Are My Calories Enough?

Buffalo1994
Buffalo1994 Posts: 11
in Health and Weight Loss
I am a 5'2" 25yo female who weighs 160. I live a mostly sedentary lifestyle sitting at a desk all day, then driving an hour home and taking care of a baby all night. I weighed 110 before my baby was born, and 135 at 9 mos pregnant (when I first started my desk job). I know I got this way from sitting all the time and eating LOTS of brownies/cookies/etc.

I am writing here because MFP told me to eat 1200 calories a day and eat back any exercise calories if/when I do exercise (which at most would be pushing the baby in her stroller for a while). I went to a personal trainer who did a bunch of tests (BMI, and maybe BMR?). Anyways, he told me to eat 1800 calories a day and to work out an hour a day.

Basically what I am asking is this:

1.Even though the trainer told me to eat 1800 a day (gross), wouldnt I still have only been netting about 1200 with the hour workout? I just want to make sure on days I dont workout 1200 will be enough because I surely do not need my metabolism to get any worse.

2.I have been eating 1200 a day and am feeling VERY full and find it hard to eat anymore. I think this is because I stopped eating junk and started eating veggies and lean protein. As long as I am feeling full shouldnt that be a sign my body is getting enough food?

I am probably thinking into this too much.....any help is appreciated!

Replies

  • BranDiesel_27
    BranDiesel_27 Posts: 46
    Please aim for 1800! When you start doing long term low calorie diets your body is gonna get mad at you. In order for all your body systems and for optimize body fat loss you need enough macros(healthy fats, proteins, carbs). Low Cal diets will work for a little but its not the healthiest way to do things and tour gonna hit a wall. So aim for 1800. Your your not losing weight then add some extra exercise in there. But overall your body needs these macros to function properly and these low Cal diets fail to provide enough.. hope this helps!
  • CountryGirl8542
    CountryGirl8542 Posts: 449 Member
    You are going to get a bunch of different answers here... there is so much debate regarding 1200 calorie diets and 1800 calorie diets... I personally believe that you should eat 1800 calories as a start and then adjust from there... if you are not working out at all and you are not losing weight eating 1800 bring it down to like 1700. There is no wrong or write answer in general.. it is about find what works for you. You do not have to workout to lose weight... eat at a deficient for weight loss and workout for fitness.

    ETA: I would try each thing you do for at least a month also. I have found that things never work for me right away but then they start working after a month.
  • Buffalo1994
    Buffalo1994 Posts: 11
    Thanks for your replies.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    1800 a day seems like a lot for someone who's 5'2" and inactive.

    This:

    http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

    Says your TDEE is only 1823 if you don't exercise. 20% off that is 1458. You could go for 1500 to make it simple.

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