POint me in the right caloric direction, PLEASE

momtotwokiddos · October 2013

Im 38, mom of two 9, 5 yrs old., married 19 yrs. okay I was told by a dietician i should be eating 1200 cal a day. I cannot do this anymore. i did it for two months and barely lost anything, like 3 lbs. I know the weight should come off slow, but i was hoping for at least 1-2 lbs a week. My height is 5'3 1/2. I currently weigh 196. I just started walking to leslie sansome videos 3 miles worth. QUESTION.....I hear some people say eat more to lose... like 1500-2000....well where do i start? on the high end or low end? THEN i hear some say eat back your calories and some say NO??!!please help me out....thanks:)

paulygi · October 2013

Your bmr is around 1625. If all you did was sit around and eat that many calories you should stay the same.

So 1200 makes sence if your not moving.

momtotwokiddos · October 2013

I just started working out 45 min/day. would i eat back those cal or no?

momtotwokiddos · October 2013

i'll go back to 1200 calories but can i eat back any that i burn?

_Resolve_ · October 2013

http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

AleciaG724 · October 2013

If you are doing cardio for 45 minutes you should be eating at least some of your calories back... MFP is notorious for high calorie burns though, so be careful. A heart rate monitor is the best way to know how many calories you burn during exercise (but even they fluctuate) so be careful. I usually eat back about 1/2 - 3/4 for my burned calories.

If by "working out" you mean lifting weights, you won't actually be burning that many calories, so don't eat those back.

If your activity level is high - like you walk a lot for your job, you are burning calories throughout the day (more than your BMR would suggest) so you should add extra calories for that too.

1200 calories is very low & I know I couldn't keep that up for very long either! I would suggest adding cardio & upping your calories to 1400 and see what happens after a couple of weeks. You could add a healthy snack between meals or during your most hungry time... Also protein makes you feel full longer so, I'd recommend upping your protein (Greek yogurt, nuts, whole grains, beans, quinoa, and lean meat if you eat meat are all good choices) Try not to "net" less than 1200 calories (total calories from food - calories from exercise = net) or you will really not be getting enough nutrients and fuel for your body. Plus you will probably be hungry and frustrated...

Good luck! 10# is a good start, you just need to tweak it to figure out what works for you! Best wishes!

lovebizaar · October 2013

I'm the same height and weigh 193, been having this issue for three years. Eat 1200 or 1500? WW is basically 1200 and i didn't lose on that, I can eat 1500 and not lose also. I've been the same weight for three years, master of maintaining I guess. I hope you figure it out because I'm still trying too. Good Luck

Healthy67Chick · November 2013

bump

EleMeleUkulele · November 2013

I'm certainly no expert, but I know that there is such a thing as eating too little and not losing weight as a consequence. I tried 1300 here on MFP and struggled to lose anything, then upped my cals to 1500-ish and the weight started coming off faster. You shouldn't go lower than 1200, definitely, but I'd up my calorie intake and see if it makes any difference.

Of course, the calorie limit is only one side of it. Eating healthy, not skipping meals, getting enough sleep etc. are also very important.

orchidee1987 · November 2013

According to your BMR ( 1600ish ) you should definitely eat more than 1200. Try eat 1500 and then up to 1600 ( or even 1800 ) and you should loose ( TDEE -15% = 1900 !!! )

POint me in the right caloric direction, PLEASE

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