5'10" women maintaining on 1600-1700?

alfedy05
alfedy05 Posts: 5
in Health and Weight Loss
Ladies, I need your help! I am 5'10" and have been eating a weekly average of 1600-1700 calories for the last 6 weeks. I have been running 3 times a week training for a 5K and have been doing strength training 1-2 days a week. Since I started, I have only lost 2 POUNDS and haven't lost any inches. I weight and measure weekly.

I recently gained about 10 pounds over the spring/summer when I stopped tracking my calories so I know I am not eating too little. :) I have been eating way healthier than I have in the past as well. I calculated my BMR and it is supposedly around 1650 which is why I have been shooting for 1600-1700 averages each week, but should I try eating less? With my height and starting weight (5'10", 180 lbs) I would think this would be enough to lose a pound a week.

Any advice or tips would be much appreciated!

Replies

  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Yes, you should be losing at 1600 calories a day. Are you counting accurately? The below post has some great pointers. Are you eating exercise calories? Are you tracking those accurately? Additionally, it's possible that you could just need more time. You could be retaining fluid and/or glycogen due to the increase in activity. This could be masking fat loss.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
  • HeatherYvette78
    HeatherYvette78 Posts: 8 Member
    I don't know why, but whenever I have added any kind of resistance training (weights, cross-fit type workouts or body weight activities) my scale stubbornly refuses to move. And that's WITH calorie counting set at a 1 lb loss per week. If I'm just doing cardio and dieting it comes off like clockwork. It is beyond frustrating, but having gone through the cycle 3 times now, it is definitely the weights that do it. So I focus on cardio and diet until I hit my goal weight and then start adding in the muscle building. It was too soon for it to be muscle weight gain too....so while that may not be overly helpful to you, you're not alone! Not to discourage the weight training AT ALL, but I really don't think its the calories.
  • alfedy05
    alfedy05 Posts: 5
    Thanks for the advice! It's great to hear that there may be other explanations besides calories alone. Busy - I did recently buy a food scale a few weeks ago and have been using that to make sure my calories are more accurate as I thought I may have been underestimating them as well. It's impossible to weight everything though so it's totally possible I'm underestimating on the things I'm not home to weigh...will be following the advice you linked to to increase my tracking accuracy even more! Heather - that is so interesting about the weight training! I'll try cutting back on the cross training for a week or two and see how it goes....
  • CigBock
    CigBock Posts: 12
    I don't know why, but whenever I have added any kind of resistance training (weights, cross-fit type workouts or body weight activities) my scale stubbornly refuses to move. And that's WITH calorie counting set at a 1 lb loss per week. If I'm just doing cardio and dieting it comes off like clockwork. It is beyond frustrating, but having gone through the cycle 3 times now, it is definitely the weights that do it. So I focus on cardio and diet until I hit my goal weight and then start adding in the muscle building. It was too soon for it to be muscle weight gain too....so while that may not be overly helpful to you, you're not alone! Not to discourage the weight training AT ALL, but I really don't think its the calories.

    This isnt good advice. 2 reasoons for this: You are gaining muscle and it is counter balancing -- more likely reason is your workouts are weaksauce. You are probably doing cardio in a fixed position for a fixed speed for a fixed time so no variance can be had due to laziness or fatigue.

    Cardio with dieting will also strip you of muscle as well. In turn more weight loss.
  • circulatory
    circulatory Posts: 15 Member
    I'm 5'10" and 175, and lose about a pound a week at 1600... Do you eat back your exercise calories?
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    Thanks for the advice! It's great to hear that there may be other explanations besides calories alone. Busy - I did recently buy a food scale a few weeks ago and have been using that to make sure my calories are more accurate as I thought I may have been underestimating them as well. It's impossible to weight everything though so it's totally possible I'm underestimating on the things I'm not home to weigh...will be following the advice you linked to to increase my tracking accuracy even more! Heather - that is so interesting about the weight training! I'll try cutting back on the cross training for a week or two and see how it goes....

