help

cinfaro
cinfaro Posts: 131 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok need some help here! I have lost 84 lbs and in doing so I have never ventured far from the 1200 calories and I have never eaten back my exercise calories. So anything outside of this is a "non comfort zone for me" I am so scared that I am going to gain my weight back by increasing calories yet in my head i know that's not going to happen!

Since November I have been stuck at the same weight...I go up 2 pds down 2 pds up again 2 pds and the cycle continues. I NEVER get below those numbers. So I have been doing some reading about TDEE and BMR and I think (like everyone has been telling me) that I am not eating enough. I just want to make sure before I go and do this that 1. other people have had this help plateaus and 2. I am calculating/understanding it properly.

My BMR is 1429 according to MFP. When I try to calculate my TDEE on sites it varies from 2330 to 2218. So I went with the lowest. Then it is my understanding you take that number 2218 and take out 20% (to loose weight) so that brings it to 1774.40 right? That is how many calories I should eat to loose? Cause MFP when I change to maintain weight 1790! so that makes no sense to me... Someone help? How many calories do you think I should consume to start loosing again!

Replies

  • cinfaro
    cinfaro Posts: 131 Member
    Oh and I exercise 3-5 days a week. Probably closer to the 5. I have changed even my workouts to try to switch up my body too.
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
    1700ish sounds about right. I am betting you are short.

    You likely underestimated your activity level with MFP.
  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member
    Keep in mind MFP maintain numbers will be lower since they don't include exercise... TDEE does.

    When you up your calories don't keep weighing yourself. Give the changes 4-6 weeks before you change anything again. You will most likely gain some weight as your body isn't used to so many calories and if you were at solely 1200 for a long period of time you most likely lost a bit of muscle mass in the process of losing weight.
  • manique45
    manique45 Posts: 99 Member
    Glad that you are checking out the other sites :o) Your 84 lb loss is so Motivational!! From my understanding MFP works on the basis that they are assuming you do not work out at all, so it gives you the 1200 to lose 2 lbs a week. I seen some one 5'10 and 180 pounds with the same thing given from MFP... So you are suppose to eat back all your exercise cals when using MFP I forget the technical terms I've read on the type of program MFP is vs. the one that you suggested. According to mine it says I should eat like 1800 something cals a day to lose weight... I am sticking around 1600 for now and still have issues with eating back my exercise cals... some times I do most I don't... TOM is here so not stepping on the scale until next week!

    Its awesome to see your dedication through a long plateau!!
  • TArnold2012
    TArnold2012 Posts: 929 Member
    Must be something about 84 :( Bumping as I am looking for an answer also
  • cinfaro
    cinfaro Posts: 131 Member
    Glad that you are checking out the other sites :o) Your 84 lb loss is so Motivational!! From my understanding MFP works on the basis that they are assuming you do not work out at all, so it gives you the 1200 to lose 2 lbs a week. I seen some one 5'10 and 180 pounds with the same thing given from MFP... So you are suppose to eat back all your exercise cals when using MFP I forget the technical terms I've read on the type of program MFP is vs. the one that you suggested. According to mine it says I should eat like 1800 something cals a day to lose weight... I am sticking around 1600 for now and still have issues with eating back my exercise cals... some times I do most I don't... TOM is here so not stepping on the scale until next week!

    Its awesome to see your dedication through a long plateau!!

    Thanks Girl! You have been an awesome assistant with advice!!!
  • cinfaro
    cinfaro Posts: 131 Member
    Keep in mind MFP maintain numbers will be lower since they don't include exercise... TDEE does.

    When you up your calories don't keep weighing yourself. Give the changes 4-6 weeks before you change anything again. You will most likely gain some weight as your body isn't used to so many calories and if you were at solely 1200 for a long period of time you most likely lost a bit of muscle mass in the process of losing weight.

    See I know myself well an the minute the scale goes up I am going to freak and stop eating so much! UGGGH. So I better lock up the scale a bit hahaha
  • Bekahmardis
    Bekahmardis Posts: 602 Member
    I am 5'3" tall, a Very Small frame, and 42 years old (menopausal, so that's been going against me, too!). I lost 20 pounds over a year, and then plateau'd. I have no idea what was going on and was terrified to eat more than 1200 calories.

    But I joined MFP and then took the plunge and have been eating my BMR plus whatever my FitBit tells me I can eat back (my schedule is so weird, I'm not sure what my actual TDEE would be, so I went the BMR + NEAT route).

    I have maintained an average daily calorie intake over the past month of 1,427 calories per day and I have LOST 2 POUNDS this month, finally hitting my goal weight!!!

    You may gain a few pounds back at the very beginning (first few weeks) as your body gets adjusted to it, but if *I* can do it, so can you! You go, girl!
  • cinfaro
    cinfaro Posts: 131 Member
    I am 5'3" tall, a Very Small frame, and 42 years old (menopausal, so that's been going against me, too!). I lost 20 pounds over a year, and then plateau'd. I have no idea what was going on and was terrified to eat more than 1200 calories.

    But I joined MFP and then took the plunge and have been eating my BMR plus whatever my FitBit tells me I can eat back (my schedule is so weird, I'm not sure what my actual TDEE would be, so I went the BMR + NEAT route).

    I have maintained an average daily calorie intake over the past month of 1,427 calories per day and I have LOST 2 POUNDS this month, finally hitting my goal weight!!!

    You may gain a few pounds back at the very beginning (first few weeks) as your body gets adjusted to it, but if *I* can do it, so can you! You go, girl!

    I was thinking about going with the BMR route too. Thank you so much for the encouragement. It just seems so weird that I can eat more to loose again. Fingers crossed!!!
  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member
    Keep in mind MFP maintain numbers will be lower since they don't include exercise... TDEE does.

    When you up your calories don't keep weighing yourself. Give the changes 4-6 weeks before you change anything again. You will most likely gain some weight as your body isn't used to so many calories and if you were at solely 1200 for a long period of time you most likely lost a bit of muscle mass in the process of losing weight.

    See I know myself well an the minute the scale goes up I am going to freak and stop eating so much! UGGGH. So I better lock up the scale a bit hahaha

    Lock up the scale.. have someone you live with hide it for a month.. do something if you can't handle seeing a gain.

    It will happen. It is due to your body retaining water due to the extra calories that it's not used to. It's not fat gain. To gain fat you would have to eat 3500 cals above your TDEE.

    Eating more does work. throw in some heavy lifting if you haven't already to retain your existing muscle mass.

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