Insanity - Calorie goal?

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Believeinthis
Believeinthis Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So, I'm about a year into my weight loss journey. I had my 3rd child in Aug of last year and started trying to lose the weight when he was a few weeks old. Fast forward a year and I'm down about 40 lbs. Mostly through running and calorie counting. I was trying to stick to about 1200-1300 calories. I've been stuck on a plateau for nearly 2 months now. I'm on day 3 of Insanity and everyone says I should be eating more, close to 1800 calories, while doing Insanity. (For what it's worth, I'm about 5'5" and around 140 lbs). For those of you doing Insanity, what is your goal? Also, is that before or after taking in account calories burned with exercise? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    How old are you? 1800 sounds about right though.
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,153 Member
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    1800 sounds about right. I was eating between 2000 and 3200 a day, and losing, but I'm a bit larger than you.
  • ellew70
    ellew70 Posts: 222 Member
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    So, I'm about a year into my weight loss journey. I had my 3rd child in Aug of last year and started trying to lose the weight when he was a few weeks old. Fast forward a year and I'm down about 40 lbs. Mostly through running and calorie counting. I was trying to stick to about 1200-1300 calories. I've been stuck on a plateau for nearly 2 months now. I'm on day 3 of Insanity and everyone says I should be eating more, close to 1800 calories, while doing Insanity. (For what it's worth, I'm about 5'5" and around 140 lbs). For those of you doing Insanity, what is your goal? Also, is that before or after taking in account calories burned with exercise? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

    I'm 5 2, age 43 and about 140 on month 2 of my second round of insanity (started at 160). The Insanity book told me to eat 1800 but i'm sort of small and I had being doing the 1200 thing too, so that seemed huge to me. I went half way and I've been at 1500, maybe a little over during month 2 when the workouts get longer. The Insanity book counts in your exercise, so if you use their formula, you do NOT eat back calories. I would do the formula in the book and if that number seems really high, cut it down a little. If you are bonking during workouts, raise it up a little and find what's right for you.

    By the way, I totally found that the eating 5 small meals a day thing helped me. I can tell the difference when I do that versus when I don't. I don't eat only the recipes in the book but I try to generally follow the idea - 40/40/20 macros, mostly clean, no refined carbs. When my diet is really on, the pounds come off. Good luck to you!
  • Believeinthis
    Believeinthis Posts: 5 Member
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    I'm 23. 1800 just sounds like a lot! And, again, I wasn't sure if that was supposed to be before or after exercise calories. I think I'll aim for closer to 1500 a day and see how that goes.
  • Believeinthis
    Believeinthis Posts: 5 Member
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    I don't have the book. My sister sent me the dvds in the mail and the calender but she lost the packet that came with it, unfortunately. I think I'll try for 1500 and see how it goes. I'd really like to kick this last 10-15 lbs.
  • ellew70
    ellew70 Posts: 222 Member
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    I don't have the book. My sister sent me the dvds in the mail and the calender but she lost the packet that came with it, unfortunately. I think I'll try for 1500 and see how it goes. I'd really like to kick this last 10-15 lbs.

    Here's the formula:

    step 1

    current weight x 12 if sendentary, 13 if moderately active and 14 if highly active (ps they say parent with toddler = moderately active!)

    step 2

    add 600 calories - those are your exercise calories

    step 3

    for weight loss subtract 500, for maintenance do nothing, for weight gain add 300
  • Believeinthis
    Believeinthis Posts: 5 Member
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    I don't have the book. My sister sent me the dvds in the mail and the calender but she lost the packet that came with it, unfortunately. I think I'll try for 1500 and see how it goes. I'd really like to kick this last 10-15 lbs.

    Here's the formula:

    step 1

    current weight x 12 if sendentary, 13 if moderately active and 14 if highly active (ps they say parent with toddler = moderately active!)

    step 2

    add 600 calories - those are your exercise calories

    step 3

    for weight loss subtract 500, for maintenance do nothing, for weight gain add 300

    Ooof! That gave me 1920. Just seems like an awful lot!! I guess I'll bump it up to 1500-1600 and go from there. Thank you!!
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
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    If you don't see any changes even when eating more, increase calories.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    How is 1800 calories a lot? Their phase 1 is 1800 calories and most women I know lose weight at 1700-2100 calories. In fact search women who eat 1800 calories and you will find a thread with over 500 responses. Your tdee is probably 2200 to 2500 calories and that would be your maintenance calories.

    And if you want to do the program you should follow it otherwise you may not see the results. Btw, switch your macros to around 40% carbs 30% fats and protein.

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