1200....1300...1400...ups 1600 :)

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beebeeto
beebeeto Posts: 24
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi mfp friends :)

I just wanted to check if someone have experienced the following:

I am only in my first week of 1200 calories (just started losing, not me on the picture) and am starving. I need so much motivation and can not study properly. So I decided to up the calories. Ok.. but how much? 1400 is still low on the long run, 1500? 1600? Too high? I dont want to make sure I fit some macros, I am not low carb or low-anything. Just make healthy choices.

I am 5 ft 8, starting at 152, want to be... lets say around 20 pounds lighter or even some more. I want to lose the weight in 5 months. 4-6 pounds a month should be healthy.

If anyone here have/had my stats and goals... could you just please tell if it is okay to ease myself into the diet starting with the 1600. Lets say about a month and than if no results set a lower calorie goal. Sorry if I ask a random question but at the beginning of my journey I just need some support and a lot of "I made it this and that way"-stories.

Thank you so much!!!
This site is AMAZING :)

Replies

  • wannakimmy
    wannakimmy Posts: 488 Member
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    Enter your info in to MFP, let them do the math for you. Eat the amount of calories they give you. If you only want to lose say 20 lbs, then I would not set your goal to more than .5 lb a week as I am told it is harder to lose when you have less to lose. Make sure you are weighing and logging everything you put in your mouth, it is super easy to underestimate. Give it a month or so and if you are not getting any results, try something else. JMO
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Hi mfp friends :)

    I just wanted to check if someone have experienced the following:

    I am only in my first week of 1200 calories (just started losing, not me on the picture) and am starving. I need so much motivation and can not study properly. So I decided to up the calories. Ok.. but how much? 1400 is still low on the long run, 1500? 1600? Too high? I dont want to make sure I fit some macros, I am not low carb or low-anything. Just make healthy choices.

    I am 5 ft 8, starting at 152, want to be... lets say around 20 pounds lighter or even some more. I want to lose the weight in 5 months. 4-6 pounds a month should be healthy.

    If anyone here have/had my stats and goals... could you just please tell if it is okay to ease myself into the diet starting with the 1600. Lets say about a month and than if no results set a lower calorie goal. Sorry if I ask a random question but at the beginning of my journey I just need some support and a lot of "I made it this and that way"-stories.

    Thank you so much!!!
    This site is AMAZING :)

    Well..... 6 pounds a month is pretty aggressive. That's why MFP gave you 1200.....it's the lowest MFP will go. For someone who is 5'8".....pretty skimpy

    For 20 pounds....1/2 - 1 pound a week is more like it. If you change your MFP settings to 1 pound, your calories will go up. If you change your settings to 1/2 pound....the calories will go up further. Pick one of these, or manually enter your calorie goal as something in the middle.

    Keep in mind, MFP gives you a calorie deficit with ZERO exercise. So when you add exercise....you get those calories added back to prevent the deficit from being too big. A moderate deficit helps you retain lean muscle mass. MFP calorie burns are estimates....fairly generous....most people eat back a % (say 60%).....this fuels your workouts & helps you retain more muscle.
  • Kathrynrbg
    Kathrynrbg Posts: 176 Member
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    it´s better to choose the highest level of calories that still allows you to burn fat and nor muscle, I would start with 1600 calories and as you said try it for a month and if you have burn 1/2 pound per week, keep that level. Slow and steady wins the race. You want to make your diet and your new weight sustainable.
  • JanieC93
    JanieC93 Posts: 34 Member
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    I started with 1200 and found my body to be even more weak and exhausted! I now eat on a 1600 cal limit :)
    (My work is very active so that is why I bumped it to such a high level)!

    Add me if you need any help :)
  • katorihanzo
    katorihanzo Posts: 234 Member
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    As the others said, try and go slow, it'll be easier and more likely to last. If you don't burn out, you'll be able to stick with it.

    That said, even with my weight loss goal set to 1 lb a week, my recommended intake is still as low as 1450. I didn't want to go as slow as .5lb a week so I stuck with the low number, made sure I ate every bit of it, exercised to eat and believe me when I tell you this: you absolutely get used to it. I don't want to advocate starving yourself but if you just started, going from eating 2000 or more calories a day to 1400 or so, you're going to feel hungry at first. If I were you (and I pretty much was at one point) I'd try to tough it out for a couple of weeks, see if it gets better. Don't allow yourself to feel sick or faint or anything but if you're mildly hungry try drinking tea, sticking with however many calories it allows you to eat to lose 1lb per week.

    If you're still too hungry after 10-14 days to keep with it, change your setting to .5lbs loss. I just don't want you to think your body won't get used to a lower intake. It will.

