Up my calories?
Airi8
Posts: 14
Hi, I'm a girl, 5ft10 and I currently weigh 173lbs. Even though I'm happy I finally have a 'healthy' BMI, I still have some weight I want to lose but I seem to have hit a plateau.
I started losing weight 3 months ago and lost 32 pounds by excercising 2hours a day (sometimes more) and eating 1200(-1300) calories (lots of protein, low carb). But that doesn't seem to work anymore. I even work out 4 hours a day now (2hours at the gym, 2 hours swimming) but my body still refuses to shed pounds
. My mom says I should up my calories to 1500 a day... I'm just really scared that it will make me gain weight. Any tips?
I started losing weight 3 months ago and lost 32 pounds by excercising 2hours a day (sometimes more) and eating 1200(-1300) calories (lots of protein, low carb). But that doesn't seem to work anymore. I even work out 4 hours a day now (2hours at the gym, 2 hours swimming) but my body still refuses to shed pounds
. My mom says I should up my calories to 1500 a day... I'm just really scared that it will make me gain weight. Any tips? 0
Replies
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A) You are obviously not eating a deficit right now. Weigh your food!
You should be and should have been eating WAY more than 1200 with all the exercise you do.
C) All of the above.
I vote C0 -
How long have you been at the plateau? Have you changed the type of exercising you are doing? Not necessarily longer, just trying something different? Have you run your TDEE for your new levels? If so, is the result close to what your mom says your calorie goal should be? You can try upping your calories, and even if you initially gain a couple pounds, it will likely stabilize and you will start losing again.
Bottom line: a plateau can last for quite a while and then you will finally break through it. Patience is needed.
You've done great at reaching a healthy BMI. Congratulations!0 -
A) You are obviously not eating a deficit right now. Weigh your food! You should be and should have been eating WAY more than 1200 with all the exercise you do.
C) All of the above.
I vote C
I weigh all my food and count every calorie, thank you very much. Plus, other than the excercise I do, I don't move around all that much since I'm a student, so I'm stuck behind a desk most of the time, so I think 1200 isn't "way" too low.0 -
Be sure your minimum calorific intake is at least 10x=body weight/lbs to avoid 'starvation response'.
Otherwise your metabolism will slow down and you'll find it harder to utilize stored fat as fuel.
(I'm a professionally qualified nutritionist)0 -
Either your workouts are extremely low intensity, or your food logging is messed up, because you cannot support that level of activity on that level of calories.
Open up your diary...0 -
The quote above is nonsense.Be sure your minimum calorific intake is at least 10x=body weight/lbs to avoid 'starvation response'.
Otherwise your metabolism will slow down and you'll find it harder to utilize stored fat as fuel.
It's still nonsense.(I'm a professionally qualified nutritionist)0 -
1200 seems very low for the amount of calories you're burning working out 4 hrs a day. Swimming burns a lot! I would up your calories.0
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How long have you been at the plateau? Have you changed the type of exercising you are doing? Not necessarily longer, just trying something different? Have you run your TDEE for your new levels? If so, is the result close to what your mom says your calorie goal should be? You can try upping your calories, and even if you initially gain a couple pounds, it will likely stabilize and you will start losing again.
Bottom line: a plateau can last for quite a while and then you will finally break through it. Patience is needed.
You've done great at reaching a healthy BMI. Congratulations!
Umm, about 2-3 weeks? And yes, I do change my excercises regularely or make them more intense.
I've never calculated my TDEE level before, just did right now, and it appears to be 1900 calories which sounds like A LOT to me. But anyways, I think I'll first try upping my calories to 1400 and see what happens then. Thanks!0 -
Either your workouts are extremely low intensity, or your food logging is messed up, because you cannot support that level of activity on that level of calories.
Open up your diary...
My workout intensity isn't low and my food logging isn't messed up. Not everyone is the same. I can workout this much with this amount of calories.0 -
I think people tend to forget that as you continue to exercise and live healthily, there are other changes that occurs in your body that are not tracked well by the scale. I know it's great and fun to keep track of weight lost, and I don't have a problem with having those types of goals. I have them myself.
I think it's most important to track how your clothes feel, how you look in the mirror, and how you feel. There have been times in my life that I worked really hard, but did not notice a drop in weight. My clothes seemed looser, though. People who know me well noticed changes in me. It just did not happen on the scale. At least not for certain time periods.
Stop looking at the scale. Maybe even put it in the closet. Keep doing what you're doing (although your calories are pretty damned low if you're working out 2 hours per day). Pull it out again in a month and see what happens.0 -
bump0
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My workout intensity isn't low and my food logging isn't messed up. Not everyone is the same. I can workout this much with this amount of calories.
