Eating too Much or too Little?

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jatatdc
jatatdc Posts: 7
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been stuck at 180 for a while now, and the only thing i can figure that's keeping me stuck is my eating habits. I have my meals at the same time everyday and usually my calories add up to 1400-1600 and my workout burns about 1200. How many calories should i be eating to lose weight?

Replies

  • Linnaea27
    Linnaea27 Posts: 639 Member
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    If you eat only 1400-1600 calories total a day, and your workout really burns 1200, then you are netting next to nothing!! (200-400 calories a day, yikes.) No wonder you are not losing weight. From what I've learned about such things, almost everyone needs to net at least 1200 calories a day. That means that when you do your 1200 calorie workouts, you need to be eating 800-1000 cals more than you are.

    How are you calculating the calories burned? Trying for accuracy for that number is really important, especially in a situation like yours. That number sounds awfully high unless you are working out for hours at a time.
  • Lauren5280
    Lauren5280 Posts: 67 Member
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    There is no way these numbers are correct. You're overestimating your calories burned and underestimating you food intake. Get a scale and start weighing your food. And find a more reliable method for calculating your calories burned.
  • HerpDerp745
    HerpDerp745 Posts: 223 Member
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    lol 1200 calories.
  • EmmieBaby
    EmmieBaby Posts: 1,235 Member
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    what do you do to get that much burn?

    but like Creiddylad said, you need to be netting minimum 1200 cals per day.
    if you consume say 1200 cals and burn 600 you would need to eat 1800cals that day...sounds backwards but trust me it works.
  • buzhik
    buzhik Posts: 5
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    You are probably overestimating calories you burn exercising... What is your workout routine?
  • Iknowsaur
    Iknowsaur Posts: 777 Member
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    lol 1200 calories.
  • gochnour3
    gochnour3 Posts: 8 Member
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    I run 6 days a week and do three days of strength training (just started- YAY!!). I was stuck at 171 for like, 5 weeks. I was eating about 1800 calories a day. I bumped it to 2000 a days and had a breakthrough! Now, I have used multiple websites and a nutritionist to help me figure out my BMR and exercise expenditure. and the nutritionist suggests figuring out weekly, not daily (example- daily BMR x 7 + daily exercise burn x (number of days exercising) = calories out, compared to (daily calories in x7) ) I agree with the suggestions of revisiting your daily intake- I use a scale and surprise myself all the time. It is hard to estimate your calories from exercise. I suggest checking with a professional.

    Also, make sure the calories you are eating are valuable to your body. One fast food meal can be 1000+ calories, or 6 full meals a day can be 2000. I struggle to get my calories in some days because my fiber, water, and protein is high, which makes me full (how exciting is that?!) I shoot for 3-4 fruits and 3-4 veggies per day, 1 gal of water. Calorie breakdown- 60% carbs (good, natural carbs that is, no sugar alcohols) 20% protein and 20% fats (no trans, few saturated and plenty of nuts, fish and avocado.)

    Because I run distance, I look to lose slowly so as not to injury myself- 0.5-1 lb/ week. Over the last 2 years I have lost almost 40 lb. Some ups and downs of course, it's hard. Stick with it. Make small changes. And make choices that are sustainable. Don't diet. Just make better food choices :-). Hang in there, its frustrating but it will pay off.

    My diary is public, feel free to friend me to check it out. GOOD LUCK!
  • DrMAvDPhD
    DrMAvDPhD Posts: 2,097 Member
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    Chances are you are eating too much if:
    You are not weighing all of your food on a scale.
    You are estimating, or using volume based serving sizes.
    You are eating restaurant prepared food on a regular basis (McD's isn't weighing out a serving of fries).
    You routinely have "cheat" days or meals.
    You don't count bites/tastes/nibbles of things throughout the day.

    Chances are you are eating too little if:
    You are doing none of the above AND really truly burning 1200 cal/day. Which is unlikely.
  • jatatdc
    jatatdc Posts: 7
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    I go on a treadmill for an hour and it tells me my average heart rate, I use the heart rate to figure the calories burned. My average heart rate is usually 183.
  • HerpDerp745
    HerpDerp745 Posts: 223 Member
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    My average heart rate is usually 183.

    Your heart rate monitor is broken.
  • mschicagocubs
    mschicagocubs Posts: 774 Member
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    Still doesn't seem right...

    I googled a calculator that does calories burned based on HR. I used my age (26) and it didnt get to close 1200 burned until I said I was 100 lbs ... and it still was 860
  • jatatdc
    jatatdc Posts: 7
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    I found two different calculators that said the same thing. It may be the difference in gender.
  • mschicagocubs
    mschicagocubs Posts: 774 Member
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    I found two different calculators that said the same thing. It may be the difference in gender.

    Didn't think of that ;) haha!

    Well .. i would start by getting a HRM to be more accurate.

    If you are still burning that much, then you need to eat a lot of calories back.
  • HerpDerp745
    HerpDerp745 Posts: 223 Member
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    I found two different calculators that said the same thing. It may be the difference in gender.

    It is different by gender. Your average heart rate is not 183 however. You really should get a different heart rate monitor if you want accuracy.
  • jatatdc
    jatatdc Posts: 7
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    I found two different calculators that said the same thing. It may be the difference in gender.

    It is different by gender. Your average heart rate is not 183 however. You really should get a different heart rate monitor if you want accuracy.
    I checked and you're right. The heart rate moniter I was using is garbage.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    ...my calories add up to 1400-1600 and my workout burns about 1200.

    Numbers don't add up. Human body can't maintain that kind of workout on that little fuel. Plus you'd be dropping weight like a concentration camp victim, which you're clearly not doing

    There's something very wrong with your logging - first step is to fix that.
  • gochnour3
    gochnour3 Posts: 8 Member
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    I run distance, and I maintain a HR of 160s-170s while running if am above a comfortable jog. And I have been running for years now. When i started, I could easily get my HR into the 190s. I was 205 at 66" and running at a 5.5 and yes, my HR was through the roof. That is a using manual HR check AND a Polar HR monitor. I do agree that it does not transfer to a caloric expenditure of 1200 calories for an hour though.
  • gochnour3
    gochnour3 Posts: 8 Member
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    Also, I was concerned that my HR was so high, and talked to my provider about it. I recover back down to 100s and then back to resting 60-70 at an appropriate time period, so my doc was not concerned.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
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    You are over estimating your burns and your food. As someone already stated above get a digital food scale and HRM.

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