    ETA: Eating 1430 a day (net) I consistently lost 5lbs/month for 8 months. I'm rarely hungry because I've learned what fills me up and nourishes me and if I am I just run for 20 minutes and then eat some PB toast :)
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
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    Your BMR is roughly 1500 cals -- I wouldn't recommend going lower than that. If you exercise a lot (like more than an hour a day) you'll want to eat back some of those calories too.
  • SillaWinchester
    SillaWinchester Posts: 363 Member
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    Considering most peoples bodies count on 1,500-2,000 calories just to function properly (that number is called your BMR), I'd suggest you enter your information in with mfp and see what number you get and adjust it how you see fit.

    I was 18, 5'7" and like 215 when I first started mfp and got 1,500 calories a day but I felt I was too hungry so I upped my calories to 1,700. I found out my body needs exactly 1,700 to function so sometimes if I go over 1,700 I don't feel bad.

    Test out different numbers and see what works for you. If you're feeling weak and not able to concentrate, it might benefit you to up your calories AND make sure you're eating healthy foods. (Because why up your calories if you're only going to eat taco bell, those are empty calories.) You need to fuel your body with protein, fruits, veggies, etc..

    And as another poster said, 6 lbs a month is a far fetched goal to reach for! Just make sure you're getting enough food in your body and exercise and you'll notice your body changing for the better! (Keep in mind that the scale really does lie. Muscle weighs more than fat and your weight will change like crazy during the day.. don't be discouraged if the scale doesn't move. That doesn't mean you're not making progress!)

    Feel free to add me if you need help, have question, or want support! :)
  • beebeeto
    beebeeto Posts: 24
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    Thanks :) I guess I just have to start working more and stop whining.... weight loss is so f***** hard.
  • VanillaSmile427
    VanillaSmile427 Posts: 45
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    MFP calculator is innacurate and it does not take into account exercise. I would recommend using this calculator because it takes into consideration your exercise so you can eat more.

    http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

    I was at 1200 but i bumped mine up to 1340 according to the calculator and how many times I work out... So I dont log my exercise... I am 4' 11" and 132 so I can already tell you you are eating too low for sustainable weight loss. With the stats you gave me i would recommend eating at 1650/ a day. But use the calculator on there!!
  • gerla_k
    gerla_k Posts: 495 Member
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    MFP calculator is innacurate and it does not take into account exercise. I would recommend using this calculator because it takes into consideration your exercise so you can eat more.

    http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

    I was at 1200 but i bumped mine up to 1340 according to the calculator and how many times I work out... So I dont log my exercise... I am 4' 11" and 132 so I can already tell you you are eating too low for sustainable weight loss. With the stats you gave me i would recommend eating at 1650/ a day. But use the calculator on there!!
    I just checked that calculator you mentioned. it says for a person who's working out 5 times a week i should be eating 1800 ? MFP says 1300?? that's a huge difference. :huh:
  • ksy1969
    ksy1969 Posts: 700 Member
    Options
    MFP calculator is innacurate and it does not take into account exercise. I would recommend using this calculator because it takes into consideration your exercise so you can eat more.

    http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

    I was at 1200 but i bumped mine up to 1340 according to the calculator and how many times I work out... So I dont log my exercise... I am 4' 11" and 132 so I can already tell you you are eating too low for sustainable weight loss. With the stats you gave me i would recommend eating at 1650/ a day. But use the calculator on there!!
    I just checked that calculator you mentioned. it says for a person who's working out 5 times a week i should be eating 1800 ? MFP says 1300?? that's a huge difference. :huh:

    With MFP you have to eat your exercise calories back that get added to MFP when you exercise. With that IIFYM calculator it is more than likely factoring in exercise calories into your daily intake. It calculates how much you would burn exercising 5 days a week and then averages that over the 7 days of the week and adds it to your total calorie intake per day.
  • gerla_k
    gerla_k Posts: 495 Member
    Options
    MFP calculator is innacurate and it does not take into account exercise. I would recommend using this calculator because it takes into consideration your exercise so you can eat more.

    http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

    I was at 1200 but i bumped mine up to 1340 according to the calculator and how many times I work out... So I dont log my exercise... I am 4' 11" and 132 so I can already tell you you are eating too low for sustainable weight loss. With the stats you gave me i would recommend eating at 1650/ a day. But use the calculator on there!!
    I just checked that calculator you mentioned. it says for a person who's working out 5 times a week i should be eating 1800 ? MFP says 1300?? that's a huge difference. :huh:

    With MFP you have to eat your exercise calories back that get added to MFP when you exercise. With that IIFYM calculator it is more than likely factoring in exercise calories into your daily intake. It calculates how much you would burn exercising 5 days a week and then averages that over the 7 days of the week and adds it to your total calorie intake per day.

    That makes total sense . thanks.

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