    No. Issues with exercise programs that cause water retention usually resolve themselves within about a month. Do not quit w program that gets you moving regularly just to see a smaller number on the scale. If anything you'll likely have the opposite long term effect if you lower or stop your exercise

    The only problem I can think of with exercise is if you over estimate the calories burned and eat back more calories than you're really burning. In which case it would be hard to ever see the scale drop

    Also read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1296011-calorie-counting-101
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    You should probably be eating more unless youi're like 110 lbs. I'm 169, netting 1880 before exercise. I'm 5'7.

    Calculate your estimated needs (before and/or with exercise) from sites like health-calc.com and exrx.net and then subtract 20% to get an idea of where you should be aiming your deficit at. Chances are it will be higher than 1600.

    Also, weigh/measure your foods. You could be grossly underestimating your intake if the cause is actually due to eating too much. What you eat doesn't matter for weight loss, it's how much you eat.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    I don't know why, but whenever I have added any kind of resistance training (weights, cross-fit type workouts or body weight activities) my scale stubbornly refuses to move. And that's WITH calorie counting set at a 1 lb loss per week. If I'm just doing cardio and dieting it comes off like clockwork. It is beyond frustrating, but having gone through the cycle 3 times now, it is definitely the weights that do it. So I focus on cardio and diet until I hit my goal weight and then start adding in the muscle building. It was too soon for it to be muscle weight gain too....so while that may not be overly helpful to you, you're not alone! Not to discourage the weight training AT ALL, but I really don't think its the calories.

    This isnt good advice. 2 reasoons for this: You are gaining muscle and it is counter balancing -- more likely reason is your workouts are weaksauce. You are probably doing cardio in a fixed position for a fixed speed for a fixed time so no variance can be had due to laziness or fatigue.

    Cardio with dieting will also strip you of muscle as well. In turn more weight loss.

    OP is not gaining muscle. Cardio doesn't remove muscle mass, although if excess cardio is done it can impact gains.
    But again OP is not gaining.
  • alfedy05
    alfedy05 Posts: 5
    Thanks everyone. I am eating back my exercise calories and I don't think I'm eating too little as I did gain about 10 pounds last spring when I stopped tracking my calories during a busy few months. I use the Nike+ app calorie estimates for my runs and use MFP to estimate calories for strength training. I don't have a heart monitor nor am I in a place financially where I can purchase one, but if there is another way to more accurately count the calories I'm burning for free, I'm all ears :)
  • pennyjlm
    pennyjlm Posts: 12 Member
    OP - I'm a 5'10" woman trying to eat around the 1600-1700 mark. My average cals in over the last 60 days have been 1,800, so I'm a little over that when I average in my weekends and higher days. My average cals-out over that time has been about 2,244 per day. (this is just my fitbit reading) My total net deficit has been 22,738 which would equate to 6.5 pounds down and I am UP on the scale. GAINING. Today I was 174.4 and I was 167.8 on July 31. ME = FRUSTRATED. 170.0 used to be my "oh my gosh I need to pull-back" scale number.

    So I'm either eating more calories than I'm thinking or burning less than I'm thinking. I was doing very little cardio and muscle work 2-3x a week only. Now I want to do more cardio and less weights because its the only way I've ever known to lose pounds.

    I too do not feel like I am eating too little and wonder if I should aim for lower cals. Friend me?
  • 2013sk
    2013sk Posts: 1,318 Member
    bump!!!
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Try eating back just half of your exercise calories. MFP tends to overestimate actual calories burned.
    OR calculate your TDEE which would include your exercise and take a % cut from that, this eliminates the need to log exercise and eat more to account for it.

    And continue to use a food scale for accurate logging.
  • srslybritt
    srslybritt Posts: 1,618 Member
    I'm 5'10" and lose at 1800 as my base (not including exercise calories). MFP overestimates calories by a pretty wide margin, I would suggest (if you're doing steady-state cardio) getting a heart rate monitor for keeping track of your exercise burn. If that's an option.

