The right amount of calories

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hasolak825
hasolak825 Posts: 3
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi There! I'm 25 years old, 5'3 and about 134 pounds at the moment. I workout 5 days a week (3 days of strength training (lifting heavyyyy) and 2 of cardio only). I have a desk job where I am fairly sedentary, but I also have a long walk to and from work everyday and I am fairly active on weekends. MFP has been great for tracking calories and macros, but I noticed it gives me an insanely low calorie goal for weight loss (1070 a day to lose 1 pound per week). It also has my maintenance around 1630 calories. I went with 1500 calories a day to be on the safer side but I don't eat back my exercise calories either. I'm not losing really any weight or inches at all and it's been about 2 months, but I can't tell if i'm eating too much or too little or if something else is going on. Just wondering if anyone had any thoughts? :-D

Replies

  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
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    MFP has been great for tracking calories and macros, but I noticed it gives me an insanely low calorie goal for weight loss (1070 a day to lose 1 pound per week).

    I'm not too sure it'll ever recommend less than 1200.
  • hasolak825
    hasolak825 Posts: 3
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    I doubled checked and yes, sorry I was looking at the amount of calories burned per week which was 1070. But it is still recommending pretty low - 1330 to lose 1 pound per week.
  • DeadliftAddict
    DeadliftAddict Posts: 746 Member
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    Are you truly preparing and weighing everything you eat (food scale)? How accurate are your measurements of the food you eat? Do you track liquid calories if you drink anything other than water or diet drinks?
  • lisiloulah
    lisiloulah Posts: 125 Member
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    I appreciate that you have a desk job, but if you're walking to and from work everyday and move a lot on weekends, as well as your workouts, maybe you're underestimating your activity level? If you're not planning to eat back your extra exercise calories it might be worth raising your activty level anyway.

    As with anything else to do with your settings it's about trying it for a few weeks and seeing how it goes. Change your settings, try it for a few weeks (don't expect to see results after a day or two!) and if you feel that you're not losing enough or not eating enough you can reassess your settings then and decide what needs to change.

    I hope this helps!
  • jackr88
    jackr88 Posts: 13
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    Are you truly preparing and weighing everything you eat (food scale)? How accurate are your measurements of the food you eat? Do you track liquid calories if you drink anything other than water or diet drinks?

    Listen to this guy ^
    The point he is touching on in an important one.
    You need to reset yourself and say "ok, lets start again" and be 100% sure you are tracking EVERY calorie correctly.
    E.g. Are you adding a sauce you don't account for? Are you forgetting to count something.

    It's hard to admit, but human error when counting calories is usually the main factor in unexpected weight stalls.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    1) With little to lose, a weekly weight loss goal of 1/2 a pound per week would be more reasonable

    2) MFP doesn't factor in activity until you log it so you should be eating back at least half of your exercise calories

    3) make sure you're logging your food as accurately as possible - weigh as much as you can as it's much more accurate than using measuring cups.

    4) Use progress pics and body measurments - sometimes they can tell the story better than the scale.

    Good luck!
  • hasolak825
    hasolak825 Posts: 3
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    Are you truly preparing and weighing everything you eat (food scale)? How accurate are your measurements of the food you eat? Do you track liquid calories if you drink anything other than water or diet drinks?

    I am absolutely tracking everything I eat and drink. I use measuring cups and I have a digital kitchen scale where I weigh everything to the ounce or gram. I only drink tea and water for the most part so liquid calories isn't really a concern.
  • jld0411
    jld0411 Posts: 29 Member
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    Are you truly preparing and weighing everything you eat (food scale)? How accurate are your measurements of the food you eat? Do you track liquid calories if you drink anything other than water or diet drinks?

    I am absolutely tracking everything I eat and drink. I use measuring cups and I have a digital kitchen scale where I weigh everything to the ounce or gram. I only drink tea and water for the most part so liquid calories isn't really a concern.

    The next question then would be, WHAT are you eating? Are you eating clean - fruits & veggies, lean protein, good fats - or are you just hitting your calories? I do NOT believe in eating back exercise calories - I believe in eating enough clean food to fuel your body and your workouts. Do you feel sluggish when you're working out, or do you have the energy? For me, that's about 14-1500 calories per day with a 45-60 minute workout at least 5 days per week.

    If you're measuring everything like you say, eating clean, and lifting crazy - it might be time to switch up the routine. Maybe try some circuit or interval training. Our bodies adapt to a routine within 2 weeks, and once it adapts, you're not going to get the same burn you once did.

    If all THAT fails, depending on how concerned you are about it, you may consider seeing an endocrinologist. Your hormones could be to blame.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    I'm 25 years old, 5'3 and about 134 pounds… MFP has been great for tracking calories and macros, but I noticed it gives me an insanely low calorie goal for weight loss (1070 a day to lose 1 pound per week).
    1 lb. per week is too aggressive a goal at your size. The less you have to lose, the more slowly it comes off. That's just the way the human body works. Set your goal to .5 lb. per week, and be patient.
    It also has my maintenance around 1630 calories. I went with 1500 calories a day to be on the safer side but I don't eat back my exercise calories either. I'm not losing really any weight or inches at all and it's been about 2 months.
    You lose weight by eating fewer calories than you burn, and you've been eating at maintenance. You're probably underestimating your food. Weigh everything you eat—even packaged foods.

    Read the Sexypants post: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-Sexypants

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