eating healthy but too many calories?

TWINSICLE
TWINSICLE Posts: 11 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I had gone to see a dietician and she gave me a 1500 calorie meal plan. I found i had ZERO energy to even think about exercise. She upped it to 1700 and i find myself actually consuming more like 1900. I feel better eating more but the scale isnt going down its going up. Im not looking to loose a ton of weight maybe five lbs to lean out more. How does everyone stick to a meal plan? i am currently 120.8 lbs and5'3" . I use the 21 day fix workout schedule but im not using the containers. Ill open my diary for opinions:-) thank u

Replies

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    First, do you weigh your food? I see you use a lot of generic entries for fruit, you might be overestimating their size.

    That quinoa salad... did you figure out the calories yourself?
  • TWINSICLE
    TWINSICLE Posts: 11 Member
    I use my red container from the 21 day fix program to measure out meat portion. I have weighed it in the past its about 3oz. When i buy bananas i dont buy the extra large size they are standard so i assume they are medium. Apples i dont buy small. I buy bulk large/medium. I measure my frozen fruit usually one cup or half cup.

    I use a heart rate monitor when i work out and i typically burn about 250 calories on cardio days and 175/200 cal on weight days. I have two active rest days one being yoga and one pilates

    I drink waay more water than i ever have. I have at LEAST two 32oz bottles a day. Lots of tea but i use almond milk in it with a milk frother. Usually half a cup for that. I dont drink coffee much at all these days.

    Also the quinoa salad is a recipe from my dietician and i used the recipe tool to calculate the quinoa sald calories
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Buy a scale.

    Use the scale. stop guessing.

    Are you eating back exercise calories- or was the 1700 designed to include the exercise calories?

    My maintance is 1900- and I"m at 1700 for a small deficit (I can't sacrifice strength gains at this point) and it is plenty adequate for me on none workout days-(which I just double checked- I'm 5" taller than you and almost 40 pounds heavier) sure I'm hungry but i'm not overwhelmingly hungry.

    How long have you been on this diet??
    Looking at the size difference- 1700 might a little high for you- it sounds like it might be maintenance.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    As your BMI is already at the lower end of normal weight range maybe stop worrying about losing weigh and concentrate on your fitness and eat for that. I'm actually quite surprised that a RD was giving you a plan to lose more weight. If it's a look your after maybe research appropriate programs that will give that look that your after In reality losing a few more pounds will make little difference especially when you can vary up to 5 pounds in weight during the day which is the amount you want to lose according to your ticker. . Maybe take a step back and think of what your goals are they just a number on the scale that can vary hour to hour?

    Good Luck
  • jos05
    jos05 Posts: 263 Member
    If I was in your position I would probably go to iffym.com and look up my BMR and my TDEE and go from there... because at 120lbs... and 5'3"... that's ideal to most people. If you want to "drop 5lbs"... I would look into just incorporating more weight training to your schedule. Because ultimately at 120lbs... the real problem is probably just "firming up"... or it would be if I was weighing in at 120lbs. I would probably do a little bit more research but if you're taking in 1900 calories and working out... then you should be getting the results you're wanting. I would invest in a scale like the other posters have mentioned.
    Do some more research and make sure you're being truly honest about your diet and workout...

    Good Luck! I can't wait to weigh in at 120lbs!
  • forkofpower
    forkofpower Posts: 171 Member
    As your BMI is already at the lower end of normal weight range maybe stop worrying about losing weigh and concentrate on your fitness and eat for that. I'm actually quite surprised that a RD was giving you a plan to lose more weight. If it's a look your after maybe research appropriate programs that will give that look that your after In reality losing a few more pounds will make little difference especially when you can vary up to 5 pounds in weight during the day which is the amount you want to lose according to your ticker. . Maybe take a step back and think of what your goals are they just a number on the scale that can vary hour to hour?

    Good Luck

    I don't think her BMI is at the lower end of normal--it's exactly in the middle of normal.

    OP, rather than losing more weight, have you tried doing body recomp?
  • mamasmaltz3
    mamasmaltz3 Posts: 1,111 Member
    Just eat at maintenance and lift heavy weights. Who cares what the scale says if the measurements go down.
  • TWINSICLE
    TWINSICLE Posts: 11 Member
    I have a food scale but i dont want to be obsessed with measuring everything. I know i dont "need" to loose weight it really is about firming up. I have been on both sides of the scale at extreamly underweight at 84lbs then up to 165lbs. I have slowly lost the weight i gained over a couple years. I really just want to be stronger. The training i do does incorporate weights in circuit type style and and upper body day and a lower body day. I no longer use just cardio machines because i want muscle i dont just want to burn calories.

    I went to the dietician to help me incorporate a more balanced meal plan. I like having a scheduled meal plan to follow. It helps me keep making balanced choices.

