Help with Calories

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wendiebradley
wendiebradley Posts: 11
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been following MFP 1200 calorie/day suggestion, with the exception of when I exercise (4 days/week elliptical/weights 50 min total), I will eat back most of the exercise calories. I've been doing this for about 9 weeks, lost 6 pounds, and several inches. But seem to be in a stall on the scale. I am 45, 5'3 at 167lb. I would like to lose at least 30 more pounds. My BMR = 1460, RMR = 1494, TDEE = 2263 so if I do TDEE-20% it suggests my daily calories would be 1810. That is a huge difference from the 1200 calories! Any thoughts on what is a good daily value for calories? Thanks for the input!

Replies

  • jgcurry3
    jgcurry3 Posts: 172 Member
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    TDEE is a good way to go. If not a little over and exercise. Eventually the numbers on the scale will stop. Body fat % is a better measurement of fitness and progress.
  • nannukka
    nannukka Posts: 52
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    TDEE is easier system in my opinion. Another plus is that you can go on like this (by tweaking numbers once you get to maintenance level) forever which equals lifestyle change compared to "diet". You might loose slower, but you will loose and this will be better for your body and your mind. It is great to eat!!! People around you might be grateful too :laugh:
  • wendiebradley
    wendiebradley Posts: 11
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    Thanks to the both of you for your response. I'm much more interested in making good changes, like regular exercise than anything quick that is not sustainable. And if I can do it without starving all the time - even better! :)
  • kristinhw16
    kristinhw16 Posts: 22
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    I actually had the same question!! My TDEE is 2400. I want to lose up to 2lbs a week, but having a hard time at 1200 calories. I work out an hr or more a day and if I excercise twice a day...my TDEE is 3000. I calculated 30% and I should be eating at least 1600 calories a day! Big difference!! this explains why I am not losing at 1200cals!.....I am in starve mode
  • wendiebradley
    wendiebradley Posts: 11
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    Here's to eating more and losing more! :) Good luck! Very impressed how much you work out - great!
  • prokomds
    prokomds Posts: 318 Member
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    I actually had the same question!! My TDEE is 2400. I want to lose up to 2lbs a week, but having a hard time at 1200 calories. I work out an hr or more a day and if I excercise twice a day...my TDEE is 3000. I calculated 30% and I should be eating at least 1600 calories a day! Big difference!! this explains why I am not losing at 1200cals!.....I am in starve mode

    Generally, the less weight you have to lose, the slow it should come off (and I guarantee, the slower it will come off). If that's you in your profile picture, you shouldn't be aiming for more than a half pound per week. Your body simply doesn't have enough fat to support 2 lbs/week of weight loss! If you set MFP to .5lb/week, you'll see the calorie numbers increase to something more reasonable than 1200

    If losing 2 lbs/week isn't working (and have you lost at that rate? Somehow I doubt it), consider eating more to properly fuel your body. When you have large stores of fat, you can survive on much less food and still get enough energy, but when you're close to your goal you really need to make sure you feed yourself enough. Good luck :)
  • wendiebradley
    wendiebradley Posts: 11
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    In my case, (not the picture person) I have at least 30lbs to lose (5'3 167lb) and at the 1200/day, I have not been able to lose even 1lb per week. There is plenty of fat to lose. lol I have lost inches, which is great, but with the amount of weight I have to lose, you'd think it would come off a bit more than it is. I think maybe the 1200/day is too low even in my case.
  • chrismpalmer
    chrismpalmer Posts: 18
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    I find the MFP estimates are generally low. My BMR is around 2300, yet MFP was suggesting a calorie goal of 1300 when set to 2lbs per week. I ate at that, and lost weight, but it didn't seem all that sustainable, and I felt I was losing muscle mass.

    Drop er down to 1lb a week, log everything and always overestimate (we tend to eat more than we think) and it'll melt off.
  • mariposa224
    mariposa224 Posts: 1,269 Member
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    In my case, (not the picture person) I have at least 30lbs to lose (5'3 167lb) and at the 1200/day, I have not been able to lose even 1lb per week. There is plenty of fat to lose. lol I have lost inches, which is great, but with the amount of weight I have to lose, you'd think it would come off a bit more than it is. I think maybe the 1200/day is too low even in my case.
    I agree. And, to get up to the amount you mentioned in your original post, I recommend bumping up your calories by just 100-150 per week or so until you reach the 1800 (or whatever it was, I think that was it) that you had said was your TDEE -20%. Then keep consistent with eating at that level for at least a month before you decide if it's "working" or not.
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,265 Member
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    TDEE is definitely the better way to go, I am living proof of this.

