Who eats 2000 calories and loses still?

crystalfisher89
crystalfisher89 Posts: 196 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Just curious if anyone has had success eating 2000 calories a day and still loses? Even if it's like a .25 to .5 lbs a week? What about inches lost?

I work out 5-6 days a week, getting in 500-800 caloric burns each time and am eating at 1800 calories. I've been wondering if I've been eating enough? I know my TDEE mine 20% is around 1800, but considering bumping up to 2000 so that I can keep myself from stress eating?

Those being successful at losing at 2000 calories a day (and not eating back exercise calories)... what have you set your macros at? I'm at my last 10 lbs that I want to lose and have been plateaued to lose inches and weight.

Thanks much for your advice in advance!
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Replies

  • mjfer123
    mjfer123 Posts: 1,234 Member
    That's a net of 1000 calories which isn't good. (1800-800=1000)
    Your body is going into emergency mode and storing energy.
    You should try to make up for the calories you work off, at least part way.

    I eat 3000 calories, but I have different inputs between body and work out.
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,064 Member
    I do, sometimes more, sometimes less. I do a lot of weight work during the week so it balances out. I like eating too much to do the low calorie diet thing.
  • mcspiffy88
    mcspiffy88 Posts: 90 Member
    im eating around 1800 a day and loosing 1-2 pound a week, altho I do 6 times a week cardio and 3 times weight training.
  • MapleFlavouredMaiden
    MapleFlavouredMaiden Posts: 595 Member
    I'd do a week of eating at TDEE, then try doing a cut of 15% off of your TDEE. 20% is quite a high cut for someone with only 10lbs to lose. If you are feeling hungry, that's a good sign your deficit is too large. This is especially true if you have periods of time where you can't help but "stress eat" as you call it. I use calorie cycling and eat an average of 1955 cals a day (spread out differently depending on the day -- sometimes more, sometimes less) -- and my TDEE is about 2300. I may even have to bump my cals up more since my TDEE is often quite a bit over 2300.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,392 Member
    If that is you in the AV picture, you don't need to cut TDEE-20%. That percentage of deficit would be for someone with a lot of weight to lose.

    Try TDEE-10%. So that would give you more like the 2000 you actually need.

    Edit to say, oops, yeah I see you only have 10ish pounds to lose. Up your cals to TDEE-10%
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,392 Member
    And, here, great info, covers your macros and how to set your calories:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
  • mjfer123
    mjfer123 Posts: 1,234 Member
    No adult human body should go to 1000 calories
  • kennie2
    kennie2 Posts: 1,170 Member
    meeeeee
    and i don't work out, like walk 30-60 mins a day and sometimes i'll jog for 25ish mins like 2/3 times a week but I've messed up my knee so stopped
    but I eat high carb low fat and mostly raw
    macros are 80 carbs, 10 protein, 10 fat :)
  • astartig
    astartig Posts: 549 Member
    That's a net of 1000 calories which isn't good. (1800-800=1000)
    Your body is going into emergency mode and storing energy.
    You should try to make up for the calories you work off, at least part way.

    I eat 3000 calories, but I have different inputs between body and work out.

    it doesn't work that way. eating 1800 calories a day even if you exercise 800 calories worth will NOT send your body into starvation mode.
  • ElliottTN
    ElliottTN Posts: 1,614 Member
    Nope, 2000 would be a gain for me. My body is very efficient at using cals. As a side note I don't believe it is a bad thing like everyone else freaks out about.
  • astartig
    astartig Posts: 549 Member
    No adult human body should go to 1000 calories

    YOu are eating 1800 calories.. not 1000.. even if you eat 1000 it will not send you into starvation mode. the only reason the cut off for 1200 calories is in place is because of nutrition concerns. she's eating 1800 calories.. all nutrition needs are taken care of.
  • fushigi1988
    fushigi1988 Posts: 519 Member
    I eat 2500 on average per day. Not really losing on scale, but I am losing inches, need to wear belts on all my pants now!
    Body recomp ftw :)
  • crystalfisher89
    crystalfisher89 Posts: 196 Member
    Thanks everyone! I feel a little better about bumping up now. I've been wondering if my plateauing was due to eating too little for how hard I workout. I'm more interested in losing inches at this point rather than weight, but I know the weight will come off... just really slowly at this point, which is okay. :) I only had a few people mention their macros. What are others using for their macros? 80% carbs seems like a little much on the carb side for me, but I will take note.

    Thanks!
  • fushigi1988
    fushigi1988 Posts: 519 Member
    I usually end up around 50% carbs, 30% fat and 20% protein or so. I try to get at least 100 grams of protein, and I oe the rest fall into place. I need more carbs on workdays.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    meeeeee
    and i don't work out, like walk 30-60 mins a day and sometimes i'll jog for 25ish mins like 2/3 times a week but I've messed up my knee so stopped
    but I eat high carb low fat and mostly raw
    macros are 80 carbs, 10 protein, 10 fat :)

    That's a very different diet to what I've ever seen on here. Does it have a name or did you just decide to eat very little protein and fat?
  • Erikalynne18
    Erikalynne18 Posts: 558 Member
    yup!! I increased my cal to net 1700 in Jan 2013 and then to net 1900 a few months later, then I hit maintenance in August so my maintenance goal was net 2100 cal. (I recently dropped back down to 1900 though cause I gained a few lbs last semester when I stopped logging, will increase to maintenance goal again soon). Although most of these #'s are under 2000, I nearly always eat back all my exercise calories which means I eat over 2000 on a regular basis :)

    I think you would be fine to bump up especially since you seem very active :)
  • Mr_Starr
    Mr_Starr Posts: 139 Member
    I am eating over 2000 calories a day and losing weight!