    I dont know what a body recomp is tell me more about that?

    And the dietician wanted me to eat 1500 cal and not eat back exercise cals...same for when she upped it to 1700
  • TheStephil
    TheStephil Posts: 858 Member
    I use my red container from the 21 day fix program to measure out meat portion. I have weighed it in the past its about 3oz. When i buy bananas i dont buy the extra large size they are standard so i assume they are medium. Apples i dont buy small. I buy bulk large/medium. I measure my frozen fruit usually one cup or half cup.

    I use a heart rate monitor when i work out and i typically burn about 250 calories on cardio days and 175/200 cal on weight days. I have two active rest days one being yoga and one pilates

    I drink waay more water than i ever have. I have at LEAST two 32oz bottles a day. Lots of tea but i use almond milk in it with a milk frother. Usually half a cup for that. I dont drink coffee much at all these days.

    Also the quinoa salad is a recipe from my dietician and i used the recipe tool to calculate the quinoa sald calories

    You really need to weigh your food every time you eat it. Just because the red container held 3oz one time doesnt mean it will hold 3oz next time. Meat can be denser or light than the previous time you had it. Bananas and apples are a lot higher in cals then the entries for "large apple" or "medium banana" suggests. Weigh your fruit and you'll be surprised that the 80 cal banana is actually 120 calories. fruit can be tricky.

    Weigh solids, measure liquids. Only way to ensure you are accurately tracking.

    ETA - HRM are only good for measuring calories burned during static cardio. It won't be able to accurately track calories burned during weight training, HIIT, etc.
  • mamasmaltz3
    mamasmaltz3 Posts: 1,111 Member
    I have a food scale but i dont want to be obsessed with measuring everything. I know i dont "need" to loose weight it really is about firming up. I have been on both sides of the scale at extreamly underweight at 84lbs then up to 165lbs. I have slowly lost the weight i gained over a couple years. I really just want to be stronger. The training i do does incorporate weights in circuit type style and and upper body day and a lower body day. I no longer use just cardio machines because i want muscle i dont just want to burn calories.

    I went to the dietician to help me incorporate a more balanced meal plan. I like having a scheduled meal plan to follow. It helps me keep making balanced choices.

    I dont know what a body recomp is tell me more about that?

    And the dietician wanted me to eat 1500 cal and not eat back exercise cals...same for when she upped it to 1700


    Basically body recomp is gaining muscle while losing fat and not losing body weight. Some people actually gain some weight because they are putting on muscle. But, as you know muscle is more dense than fat. So while you could be gaining weight you are dropping in size. Circuit training is not going to be efficient for body recomp. You need to train with heavier weights in smaller rep ranges to actually build muscle.
  • TWINSICLE
    TWINSICLE Posts: 11 Member
    I really apreciate all the responses:-):-):-)


    What do you think about eating back calories..is net 1700 what i should do? Or total should be 1700?
  • mamasmaltz3
    mamasmaltz3 Posts: 1,111 Member
    Personally, I have my TDEE figured out and eat that all the time. 1700 sounds low for someone who works out as much as you do. So, I would eat more on workout days. Google body recomposition and just start doing some research.
  • Strokingdiction
    Strokingdiction Posts: 1,164 Member
    As your BMI is already at the lower end of normal weight range maybe stop worrying about losing weigh and concentrate on your fitness and eat for that. I'm actually quite surprised that a RD was giving you a plan to lose more weight. If it's a look your after maybe research appropriate programs that will give that look that your after In reality losing a few more pounds will make little difference especially when you can vary up to 5 pounds in weight during the day which is the amount you want to lose according to your ticker. . Maybe take a step back and think of what your goals are they just a number on the scale that can vary hour to hour?

    Good Luck

    I don't think her BMI is at the lower end of normal--it's exactly in the middle of normal.

    OP, rather than losing more weight, have you tried doing body recomp?

    OP, I think the progress you'd most like seeing in your physique could be gained through body recomposition. You might think you want to lose weight but it just might be this. It's worth looking into at least.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    I have a food scale but i dont want to be obsessed with measuring everything.

    so don't obsess- just measure.

    Obsession has nothing to do with the act- that's a mental thing. I'm not obsessed but I measure/weight quiet a bit (almost all) of my food. Still not obsessed (2 plus years and going strong).

    I see you aren't so much trying to lose- so I would stick with 1700-1900 then for maintenance and eat back calories- that sounds like it would put you around 2000-25000 which sounds totally normal.

    Start lifting. Get on a program and lift your heart out- that should get you where you would like to be.

    :)
  • TWINSICLE
    TWINSICLE Posts: 11 Member
    Ill see what kind of programs there are to get me more into weight training. Thank you :-):-)

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