Calorie counting help

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adrbar
adrbar Posts: 15 Member
in Motivation and Support
I'm a full time rn on busy medical unit I do elliptical 5 days a week for 30-45minutes plus some sit upand push ups. I want to loose 15 lbs. I currently am 120 5'2 . Even if I eat 1200 cals my weight is not moving . Is it true that I indeed may need to eat more?

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  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    Maybe, maybe not. With just 15 pounds to go the weight naturally comes off more slowly. You might be looking at 1/2 a pound a week, which often gets lost in the normal weight fluctuations you're going to see. It sounds like you're fairly active, so 1200 calories seems on the low side to me. If you're feeling moody, weak, or lethargic than extra calories are probably a good idea. I'd look first at how accurately you're counting your calories. Are you logging everything? Are you using a food scale? Measuring cups? Eyeballing portions? It's possible you're eating more than you think you are.
  • CleaverWard
    CleaverWard Posts: 21
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    I would say if you're not losing weight at 1200 and are active as I imagine nurses are, you're not counting properly and are eating more than you think you are. How are you measuring things?
  • adrbar
    adrbar Posts: 15 Member
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    Yep I weigh/ measure everything. I was tracking with spark people but decided to come back to fitness pal and today is first day back. I have struggled with starving/ binging for 20 plus years and fear that my metabolism is un save able :(
  • leslisa
    leslisa Posts: 1,350 Member
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    Can't see your profile. Are you eating back your exercise cals? If so, remember the lighter you are, the fewer cals you burn. On the flip, the more muscle you have the more cals you burn at rest.

    Also, I've read studies that suggest weekly instead of daily limits so that's what I do. I know how many cals I can eat weekly and I save cals for Sunday and splurge that day =D. The splurge day is important because it makes my body think I'm going to be eating more so it bumps the metabolism up.

    I also do 10 minutes of abs each morning to boost my metabolism.

    Also, I read sometimes the body plateau's as a metabolism adjustment occurs. It takes a month or two for it to understand the new lifestyle is permanent and then it starts burning cals again.

    Hope something here helps!

    Good luck~
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    Yep I weigh/ measure everything. I was tracking with spark people but decided to come back to fitness pal and today is first day back. I have struggled with starving/ binging for 20 plus years and fear that my metabolism is un save able :(

    Eating 1200 calories while exercising certainly won't help it if it has been depressed.

    Did MFP set the 1200 calorie goal for you or did you choose it yourself? The MFP site gives you a goal based on your activity level (please tell me you didn't select sedentary if you're on your feet at work) and then expects you to log your extra exercise and eat back the extra calories you earn (with the caveat that MFP/gym machines may be overestimating your calorie burns, so many people suggest just eating 50-75% of them).

    So, the next question becomes are you eating back your exercise calories and if so are you using a heart rate monitor or MFP/machine estimates?

    Additionally, how long have you been at this? Have you lost no weight through this process or just less than you'd like?

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