calorie confusion

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stacyjh1979
stacyjh1979 Posts: 188 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm confused on what amount of calories I should eat to optimize weight loss. I am 5"3" and currently 194. I have a desk job so I sit all day but I exercise every day for 30 min minimum but normally 45min, sometimes longer on the weekends. MFP has my calorie goal at 1200 and I am always very close to that. I'm not losing much weight. I started watching my food and exercising July 1 at 203lbs so I've only lost 9lbs in almost two months which seems slow to me. I saw that someone on another thread posted a link to scooby's calorie counter and it tells me I should be eating around 1500. How do I figure out what amount is correct? I definitely have a calorie deficit so why am I not losing?

I guess one other thing I don't really understand is that they say if you don't eat enough calories you'll go into "starvation mode" and it will make your metabolism worse. How is a person supposed to know what their body considers starvation? Any help/advise is appreciated. I'm trying very hard but feeling discouraged. Also I have not had any pop in over 3 weeks and drink 120+ oz of water per day. Thanks in advance!
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Replies

  • CLM1227
    CLM1227 Posts: 61 Member
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    Starvation mode is more or less a myth in the grand scheme of things. Day to day fluctuations will not have a huge impact on metabolism - habits do.

    MFP does this really nifty thing that calculates how much you need to eat and then adds calories back as you log exercise. If 1200 calories feels like too little to you, add in your exercise and eat those added calories.

    So for me, my day starts at 1510 calories (5'6", 236 lbs) and I have a goal of 1-2lbs / week. When I went swimming today, it said I burned 312 calories. Now a lot of people here think MFP over-estimates calories burned (and it just might), so many people will only eat a percentage of those calories burn. So for me, I will eat an additional 250 calories today because of my workout, giving me 1760 calories to eat today. But if I do not exercise tomorrow, I'll be stuck with 1510.
  • Bobble11
    Bobble11 Posts: 49 Member
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    I don't think you're confused about calories. I think you're frustrated that you're putting all this hard work into losing weight and you're not losing it as fast as you would like.

    Been there. Will be there again, no doubt.

    You've already lost 9lb which is a fantastic start. Don't forget that with the exercise you are doing you will be gaining muscle. Maybe the muscle gain has outweighed the weight lost for now. But keep at it and that muscle will help you burn calories and lose more weight.

    Eat between 1200 and 1500 and you will lose weight. Above all, listen to your body. If you're hungry, eat. But choose the right snack.

    It's a long process. Sometimes the tedium of watching what you eat will drive you crazy and you'll want to knock it all on the head. Just know that this too shall pass. Eat some cake, feel better, move on and you'll be back on track to weight loss again.
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
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    Nine pounds in two months is nothing to sneeze at. Congrats!

    How are you determining your calorie intake? Are you weighing and measuring everything?

    You should easily be able to lose weight eating 1500+ calories a day. My suspicion is you're eating more than you think (calorie-wise)
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
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    Don't forget that with the exercise you are doing you will be gaining muscle. Maybe the muscle gain has outweighed the weight lost for now. But keep at it and that muscle will help you burn calories and lose more weight.

    False - you don't build muscle while eating at a deficit.
  • ShinjiruGhetto
    ShinjiruGhetto Posts: 54
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    Don't forget that with the exercise you are doing you will be gaining muscle. Maybe the muscle gain has outweighed the weight lost for now. But keep at it and that muscle will help you burn calories and lose more weight.

    False - you don't build muscle while eating at a deficit.
    You can do that under certain circumstances
  • Bobble11
    Bobble11 Posts: 49 Member
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    Don't forget that with the exercise you are doing you will be gaining muscle. Maybe the muscle gain has outweighed the weight lost for now. But keep at it and that muscle will help you burn calories and lose more weight.

    False - you don't build muscle while eating at a deficit.

    Going from doing no exercise to 30mins a day will build stronger muscles. That's why going from no exercise to regular exercise can hurt like hell for the first week. I didn't say she'd turn into Sylvester Stallone.
  • juliafromrf
    juliafromrf Posts: 106 Member
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    How are you determining your calorie intake? Are you weighing and measuring everything?

    ^This. 9 pounds in 2 months isn't bad, but on 1200 kcal it should probably come off a bit faster.
  • 365andstillalive
    365andstillalive Posts: 663 Member
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    I'm confused on what amount of calories I should eat to optimize weight loss. I am 5"3" and currently 194. I have a desk job so I sit all day but I exercise every day for 30 min minimum but normally 45min, sometimes longer on the weekends. MFP has my calorie goal at 1200 and I am always very close to that. I'm not losing much weight. I started watching my food and exercising July 1 at 203lbs so I've only lost 9lbs in almost two months which seems slow to me. I saw that someone on another thread posted a link to scooby's calorie counter and it tells me I should be eating around 1500. How do I figure out what amount is correct? I definitely have a calorie deficit so why am I not losing?