Open up your diary.0 -
A) You are obviously not eating a deficit right now. Weigh your food! You should be and should have been eating WAY more than 1200 with all the exercise you do.
C) All of the above.
I vote C
I weigh all my food and count every calorie, thank you very much. Plus, other than the excercise I do, I don't move around all that much since I'm a student, so I'm stuck behind a desk most of the time, so I think 1200 isn't "way" too low.
1200 is to low for a 5'10'' 170 pound young woman who is sedentary and is way to low for one who is exercising. If you have been eating 1200 calories and exercising 2-4 hours a day for a long time I would share others suspicions that you might be eating more than you think you are as it is hard to believe that would be sustainable.0 -
How long have you been at the plateau? Have you changed the type of exercising you are doing? Not necessarily longer, just trying something different? Have you run your TDEE for your new levels? If so, is the result close to what your mom says your calorie goal should be? You can try upping your calories, and even if you initially gain a couple pounds, it will likely stabilize and you will start losing again.
Bottom line: a plateau can last for quite a while and then you will finally break through it. Patience is needed.
You've done great at reaching a healthy BMI. Congratulations!
Umm, about 2-3 weeks? And yes, I do change my excercises regularely or make them more intense.
I've never calculated my TDEE level before, just did right now, and it appears to be 1900 calories which sounds like A LOT to me. But anyways, I think I'll first try upping my calories to 1400 and see what happens then. Thanks!
For your activity level and size 1900 sounds low to me to be honest, not high. 1900 sounds more like your NEAT than your TDEE.
The calculator I typically use to calculate my TDEE gives me that for a 25 year old 5'10'' 173 pound woman doing cardio level exercise for 3 hours a day would have a BMR of 1600, a NEAT of 2000 and a TDEE of 2700.
If you are seriously working out 3 hours a day I would recommend closer to 2000 calories per day.0 -
Either your workouts are extremely low intensity, or your food logging is messed up, because you cannot support that level of activity on that level of calories.
Open up your diary...
My workout intensity isn't low and my food logging isn't messed up. Not everyone is the same. I can workout this much with this amount of calories.
"Not everyone is the same" only takes you so far. No one is going to be doing 3 hours of intensive cardio daily eating 1200 calories a day and be able to sustain that. You could not maintain your glycogen stores doing that and you would bonk out hard.
I'm your weight and I have to eat about 2100 calories a day to be able to handle 1 hour of daily exercise with intensity. If I tried to do 3 hours a day I wouldn't last 2 weeks, would probably have to up my intake to 2800 calories.0 -
You've asked for advice but have pretty much shut down everyone that has offered it. 1200 is way too low. "Not everyone is the same." True, but obviously, your program isn't working for you anymore.
It's time to switch it up and increase your intake.0 -
how can it be all of the above when those are literally two contradictory statementsA) You are obviously not eating a deficit right now. Weigh your food! You should be and should have been eating WAY more than 1200 with all the exercise you do.
C) All of the above.
I vote C0 -
My advice would be to SLOWLY bring up the amount you are eating until you are eating more calories. Increase the amount VERY slowly each day. After you are able to eat more calories, and maintain a certain weight for a time, THEN decrease them again and see what happens. I am learning that it is best to eat the most amount of calories that your body can handle and still loose weight. Our body wants to stay in homeostasis. Rest your body, eat healthy food but SLOWLY increase the calories, when your metabolism levels out, then decrease the calories again. I found this advice on the internet and it makes SO MUCH sense. Our bodies want to stay the same, they want to be in homeostasis. So, your body wants to stay the same size. Slowly increase calories up to maintenance level for you and patiently allow your body to adjust to the new you. THEN.... Decrease your calories just enough to loose weight. This is where I have always struggled. This isn't about will power, it is about caring for your body. Easy does it, I think.0
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Yeah your TDEE is probably around 3000 with all that exercise. You should be eating over 2000 calories.
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/0 -
My advice would be to SLOWLY bring up the amount you are eating until you are eating more calories. Increase the amount VERY slowly each day. After you are able to eat more calories, and maintain a certain weight for a time, THEN decrease them again and see what happens. I am learning that it is best to eat the most amount of calories that your body can handle and still loose weight. Our body wants to stay in homeostasis. Rest your body, eat healthy food but SLOWLY increase the calories, when your metabolism levels out, then decrease the calories again. I found this advice on the internet and it makes SO MUCH sense. Our bodies want to stay the same, they want to be in homeostasis. So, your body wants to stay the same size. Slowly increase calories up to maintenance level for you and patiently allow your body to adjust to the new you. THEN.... Decrease your calories just enough to loose weight. This is where I have always struggled. This isn't about will power, it is about caring for your body. Easy does it, I think.
