Am I stuck eating 1270 cals forever?! Beginner question.

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spaghetti77
spaghetti77 Posts: 7 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi

I started mfp 3 weeks ago. I'm lucky that I am fairly slim anyway and only wanted to lose vanity weight of 4-5lbs. I was 7st 9, my goal was 7st 3 (I'm small frame). I lost the weight in about a week! It was scary! I put in to lose 1lb per week but it all came off really quick.

So... I looked at cals needed to maintain my 'active' lifestyle (I'm a painter & decorator for my day job) it said 1700.

I thought - maybe like others - no way! 1700! I will for sure just put the weight back on again!

Then I thought- maybe I am not as active as I thought? I changed to lightly active. The cals were only 1200- a 70 cal difference oer day to what I was eating. Not really that negligable! So I put it back to active.

So I have hovered eating around 1270-1300 per day for about 10 days and the scales have not budged.

I have been exercising pretty much every day since I started (fast walking/starting to run a little) burning 200-300 cals a day. And I do eat back all of the calories I burn (don't want to lose any more weight and I enjoy eating!). So I end up eating 1400-1650 a day but burning about 300 off. I count my exercise calories using a polar heart rate monitor that is set up with my new lower weight and the right age and sex. I check the contacts on the monitor consitently through my exercise too.

So ... I was wondering - maybe this is it. Maybe I only need what I am eating. Or am I at a plateau? Or in starvation mode? I feel like I eat quite alot (1400-1650 a day), certainly in volume of veggies, fruit and protein with a few naughty things now and again.

I'm small and light. Maybe that's all I need.

Maybe there is no going back up to 1500 or more a day unless I burn more exercising.

I used to eat more than 2000 but I did carry fat on me with that.

So what do you think might be the best way forward here?

Ignore mfp calculating I need 1700 and just change it manually to what I am at now?

Shall I eat more and just see what happens?

Should I do more stregnth training? I'm slim but i do have quite a bit of muscle. But could always do more... btw how do I count cals burnt for strength? My hrm doesn't measure very well crunches etc. I do count them do I strength calories burnt?

Or as I have only been doing it 3 weeks just stick with where I am and keep going?

Thing is there are lots of reasons for plateaus but how do you know which one is causing you to plateau?

Any advice would be appreciated. It's all new and confusing and I appreciate constructive help! Thank you.

Replies

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    I'd try http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ to give you a more accurate TDEE. Keep in mind that with MFP, you're supposed to eat back exercise calories, even at maintenance.

    For what it's worth, it's normal to gain water weight once you increase your calories, so don't be alarmed if you gain a couple pounds again... after that it's trial and error to see how much you can eat.
  • spaghetti77
    spaghetti77 Posts: 7 Member
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    Thank you Francl27 for taking the time to reply very kind of you. I tried the calculator you suggested and it gave me a TDEE of 1891 which includes my exercise.... maybe I will up it a touch to match that because....

    Ha! and I don't know what came over me - TOM is coming and I just had my first binge!! omg lol. oh dear.

    Either I think eating big meals in the evenings over this weekend has not been good for me, its TOM or the hungry feelings over the past few weeks are catching up with me!

    I'll consider maybe eating more....

    I'm open to any other thoughts if anyone has any?
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    You'll have to try it out really... Maybe not 1890 but you can progressively go up to 1800... see how it is. I'm not maintaining yet so it's hard to know exactly how it works, but a lot of people end up maintaining with fewer calories because they're afraid of gaining, I think.
  • jaiblevins
    jaiblevins Posts: 15
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    Franci27 is correct. Once you reach the weight you want, it's basically a trial and error to see what it takes to maintain. Since you are a smaller person, you probably really don't need as many calories.
  • astartig
    astartig Posts: 549 Member
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    how tall are you? if you're short and small framed it is likely that your needs are lower than not. I'm 5.2 1/2 and when I reach goal my calories with out exercise are like 1360 to maintain.
  • Linda09189
    Linda09189 Posts: 80
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    I think you stay were you haven't gained any weight, I had a trainer once that told me NO woman needs to eat
    more then 1300 calories a day unless they are an athlete, now I'm not sure I agree with that, but we certainly
    don't need 2000, I would keep moving your calories up and if you start to gain then you drop it back, and by the way
    no such thing as starvation mode......
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    I think you stay were you haven't gained any weight, I had a trainer once that told me NO woman needs to eat
    more then 1300 calories a day unless they are an athlete, now I'm not sure I agree with that, but we certainly
    don't need 2000, I would keep moving your calories up and if you start to gain then you drop it back, and by the way
    no such thing as starvation mode......

