Gaining weight and eating 1600 calories
lilsolditto
Posts: 15 Member
Hello all
I have been consuming 1600 calories and eating some of my exercise calories but not all. My TDEE is 1846 and BMR is 1262. I am 5'2 and 133 pounds. I exercise 5 days a week for 25 minutes burning anywhere from 350-420 calories. I have been trying to eat as healthy as possible. My nutrition is set up as 40 carbs, 40 protein and 20 fat. I do go over my carbs often, but they are for the most part healthy carbs. When I first started tracking MFP had me at 1200 calories and then I increased it the week after so the low calorie intake in the first week is due to eating 1200 and not 1600. However after three weeks, I actually gained two pounds so now I am 133 pounds. My average calories after exercising have been 1551, 1554, 1548, 1407, 1474, to give you some examples.
What am I doing wrong? Should I increase the calories? I am not expecting to loose 2 pounds a week but not gain either.
My goal is to reduce body fat and increase muscle. Thanks in advance
Lily
I have been consuming 1600 calories and eating some of my exercise calories but not all. My TDEE is 1846 and BMR is 1262. I am 5'2 and 133 pounds. I exercise 5 days a week for 25 minutes burning anywhere from 350-420 calories. I have been trying to eat as healthy as possible. My nutrition is set up as 40 carbs, 40 protein and 20 fat. I do go over my carbs often, but they are for the most part healthy carbs. When I first started tracking MFP had me at 1200 calories and then I increased it the week after so the low calorie intake in the first week is due to eating 1200 and not 1600. However after three weeks, I actually gained two pounds so now I am 133 pounds. My average calories after exercising have been 1551, 1554, 1548, 1407, 1474, to give you some examples.
What am I doing wrong? Should I increase the calories? I am not expecting to loose 2 pounds a week but not gain either.
My goal is to reduce body fat and increase muscle. Thanks in advance
Lily
2
Replies
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a.... how accurate is your food logging? is everything weighed and entered correctly?
b.... how are you calculating calories burned? 350 - 420 seems quite high for 25 mins exercise....5 -
Hello all
I have been consuming 1600 calories and eating some of my exercise calories but not all. My TDEE is 1846 and BMR is 1262. I am 5'2 and 133 pounds. I exercise 5 days a week for 25 minutes burning anywhere from 350-420 calories. I have been trying to eat as healthy as possible. My nutrition is set up as 40 carbs, 40 protein and 20 fat. I do go over my carbs often, but they are for the most part healthy carbs. When I first started tracking MFP had me at 1200 calories and then I increased it the week after so the low calorie intake in the first week is due to eating 1200 and not 1600. However after three weeks, I actually gained two pounds so now I am 133 pounds. My average calories after exercising have been 1551, 1554, 1548, 1407, 1474, to give you some examples.
What am I doing wrong? Should I increase the calories? I am not expecting to loose 2 pounds a week but not gain either.
My goal is to reduce body fat and increase muscle. Thanks in advance
Lily
You won't gain muscle on a calorie deficit - your goal should more realistically be to lose fat and retain what muscle you already have by lifting heavy weights, making sure you get plenty of protein, and not try to lose weight too quickly3 -
My food logging is accurate, I log everything even a tablespoon of peanut butter!
I am doing FOCUS T25 workout and my watch tracks calories burned. I know the tracker may not be a 100 % accurate but I use it only to track my workouts and that is it.0 -
Yes you are right Wonderob, thank you. I am just wondering what can I do different. I guess my first goal would be to loose 10-15 pounds and then retain muscle.0
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Curious why did you move your MFP from 1200 to 1600?0
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hmm.... "A tablespoon of peanut butter"..... that sounds familiar!
it might be worth you watching this youtube video, made by a member of this website that I watched a few weeks ago. it's a bit of an eye opener...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5sovhvLAig 8 -
Because since I am working out, if I was to eat 1200 and then work out and burn 350 or 400 calories it would take me under 1200 calories. My BMR is 1262 and TDEE is 1846. So I increased it due to the exercise.I didnt want to be below 1200 after exercise.2
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My food logging is accurate, I log everything even a tablespoon of peanut butter!
I am doing FOCUS T25 workout and my watch tracks calories burned. I know the tracker may not be a 100 % accurate but I use it only to track my workouts and that is it.
If you are using a spoon for peanut butter...even a tablespoon your logging is not accurate.
You need to weigh solids and measure liquids and choose correct entries.7 -
My food logging is accurate, I log everything even a tablespoon of peanut butter!
