 10-12 cals per pound is a decent weight loss estimate. As kristen mentioned above, monitor your progress and make adjustments as necessary.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,229 Member
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    My calorie deficit is around 300 calories a day and I still lose 2 to 4 lbs a week. Weight loss is not linear.

    In other words, I think it will be okay. Try it and see.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    Yay for the "do it, log it, and then evaluate your progress" comments above. It's really the only way to know...(although I suspect you'll be quite happy and likely successful at those newly-calculated amounts. They just sound right.)
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    My advice. Eat the calories. Weigh yourself once a week, at the same time of day. If after 3 weeks you've gained, back off the calories a bit.

    This ^^
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    My calorie deficit is around 300 calories a day and I still lose 2 to 4 lbs a week. Weight loss is not linear.

    In other words, I think it will be okay. Try it and see.

    (Not to pick a fight, but if you are consistently losing 2-4 pounds each week, then I don't believe your calorie deficit is around 300 calories a day. Seems like either an error in the calories in or calories out estimates. That said, it sounds like whatever you're doing is working for you, so by all means carry on.)
  • daisiemae123
    daisiemae123 Posts: 277 Member
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    I just did the same thing and it is scary. I was set at sedentary because I do work a desk job, but I have an active toddler that keeps me running for 2 hours before work and 5 or more after. I finally figured no sedentary person goes up and down the stairs 6+ times in a night. I have been having a freak out about it and glad to see I am not the only one. I figure try it for a week or two and see what happens. If I gain, I'll change it back.
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
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    I took the advice of some people yesterday and changed my stats on the MFP calculator today. I changed my status from sedentary to slightly active(I have three children under 6 and stay at home with them so I am rarely sitting down), and I try to do C25K three times a week too but I can't always guarantee that.

    Anyway, I also changed my pounds I want to lose a week from 2 to 1, simply because it's recommended and plus I was worried that because I nurse trying to lose 2 pounds a week was to much.

    So it took me from 1200 cals a day to almost 1600!! 1580 I think is around the exact number. Now I have to add 500 cals to that sine I do nurse. I had been eating 1700 cals but that takes me to over 2000 cals. This scares me!

    I am afraid this is way to much! Do these stats sound right? Just fyi I am 5'5" and 178 pounds.

    I'm probably being way to silly but I just feel like that's a lot of cals! Thanks for any encouragement, tips, advice, etc. :blushing:

    IDK...I am in a similar position. I have hardly lost anything the last 3 months now. I did my TDEE and it is something obscene like 2400 calories. For quite a while now I have been eating around 1400-1600 calories a day. The last week or so I have been making it my JOB to eat close to 2000 calories a day as I can, hopefully netting close to 1200 a day. Hoping the scale shows a loss Monday...
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    I just did the same thing and it is scary. I was set at sedentary because I do work a desk job, but I have an active toddler that keeps me running for 2 hours before work and 5 or more after. I finally figured no sedentary person goes up and down the stairs 6+ times in a night. I have been having a freak out about it and glad to see I am not the only one. I figure try it for a week or two and see what happens. If I gain, I'll change it back.

    Great attitude, but one piece of advice...you should probably give it more time, say, 4-6 weeks, before concluding whether or not it's working for you. Less than that just isn't enough time to smooth out all of the other variables.
  • dcglobalgirl
    dcglobalgirl Posts: 207 Member
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    I'm afraid I wasn't logging my calories while I was nursing but I did lose about 40 lbs in 4 months without any food restriction at all so I know that nursing can burn up a crazy amount of calories. It sounds reasonable to me that you would get a much higher allowance.
  • prokomds
    prokomds Posts: 318 Member
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    Congrats on upping your calories! I was much happier (and more energetic!) when I moved my net from 1400ish to now about 1700 (at 5'6" and starting at 150 pounds - I've lost about 8 pounds so far)

    My advice is to give yourself a few weeks off from the scale - the first week or so where you've changed your calories, you might even "gain" some. You have to understand that this temporary setback (which might not even happen!) is for the best in time. But like has been said - you're still eating at a deficit! You are NOT going to gain weight in the long run with this number of calories. You may just find out after awhile that the rate of loss is faster or slower than you want and will have to fine-tune the numbers

    Definitely give it those three weeks (at a minimum! I'd say like a month) and then evaluate where you are. Good luck!
  • maryb2374
    maryb2374 Posts: 137 Member
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    I am 5'5" also and am not nursing but I have been eating 1800ish calories a day since mid May when I custom set my MFP values based on a couple of different calculators. Prior to this, MFP had me at 1400/day plus my exercise calories. I continued to lose weight (broke a plateau when I first started increasing) and a couple weeks ago hit my goal weight. I think your numbers sound right on (if not a smidge low) so try it and see.

