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artsysk8erchic
artsysk8erchic Posts: 11
in Health and Weight Loss
So it seems that a lot of people have trouble with figuring out how many calories they should consume everyday, me included. After reading a lot of the posts I thought that maybe I also had the wrong settings because even though I have been building muscle, I haven't been really losing much weight. Here is what I am:

Female
31 years old
150 pounds
5'7 or 60 inches tall

I work out at least 3 times a week, if not more. I am also a competitive skater so I train 3 times a week too! I put my life style as sedentary because I sit mostly for my job, and when I get home I sit in front of the computer doing school work. Not saying that I am not active, because I am when I have the time.

So, before I was eating about 1200 calories a day. Now I just updated it and it says I should be eating 1280 a day. (Not including workout calories.) I'm going to try this and see if it works. I've never been one to completely grasp the concept of eating more helps you lose weight, but I'm trying to understand it. I also find myself struggling to eat all of my workout calories. I guess my question is if this new amount is enough. I guess I will just have to try it and see. My body has never been slender, it's always been very fit and muscular. (Thanks dad) So, maybe I'm at my weight, but I would really like to lose more and get down to about 135. I just need some guidance or good advice!

Replies

  • SaraTonin
    SaraTonin Posts: 551 Member
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    Your settings are still off. Your BASAL metabolic rate at your weight, height, and age are 1400 calories. You should be eating at least this. Have you set MFP to let you lose 2 pounds a week? You might need to set it to 1 or .5 pounds.

    http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=Female+31+years+old+150+pounds+5'7"+BMR

    Then if you are "moderately" active, you burn 2250 calories in a day, meaning to lose weight healthily, you should be between 1400 and 2250.
  • Calif_Girl67
    Calif_Girl67 Posts: 526 Member
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    I work from home so I sit down all day until I am off work and on my settings were it asks what you do all day I put Sedentary
    because of my job and then when it asks how many pounds you want to lose each week, which they recommend 1 pound
    but I put 1.5 and that allows me 1400 calories a day not too mention what I earn working out. I still manage to stay below the
    calories on most days. My numbers on the scale are not moving as fast as i would like but I can see that I am losing inches because my Breasts and Tummy have shrunk alot. I want to see the scale move more but I am happy with inches.
  • mvonk1016
    mvonk1016 Posts: 19
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    I wouldn't say you need to eat all of your exercise calories, just make sure you are getting enough protien and complex carbs after your work outs so you are not starving your mussles.

    With eating, it is not nessasarily eating more, it is eating more often. the smaller meals are better because they help keep your matabolism going where when you eat only 2-3 meals your body goes into starvation mode and body holds on to it.
  • artsysk8erchic
    artsysk8erchic Posts: 11
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    Thank you for the information! I really appreciate it!

    When I first started I had it set to losing 2 pounds a week. I just changed it to 1 pound a week.

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