confused again

olynick
olynick Posts: 31 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok so I am confused once again.......When I started I did my goal inputs and all that and it gave me my target calories for a guy my age and weight and all that. So I actually stayed well below those targets and was doing ok losing weight slowly. I was staying at around 1200 calories. And then I was told that I shouldn't be doing that that I need to keep at around 1500 cal for being a guy. So I did that and I seem to be stuck at 249.4 lbs. I am wondering if maybe its different with different people and I actually need to stay around 1200 to lose weight? It just seems like I was doing better when I was keeping my calories extra low.

Replies

  • violinkeri
    violinkeri Posts: 212
    1200 calories is too low for most WOMEN. I am 5'7 trying to get to 140 lbs, and i eat 1500 calories (Maintenance for my goal weight). 1500 is probably too low for you too! You are still eating way too little, in all likelihood.

    Search the Road Map, calculate your BMR and TDEE, and go from there.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Agreed - I eat over 1800 cals a day and lose.

    How long did you eat at 1200 and how long have you been at 1500? Sometimes when you make changes like that it takes the body some time to adjust...but either way, I think even the 1500 is too low for you.

    Read this topic and run your numbers through the tools linked there, following the instructions in the thread: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013

    Great info, and has given me my best success with dropping the fat and consistently losing.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Agreed again. I'm a female that weighs less than you and I'm losing eating 1900 calories a day. I agree with calculating your TDEE and working from there. Or if you don't want to mess with the math, actually eat the calories MFP tells you to eat based on your weight and activity level. If you workout and didn't include that in your initial activity level, eat those calories back (just like MFP tells you to). I'm sure as hell that MFP is not telling you to eat 1200 calories, and likely not 1500 either. This site works if you use it correctly and are honest about your activity levels.
  • chels0722
    chels0722 Posts: 465 Member
    Agreed - I eat over 1800 cals a day and lose.

    How long did you eat at 1200 and how long have you been at 1500? Sometimes when you make changes like that it takes the body some time to adjust...but either way, I think even the 1500 is too low for you.

    Read this topic and run your numbers through the tools linked there, following the instructions in the thread: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013

    Great info, and has given me my best success with dropping the fat and consistently losing.

    Yes this^^^^ I eat 2200 a day and I feel and look great! It is a long read, but definitley worth it!
  • ottermotorcycle
    ottermotorcycle Posts: 654 Member
    There's always the chance that eating at 1200 has lowered your metabolism, as Amy said. Don't lower your calories from 1500, but focus on your workouts, especially strength training (the only thing I see in your exercise diary is zumba?), to get your body burning those calories again. If you've also been really good at sticking to your goals, consider a cheat day to "confuse" your body into losing weight.
  • olynick
    olynick Posts: 31 Member
    Ok actually MFP is telling me im at 1510..according to my weight,sex,age and activity level.........I have been on MFP for 2 months and ive lost 28 lbs so far. Im only wondering because for those 2 months I have been considerably lower on my calories like around 1200 and this last week I went to do what MFP told me to do and keep it around 1510 and it seems like im stuck at 249.4 lol. So im going to go ahead and keep it at 1510 and see if its just my body needing time to get used to the change. I don't want to do this in an unhealthy way so I will go by the MFP guidelines and what they tell me.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Ok actually MFP is telling me im at 1510..according to my weight,sex,age and activity level.........I have been on MFP for 2 months and ive lost 28 lbs so far. Im only wondering because for those 2 months I have been considerably lower on my calories like around 1200 and this last week I went to do what MFP told me to do and keep it around 1510 and it seems like im stuck at 249.4 lol. So im going to go ahead and keep it at 1510 and see if its just my body needing time to get used to the change. I don't want to do this in an unhealthy way so I will go by the MFP guidelines and what they tell me.

