Am I doing this right?

eyemadreamer
eyemadreamer Posts: 41 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've returned to MFP a few weeks ago and started again on the 1200 calorie plan... there were quite a few off days (Christmas parties, Christmas eve dinner, new years eve, etc etc) but for the most part, I stuck to 1200 calories a day.... I've worked out a few days a week (my goal is daily but haven't quite gotten there yet) and I did not eat back my exercise calories. Anyway.... I've only lost 3 pounds so far, that's 1 pound a week. My boyfriend has lost 14 pounds. For some reason, I kinda feel like I should've lost more than 3... I'm not sure if my body is in starvation mode cuz i went from eating 2500 calories a day to 1200 abruptly, is that bad? What do you think?

Replies

  • stt43
    stt43 Posts: 487
    1200 calories a day is probably too low.
    You may not be putting as much into exercising because your calories are so low, especially if you aren't eating back exercise calories.
    1lb a week is good weight loss.
    Don't compare yourself to your boyfriend, his weight loss is going to be different to yours.
    I don't think there is really such a thing as starvation mode, but if you have cut your calories in half then you could damage your metabolism, and your body is going to try to reduce the number of calories it burns where it can.
  • pds06
    pds06 Posts: 299 Member
    I think 1200 is low. I have mine set at 1400, with my protein at 50 and carbs at 40. It works for me. Play around with your goal numbers to see what works for you.
  • jdad1
    jdad1 Posts: 1,899 Member
    choose a route

    route1
    Don't just play around with numbers as a random guess. You can make adjustments in accordance to what works and what does not work for you. However you should start by calculating your BMR and TDEE. Eat below your TDEE and above your BMR. Start there without eating back exercise calories.

    route 2
    If you strictly fallow the MFP recommendations then you need to eat back a portion of exercise calories back. I say a portion because MFP has high calorie counts for most workouts. I would suggest eating back around 50%.


    If you choose to go the BMR and TDEE path then here is a good website to get both the numbers from easily.

    http://thefitgirls.com/tdee-calculator.aspx
  • tiptoethruthetulips
    tiptoethruthetulips Posts: 3,371 Member
    How much do you have to lose? How much does your boyfriend have to lose?

    Don't compare your weight loss to a male. Males generally have a greater muscle mass than females and lose weight differently to women. There is absolutely nothing wrong with your weight loss other than your impatience. Unrealistic weight loss expectations = setting yourself up for disappointment and failure.
  • eyemadreamer
    eyemadreamer Posts: 41 Member
    Here are some more info... I'm 5 feet tall and 142 lbs.. I'm trying to lose about 25 lbs.

    if you think 1200 is too low, that is what MFP recommended to me. My boyfriend is also doing 1200. He is trying to lose around the same amount of pounds as I am.

    I'm not trying to compare to my boyfriend, I knew he'd lose more than me but ... me at only 3 and him at 14 is a pretty large gap.

    I think i might try to increase to 1400 and eat back exercise calories and see what happens.
  • armando8789
    armando8789 Posts: 2
    its not much of your calorie intake but what food your eating like bread,soda ect. A website that i found very useful with a chart of food you should eat and some daily at home exercise is livefitrevolution.org... good luck on your quest to loose weight
  • JustMeee333
    JustMeee333 Posts: 233
    Men need more calories than women (national guidelines state averagely 2,000 for females and 2,500 for males), 1,200 is WAY too low for a man, they shouldn't be going under around 1,700 I believe it is, just like a woman is told they shouldn't be going below 1,200. He's probably lost alot of water/muscle in that extra 11lbs aswell.

    When MFP gives you a figure (say 1,200), this is the calories you should be "netting", not eating. That means if you only ate 1,200 but say then burnt off 200 calories exercising, you'd only be netting 1,000 calories, so you could eat back those 200 extra you'd burnt off but still have only netted 1,200 calories. If you log your exercise into MFP it'll give you an estimate of how many calories you've burnt off, alot of people say they over estimate, so only usually eat back about half the calories it states.

    The only way to be 100% sure would be to purchase a heart rate monitor/fitbit/etc, there are LOADS of posts of this subject on the boards if you're interested.

    Also - MFP recommends 1,200 to almost everyone that has picked the 2lb a week weight loss target.
  • thegilly6
    thegilly6 Posts: 137 Member
    I'm going to guess your boy friend lost alot of water weight and that he's quite a bit heavier than you (by percentage). A pound a week is spot on. I'd stick with the plan and eat back your calories.
  • eyemadreamer
    eyemadreamer Posts: 41 Member
    its not much of your calorie intake but what food your eating like bread,soda ect. A website that i found very useful with a chart of food you should eat and some daily at home exercise is livefitrevolution.org... good luck on your quest to loose weight

    yeah, we are following the Biggest Loser Club daily meal plans which is based off 1200 calorie a day diet.
  • eyemadreamer
    eyemadreamer Posts: 41 Member
    I'm going to guess your boy friend lost alot of water weight and that he's quite a bit heavier than you (by percentage). A pound a week is spot on. I'd stick with the plan and eat back your calories.