I am doing FOCUS T25 workout and my watch tracks calories burned. I know the tracker may not be a 100 % accurate but I use it only to track my workouts and that is it.
If the exercise is new it could be fluid retention to repair your muscles.
To really make sure that your logging is accurate use a food scale to measure all of your solids, including your peanut butter.2 -
If you are eating 1600 don't eat the exercise cals, and those sound high for that short of a workout. I can burn that many in an hour, not 30 min.3
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Here's several things to think about:
You say you're logging accurately. Are you also weighing what you eat? You'd be surprised at how inaccurate measuring spoons and cups are for anything that is not a liquid. Two tablespoons of peanutbutter are actually three if they're not measured just right. Weighing by the gram will alleviate any inaccuracies.
Also, if you're using the TDEE method of setting goals, then you should not be also logging or eating back your workout calories. TDEE already accounts for workout calories.
Also, the TDEE calculators online are estimates based on your height, weight and activity level. Yours may be slightly different.
I would first suggest that you spend a few weeks weighing everything and ensuring accuracy. If you're 100% certain that everything is accurate, try cutting calories by 100 for a few weeks and see if you budge. If not, try another 100.
I'm 5' 3 1/2" and I usually eat around 1400-1500 calories, and this includes eating back my activities, so 1600 might be a bit much for you for losing.5 -
are you measuring inches at all? or just pounds?
I just started T25 for the second time.
First time, I dropped a ton of inches but zero pounds. most in my chest and midsection ( belly and hips).
This is a great fat loss work out program, which is not always seen on the scale, but IS seen with a measuring tape........0 -
Your carb intake is quite high too. Could you cut out some of the more processed carbs for 2 weeks and see what happens?0
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Yes I use a food scale and I measure everything. The peanut butter I measure with a measuring spoon but I can also put it on the food scale to be more accurate. I weigh chicken, fish, everything I eat so I am pretty sure is not that.0
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Wow thank you for all the suggestions to everybody.
I am going to lower carbs and calories and see what happens. Thank you all0 -
Your carb intake is quite high too. Could you cut out some of the more processed carbs for 2 weeks and see what happens?
Going to try that! Thx0 -
Yes I use a food scale and I measure everything. The peanut butter I measure with a measuring spoon but I can also put it on the food scale to be more accurate. I weigh chicken, fish, everything I eat so I am pretty sure is not that.
Your entries do not reflect that you weigh...that is an important part of logging accurately as well...ie 2 small apples, 23 chips, 15 crakcers, avocado slices, and there is more....
but sure cut out carbs...lose some water weight and then gain that all back when you start eating them again...4 -
Also, if you're using the TDEE method of setting goals, then you should not be also logging or eating back your workout calories. TDEE already accounts for workout calories.
So I should be eating my TDEE? 1846 calories since it calculates exercise?0 -
I had a look at about a weeks worth of your food diary.
a few suggestions I would make:
- measure everything by weight, instead of "a cup of rice" etc
- you're always about 20g under on your protein most days
- you seem to go over on fat most days
- you seem to go over on sodium quite a bit most days - which can lead to water weight
- as another person said, your TDEE already includes your exercise, so if you log it and eat the calories back - its being accounted for twice1 -
3 weeks isn't really long enough to measure your weight loss trend...if you are doing everything by the book, give it more time...like 3 month...if you keep "gaining" then something is wrong...other wise, keep doing it.0
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I had a look at about a weeks worth of your food diary.
a few suggestions I would make:
- measure everything by weight, instead of "a cup of rice" etc
- you're always about 20g under on your protein most days
- you seem to go over on fat most days
- you seem to go over on sodium quite a bit most days - which can lead to water weight
- as another person said, your TDEE already includes your exercise, so if you log it and eat the calories back - its being accounted for twice
Thank u!0 -
I had a look at about a weeks worth of your food diary.
a few suggestions I would make:
- measure everything by weight, instead of "a cup of rice" etc
- you're always about 20g under on your protein most days
- you seem to go over on fat most days
- you seem to go over on sodium quite a bit most days - which can lead to water weight
- as another person said, your TDEE already includes your exercise, so if you log it and eat the calories back - its being accounted for twice
Thank u!
that's OK, I'm far from an expert but those are just general observations that I have picked up from reading these forums 0 -
that's OK, I'm far from an expert but those are just general observations that I have picked up from reading these forums 0
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If you are eating 1600 don't eat the exercise cals, and those sound high for that short of a workout. I can burn that many in an hour, not 30 min.