    Wow trainers are totally clueless!

    But yeah, I'm 5'5" and my maintenance if I don't work out is like 1700, so I can see 1400 or something for a shorter woman.
  • RenewedRunner
    RenewedRunner Posts: 423 Member
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    I am a little confused. In part of your post you make it seem like you have reached goal/don't need to lose any more, and then in other parts you are asking how to lose. .????

    Your scales unwillingness to budge could be due to bloating and whatnot from your period. Weight gain is normal then. Usually comes on a few days prior and goes away a few days after.

    If you are super close to your goal weight/already are a healthy weight, losing is going to be hard as hell.

    Also, 10 days is not a plateau. Weight loss isn't a linear thing with clearly defined points. It could go in spurts. Sounded like you lost a lot upfront, your body is holding stationary now (for 10 days), and you have a lot of variables to look at.

    I gained 3 pounds on Friday. Did I really eat 10500 extra calories?? No I ate Thai food. Got on the scale today after drinking copious amounts of water-back to my Thursday weight.
  • Amestris
    Amestris Posts: 152 Member
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    I think you stay were you haven't gained any weight, I had a trainer once that told me NO woman needs to eat
    more then 1300 calories a day unless they are an athlete, now I'm not sure I agree with that, but we certainly
    don't need 2000, I would keep moving your calories up and if you start to gain then you drop it back, and by the way
    no such thing as starvation mode......


    I'm not too sure about the not needing 2000 calories. My BMR is about 1680. If I am active and workout during the day I can easily consume 2000-2300 calories and still lose weight. It really just depends on your body comp and level of activity.
  • stacibuk
    stacibuk Posts: 276 Member
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    I did the scoobydoo tdee calculation and it gave me tdee of 2156 which is similar to my fitbit. Why is the carb automatically 30% How much is it in mpf?
  • birdiecs
    birdiecs Posts: 237 Member
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    I think you stay were you haven't gained any weight, I had a trainer once that told me NO woman needs to eat
    more then 1300 calories a day unless they are an athlete, now I'm not sure I agree with that, but we certainly
    don't need 2000, I would keep moving your calories up and if you start to gain then you drop it back, and by the way
    no such thing as starvation mode......

    Whaaa? That's insane, I eat at least 1600 and I'm 5'2 and 43yrs old. I would have run like hell from that trainer, while eating a donut and laughing.
  • FXOjafar
    FXOjafar Posts: 174 Member
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    I'd try http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ to give you a more accurate TDEE.

    That doesn't work for me. The Fat percentage only goes to 50% which is too low. :)
  • Elleinnz
    Elleinnz Posts: 1,661 Member
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    I think you stay were you haven't gained any weight, I had a trainer once that told me NO woman needs to eat
    more then 1300 calories a day unless they are an athlete, now I'm not sure I agree with that, but we certainly
    don't need 2000, I would keep moving your calories up and if you start to gain then you drop it back, and by the way
    no such thing as starvation mode......

    Wow - "we certainly don't need 2000" - huge statement - and I don't agree....
    I am a woman - 53 years old , 5'9 and I eat around 3000 calories a day - been maintaining the same weight now since September 2011........you will find quite a few woman here that successfully eats 2000 calories or more.....

    I would say the opposite - keep your metabolism healthy and no woman should have to live on 1200 calories a day.....
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
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    I'd try http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ to give you a more accurate TDEE.

    That doesn't work for me. The Fat percentage only goes to 50% which is too low. :)

    Does this one work better?
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

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