    Thanks :D
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
    Men lose weight faster than women. Its cruel in my opinion.
  • maryandjohnathoncrawford
    maryandjohnathoncrawford Posts: 1
    women have a lot more factors in loosing weight then men do- we have hormones- periods- we tend to take on more water weight then men- and when stressed our body hold more in then mens do- so don't let that discourage you...3 pound lost is still great!!! A healthy amout is only 2 pounds per week, so your doing great!!! Remember- 12 calories is the amout they want you to eat a day!!!! not less than, try to get as close to it as possible or yes, your body will go into starvation mode,...Try drinking more water...... and just dance around the house 30 mins a day will help you out- You wont even feel like you are exercising
  • eyemadreamer
    eyemadreamer Posts: 41 Member
    Men need more calories than women (national guidelines state averagely 2,000 for females and 2,500 for males), 1,200 is WAY too low for a man, they shouldn't be going under around 1,700 I believe it is, just like a woman is told they shouldn't be going below 1,200. He's probably lost alot of water/muscle in that extra 11lbs aswell.

    When MFP gives you a figure (say 1,200), this is the calories you should be "netting", not eating. That means if you only ate 1,200 but say then burnt off 200 calories exercising, you'd only be netting 1,000 calories, so you could eat back those 200 extra you'd burnt off but still have only netted 1,200 calories. If you log your exercise into MFP it'll give you an estimate of how many calories you've burnt off, alot of people say they over estimate, so only usually eat back about half the calories it states.

    The only way to be 100% sure would be to purchase a heart rate monitor/fitbit/etc, there are LOADS of posts of this subject on the boards if you're interested.

    Also - MFP recommends 1,200 to almost everyone that has picked the 2lb a week weight loss target.

    yeah.. some days i only end up with netting between 800-1000 calories :( I know that's bad and I try to not do that.

    i have UP Wristband (from Apple) and it said I burned 305 calories while MFP says I only burned 180 calories, so it doesn't seem like they're overestimating, at least not on my part. (for 45 minutes of 3.5mph brisk pace walking with 2 minute jogging intervals at 5.3mph) and my heart rate was steadily between 155 and 190 depending on walk/jog switches. Also the treadmill machine said I burned 250 calories. So i would say somewhere between 250 and 305 is accurate, not 180.
  • eyemadreamer
    eyemadreamer Posts: 41 Member
    choose a route

    route1
    Don't just play around with numbers as a random guess. You can make adjustments in accordance to what works and what does not work for you. However you should start by calculating your BMR and TDEE. Eat below your TDEE and above your BMR. Start there without eating back exercise calories.

    route 2
    If you strictly fallow the MFP recommendations then you need to eat back a portion of exercise calories back. I say a portion because MFP has high calorie counts for most workouts. I would suggest eating back around 50%.


    If you choose to go the BMR and TDEE path then here is a good website to get both the numbers from easily.

    http://thefitgirls.com/tdee-calculator.aspx

    Thanks for the suggestion!

    My BMR is 1403 and TDEE is 2175.... that's a pretty large gap between 1403 and 2175... and I m supposed to keep my calorie amount in between those numbers?
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Ditch that plan. Your boyfriend is totally starving himself! Eat a reasonable amount of food to lose weight the healthy way.
  • eyemadreamer
    eyemadreamer Posts: 41 Member
    Thanks guys :)
  • jdad1
    jdad1 Posts: 1,899 Member
    choose a route

    route1
    Don't just play around with numbers as a random guess. You can make adjustments in accordance to what works and what does not work for you. However you should start by calculating your BMR and TDEE. Eat below your TDEE and above your BMR. Start there without eating back exercise calories.

    route 2
    If you strictly fallow the MFP recommendations then you need to eat back a portion of exercise calories back. I say a portion because MFP has high calorie counts for most workouts. I would suggest eating back around 50%.


    If you choose to go the BMR and TDEE path then here is a good website to get both the numbers from easily.

    http://thefitgirls.com/tdee-calculator.aspx

    Thanks for the suggestion!

    My BMR is 1403 and TDEE is 2175.... that's a pretty large gap between 1403 and 2175... and I m supposed to keep my calorie amount in between those numbers?

    Yes, that is correct. Most people would reccomend you go around 20% under your TDEE. I always tell people to find what number works for them in that range. (below TDEE and above BMR)
    Just remember that if you want this to work then you have to log your food accuretly and excercise. It will work ,for weight lose, without working out but your efforts on excercise is how you will really see the results. Good luck, and like everyone else has said, your weight lose is yours and others are on there own journey. Do it the right way and enjoy your food as you do it.

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