This. ^^^^ Increase by 100 calories per day for 1-2 week increments until your weight stabilizes. Look at my ticker. I eat 2200 calories a day and lose over a pound a week. It can be done. Do not be afraid to eat, it fuels your body and your metabolism. Higher calories, higher metabolism, higher rate of burn, higher calorie intake to maintain. The opposite is low calories, low metabolism, low burn rate, low calorie intake to maintain.
Also, read this.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/521728-upping-cals-what-to-expect-why-you-need-patience0 -
Yeah your TDEE is probably around 3000 with all that exercise. You should be eating over 2000 calories.
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
I agree, if she is actually doing 2-4 hours of intense exercise then she should be eating over 200 calories. Honestly though I have my doubts. It seems basically impossible that she is eating 1200 calories a day while doing 2-4 hours of intense cardio and sustaining that.
Something is wrong and until we know what that thing is its hard to advise her.0 -
My advice would be to SLOWLY bring up the amount you are eating until you are eating more calories. Increase the amount VERY slowly each day. After you are able to eat more calories, and maintain a certain weight for a time, THEN decrease them again and see what happens. I am learning that it is best to eat the most amount of calories that your body can handle and still loose weight. Our body wants to stay in homeostasis. Rest your body, eat healthy food but SLOWLY increase the calories, when your metabolism levels out, then decrease the calories again. I found this advice on the internet and it makes SO MUCH sense. Our bodies want to stay the same, they want to be in homeostasis. So, your body wants to stay the same size. Slowly increase calories up to maintenance level for you and patiently allow your body to adjust to the new you. THEN.... Decrease your calories just enough to loose weight. This is where I have always struggled. This isn't about will power, it is about caring for your body. Easy does it, I think.
This. ^^^^ Increase by 100 calories per day for 1-2 week increments until your weight stabilizes. Look at my ticker. I eat 2200 calories a day and lose over a pound a week. It can be done. Do not be afraid to eat, it fuels your body and your metabolism. Higher calories, higher metabolism, higher rate of burn, higher calorie intake to maintain. The opposite is low calories, low metabolism, low burn rate, low calorie intake to maintain.
Also, read this.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/521728-upping-cals-what-to-expect-why-you-need-patience
According to her her weight is stable, that is her problem. So not sure what you mean for her to do when you say "do this until your weight stabilizes"0 -
"Not everyone is the same" only takes you so far. No one is going to be doing 3 hours of intensive cardio daily eating 1200 calories a day and be able to sustain that. You could not maintain your glycogen stores doing that and you would bonk out hard.
I'm your weight and I have to eat about 2100 calories a day to be able to handle 1 hour of daily exercise with intensity. If I tried to do 3 hours a day I wouldn't last 2 weeks, would probably have to up my intake to 2800 calories.
I never said I did 3 hours of intensive cardio. I just said that my workout intensity wasn't low. Plus, I used to do only 2 hours a day, I added the 2 hours of swimming 10 days ago.
You might be my weight, but we are not the same build, height, and you're a guy? You can't really compare us...
And I usually workout 1.5h after I eat, so I do have energy to keep it up0 -
You've asked for advice but have pretty much shut down everyone that has offered it. 1200 is way too low. "Not everyone is the same." True, but obviously, your program isn't working for you anymore.
It's time to switch it up and increase your intake.
I haven't shut down any advice. I already said I was gonna up my calories? I just got a bit defensive, but only against the people who were being rude in my eyes.
And most don't seem to believe that I eat 1200 calories a day, that's pretty frustrating, because I honestly do. I make all my food myself, weigh everything, write everything down.0 -
"Not everyone is the same" only takes you so far. No one is going to be doing 3 hours of intensive cardio daily eating 1200 calories a day and be able to sustain that. You could not maintain your glycogen stores doing that and you would bonk out hard.
I'm your weight and I have to eat about 2100 calories a day to be able to handle 1 hour of daily exercise with intensity. If I tried to do 3 hours a day I wouldn't last 2 weeks, would probably have to up my intake to 2800 calories.
I never said I did 3 hours of intensive cardio. I just said that my workout intensity wasn't low. Plus, I used to do only 2 hours a day, I added the 2 hours of swimming 10 days ago.
You might be my weight, but we are not the same build, height, and you're a guy? You can't really compare us...
