1200 or 2000?! Help!

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  • ostrichagain
    ostrichagain Posts: 271 Member
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    Your BMR and TDEE are close to mine (I'm 5'11''). My calorie goal varies a bit, but I don't go below 1500. I've had good success around 1700 (when I'm consistent!).

    The measurements are a SUPER good idea. I started running 3x per week and gained nearly 10 lbs from just water retention. But my waist and hips are still the same. I'm not gaining fat, just water. Some weeks the scale won't budge at all, but my measurements will go down a half inch. The scale will lie to you sometimes. I think patience it very important.
  • cainisable
    cainisable Posts: 28 Member
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    I'm a bit shorter than you (5'5").. I realized I do need to be patient.. my body has changed since having my daughter and I just cant grasp it sometimes.. I get a little heated about it lol.. I never had to put in the hard work to change it before.. It always came easier so this is going to be such a challenge.. but in the end most likely sooo much more rewarding (sorry for the cheesiness)! Can't wait to look back and say, "that wasn't so bad!"
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
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    Today I started my 4th week so.. two weeks I lost weight third week i gained.

    Weight loss isn't linear.. You lost 2 weeks and gained the third.. Don't change anything give it another 2 months before you do anything.. This isn't a race.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    I'm a bit shorter than you (5'5").. I realized I do need to be patient.. my body has changed since having my daughter and I just cant grasp it sometimes.. I get a little heated about it lol.. I never had to put in the hard work to change it before.. It always came easier so this is going to be such a challenge.. but in the end most likely sooo much more rewarding (sorry for the cheesiness)! Can't wait to look back and say, "that wasn't so bad!"

    Yes, another factor is that you're 23 now, so I'm assuming your previous pre-baby attempts were in your late teens. There's a couple differences there- first, the final stages of a female's adult body develops when you're around 18-22, you naturally get more hips and/or thighs and/or boobs that you didn't have when you were 17. It's a truth most of us don't accept easily- it's not just gaining weight, it's hormonal body maturity- similar to when you first develop breasts. Also, your metabolism starts changing- teenagers have the sweet life and can eat garbage and lose weight easily, but all of a sudden in our 20's it becomes more difficult.

    So, definitely you need to be patient, and you might need to consider if your expectations of your body are from when you hadn't develop your full adult figure.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    Whether or not 2000 calories is too much is really dependent on what your TDEE is. Your TDEE is your requisite calories to maintain weight...it is your BMR plus all of your activity (including exercise). If your TDEE is over 2000 calories...then you will lose weight eating 2000 calories given you would be at an energy (calorie) deficit.

    That said, 2,000 seems high for a female to lose appreciable weight, but I also don't know your stats. I lost about 1 Lb per week eating around 2100-2200 calories per day and I'm a 5' 10" 38 y.o. male with a TDEE of around 2600-2700.

    BTW...with 1200 calories, that's pretty much bare minimum for a SEDENTARY female. If you workout, you need more to fuel those workouts. Neglecting to do so will put you into a very big and unproductive and unhealthy calorie deficit.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    Does she also have you on a workout plan? Eating 2000 ( a small deficit) will enable you to keep most of your lean body mass (muscle), while losing fat with an appropriate workout program. This is smart, and you are more likely to be happy the end result better than if you were to lose a bunch of weight which is mostly muscle and still end up flabby at your goal weight which is what would happen if you eat too little. Also, if you did that, you would most likely gain it all back when you tried to eat "normally" again.
  • 4daluvof_candice
    4daluvof_candice Posts: 483 Member
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    2276-500= 1776 that 500 deficit adds up to 1lb a week loss.

    I would eat around 1750 if you want to lose a pound a week.

    My TDEE is 2293- 750(I want to lose 1.5lbs/week) = 1543 but MFP has me at 1610. (-67 calories) close enough
  • cainisable
    cainisable Posts: 28 Member
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    I'm pretty sedentary at this point in time.. I'm still recovering from a back injury (so lame at 23) BUT I am now able to add in pilates and jogging.. She told me to get in at least 20 minutes of some sort of exercise per day. If it's more.. of course that's better.. but at least 20 minutes. the aim of my game isn't to get "skinny" I like muscle and being solid.. I'd like to be there again.. But I'm havign a hard time with what weights to use.. how often to use them.. etc etc.. I have p90x.. but it takes SO much time and with a one year old.. the only time i can do it its in the wee hours of the morning (4am?! no thank you).. I also have 30 day shred.. it's only 20ish minutes.. and my pilates dvd is an hour.. i feel like i'm rambling on here -_- What I'm getting to.. What should I do.. and how often?
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    I'm pretty sedentary at this point in time.. I'm still recovering from a back injury (so lame at 23) BUT I am now able to add in pilates and jogging.. She told me to get in at least 20 minutes of some sort of exercise per day. If it's more.. of course that's better.. but at least 20 minutes. the aim of my game isn't to get "skinny" I like muscle and being solid.. I'd like to be there again.. But I'm havign a hard time with what weights to use.. how often to use them.. etc etc.. I have p90x.. but it takes SO much time and with a one year old.. the only time i can do it its in the wee hours of the morning (4am?! no thank you).. I also have 30 day shred.. it's only 20ish minutes.. and my pilates dvd is an hour.. i feel like i'm rambling on here -_- What I'm getting to.. What should I do.. and how often?

    Considering the back surgery, at this point, anything you can do is fine. Follow her recommendations, you don't want to compromise your back. 30 Day Shred is fine if you can do it safely. I also like Leslie Sansone walking at home, check it out on Youtube, this you can get in 2 miles in 30 minutes when the baby is napping or in the highchair or whatever.
  • glreim21
    glreim21 Posts: 206 Member
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    How much did you lose the first 2 weeks? What is your weight loss over the entire time? Weight fluctuates on a day to day basis, maybe this weigh in day was on your higher day. Give it a couple more weeks, your nutritionist will adjust the calories with you depending on what she sees. I don't think 2000 is too high,but you may end up tweaking this number a bit.
  • Flab2fitfi
    Flab2fitfi Posts: 1,349 Member
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    Your weight gain may also be down to your cycle. It can be possible to gain up to 7lb just before you start your period due to water retention. If you are near the end of your cycle it may be that.
  • norcal_yogi
    norcal_yogi Posts: 675 Member
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    2000 likely over your average TDEE... hence why you'd gain. weight loss/gain is mostly due to calorie intake (outside of any medical issues).
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    2000 likely over your average TDEE... hence why you'd gain. weight loss/gain is mostly due to calorie intake (outside of any medical issues).

    Her TDEE is nearly 2300, which is why the nutritionist set her at 2000.
  • cainisable
    cainisable Posts: 28 Member
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    just an update.. I've stopped following what the nutritionist was giving me.. I am following 1400-1500 calories.. paleo (80/20) and feel amazing.. and finally have a difference on the scale! SO that just goes to show.. not every nutritionist is right ;) lol
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    just an update.. I've stopped following what the nutritionist was giving me.. I am following 1400-1500 calories.. paleo (80/20) and feel amazing.. and finally have a difference on the scale! SO that just goes to show.. not every nutritionist is right ;) lol

    No they're not all right, but 1400-1500 just seems too little for a 23yo with a TDEE of 2300, even though I agree that 2000 was probably too much.
  • norcaligirl72
    norcaligirl72 Posts: 34 Member
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    That's where I am too... I just can't base my life on the scale. I am eating above my BMR and on really hard workout days I eat more. I am weighing once a week just to track my BMR but I am going to be measuring and checking out how my clothes fit.

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