    I didn't track my calories when I was nursing but I could always tell when my little one hit a growth spurt because I would get super tired and be famished all the time!
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
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    You're being silly.

    Chances are, you didn't get fat from eating 1600 calories a day. It was probably like double that. And your TDEE is probably closer to 2300-2500, so 1600 is still a significant cut.

    Eat so you can be the best mom and have the energy you need for your kids. You'll also be setting a good, realistic example for them about what well-balanced eating is - instead of scrimping on food to meet your 1200 cal goal.
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
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    I took the advice of some people yesterday and changed my stats on the MFP calculator today. I changed my status from sedentary to slightly active(I have three children under 6 and stay at home with them so I am rarely sitting down), and I try to do C25K three times a week too but I can't always guarantee that.

    Anyway, I also changed my pounds I want to lose a week from 2 to 1, simply because it's recommended and plus I was worried that because I nurse trying to lose 2 pounds a week was to much.

    So it took me from 1200 cals a day to almost 1600!! 1580 I think is around the exact number. Now I have to add 500 cals to that sine I do nurse. I had been eating 1700 cals but that takes me to over 2000 cals. This scares me!

    I am afraid this is way to much! Do these stats sound right? Just fyi I am 5'5" and 178 pounds.

    I'm probably being way to silly but I just feel like that's a lot of cals! Thanks for any encouragement, tips, advice, etc. :blushing:

    IDK...I am in a similar position. I have hardly lost anything the last 3 months now. I did my TDEE and it is something obscene like 2400 calories. For quite a while now I have been eating around 1400-1600 calories a day. The last week or so I have been making it my JOB to eat close to 2000 calories a day as I can, hopefully netting close to 1200 a day. Hoping the scale shows a loss Monday...

    1 week generally isn't going to be enough time to see much change especially if you have been under eating for long periods. General consensus seems to say around 3 weeks is more common. If you have bumped from 1400 to 2k without any other stops in between you may see a gain for a couple of weeks as your body re-adjusts but it will go back down - don't give up too soon!
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    Options
    I took the advice of some people yesterday and changed my stats on the MFP calculator today. I changed my status from sedentary to slightly active(I have three children under 6 and stay at home with them so I am rarely sitting down), and I try to do C25K three times a week too but I can't always guarantee that.

    Anyway, I also changed my pounds I want to lose a week from 2 to 1, simply because it's recommended and plus I was worried that because I nurse trying to lose 2 pounds a week was to much.

    So it took me from 1200 cals a day to almost 1600!! 1580 I think is around the exact number. Now I have to add 500 cals to that sine I do nurse. I had been eating 1700 cals but that takes me to over 2000 cals. This scares me!

    I am afraid this is way to much! Do these stats sound right? Just fyi I am 5'5" and 178 pounds.

    I'm probably being way to silly but I just feel like that's a lot of cals! Thanks for any encouragement, tips, advice, etc. :blushing:

    IDK...I am in a similar position. I have hardly lost anything the last 3 months now. I did my TDEE and it is something obscene like 2400 calories. For quite a while now I have been eating around 1400-1600 calories a day. The last week or so I have been making it my JOB to eat close to 2000 calories a day as I can, hopefully netting close to 1200 a day. Hoping the scale shows a loss Monday...

    1 week generally isn't going to be enough time to see much change especially if you have been under eating for long periods. General consensus seems to say around 3 weeks is more common. If you have bumped from 1400 to 2k without any other stops in between you may see a gain for a couple of weeks as your body re-adjusts but it will go back down - don't give up too soon!

    It will be a week tomorrow, but I am not giving up. I have been lifting heavy the last few weeks, so that might be part of my issue too. It has taken me 10 months to lose 30 lbs, and I have 35 more to go before I hit "overweight" instead of obese.
  • tschaff04
    tschaff04 Posts: 296 Member
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    Thank you everyone for the replies!!! I appreciate it and will take all your advice into consideration. I was overweight prior to ever becoming pregnant so for me counting while nursing is a must. I need to get these extra pounds off and work on being healthier. :)

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