I just started, how many calories should I eat?

thinspohobo
thinspohobo Posts: 3
edited September 27 in Food and Nutrition
Hi everyone, I just started losing weight about two or three weeks ago, and I've lost about six pounds. But now the numbers on my scale have stopped dropping... and I'm having a mini freakout :) I know I shouldn't weigh myself every day because of this, I know. But it got me wondering, am I eating enough calories?

I don't want to plateau! I'm 5'9" and 154 pounds, and wanting to lose 14 pounds to be at 140, which I consider to be my happiest weight. I'm currently striving to eat 1,200 calories... with eating back the calories I've burned, is 1200 enough for me? I'm not a small person at all. And over the past three days of really sticking to 1200, I'm starting to feel like eating that little is no problem at all -- I feel full & satiated. Is that a sign of metabolic meltdown, or am I ok here?

My TDEE is about 1920 according to MFP, because I'm not that active during the day unless I exercise. If I ate 1420 instead, that'd be a 500 calorie deficit = 1 pound lost per week.

Right now at 1200 I'm on track to losing 1.5 pounds, but that might not happen if I plateau because I'm not eating enough.

Advice?

Replies

  • LauriinSB
    LauriinSB Posts: 34 Member
    Try changing your goal on MFP to one pound a week. It will adjust your calories for you. Give that a try for a while, and make sure you are drinking lots of water, that always helps me. Good luck!!
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    If your BMR is 1920, only eating 1200 calories is WAY too low. Your body needs a minimum of 1920 calories just to function. So, you're putting your body into starvation mode by not eating more than 1200 calories.

    Weight loss in the first couple weeks of a lifestyle change is quite common - a lot of it is water weight.

    Also, keep in mind that losing the last 10-15lbs is the hardest weight to lose. As your body gets leaner, it gets harder and harder to drop the last bit of weight.

    Don't give up!
  • anemoneflynn
    anemoneflynn Posts: 87
    As a general rule, the slower you lose the better you'll be able to keep it off. If you're not comfortable with how fast you're losing, it wouldn't hurt to drop to 1 pound a week. Also, since it doesn't sound like you want to lose that much, you won't want to mess too much with how much you're eating. To avoid bouncing up and down, easy does it. :-)
  • thinspohobo
    thinspohobo Posts: 3
    As a general rule, the slower you lose the better you'll be able to keep it off. If you're not comfortable with how fast you're losing, it wouldn't hurt to drop to 1 pound a week. Also, since it doesn't sound like you want to lose that much, you won't want to mess too much with how much you're eating. To avoid bouncing up and down, easy does it. :-)

    That's a really great point, thank you!
    If your BMR is 1920, only eating 1200 calories is WAY too low. Your body needs a minimum of 1920 calories just to function. So, you're putting your body into starvation mode by not eating more than 1200 calories.

    Weight loss in the first couple weeks of a lifestyle change is quite common - a lot of it is water weight.

    Also, keep in mind that losing the last 10-15lbs is the hardest weight to lose. As your body gets leaner, it gets harder and harder to drop the last bit of weight.

    Don't give up!


    And haha, I don't consider myself lean. My ultimate goal weight of being skinny/lean would be 125-135. I went from 160 to 140 two years ago and plateaued at 140 then, so I'm thinking my last stretch from 140 to 130 is going to be the hardest, as it was before.

    Thanks everyone :)
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    Your BMR is the number of calories your body needs each day just to survive. It is what you would burn if you laid in bed all day and didn't do anything. It is what we burn for our organs to function, hair to grow, digestion of our food, etc. Mine is around 1450. So, I need to make sure I'm eating AT LEAST that many calories - otherwise I'm not even giving my body enough to live. I would check and see what yours is (there's a tool here that will tell you based on height and such). I work in a job where I'm on my feet for 5-9 hrs a day/5 days a week. I have my activity level set at active because of work, going to the gym, etc.
  • Mike523
    Mike523 Posts: 393 Member
    Yeah, just to clear this up for people who may read this and misunderstand what BMR is...

    BMR (basal metabolic rate) is how many calories your body burns just to keep vital functions running - breathing, keeping your organs running, etc. It's basically the number of calories you would burn if you were to lay in bed all day.

    Your normal daily calorie burn is your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) which is the number of calories you burn on a typical day, with all your daily activities. This is the number from which you want to create your calorie deficit.

    So if your TDEE is 1920, it would be recommended to create a deficit of no more than 500 calories per day. That means to eat at least 1420 NET calories per day. Of course if you exercise you will burn off more calories, which raises your TDEE, and in turn you'll want to eat more to cover the difference and keep your deficit at 500.
  • therobinator
    therobinator Posts: 832 Member
    Read the link in my signature about how much to eat.....
  • thinspohobo
    thinspohobo Posts: 3
    Yeah, just to clear this up for people who may read this and misunderstand what BMR is...

    BMR (basal metabolic rate) is how many calories your body burns just to keep vital functions running - breathing, keeping your organs running, etc. It's basically the number of calories you would burn if you were to lay in bed all day.

    Your normal daily calorie burn is your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) which is the number of calories you burn on a typical day, with all your daily activities. This is the number from which you want to create your calorie deficit.

    So if your TDEE is 1920, it would be recommended to create a deficit of no more than 500 calories per day. That means to eat at least 1420 NET calories per day. Of course if you exercise you will burn off more calories, which raises your TDEE, and in turn you'll want to eat more to cover the difference and keep your deficit at 500.

    Ah, good clarification. Fixed it in my post. Thanks! Now I know what TDEE means.
  • decu68
    decu68 Posts: 78
    QUOTED BY mwm523

    Yeah, just to clear this up for people who may read this and misunderstand what BMR is...

    BMR (basal metabolic rate) is how many calories your body burns just to keep vital functions running - breathing, keeping your organs running, etc. It's basically the number of calories you would burn if you were to lay in bed all day.

    Your normal daily calorie burn is your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) which is the number of calories you burn on a typical day, with all your daily activities. This is the number from which you want to create your calorie deficit.

    So if your TDEE is 1920, it would be recommended to create a deficit of no more than 500 calories per day. That means to eat at least 1420 NET calories per day. Of course if you exercise you will burn off more calories, which raises your TDEE, and in turn you'll want to eat more to cover the difference and keep your deficit at 500.

    This is correct. I would also like to add that it is important to follow this as if you eat too less of calories your body will get to a point where it will start to cannibalize itself looking for energy. Your body will release a survival hormone called cortisol that will destroy proteins by carrying them off to the liver where it will be converted to glucose and then used for energy for the body. Your largest stores of protein are your muscle AND your immune system. It doesn't really make sense to deprive yourself muscle or your health in order to show you've lost weight ... and not good weight as I've pointed out.

    We all can't fit into the little box; it is unfortunately. Sometimes we just have to go how we are feeling. Are we healthy and strong? Are we "comfortable" with ourselves? Are our cloths fitting decent and not tight? Do we look good and do others thinks so as well?

    Last pounds can take a long time; remember the first place you gained that bad weight is the last place to go. It may take some time but the longer it takes then your body can adjust and gaining it back will be less likely; less likely if you continue your program.

    Good luck.
  • biggswagger
    biggswagger Posts: 1
    Hello! I'm 18 years old. 6'2" and 174 pounds. My BMR is 1984 and my TDEE is 3439. I work out 5-6 days weekly, I want to gain muscle, could anybody help me or tell me how many calories do I need daily, what do you recommend to eat and tips. Thank you!
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