Seriously? I'm supposed to eat 2000 calories????

teinepalagi
teinepalagi Posts: 86 Member
edited December 18 in Fitness and Exercise
OK....I have a fitbit and I work out 2X a day (30 day shred in the morning and 30 minutes of cardio over lunch).

I'm 5'2" and currently 142 lbs at approximately 26-27% BF.

I'm set up at the standard 1200 calories per day and then the exercise and the fitbit calories get added on to that.

When they all get added up, most days MFP says I should be eating between 1800-2000 calories a day.

This seems like a gross overestimation to me. I was averaging around 1400/day before the fitbit....but upped my calories when I found out I could eat that much more. Now, the scale has stopped moving (altough my BF% has continued to go down SLOOOWWLY).

I know all you "eat more to lose more" folks can help me out here......what do you think? Way too much? It's not like I'm a marathon runner or a body builder. I just run after two kids all evening and get a lot of steps in during the day (I average around 15,000 steps/day).

Thanks in advance for the advice!

Replies

  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    Welcome to the winning team.

    <<---- 5'4 130 lbs, 44 years old, 4 kids, 2000 cals a day (or more).

    blessings.
  • Glucocorticoid
    Glucocorticoid Posts: 867 Member
    nHB7i.png
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    I'm not an expert. However, the problem with basing calories on BMR is that it's just an estimate. An average. Some people could be way higher, and others way lower. If you were having success at a lower rate and you aren't at a higher one (assuming you've given it at least a few weeks), then go back to the lower rate.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    5'5, almost 40 and 130 lbs, maintaining on over 2000, and lost weight on 1800-2000. :smile:
  • teinepalagi
    teinepalagi Posts: 86 Member
    Thanks....I will try this number of calories for awhile longer and see what happens with BF% and weight......it's great to see some shorter women on here getting those number of calories in and looking fabulous. And I loved the picture Kenny.....:smile:
  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
    Seriously! You can lose weight eating more than 1200 calories in a day. In fact, you can lose MORE weight by eating more than 1200 calories a day. 1200 is unhealthy to maintain more than a few months, it's unreasonably low. If you want to change your lifestyle, you need to do something that you like. Eating more allows you to enjoy more of those foods you used to (but not in as large of quantities as before)! I'm so glad I've learned this! I love being able to eat anything I want for dinner and still losing weight.
  • lambertj
    lambertj Posts: 675 Member
    nHB7i.png

    LOVE THIS!!!!
  • fuzzyslipperz
    fuzzyslipperz Posts: 49 Member
    I do about 2K, sometimes more, and I'm about 120/5'4 and 44 years old. So sounds right to me! :)
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
    The amount recommended for the average woman to maintain (note: most women don't workout twice a day) is 2000 calories.
    With extra workouts, I don't see why it's unreasonable to be eating that amount to lose :)

    Also from experience, I lost weight easier on 1750 net (1750-2300 total) than I did on 1500 (1500-2000 total) Why eat hardly anything and stick to 1200 a day, when you can lose just as well on more (and preserve more muscle mass too!)
  • ebaymommy
    ebaymommy Posts: 1,067 Member
    I'm 34 years old, 5'5", 121.5lbs and eating 2200+/day.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    "1200 is unhealthy to maintain more than a few months, it's unreasonably low. "

    that's such BS as a blanket statement! There are plenty of small women that that calorie level is perfectly appropriate. My 4'9" friend who weighs about 98 lbs comes to mind.
  • ebaymommy
    ebaymommy Posts: 1,067 Member
    "1200 is unhealthy to maintain more than a few months, it's unreasonably low. "

    that's such BS as a blanket statement! There are plenty of small women that that calorie level is perfectly appropriate. My 4'9" friend who weighs about 98 lbs comes to mind.

    There's a great MFPer who's 4'11" and about 97lbs and eats 2000+ a day and she has a ROCKIN' body.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    She very well could but blanket statements are pretty useless in the real world. There will always be exceptions to every "rule". And someone has to be burning some SERIOUS calories to be losing weight at that level if they're 4'11" or 4'9".

    From http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/ for 4'11" and 97 lbs for maintenance (35 yr female):

    Activity Level Daily Calories
    Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job) 1428
    Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk) 1636
    Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) 1845
    Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk) 2053
    Extremely Active (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.) 2261
  • escloflowneCHANGED
    escloflowneCHANGED Posts: 3,038 Member
    I lent my friend my Body media fit and it says the same thing for her! she is 5'1", Mine says I should be eating 2800-3000 calories a day for a 1000 calorie diet but that's too much food for me lol
  • mystiedragonfly
    mystiedragonfly Posts: 189 Member
    The amount recommended for the average woman to maintain (note: most women don't workout twice a day) is 2000 calories.
    With extra workouts, I don't see why it's unreasonable to be eating that amount to lose :)

    Also from experience, I lost weight easier on 1750 net (1750-2300 total) than I did on 1500 (1500-2000 total) Why eat hardly anything and stick to 1200 a day, when you can lose just as well on more (and preserve more muscle mass too!)

    This!!

    5'5" here and get 2100 cals a day (I usually stay between 1800 and 2000 though). I don't drive. I have to walk if I want to go somewhere. That, in itself, adds an added activity that most humans (especially in America) don't get. Most people drive to the gym, I walk to the bus, which drops me off a parking lot away from the gym. So before even working out, I have usually walked a half a mile. By the time I come back from the gym (even after the 400 calorie protein shake), I am usually starving... and a salad just don't cut it.
  • stephenatl09
    stephenatl09 Posts: 186 Member
    I gave my Fitbit away. I did not like it at all. I would not trust it, personally. It had intermitten tracking and sometimes it tracked things I know I did not do. I felt it was unreliable at best.
  • antoniosmooth
    antoniosmooth Posts: 299 Member
    OK....I have a fitbit and I work out 2X a day (30 day shred in the morning and 30 minutes of cardio over lunch).

