Hello, I'm 5ft 3, 41 years old and

katmad
katmad Posts: 6
in Health and Weight Loss
weigh 158lbs. I have been eating around 1200 calories a day since Jan 1st,(sometimes a few hundred calories more at the weekend and a little less on weekdays) and have been exercising for at least 30 mins a day.
This time last week I was 155lbs.
This morning, after a weekend of the gym, power-plate, swimming and aerobics I am 158lbs.
I am drinking lots of water and eating back most of my exercise calories.
Is 1200 a day too little for me?
I can manage to maintain by eating what I want and not exercising, so this is so frustrating! Please help!

Replies

  • asaffell
    asaffell Posts: 43 Member
    1200 is too little for most people, honestly. I'd bump it up to around 1500 and see how you do.
  • Americannabis
    Americannabis Posts: 46
    I also wouldn't eat back most (I assume you're talking at least 75% here) of your exercise calories unless you have really accurate equipment attached to your person while you work out, ESPECIALLY if you're using MFPs exercise tracking tool. It grossly overestimates the calories you burn, IMO. To be safe, eat back half of what you burn and see if that helps. If you don't go by what MFP says, then disregard this.
  • seattle_hd
    seattle_hd Posts: 23 Member
    I just about the same as you…

    If you are just starting to work out regular, as something brand new jan 1st, you might have some inflammation and keeping some water weight. Give your body some time to adjust to the workout routine and watch your salt intake, drink more water. I find that I have a 2-3 pound variance from day to day depending on the time of the month - heavier just before my period, lowest right after, and how much I've eaten or how much water I've drunk.

    I find that especially after hard workouts when I'm really sore I weight a little more. You are also building some muscle. About 3 years ago I started working out and I lost a few pounds but never really lost all that I wanted to. I just couldn't get under a plateau (now I know medical reasons). BUT what kept me going was that my body shape changed entirely… going from squishy to more even all over, more toned, and more muscle.
  • aplatt41
    aplatt41 Posts: 88 Member
    I just sent you a friend request....I am 42 5ft 4 starting weight just 5days ago was 182.6 now 5 days later 181.2....You should open up your food diary to let some ppl take a look at it. Alot of support from MFP Community.....they maybe able to tell you more information!
  • katmad
    katmad Posts: 6
    Thanks for the advice.
    If I stop eating and exercising today I will be meeting my 1200 allowance (just over). Should I exercise for half an hour or just give my muscles time to recover and take today off? In the last 11 days I have exercised on 9 days.
  • rockmama72
    rockmama72 Posts: 815 Member
    I'm 42 and I also just started a couple of weeks ago. I just sent friend requests too!
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    weigh 158lbs. I have been eating around 1200 calories a day since Jan 1st,(sometimes a few hundred calories more at the weekend and a little less on weekdays) and have been exercising for at least 30 mins a day.
    This time last week I was 155lbs.
    This morning, after a weekend of the gym, power-plate, swimming and aerobics I am 158lbs.
    I am drinking lots of water and eating back most of my exercise calories.
    Is 1200 a day too little for me?
    I can manage to maintain by eating what I want and not exercising, so this is so frustrating! Please help!

    It's only been 12 days. You aren't going to lose huge amounts of weight. You most likely are retaining water. Please don't listen to those people who tell you to eat more to lose weight faster. Please use MFP as it is supposed to be used, by allowing it to calculate how many calories you should be eating and then add in exercise calories as well. You lose weight by eating fewer calories than you burn, and your body will not "hold on" to fat stores if you don't eat enough. The risk is that if you eat too little and not the right balance of macros, you will lose muscle along with the fat. This will cause your metabolism to slow down a bit, but not that much. The larger risk is that you will regain fat if you do eat more than you burn for an extended period of time. Calculate your calories properly, Easiest? Find a TDEE calculator online and see how many calories that comes to, then eat at a 200 calorie deficit and see how much you lose. (If you use the TDEE method including your exercise, don't eat back your exercise calories).

    Regarding starvation mode: if that was a real thing, anorexics would not be able to become dangerously underweight.

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