    ETA: Before I got my FitBit I was using TDEE and seeing moderate success. It sounds like 2 lb thus far is actually a pretty reasonable place for you to be right now if you're only looking to take off those 10lb. It will take a little time, but you will be so much happier with the results if you do it the right way instead of dropping them all at once. Remember, weight loss will slow the closer you get to your goal weight.

    P.P.S. You do NOT want to eat under your BMR. Your BMR (basal metabolic rate) is what your body would burn if you were completely sedentary - aka in a coma. To maintain, you want to eat at your TDEE.
  • pennyjlm
    pennyjlm Posts: 12 Member
    Bump for the afternoon crowd.
  • alfedy05
    alfedy05 Posts: 5
    It seems like I just need to keep doing what I'm doing (eating healthy, working out) and keep fine tuning until I find something that works. @pennyjlm I totally feel you when the calorie math just doesn't add up. This whole figuring it out process is just super frustrating.

    This week, I lowered my calories to 1550 (still above my BMR) and am either running or doing strength training exercises at home every day. If I still don't see a loss, I'll try the suggestion of only eating back half of my estimated calories burned. Fingers crossed!
  • alfedy05
    alfedy05 Posts: 5
    @blazepurr thanks for the suggestion, but I gained 10 pounds when I stopped tracking my calories over the late spring/summer so I'm thinking eating more is not the problem :smile:
  • Myrmilt
    Myrmilt Posts: 124 Member
    I am a little taller than 5 10, my net calories are set at 1200 (yes it's ok, I discussed it my physician). I generally try to hit net calories, not gross 1200, most the time I am under, simply because I am not hungry.
    I do power heated yoga 1x week, group training with extra 30 minutes of cardio 1x weekly, barre pilates 1x weekly, strength training 1x weekly with free weights, heated mat pilates 1x weekly, and hiking 1-2x on the weekends. Some weeks I miss a workout, but I take it as on off day for rest.

    I have worked up to this many workouts over the last 3 months.
    My job is sedentary and it's hard to get steps in for the fit bit.
    I know my calorie intake is low for some and my exercise is high, however it works for me.
    I don't always lose like I think I should, but I chalk it up to water retention and figure it will work itself out.
    Patience is hard with pounds and the scale, so I keep focused on clothes fitting looser, increased strength and stamina.
  • MoochieRama
    MoochieRama Posts: 71 Member
    I have to eat 1200/day, if I go higher, ill gain & build muscle, but I am losing steadily & watch my carbs.
  • csec6pak
    csec6pak Posts: 54 Member

    I am 5'10" and 175. I lose at 1600 calories per day, but I eat 1600 calories per day, full stop. I do not eat more on days that I exercise (which is nearly every day). If you're eating back your exercise calories, I really think that's your problem.

    Although, it's only been 6 weeks. Two pounds in 6 weeks is not bad, especially when you are relatively close to a healthy weight. A half-pound a week is a decent goal at this stage.

    I have also noticed that weight training makes me retain water. I assumed this was due to inflammation of the muscles, so I tried an experiment. I took 600mg of ibuprofen one night. My hypothesis was that this should reduce the inflammation and cause my muscles to release the water. The experiment was a success. Over the next 24 hours, I had to pee like a race horse and I lost about 4 pounds. Now, I am NOT suggesting that anyone regularly use this method to lose weight (it obviously won't work in the long term and has other health consequences), but it was certainly an interesting experiment.
  • 7elizamae
    7elizamae Posts: 758 Member
    I'm 5'9" losing approx .5 lb per week on 1650. I work out pretty hard for an hour a day with Sundays off.

    Your new food scale will help with your accuracy for sure. I was amazed at what a bad guesser I was before I got the scale.

    Also, remember you HAVE lost weight. You lost two pounds. That's slow, but you may also have had several pounds of water weight when you weighed yourself. You may have lost five so far. That wouldn't be slow! So, don't despair! Keep at it.

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