    I'm 5'2" and currently 142 lbs at approximately 26-27% BF.

    I'm set up at the standard 1200 calories per day and then the exercise and the fitbit calories get added on to that.

    When they all get added up, most days MFP says I should be eating between 1800-2000 calories a day.

    This seems like a gross overestimation to me. I was averaging around 1400/day before the fitbit....but upped my calories when I found out I could eat that much more. Now, the scale has stopped moving (altough my BF% has continued to go down SLOOOWWLY).

    I know all you "eat more to lose more" folks can help me out here......what do you think? Way too much? It's not like I'm a marathon runner or a body builder. I just run after two kids all evening and get a lot of steps in during the day (I average around 15,000 steps/day).

    Thanks in advance for the advice!

    I don't think that is way to much at all in terms of your calories. Can you tell us more about your evening cardio? Without knowing exactly the nature of your evening cardio, my assumption is you are burning a ton of calories by working out twice per day. The "extra" calories is what I'm estimating is needed in order for your metabolism to function at peak performance. However without knowing the nature of your evening cardio it's hard to give good advice on your post.

    Are you feeling as if you are over eating or are you feeling like you don't have enough food. Basically are you going to bed satisfied (not THAT kind of satisfied) or are you feeling like you can't wait for breakfast time in the morning.
  • rmhand
    rmhand Posts: 1,067 Member
    I thought the fitbit tracked all daily calorie expenditures? MFP gives you 1200 hundred to cover your daily expenditures so I think you're counting calories earned twice.
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
    I'm 5'2" and currently 142 lbs at approximately 26-27% BF.

    I'm taller than you (5'9"), but close to your weight (144 lbs) and am still losing at 2200-2400 (sometimes more) calories a day. I also average about 15,000 steps a day and most of my workouts are just walking/hiking with a couple days of circuit training a week.

    I looooove eating that many calories. Yay, FOOD!
  • Karalopolous
    Karalopolous Posts: 574
    Take a look at my last 4 profile pics. I posted some a month apart. I upped my calories and I eat about 1800-2100 depending on if I work out. There is TOTALLY a difference in what more calories do!
    But, and this is of course a given, I split my meals up, about 5-6 each day. I love it!
  • Abells
    Abells Posts: 756 Member
    That's usually what I end up eating -- scale weight moves slower but body changes quickly :) heart it!

    5'3"
    146.7 as of today ( i actually lost ha) photo is there for weight training 1 month with no weight change
    27 years old
  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
    I'm 5'4" 36 years old and currently weigh 138 pounds. My net goal is set to 1,700. On days I exercise I will eat as much as 2,300 calories.
  • teinepalagi
    teinepalagi Posts: 86 Member
    Thanks for all the suggestions. I do like the fitbit....it shouldn't double count because I log my exercise calories on MFP and the fitbit ignores all movement during that time when calculating the extra calories. So, a typical day for me exercise-wise would be:

    30 day shred in AM: approx 180 calories added
    lunch time 20-30 min run: approximately 215-260 calories
    fitbit adjustment can be up to 500 calories some days if I've walked a considerable amount outside of these exercise times.

    I actualy just did some of the calculations that I saw on other posts just based on my current weight, bf%, and activity level and it actually is saying something similar...around 1900 calories to lose weight. I'm still having a hard time believing it....but looking at how successful these other folks have been....I may jump on the eat more bandwagon!

    Although I've been doing this for awhile....I've just been reading the boards and not posting.....so anyone who has similar goals....feel free to "friend" me!
  • fuzzyslipperz
    fuzzyslipperz Posts: 49 Member
    I'm 5'4, about 120, 44 years old. I clear 2K almost every day, sometimes more. =) So yup, eat up! My fitbit has me at a 2.5K average, yikes!

    (my step count, legit, is about 25K most days except work days, where it's about 13-15).
  • cook2690
    cook2690 Posts: 3 Member
    how did you do this!!! i need help. i'm netting around 1200, working out on the elliptical 5x a week burning around 500-600 and binge eating at least once a week. UGH i need help
  • Symonep
    Symonep Posts: 181 Member
    If you upped your calories I bet you wouldn't binge eat nearly as much...
  • LISACPARSONS
    LISACPARSONS Posts: 1
    I weigh 142 and started once again using MFP and I am always over my calorie intake. I go to the gym and meet with my trainer three times a week, I clean my house almost daily, do Jillian Michaels the Shred. I am not losing as fast as I would like.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Why is that so hard to imagine? I eat 2000ish each day and lose about a pound a week.
  • JennKoz529
    JennKoz529 Posts: 144 Member
    :flowerforyou: I am around the same stats as you are! And I am having the same issues that you are too! I am very skeptical of the eat more way of life, but I'm thinking of trying it out. The only problem is I am not an extreme exerciser. I do Jillian's 30 Day Shred almost every day (I'm rounding out the 30th day on Friday and then I'm going to take a more relaxed approach to it) and that is about it! I don't enjoy running, so I refuse to do that....I do enjoy the cardio workouts though. And I'm not much of a weight lifter (which the eat more recommends) so I'm not sure if this is the right way to go for me......any thoughts would be great!

    And....OP feel free to add me!
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