Need advice for calorie intake with a weight loss plateau

bblunk1992
bblunk1992 Posts: 3
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello all! I am 5'2 and 144.2 lbs. Over the course of a few months I've consistently lost 10 lbs and was able to keep it off. However, for nearly a month I have been stuck right where I am currently. I do weight myself at the same time in the morning before eating or exercising so I know that's not the issue. Today I used the BMR calculator on MFP and it said my BMR was 1367. However, MFP had my calorie level set at 1310 so that's usually the amount I eat. I exercise nearly everyday and I usually burn somewhere around 250-350, sometimes a bit more. I usually do eat the majority of those calories back, as I heard that was the correct way to go about it. I have a heart rate monitor so I do feel the calories burned I track are accurate. I have a lot of confusion about this BMR thing. Is my BMR supposed to be the MINIMUM I eat each day? And then should I still be eating my exercise calories back on top of that as well? For example, per MFP yesterday my goal calories were 1310, I actually ate 1510 due to a 249 calorie burn during exercise, which gives me a net of 1261. I appreciate all help and suggestions!

Replies

  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    You can eat below your BMR estimate, if you want. It won't hurt anything. That's why MFP uses 1200 as a floor, not BMR.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    The rate at which your body burns fat changes from week to week. It is natural for the body to not drop weight for a week or two due to normal flucuations like hormones, water retention, exercise, bowels, sodium, etc. In the meantime, I suggest you make sure you are accurately tracking your calories and make sure to get in a decent amount of fluids.
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    How do you determine how many calories you're eating? Are you eyeballing portions, using cups, spoons, food scale, .... ?
  • bblunk1992
    bblunk1992 Posts: 3
    I measure and weigh everything. I actually keep track of my calories very specifically and very well. I track every single thing that I eat and drink. That's what's frustrating, I track well and I exercise almost everyday. I also switch up my exercising because I know doing the same thing everyday can lead to a lack of results. Ultimately I don't know if the calorie amount I am eating now is the amount I should be, if it is too few or too many.
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    You should make your diary public if you want more advice or suggestions. It's hard to say not being able to see it. Without seeing it, I would suggest not eating back all of your exercise calories, maybe do half. That can make up for inaccuracies.
  • segovm
    segovm Posts: 512 Member
    Personally I don't eat my exercise calories back unless I happen to be hungry. For the last month I've been getting on the bicycle more and more to the point that I am on it for 3-5 hours at a time and MFP often says I've burned a few thousand calories. While it's nice to see a big caloric deficit I'm not going to cook up a pound of bacon to eat just because it says I can.

    I do notice my long rides are more fun if I add some extra calories in for them but a few hundred extra calories seems to do the trick to keep me going, not a few thousand.

    If over time you just stop losing weight, then you are probably just eating your maintenance calories for your activity level so the choices would be to do more activity or eat less food.

    In my humble and personal experience, I lose more weight cutting calories in the kitchen than burning them doing exercise. There should not be a difference except that the calories in the kitchen are normally within 20% of their listed estimates while calories burned exercising can be off by a much larger margin.
  • mymodernbabylon
    mymodernbabylon Posts: 1,038 Member
    A single month plateau is normal. Change things up in your exercise routine or with what you are eating. You might need to try eating a bit more to see if it works out. And if you aren't lifting, definitely try that. But most of all, if you are JUST weighing yourself, start measuring yourself. I've been the same weight or about for a month but my body measurements have changed dramatically.

Categories