    To lose 1 lb. a week, MFP tells me I must net 1760 calories daily.

    So I average eating 2100 calories daily, and try to do about 500 calories of exercise a day... netting about 1600 calories daily.

    Technically i should be losing over a lb a week. Earlier on i was... but it has slowed down. But no complaints...
    I am still losing weight every week.
  • Granville_Cocteau
    Granville_Cocteau Posts: 209 Member
    Depends on your TDEE..... I eat about 2,200 during the week but burn about 500 on average four days during the week from exercise, putting me on a net basis about 15 percent below TDEE from S-Thurs. Then I have pizza and doughnuts and burgers and some liquor on the weekend and on those two days I may go a bit over TDEE.. Lost about 30 pounds that way and maintained.

    If I wanted to lose more, I either have to dial up the exercise or dial back down the weekends. But that's hard when you're single and tempted by the siren song of wine, women and chocolate-glazed treats.
  • Kr1ptonite
    Kr1ptonite Posts: 789 Member
    I eat around 3500 cals. I don't do as much cardio as I use to but if I upped it I could lose on this amount of cals
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    Yes this is what I did. I go running a lot and so was losing a fair few calories. I would have a net goal of around 2,000. Running 10km for example, I would lose 750-850 calories, so it was quite easy to lose weight for me on 2,000 calories.

    Depends on your height though. I am 182cm tall.
  • quackers82
    quackers82 Posts: 55 Member
    I eat physically just over 2000 a day and normally use up around a 1000 a day in purpose cardio and I'm losing 2-3lbs a week. I have MFP set to 1/2 a lb a week. That way i don't go hungry ever, and the more i do walking the faster i lose.
  • HMVOL7409
    HMVOL7409 Posts: 1,588 Member
    And, here, great info, covers your macros and how to set your calories:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    Great links; everyone's macros will be different.

    FWIW I'm 5'2, 34yo currently 136lb though I'm bulking on 3000 calories. Pre bulk I was around 125-128 and would lose on 2000 calories; maintenance was around 2200-2300. I lift 4-5 days a week and only do 1-2 sessions of HIIT for 20-30 mins. Don't care what I burn bc I go by my TDEE. I have a higher TDEE than most women my stats due to my amount of LBM. When I want to lose, I increase my cardio or intensity of my lift sessions. Very rarely will I cut more calories over a 10% cut. I rather lose slow and steady vs fast and risk possible LBM loss.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    I'm 5'7" and 160 lbs or so. I usually train 5-7 hours a week over 6 days with 1 rest day: 2-3 runs, 2 strength sessions and a little cross training (martial arts workouts) thrown in. I maintain at about 2500cal/day in the winter... this bumps up to about 2700cal/day in the summer when I'm running more. I cut at 2200 calories daily right now or closer to 2300-2400 in the summer.
  • LindsayE007
    LindsayE007 Posts: 212 Member
    I have been working with a trainer the last 3 months reverse dieting and I'm up to 1760 on rest days, 2000 on lifting days and 2320 on refeed days. I have lost 10 pounds the last 3 months (and I didn't have a lot to lose to start with) and am continuing to lose (0.25-0.5 a week) and improve my body composition. I needed the accountability of a trainer to keep my diet on track but now that I have seen these results I will never cut calories low again. Oh and all I'm doing is lifting heavy 5 days a week and 1 30 minute HITT session a week. Boom!

    Oh and I'm only 5'4" and 128-129 pounds.
  • LindsayE007
    LindsayE007 Posts: 212 Member
    Right now I'm at 135g protein, 60g fat and 230c. My protein and fat have remained pretty constant and he has been increasing my carbs every week. Mmmmm.... Carbs......
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    I average about 2100 and lose about 2lbs a month. I try for around 100 grams of protein, and 50 grams of fat per day. I'm 5'9" and 160lbs.

    I also eat my exercise calories back, especially when I have burns over 800 calories.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Check http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ with the 5/6 hours a week setting (assuming you really burn that much every day)? You're undereating right now if you're really burning 600-800 calories 6 times a week.
  • crystalfisher89
    crystalfisher89 Posts: 196 Member
    I have been working with a trainer the last 3 months reverse dieting and I'm up to 1760 on rest days, 2000 on lifting days and 2320 on refeed days. I have lost 10 pounds the last 3 months (and I didn't have a lot to lose to start with) and am continuing to lose (0.25-0.5 a week) and improve my body composition. I needed the accountability of a trainer to keep my diet on track but now that I have seen these results I will never cut calories low again. Oh and all I'm doing is lifting heavy 5 days a week and 1 30 minute HITT session a week. Boom!

    Oh and I'm only 5'4" and 128-129 pounds.

    This may seem like a silly question, but what is a re-feed day?
  • crystalfisher89
    crystalfisher89 Posts: 196 Member
    Check http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ with the 5/6 hours a week setting (assuming you really burn that much every day)? You're undereating right now if you're really burning 600-800 calories 6 times a week.

    Thanks for the input, I wear a HRM to keep track of my burns, but yes, I usually am between that range of burn on workout days. I checked out the TDEE calculator from that website you put on and it's saying 2291 for TDEE-10% and maintain at 2500. Wow!!! Definitely undereating if that's the case. I'll start at 2000 for a while and bump up slowly to 2291 level so I don't shock my system from adding in 400-500 extra calories a day. Thanks for the help :)
  • MapleFlavouredMaiden
    MapleFlavouredMaiden Posts: 595 Member
    A refeed day or refeed week(s) is a period of time where you eat at TDEE or above in order to boost your metabolim.

    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/sclark60.htm
    http://breakingmuscle.com/nutrition/leptin-the-secret-key-to-getting-shredded

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