Help me find my perfect calorie count

Options
stargirlsarah
stargirlsarah Posts: 12 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Anyone have any calorie recommendations? I was eating too little before-- I want to still keep weight loss peaking-- please help!

Here are my stats:: 5'3" 198lb 27 years old
working out 3 times a week-- and doing insanity

Before I was eating 1200 -- and started gaining weight-- please help!

Replies

  • lilcutemonkees
    lilcutemonkees Posts: 83 Member
    Options
    Using bodybuilding.com and your stats, your BMR is 1694 so no wonder your boday didn't like the 1200! I'd say you want to eat about 1800 on rest days and 2200 on gym days
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Options
    If you were gaining on 1200, then you were either not logging correctly everything, or your metabolism is really screwed up.
    Were you eating back exercise calories? Perhaps your burns were calculated way too high.... were you logging things like cooking and cleaning and shopping?

    Calculators are estimates. It will take you some time to experiment and find the true numbers.
  • BflSaberfan
    BflSaberfan Posts: 1,272
    Options
    I am 5'2 - I do insanity and lift weights 3 days a week. I am set at about 1600.
  • chelsey728
    chelsey728 Posts: 138 Member
    Options
    it may also be because of WHAT you ate, not how much. For instance, if your sodium is really high and you're not drinking enough water to flush it out you'll likely show a gain. I do 1,200 calories per day and do insanity and have been dropping lbs. I try to eat back exercise calories. I really noticed a difference when i cleaned up my diet and removed processed foods. I'm not perfect (obviously :-P ) and don't always eat clean but doing that at least 5 days a week has made a huge difference. Quality of food is extremely important. I know this doesn't exactly answer your question but I hope it helps :smile:
  • haroon_awan
    haroon_awan Posts: 1,208 Member
    Options
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDANtU4LUkc

    Maintenance - about 2293

    Fat loss - between 1668-2292
    Protein - about 198g a day
    Fat - about 60g a day
    Remainder with carbs
    Plenty of veggies and some fruit (up to 5 is enough)
  • Skinny_minny_mo
    Skinny_minny_mo Posts: 1,272 Member
    Options
    I'd love some help too :D

    I am 47kg's (103.4lbs) and 5ft in height. This weight may seem low but i have high bf% and have a belly, hips love handles etc.

    what should my daily cal intake be?

    my activity level is sedentary - walk for 20 mins or so 3 times a week which burns approximately 100 cals each time.

    thanks in advance!
  • aelunyu
    aelunyu Posts: 486 Member
    Options
    Whatever you start at, will not remain constant throughout your dieting period. So as you get lighter, you will need to taper calories down further to maintain weight loss. This is why it's best to start at the maximum calories you can eat while still losing an acceptable amount of weight. To find this number, you'll probably have practice consistency in diet and exercise, otherwise the controlled variables get all out of whack, and you don't have a reliable figure.

    So basically, do everything pretty much the same, most days, and eat a number like 1800-2000? then everytime you stall, taper calories down, or increase workout intensity or duration.
  • lilcutemonkees
    lilcutemonkees Posts: 83 Member
    Options
    I'd love some help too :D

    I am 47kg's (103.4lbs) and 5ft in height. This weight may seem low but i have high bf% and have a belly, hips love handles etc.

    what should my daily cal intake be?

    my activity level is sedentary - walk for 20 mins or so 3 times a week which burns approximately 100 cals each time.

    thanks in advance!

    What's your age? Also if it's BF% your on then you need to eat pretty much at maintenance with a high protein diet, with lots of strength training.
  • Skinny_minny_mo
    Skinny_minny_mo Posts: 1,272 Member
    Options
    I'd love some help too :D

    I am 47kg's (103.4lbs) and 5ft in height. This weight may seem low but i have high bf% and have a belly, hips love handles etc.

    what should my daily cal intake be?

    my activity level is sedentary - walk for 20 mins or so 3 times a week which burns approximately 100 cals each time.

    thanks in advance!

    What's your age? Also if it's BF% your on then you need to eat pretty much at maintenance with a high protein diet, with lots of strength training.

    I;m 29. That makes sense. My weight loss has completely stalled and I;m not losing at 1200 whereas before i was. I;m so close yet seem so far!! upped my calories to 1300 - 1500 and have now gained.
  • lilcutemonkees
    lilcutemonkees Posts: 83 Member
    Options
    I'd love some help too :D

    I am 47kg's (103.4lbs) and 5ft in height. This weight may seem low but i have high bf% and have a belly, hips love handles etc.

    what should my daily cal intake be?

    my activity level is sedentary - walk for 20 mins or so 3 times a week which burns approximately 100 cals each time.

    thanks in advance!

    What's your age? Also if it's BF% your on then you need to eat pretty much at maintenance with a high protein diet, with lots of strength training.

    I;m 29. That makes sense. My weight loss has completely stalled and I;m not losing at 1200 whereas before i was. I;m so close yet seem so far!! upped my calories to 1300 - 1500 and have now gained.

    Your BMR comes out at 1258 so 1300 is about right I'd reckon. You probably need to focus more on the types of things you're eating if you are gaining at 1300. For body fat you need to put in some resistance/weight training as at your weight cardio alone won't do much. I recommend dvds like Jillian Michaels 30 day shred or the Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism; they only need some little weights like 1-1.5kg. Jamie Eason's LiveFit seems to be pretty popular as well and that's accessible on bodybuilding.com
  • Skinny_minny_mo
    Skinny_minny_mo Posts: 1,272 Member
    Options
    thanks!

Categories