I agree with "@wilsoje74" 1) dont eat your exercise extra calories, it is just to maintain your current weight. 2) Eat within 100 calories +/- of your BMR 3) have 2 spike days which are opposite from each other, so that it keeps your body off balance and get used to your intake, therefor continue to burn fat. For instance for me my spike days are Wednesday (+200 with medium exercise) and Saturday/cheat recovery day (+400 with more carbs and little to no exercise). But I burn around 1k calories avg exercise 6 days a week.
You'll more results in you do hard cardio first thing morning, and eat your sugars (fruits) and fats(almond/peanut butter) in the morning or first half the day (my cutoff is 3pm. This allows your body to burn it throughout the day and not store it. Take take hydrolyzed/isolate protein for your post workout and blended protein for your in between meals (my recommendation Dymatize ISO-100 and Elite XT) I take it as well is as my roommate who is aspiring actress/salsa dancer.
my 2 cents, hope that helps0 -
I took a peek at your diary and one thing that I noticed is your sodium intake being quite large.
Are you drinking lots of water?
Many say carbs are the enemy and to cut it out but I completely disagree, the real culprit is sodium in this case. Processed foods like Kraft singles maybe low in calories but check out that sodium per slice.
Try just for a couple days to lower it (keep it in the green) and drink your water...
Also, have you tried strength training and not just aerobics? Mixing it up helps later but first get that sodium in check and drink lots of water!0 -
I agree that it hasn't been long enough to tell, the gain is probably water from the new workout and also that 400ish for 25 minute workouts is too high (watch or no watch). At your size, you probably can't burn more than 10 calories/minutes.
Asking someone if they're a good food logger is like asking them if they're a good driver. We all think we are. What we do wrong we're not aware of. The fact you said, "...even a tablespoon of pb" sets off alarms. A tablespoon of pb is a lot of calories to call 'even'. Not to doubt you, but your 1500ish might be 1800ish (20% underestimating is actually pretty good) and that's probably maintenance calories for you. If you can eke out a 300 calorie deficit per day you can lose only 3 pounds a month or so. So even with perfect logging, it's going to take a lot of patience.
Good luck!1 -
I agree with "@wilsoje74" 1) dont eat your exercise extra calories, it is just to maintain your current weight. 2) Eat within 100 calories +/- of your BMR 3) have 2 spike days which are opposite from each other, so that it keeps your body off balance and get used to your intake, therefor continue to burn fat. For instance for me my spike days are Wednesday (+200 with medium exercise) and Saturday/cheat recovery day (+400 with more carbs and little to no exercise). But I burn around 1k calories avg exercise 6 days a week.
You'll more results in you do hard cardio first thing morning, and eat your sugars (fruits) and fats(almond/peanut butter) in the morning or first half the day (my cutoff is 3pm. This allows your body to burn it throughout the day and not store it. Take take hydrolyzed/isolate protein for your post workout and blended protein for your in between meals (my recommendation Dymatize ISO-100 and Elite XT) I take it as well is as my roommate who is aspiring actress/salsa dancer.
my 2 cents, hope that helps
Thank you so much! Very informative. My BMR is 1262 so I should eat 100 calories more for example and don't eat back my exercise calories. The reason why I upped my calories was because if I eat 1200 then after exercise I would be under.
I like the idea of switching it up with the calories..
Thanks again0 -
I agree that it hasn't been long enough to tell, the gain is probably water from the new workout and also that 400ish for 25 minute workouts is too high (watch or no watch). At your size, you probably can't burn more than 10 calories/minutes.
Asking someone if they're a good food logger is like asking them if they're a good driver. We all think we are. What we do wrong we're not aware of. The fact you said, "...even a tablespoon of pb" sets off alarms. A tablespoon of pb is a lot of calories to call 'even'. Not to doubt you, but your 1500ish might be 1800ish (20% underestimating is actually pretty good) and that's probably maintenance calories for you. If you can eke out a 300 calorie deficit per day you can lose only 3 pounds a month or so. So even with perfect logging, it's going to take a lot of patience.
Good luck!
Thank you!0 -
If you are eating 1600 don't eat the exercise cals, and those sound high for that short of a workout. I can burn that many in an hour, not 30 min.
This!!!!0 -
Also, if you're using the TDEE method of setting goals, then you should not be also logging or eating back your workout calories. TDEE already accounts for workout calories.
So I should be eating my TDEE? 1846 calories since it calculates exercise?
No, your calorie goal should be your TDEE minus a certain number (ie. 500 calories/day to lose 1 pound/week) or percentage (10-20%). So, for example, my TDEE is around 1970, so my goal would be around 1470 if I were using the TDEE method.0
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