    I guess one other thing I don't really understand is that they say if you don't eat enough calories you'll go into "starvation mode" and it will make your metabolism worse. How is a person supposed to know what their body considers starvation? Any help/advise is appreciated. I'm trying very hard but feeling discouraged. Also I have not had any pop in over 3 weeks and drink 120+ oz of water per day. Thanks in advance!

    I think part of the problem is you're being too restrictive and eating below your BMR (what your body would need to function if you were in a coma) using your stats, your BMR is around 1635. Your TDEE is around 2241 (which is actually from scooby, so I don't know how your got numbers so low; lightly active setting).

    So if you eat 1635, you're creating a deficit of 606 calories a day, which equals out to about 1.5lbs of weight loss per week.

    Eat more food, you'll feel better. I eat around 1620 a day (which is my BMR) and have a 500 or so calorie deficit, I easily lose more than an lb a week. I've lost 70 or so thus far. There's no reason to restrict as much as you are and in the long run you'll lose more lean muscle mass eating at 1200 than you would if you were eating your BMR which will make your body composition better at the end of your weight loss.

    Be sure to recalculate these numbers for every 5lbs lost.
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
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    Don't forget that with the exercise you are doing you will be gaining muscle. Maybe the muscle gain has outweighed the weight lost for now. But keep at it and that muscle will help you burn calories and lose more weight.

    False - you don't build muscle while eating at a deficit.

    Going from doing no exercise to 30mins a day will build stronger muscles. That's why going from no exercise to regular exercise can hurt like hell for the first week. I didn't say she'd turn into Sylvester Stallone.

    Stronger muscles, yes. But aside from extremely minimal newbie gains, not muscle mass.
  • higgins8283801
    higgins8283801 Posts: 844 Member
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    If you're not measuring you're probably are eating more than 1200 calories. If you're not rounding down your burned calories you're probably not burning as many as you think you are.

    I always under estimate my burn an over estimate my calories if I don't weigh and measure my food.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    There is no 'correct number'. 1500 will be slower than 1200, all else equal, but you should have more patience. If you estimate intake poorly or don't burn as much as the estimators think, 1200 might be slow losses. If that's the case, 1500 will be slower. But if 1500 makes you count better and comply better, it might seem to work better. Don't feel like there is a tiny window you have to shoot for, and have to worry about some starvation mode, though.
  • higgins8283801
    higgins8283801 Posts: 844 Member
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    Starvation mode is a myth that won't die. I brought it up with my nutritionist yesterday and she said it's not true in the sense many people think of it.

    You'll still lose weight on low calorie diets it just won't be healthy weight or a weight loss you want.
  • zac775
    zac775 Posts: 199 Member
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    Hi, to really lose weight fast, there are VLC diet out there, but I dont recomend that as it puts your body in katois, and it can put a strain on your body.

    From what I have seen you are doing well, just keep it up. Its swing and roundabouts when it comes to weight loss (water retention etc. etc), and the numbers change on a day to day basis. Try not focus on the weight number, I know it hard not to, but look at the whole picture, YOU!! in general.

    The jeans you want to get into the top that you want to wear without feeling unconfortable. There is no real hard or fast rule, it a time and effort game, but worth it in the end. And we are all here to help where we can.

    But rememeber it will be worth it in the end.

    Shane
  • stacyjh1979
    stacyjh1979 Posts: 188 Member
    Options
    I'm confused on what amount of calories I should eat to optimize weight loss. I am 5"3" and currently 194. I have a desk job so I sit all day but I exercise every day for 30 min minimum but normally 45min, sometimes longer on the weekends. MFP has my calorie goal at 1200 and I am always very close to that. I'm not losing much weight. I started watching my food and exercising July 1 at 203lbs so I've only lost 9lbs in almost two months which seems slow to me. I saw that someone on another thread posted a link to scooby's calorie counter and it tells me I should be eating around 1500. How do I figure out what amount is correct? I definitely have a calorie deficit so why am I not losing?

    I guess one other thing I don't really understand is that they say if you don't eat enough calories you'll go into "starvation mode" and it will make your metabolism worse. How is a person supposed to know what their body considers starvation? Any help/advise is appreciated. I'm trying very hard but feeling discouraged. Also I have not had any pop in over 3 weeks and drink 120+ oz of water per day. Thanks in advance!

    I think part of the problem is you're being too restrictive and eating below your BMR (what your body would need to function if you were in a coma) using your stats, your BMR is around 1635. Your TDEE is around 2241 (which is actually from scooby, so I don't know how your got numbers so low; lightly active setting).