    Just be sure to eat your exercise calories as well. I didn't go back in your diary that far, but at least recently you haven't been.
  • sw337y
    sw337y Posts: 8 Member
    i've started doing regular exercise lately and trying to keep to 1650 calories daily 1800 at the very most. gets bit confusing counting calories etc. should i be replacing burned calories? for example i consumed an average of 400 calories then went on my bike did 10 miles burning an average of 750 cals. my question is since i'm trying to keep to 1650 cals per day and after already consuming 400 does that mean i still have only 1250 left to consume today or do i have to replace the 750 cals from my bike ride and still having 1250 left over so a total of 2000 ? any feedback would be welcome thanks
  • olynick
    olynick Posts: 31 Member
    That's one that has confused me too.......does doing excersise and burning calories mean that I get to eat more? I always thought that burning those calories was meant for losing weight but if I burn those calories and just eat them back it seems like im wasting time lol, but what I have been hearing lately is that I should eat those calories I gain from excersising lol
  • olynick
    olynick Posts: 31 Member
    no I haven't been eating those calories back , I don't know it just seems like it was defeating the purpose but I have been hearing lately that I should eat those calories back up.
  • olynick
    olynick Posts: 31 Member
    Pretty much my routine has been in the morning I eat an omlette with some cheese and salsa for around 285 calories. Then at lunch I eat something like a lean cuisine meal for around 240 cal, then I wait about 2 hours and about 2:00 pm I do 45 minutes of Zumba 5 days a week and on M-w-f- I do some sit ups and push ups. Then for dinner I eat about 600 calories give or take to get me inbetween 1300 to 1500 calories total and maybe while sitting watching our shows at night ill snack on a cut up apple with peanut butter. That's pretty much my routine
  • bagge72
    bagge72 Posts: 1,377 Member
    You are still eating way to little. You should be eating at least 2,000 calories a day with you weight. I'm at 235lbs a day, and I keep it at around 2,000 calories a day on weekdays, and 3,000 on weekends, and I still lose weight. I have also found that when I do stall because of eating to little as soon as I have a binge day or two the next week the weight falls right off.
  • stephanj
    stephanj Posts: 898 Member
    Dude, my question to you is how do you FEEL eating that little? I am 143 lbs and I would be starving and lightheaded and cranky doing what you just described (mostly the lean cuisine, you could be getting such better nutrition for calories, switch to chicken breast or something) a guy your size need PROTEIN!!!! you want to be building muscle which will make you look the way you want to look.
    Sorry I don't mean to sound like a know-it-all lol. I want the best for you, you sound really dedicated. But even the guys on the biggest loser get 1600 calories!
  • olynick
    olynick Posts: 31 Member
    Ok so it sounds like I am getting too few calories from all the comments so a lot of heads are better than one. I am going to adjust for more calories and even eat the cals I burn from excersising. I think what I will do is also cook up some chicken and stuff ahead of time so I can add it to my lunch meals or something along with some more veggies. Its funny but for a guy my weight I still feel like im eating a lot.
  • olynick
    olynick Posts: 31 Member
    truly I don't feel weak or like im dizzy or anything. I actually feel like im full all the time.
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,783 Member
    I'm 220, having lost 14 lbs in the last 6 weeks of so. I recently upped my cals to 1508 and added cardio 4-5 times a week. I'm now stuck at 219, but I know as long as I:

    A. continue to eat at a deficit
    B. continue to get exercise
    C. the weight will come off
  • olynick
    olynick Posts: 31 Member
    going to eat a lot more and aim for 2400 calories which seems like a friggin lot. But I am changing up my cardio and strength training and trying to get some different foods in like lean protein, whole foods, complex carbs and essential fats. Going to try this for a bit and see if it works. This is from the man whos link I was directed too in one of the above posts
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    That's one that has confused me too.......does doing excersise and burning calories mean that I get to eat more? I always thought that burning those calories was meant for losing weight but if I burn those calories and just eat them back it seems like im wasting time lol, but what I have been hearing lately is that I should eat those calories I gain from excersising lol

    Yup, you eat better to lose weight, you exercise to get fit. You do not have to exercise to lose weight. If you don't want to be saggy, out of shape, and skinny, then exercising is a good idea. But, you have to fuel that exercise. Cardio = eating more. Yum :laugh:
  • olynick
    olynick Posts: 31 Member
    well I was doing 5 days a week cardio but I was told to do 2 days a week cardio and the other 3 day to do body weight training like push ups, body squats, planks, side planks, side lunges, bridges, 1 legged bridges and supermans so im gonna try this and eating more and different. I already did my first day of body weight training and my legs are sore now lol. Im not really wanting to get all muscly and all but I guess if it helps to lose the weight ill do it. I really just want my big ole belly gone. Oh well im gonna try this out for a few weeks and see what changes it makes.

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