How many calories? Advice on losing!

onetxjewel
onetxjewel Posts: 39 Member
edited September 22 in Health and Weight Loss
I went to the doctor and they said my body natural burns 1400 calories a day! So they told me to only eat 1000 a day, but I feel like that's not very much. I'm a dance teacher and am pretty active every day by stretching and moving around but my body is obviously used to it because i'm 5'2 and 145 pounds!!! I"m getting married in July 2011 and would like to lose 10-15 pounds. So i have 8 months to get in gear, but I feel like I can never get under 140 (I used to be 120 in college!). I just need some advice on calorie intake and I read about the eat stop eat "fast" and thought that may be a good jump start to do once a week or alternate once and twice a week. People always say cut carbs but it's not always that easy (My fiance loves bread and he will not go on a diet or cut out the foods he loves).

So if anyone could point me in the right direction or has any advice or words of wisdom i'd love it!!! :)

Replies

  • frdw
    frdw Posts: 8
    Have you tried putting in your goal and current weight into here to see what calories it recommends? My understanding is most people shouldn't dip below 1200 a day, but since I'm here obviously I need help too. You might need to up your exercise routine in order to burn more calories so you can eat more than 1000 a day. good luck, hopefully someone else has some advice too.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    I agree with the first responder, enter your info into MFP and go with what they suggest.
  • emersoam
    emersoam Posts: 179
    Who gave you advice to eat only 1,000 calories a day? That sounds like really bad advice to me. This is really low, especially for someone active (and someone who isn't overweight)!

    I don't think anyone should go below 1,200. That's not much either.
  • pell53
    pell53 Posts: 20 Member
    I'd say that three things have helped me tremendously:

    1. Stick to your plan (1,000 is way too few) - go with what the system tells you. It will take months, but it will work.

    2. Once you get the calories nailed down, try and focus on sodium and sugar as your next challenge - I've found that if I can stay good in those ranges, I am never hungry and the calories kind of take care of themselves.

    3. The 80-20 rule - eat well 80% of the time and don't beat yourself up when you don't. Just start over the next day.

    Hope this helps! :-)
  • onetxjewel
    onetxjewel Posts: 39 Member
    I put my goals and I don't want to over do the working out right away so I said 3 days for 45 minutes and it has me eating 1200 a day. Do I eat the calories I burn while working out too?? I've always been confused by that.
  • exercisediva
    exercisediva Posts: 127
    We weigh about the same but I am 5'4 and pretty active. I normally burn about 2300 calories per day (per my body bugg) MFP has be set at 1200 calories per day to lose about 1 lb a week. I wouldnt go below 1200. I have been told my several trainers that 1000 calories will put your body in starvation mode.
  • Margarette
    Margarette Posts: 69 Member
    Basic rule of thumb about the exercise calories (although highly debated on here) is to eat atleast half of them.

    I eat them if i am hungry and if not I don't. It pans out to about the same usually.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    I put my goals and I don't want to over do the working out right away so I said 3 days for 45 minutes and it has me eating 1200 a day. Do I eat the calories I burn while working out too?? I've always been confused by that.

    Yes, at least most of them. You need the fuel that food provides to give you energy if you burn 300 calories and ate 1200 it is as if you only ate 900 (1200-300).
  • pellenga
    pellenga Posts: 66 Member
    3500 calories = 1 pound of fat.

    So if you normally eat 1400 calories, then any reduction off that is going to lead to weight loss. That could be a combination of lowering calories and burning calories, as long as your deficient.

    However, reducing it to 1000 calories will lead to weight loss faster than 1200 calories. I will say....personally I’m trying to stick to the 1200 calories & it’s tough. I can't imagine trying to stay at 1000. You risk feeling deprived & end up not staying on track.

    Personally...if I were you... I would try to increase the cardio to burn the extra calories & eat the higher amount.
    & If you’re getting married in July...you don’t have until July to lose the weight.... you have until about May/June for the final dress fitting. =/

    Also.... words of wisdom from a recent bride.... start taking water pills a week before your wedding to reduce any temp water weight. =)
  • twnzmom
    twnzmom Posts: 182 Member
    my pilates fitness instructor says only eat half if your eat any of the earned calories through exercise. Thats what I try to do,
  • onetxjewel
    onetxjewel Posts: 39 Member
    I have a heart rate monitor that i love and that's helped with tracking the calories that I burn! I'm a teacher and it's just been a rough school year so far that it's been hard to find time to work out. I work 12 hour days (6:30-6:30) so sometimes I want to see my family instead of run to the gym and i'm usually in bed by 8:30 or 9. So I need to try to work out on my lunch breaks.

    Thank you for all the information! I'll definitely eat half of the calories I burn while working out.
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