    So if you eat 1635, you're creating a deficit of 606 calories a day, which equals out to about 1.5lbs of weight loss per week.

    Eat more food, you'll feel better. I eat around 1620 a day (which is my BMR) and have a 500 or so calorie deficit, I easily lose more than an lb a week. I've lost 70 or so thus far. There's no reason to restrict as much as you are and in the long run you'll lose more lean muscle mass eating at 1200 than you would if you were eating your BMR which will make your body composition better at the end of your weight loss.

    Be sure to recalculate these numbers for every 5lbs lost.

    This is why I am confused. I'm not trying to be restrictive I'm doing what MFP says to do. I don't understand why it would tell me to eat 1200/day if that is too low...and at the same time if it is extremely low then why am I not losing? I can increase my calories but it will drive me crazy for MFP to show I'm over my calorie goal every day! I know that sounds anal but I'm a little ocd I guess and trying to follow the "rules" account to MFP but I want to lose this weight also.
  • stacyjh1979
    stacyjh1979 Posts: 188 Member
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    Nine pounds in two months is nothing to sneeze at. Congrats!

    How are you determining your calorie intake? Are you weighing and measuring everything?

    You should easily be able to lose weight eating 1500+ calories a day. My suspicion is you're eating more than you think (calorie-wise)

    Yes I sure I am not eating more calories than I think, that is why I'm so frustrated. I am following it very closely and I typically do not eat back my exercise calories either.
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
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    Nine pounds in two months is nothing to sneeze at. Congrats!

    How are you determining your calorie intake? Are you weighing and measuring everything?

    You should easily be able to lose weight eating 1500+ calories a day. My suspicion is you're eating more than you think (calorie-wise)

    Yes I sure I am not eating more calories than I think, that is why I'm so frustrated. I am following it very closely and I typically do not eat back my exercise calories either.

    How are you sure? That is what I am asking. Are you weighing, measuring, and logging every morsel that goes into your mouth? That's what I'm asking.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Congratulations, 9 pounds is awesome! How are you tracking your intake? Are you weighing your food?
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
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    When you configured your settings on MFP, did you tell it you wanted to lose 2 pounds a week? If you're 194 and want to get down to 140, which sounds like a reasonable goal, 2 pounds a week is too aggressive. If you set it to 1 or 1.5 pounds per week, you'll have more calories to play with and it will increase adherence over the long term. Long-term adherence is really important when you're talking about losing a significant amount of weight. If you kill yourself to lose 2 pounds a week but quit after two months, you've lost 16 pounds. If you take it just a little bit slower and lose 1 pound a week, but you can stick to that for a year, you'll lose 52 pounds.

    Here is a good guide to goal-setting:

    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,

    I agree with the earlier posters, though. If you're not weighing and measuring correctly, you're overestimating your intake. Virtually everyone overestimates.
  • allyphoe
    allyphoe Posts: 618 Member
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    If you're sure you're tracking your calories accurately, the next thing I'd wonder was how you were tracking your weight. I lose pretty steadily over the long term, but over the short term, there's a lot of fluctuation that makes the loss hard to identify.

    For instance, I was at 189.2 on 8/3, but 191.2 on 8/11, which looks a lot like a 2 pound gain, but I know from experience that both of those days were extreme outliers. (Goes without saying: same time of day, state of undress, scale location.) I weigh every day and calculate a rolling average, which showed a 1.0 pound loss over that same period.

    Weighing every day makes some people crazy, but it works for me.
  • stacyjh1979
    stacyjh1979 Posts: 188 Member
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    Nine pounds in two months is nothing to sneeze at. Congrats!

    How are you determining your calorie intake? Are you weighing and measuring everything?

    You should easily be able to lose weight eating 1500+ calories a day. My suspicion is you're eating more than you think (calorie-wise)

    Yes I sure I am not eating more calories than I think, that is why I'm so frustrated. I am following it very closely and I typically do not eat back my exercise calories either.

    How are you sure? That is what I am asking. Are you weighing, measuring, and logging every morsel that goes into your mouth? That's what I'm asking.

    Yes I am logging everything I eat. In the morning when I get up I always have a protein drink made with water not milk. It is 150 cal, breakfast is a Weight Watchers english muffin sandwhich that is 210 cal. Lunch I always bring either homemade vegetable soup (that is measured out) or a frozen meal like Lean Cuisine or Healthy choice that has the calorie amount on it. I eat a protein bar that is 200 cal, etc. There is really very little room for error in my calculations of what I'm eating. I don't take a bite of anything without logging it. If I even eat one cracker out of my son's package of cheese/pb crackers I log that one cracker for example.

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