    I had lost 41 lbs over the last year, eating at the number that MFP suggested. Then, my weight loss completely stopped for 3 MONTHS. I tried everything I could think of. Then I started researching TDEE more. I had been eating around 1200 calories or less most weeks. Two weeks ago I increased my calories to around 1400 (I still need to go higher). The first week, I was up 1 lb, and this week I'm already down 2.2 and I still have 3 more days until my official weigh in day. IT DEFINITELY WORKS.

    Keep in mind, if I wanted to lose 2 lbs per week, I'd need to be at like 1000 calories per day. Obviously, that isn't going to happen.
    Using the number I'm at now, I should lose about .8 lbs per week, which is fine with me.
  • brittknight828
    brittknight828 Posts: 29
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    I actually had the same question!! My TDEE is 2400. I want to lose up to 2lbs a week, but having a hard time at 1200 calories. I work out an hr or more a day and if I excercise twice a day...my TDEE is 3000. I calculated 30% and I should be eating at least 1600 calories a day! Big difference!! this explains why I am not losing at 1200cals!.....I am in starve mode

    Generally, the less weight you have to lose, the slow it should come off (and I guarantee, the slower it will come off). If that's you in your profile picture, you shouldn't be aiming for more than a half pound per week. Your body simply doesn't have enough fat to support 2 lbs/week of weight loss! If you set MFP to .5lb/week, you'll see the calorie numbers increase to something more reasonable than 1200

    If losing 2 lbs/week isn't working (and have you lost at that rate? Somehow I doubt it), consider eating more to properly fuel your body. When you have large stores of fat, you can survive on much less food and still get enough energy, but when you're close to your goal you really need to make sure you feed yourself enough. Good luck :)

    Thanks for making me aware of this information. I'm going to reduce my weekly weight loss goal, and see what happens. I currently stick to around 1200 cals a day, with the setting at losing 2 lbs/wk. If I change my settings to lose .5 lb/week, it says I should eat around 1500 calories. Anyone know if I should do this gradually or adjust my calories all at once? Thanks for any input!
  • mariposa224
    mariposa224 Posts: 1,269 Member
    Options
    I actually had the same question!! My TDEE is 2400. I want to lose up to 2lbs a week, but having a hard time at 1200 calories. I work out an hr or more a day and if I excercise twice a day...my TDEE is 3000. I calculated 30% and I should be eating at least 1600 calories a day! Big difference!! this explains why I am not losing at 1200cals!.....I am in starve mode

    Generally, the less weight you have to lose, the slow it should come off (and I guarantee, the slower it will come off). If that's you in your profile picture, you shouldn't be aiming for more than a half pound per week. Your body simply doesn't have enough fat to support 2 lbs/week of weight loss! If you set MFP to .5lb/week, you'll see the calorie numbers increase to something more reasonable than 1200

    If losing 2 lbs/week isn't working (and have you lost at that rate? Somehow I doubt it), consider eating more to properly fuel your body. When you have large stores of fat, you can survive on much less food and still get enough energy, but when you're close to your goal you really need to make sure you feed yourself enough. Good luck :)

    Thanks for making me aware of this information. I'm going to reduce my weekly weight loss goal, and see what happens. I currently stick to around 1200 cals a day, with the setting at losing 2 lbs/wk. If I change my settings to lose .5 lb/week, it says I should eat around 1500 calories. Anyone know if I should do this gradually or adjust my calories all at once? Thanks for any input!
    With it being 300 calories? I'd probably up it by 150 one week and another 150 the following week to get to the 1500.
  • 1ConcreteGirl
    1ConcreteGirl Posts: 3,677 Member
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    Go with the TDEE method, but make sure that you increase your calories by about 100 per week until you get there, instead of bumping them all up at once.

