PLEASE help with how many calories I need

sukaina12
sukaina12 Posts: 16
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello,
ok so I've been working out for 1.5 weeks now. I lift weights 4 days a week for 20-30 minutes (im usually sore the next day). I do 20-30 minutes of cardio 5 days a week. My weight is 160 and I am 5'5" and 24 years old. My bmr is about 1500. if Im sedentary it say I should be burning 1800. and if I factor in an activity factor of (1500 x 1.5) then I should be burning 2250 calories a day

How many calories should I be eating per day? I normally eat 1200-1300 per day.

In this last week and a half of working so hard I haven't lost any inches and I gained 3 lbs. What am I doing wrong? maybe im not eating enough but I don't really know how much I should be eating.Please help. This is so frustrating. Also, please give any suggestions as to what I should do?

I've always struggled with weight loss and always been skinny fat 125-135lbs. I had 2 babies in the last 3 years and I just want to lose weight the right way and be toned and thin. not skinny fat. Thank you in advance.

Replies

  • helenrosemay
    helenrosemay Posts: 375 Member
    If you're burning 1800 cals being sedentary, then you should be eating more than 1800cals when you exercise.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    Does the calculator on this site (or any of the 1000 other sites) not work for you?

    Toned = strength training + dieting.

    .
  • Danni3ll3
    Danni3ll3 Posts: 365 Member
    I am the same height as you but your BMR seems kind of high to me. Try using HeyBales spreadsheet to figure out how much you should be eating. It has been working for me.

    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Amt7QBR9-c6MdGVTbGswLUUzUHNVVUlNSW9wZWloeUE#gid=14
  • sukaina12
    sukaina12 Posts: 16
    What do u mean?
  • bob_day
    bob_day Posts: 87
    One way you can find out how many calories you need is
    by keeping an accurate count of the calories you consume.
    (Use of a scale will help you to do that.) Then reduce your
    daily calories until your weight trends downwards.
  • Danni3ll3
    Danni3ll3 Posts: 365 Member
    What do u mean?

    I was comparing your BMR to my mine without actually calculating yours and I was wrong. I punched in some of the numbers you posted into the spread sheet and your BMR is around 1500. The spreadsheet I posted is really useful for things like BMR and TDEE. You can also input your measurements and get a pretty good idea of body fat. It is quite detailed. Anyhow, sorry about my comment about your BMR.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    bmr is about 1500.

    I normally eat 1200-1300 per day.

    Body ain't gonna be happy eating less than BMR, especially when you're asking it to lift weights and do daily cardio. BMR is what they'd feed ya if you were in a coma. you're not in a coma, you're not sedentary, so do choose that setting! :wink:

    I set my goals according to the info and tools in this topic: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974888-in-place-of-a-road-map-2k13

    Follow the links, and use the instructions given in the thread when you run your numbers. If you enter and calculate your info accurately, you'll have the info you need. This has been working like a charm for me for over a year - best results with fat loss.

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