And I usually workout 1.5h after I eat, so I do have energy to keep it up
Why can I not compare you to me if I am a guy? I know we are all different as you pointed out but we really aren't THAT different. Your BMR at your size is 1600, my BMR is 1800. So I have to eat 200 calories more than you...not 2000 more than you. As far as how much we burn calorically from workouts that is going to be close to the same given our relative weights.
Eating 1200 calories a day you would be eating 400 calories below your BMR meaning you would have a 400 calorie deficit even if in a coma. On top of that you have your normal daily activity which would bring your daily total up to around 1900 even if you are sedentary. You put on top of that a couple hours of moderate exercise and you are talking a TDEE of about 2700.
If you are truly eating only 1200 calories a day you would be at a deficit of about 1500 calories which would mean you would be losing a staggering 3 pounds per week ( a very unhealthy rate).
Yet with all that said you are apparently maintaining your weight. So I maintain that something doesn't add up here.
To have a TDEE of 1200 and maintain at 1200 you would have to be a sedentary 75 year old woman who was 4 foot tall.0 -
Okay I actually ran the calculator and my earlier statement about a four foot tall 75 year old woman is an exaggeration
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
You'd have to be a 92 pound 4 foot 6 inch tall 65 year old woman.0 -
You've asked for advice but have pretty much shut down everyone that has offered it. 1200 is way too low. "Not everyone is the same." True, but obviously, your program isn't working for you anymore.
It's time to switch it up and increase your intake.
I haven't shut down any advice. I already said I was gonna up my calories? I just got a bit defensive, but only against the people who were being rude in my eyes.
And most don't seem to believe that I eat 1200 calories a day, that's pretty frustrating, because I honestly do. I make all my food myself, weigh everything, write everything down.
I can understand that you feel being told your calorie counting is incorrect but perhaps you can understand that it is hard to believe a 5'10 173 pound 25 year old woman who exercises frequently would maintain her weight at 1200 calories a day.0 -
Why can I not compare you to me if I am a guy? I know we are all different as you pointed out but we really aren't THAT different. Your BMR at your size is 1600, my BMR is 1800. So I have to eat 200 calories more than you...not 2000 more than you. As far as how much we burn calorically from workouts that is going to be close to the same given our relative weights.
Guys need more calories than girls do, plus you probably have more muscle than I do and muscle needs even more calories.Eating 1200 calories a day you would be eating 400 calories below your BMR meaning you would have a 400 calorie deficit even if in a coma. On top of that you have your normal daily activity which would bring your daily total up to around 1900 even if you are sedentary. You put on top of that a couple hours of moderate exercise and you are talking a TDEE of about 2700.
If you are truly eating only 1200 calories a day you would be at a deficit of about 1500 calories which would mean you would be losing a staggering 3 pounds per week ( a very unhealthy rate).
Yet with all that said you are apparently maintaining your weight. So I maintain that something doesn't add up here.
To have a TDEE of 1200 and maintain at 1200 you would have to be a sedentary 75 year old woman who was 4 foot tall.
Yes logically that doesn't seem to add up. But you are talking like everyone has the same body and the same metabolism which is obviously not the case. My friend is losing weight with me and to lose the same amount that she does, I need to workout twice as hard. I just don't lose weight fast if I don't do the work.
And I actually started off losing 4 pounds a week. I went to the doctor for a check-up last week and there is nothing wrong with me. I take vitamins, I eat enough fruit and vegetables. I drink enough water, so I don't see why it's unhealthy (I actually think it's normal to lose weight at such a rate in the beginning for overweight people).0 -
I can understand that you feel being told your calorie counting is incorrect but perhaps you can understand that it is hard to believe a 5'10 173 pound 25 year old woman who exercises frequently would maintain her weight at 1200 calories a day.
I completely understand. I seriously have no idea why my body is plateauing either. But I already lost 32 pounds, so it's safe to say that I know how to count calories0 -
But I already lost 32 pounds, so it's safe to say that I know how to count calories
At the beginning of a long weight loss journey, obtaining a deficit is often easy enough that simple estimation works. As you progress further, more and more accuracy is needed. Something seems wrong with your "energy in" vs "energy out" calculations, unless non-scale measures paint a different picture?
Opening your food and exercise journal might help. Are you taking "cheat days", not counting certain foods, or eating out often and underestimating? With respect to exercise calories, how do you determine how many to eat back? Again, we all or mostly want to help you here, opening up your journal might help.
Have you asked a doctor to check for health conditions that might impact your metabolism?0
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