    This helps your body get used to the change and will keep you from feeling overly stuffed or seeing weight gain on the scale.
  • BaconMD
    BaconMD Posts: 1,165 Member
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    I've been following MFP 1200 calorie/day suggestion, with the exception of when I exercise (4 days/week elliptical/weights 50 min total), I will eat back most of the exercise calories. I've been doing this for about 9 weeks, lost 6 pounds, and several inches. But seem to be in a stall on the scale. I am 45, 5'3 at 167lb. I would like to lose at least 30 more pounds. My BMR = 1460, RMR = 1494, TDEE = 2263 so if I do TDEE-20% it suggests my daily calories would be 1810. That is a huge difference from the 1200 calories!
    Glad to see you did the math.
    Any thoughts on what is a good daily value for calories?
    Yes, if your math is correct, then 1800.
    Thanks for the input!
    No problem.
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,265 Member
    Options
    I actually had the same question!! My TDEE is 2400. I want to lose up to 2lbs a week, but having a hard time at 1200 calories. I work out an hr or more a day and if I excercise twice a day...my TDEE is 3000. I calculated 30% and I should be eating at least 1600 calories a day! Big difference!! this explains why I am not losing at 1200cals!.....I am in starve mode

    Generally, the less weight you have to lose, the slow it should come off (and I guarantee, the slower it will come off). If that's you in your profile picture, you shouldn't be aiming for more than a half pound per week. Your body simply doesn't have enough fat to support 2 lbs/week of weight loss! If you set MFP to .5lb/week, you'll see the calorie numbers increase to something more reasonable than 1200

    If losing 2 lbs/week isn't working (and have you lost at that rate? Somehow I doubt it), consider eating more to properly fuel your body. When you have large stores of fat, you can survive on much less food and still get enough energy, but when you're close to your goal you really need to make sure you feed yourself enough. Good luck :)

    Thanks for making me aware of this information. I'm going to reduce my weekly weight loss goal, and see what happens. I currently stick to around 1200 cals a day, with the setting at losing 2 lbs/wk. If I change my settings to lose .5 lb/week, it says I should eat around 1500 calories. Anyone know if I should do this gradually or adjust my calories all at once? Thanks for any input!
    With it being 300 calories? I'd probably up it by 150 one week and another 150 the following week to get to the 1500.
    I agree.
  • donttouchthepoof
    donttouchthepoof Posts: 4
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    I don't know about anyone else.. but for me.. I had lost like 50 lbs, and I was back to doing REALLY good again... 1200 calories a day, working out, whatnot... but then the scales stopped moving. for months. So I tried something a friend had told me about. A metabolism shock. For a weekend, I did nothing but ate whatever I wanted. Cookies like crazy, double portions, cheesecake, anything. And at the end of the weekend.... I had lost 2.5 lbs. I don't know why or how it works... just that it did for me. I dunno if it'd help you or not, but I thought I'd just let ya know:)
  • Bekahmardis
    Bekahmardis Posts: 602 Member
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    I'm 5'3" and 42 years old. I would say you're okay on the TDEE thing and it's normal to "stall." I can't see your diary, so this is just a guess, but try changing up the foods. Have some fiber in the morning iwth carrots or some broccoli, eat a raw, crunchy green bell pepper for a snack, or simply add some Benefiber (or similar) to your morning drink. Absolutely no soda, even diet! Give it another week or two and your body will probably adjust and start losing again. I've discovered that if I don't track every single thing that goes into my mouth, I way over-do it, and start gaining again. I was right where I wanted to be and then Bam! Gained back 15 pounds and had to retrain myself to enter it all again.
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,265 Member
    Options
    I don't know about anyone else.. but for me.. I had lost like 50 lbs, and I was back to doing REALLY good again... 1200 calories a day, working out, whatnot... but then the scales stopped moving. for months. So I tried something a friend had told me about. A metabolism shock. For a weekend, I did nothing but ate whatever I wanted. Cookies like crazy, double portions, cheesecake, anything. And at the end of the weekend.... I had lost 2.5 lbs. I don't know why or how it works... just that it did for me. I dunno if it'd help you or not, but I thought I'd just let ya know:)
    that is basically what I just did. On Friday I ate about 2500 calories and on Sunday I ate about 1700 and today I'm already down 2.2
  • wendiebradley
    wendiebradley Posts: 11
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    It's been about 3 weeks since I've started increasing my calorie intake. The first week I lost 2 lbs but then gained it back and this week, I'm about 1/2 lb down. I have upped my cardio to 50 min and am getting a little over 4 miles in that time. Lifting about 20 mins/ 4 days a week. I faithfully log/weigh my food each day. I have been keeping my calories at 1600 a day, but am wondering if I should bump it to the 1800 or be concerned the 1600 is too much. Any thoughts?

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