How many calories should I eat?

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kaymarie415
kaymarie415 Posts: 1
in Health and Weight Loss
I am having a horrible time figuring out how many calories I should eat. I am 17, 5'4, and 165 pounds. I excersie 5-6 times a week. I have consumed 1300 calories or less for a week now. I was expecting to see a pound missing from the scales, but to my surprise I gained a pound. Has it not been long enough or should I bump up the calories?

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  • alevett
    alevett Posts: 79 Member
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    You may have built a little muscle and burned a little fat and they offset each other. It also may not have been enough time for your body to adjust, you may be retaining water (for various reasons). I would continue the same for the next week and see what happens. Also, if you are working out 5-6 times a week, 1300 calories may be too little.
  • Jamcnair
    Jamcnair Posts: 586 Member
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    You probably want to eat at least some of your exercise cals back, unless you're already doing that. If you search for In Place of a Road Map on the boards, you can do what that guy says to find out what you should be eating
  • ___Alexia____
    ___Alexia____ Posts: 1
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    I would suggest eat a bit more about 1400-1500 and don't eat too much processed carbs ( white bread, pasta etc..) Stay on veggies and fruits and lean protein like chicken, turkey, fish.
  • CoachGwenna
    CoachGwenna Posts: 24
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    There could be a number of reasons why you went up and you may very well need to bump up the calories but keep the following things in mind.

    1. Are you tracking EVERYTHING you eat AND drink including what you put ON the food? There may be hidden calories in your diet.
    2. Are you including protein with every meal? It's important to help you stay satisfied and to help you lose weight
    3. Are you eating 5 small meals a day rather than 3 (or less) big ones? Eating this way helps boost your metabolism
    4. Are you eating after 8 pm? You shouldn't eat after 8 pm
    5. Are you eating most of your carbs in the morning? Avoiding carbs after lunch (i.e. supper should be just veg & lean protein)
    6. Did you weigh yourself at the same time as you did the first day
    7. Are you getting at LEAST 8-8 oz glasses of water a day? They say take your weight and divide it in half and that's how many ounces of water you should be taking in per day so you should be at about 84 oz or a little more than 10-8oz glasses
    8. Finally, weight does fluxuate based on salt intake, water intake (too little and your body will retain it), where you are in your cycle and if you worked out REALLY hard the day before your muscles will retain water while they heal, that kind of weight drops off in a day or two.
  • CoachGwenna
    CoachGwenna Posts: 24
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    I forgot to say please feel free to add me as a friend, the more the merrier!
  • Ploogy
    Ploogy Posts: 115 Member
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    Some good points, but also some not so good ones.
    3. Are you eating 5 small meals a day rather than 3 (or less) big ones? Eating this way helps boost your metabolism

    This has been debunked over and over. I'll find the sources which have been posted on various threads here.
    4. Are you eating after 8 pm? You shouldn't eat after 8 pm

    Also a complete myth.
    5. Are you eating most of your carbs in the morning? Avoiding carbs after lunch (i.e. supper should be just veg & lean protein)

    Not true. See http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/carbs-at-night-fat-loss-killer-or-imaginary-boogeyman.html for a cited counterexplanation.
  • nnylee
    nnylee Posts: 814 Member
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    Eat 300-400 below your TDEE.
  • missmegan831
    missmegan831 Posts: 824 Member
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    4. Are you eating after 8 pm? You shouldn't eat after 8 pm.



    SAYS WHO??? :explode:
  • KellyJoMorris
    KellyJoMorris Posts: 35 Member
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    Hi!

    This is a lot of reading, but I found it very interesting

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    Kelly xx
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    Find your BMR and TDEE. Eat at least your BMR.

    Weigh, measure, and log everything you eat.

    Be patient.

    Don't worry about any other rules for now. Some of them may be helpful (eating multiple times per day helps some people, not others), but getting hung up on them is unnecessary and can hurt your progress if it makes you discouraged.

    If you just started exercise, if you've had a lot of sodium in the past few days, or if it's that time of month, you may be retaining water. Also weight fluctuates. The scale is a trending tool only. It doesn't just weigh your fat. It also weighs water, food in your digestive tract, etc.
  • LishieFruit89
    LishieFruit89 Posts: 1,956 Member
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    Listen to Amber, ploggy, & nnylee.

    Also, it's been a WEEK.
    Don't fret.

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