I need help with my caloric intake...

TXHunny84
TXHunny84 Posts: 503 Member
edited September 27 in Health and Weight Loss
Ok...here's my story... I'm about to be 27 and I'm 149lbs and 5'5". I am trying to be 135 pounds so I need to lose 14 pounds. All my life I have Yo-yo dieted to lose weight. Way over exercised to lose weight and I have even starved my self for 3-4 days at a time to lose. My weight always goes up and down because obviously I'm losing weight the wrong way and probably a lot is just water. I want to lose my excess fat once and for all with out yo-yoing and really learn to eat and exercise right to keep it off for good!! I also have two little girls that I don't want to have the same problems with weight like I do. I want to lead by example on how to eat correctly to not gain and how to lose weight the right way. I did my BMR and it came out like this:
655+(4.35 x 149) +(4.7 x 65") - (4.7 x 27) = 1481.75.... I have a sedintary life style I guess because I sit at a desk all day a work(mostly) so my caloric intake I'm assuming is 1481.75 x 1.2 = 1778.1.

Ok so here is my question(dilemma)......

How many calories am I supposed to eat out to lose 2 pounds a week?... The internet says to decrease calories by 500 and increase my work outs by 500 calories a day. So ....do I subtract 500 calories from the 1778?....Because then I'm only consuming 1278 calories and that is below my BMR?... And if I burn 500 calories on my treadmill then my Net calories would be 778 for the day... I don't want to put my body in starvation mode. Plus I walk an hour on my treadmill everyday for an hour already. So since my body is probably used to this does it still count as calories burned...or is this now just part of my daily routine and I would have to do even more to lose weight? On livestrong.com it even says to count the "office work" I do as calories burned too, but wouldn't my body be used to doing that daily also?...

I'm just really confused as to what my actual Net calories per day should be so I can lose 2 pounds(or more) a week.

Replies

  • mkcalvert
    mkcalvert Posts: 219 Member
    All you have to do is set the info MFP asks for and they do all the calculating..You just put in food and excercise and they tell you what you need!! That's y I love it bc it takes out all the guess work.
  • kristy_estes21
    kristy_estes21 Posts: 434 Member
    To lose one pound a week you have to burn 3500 extra calories so the internet telling you to decrease calorie intake by 500 and increase exercise by 500 is correct. That would be a 1000cal/day deficit, which is 7000 calorie deficit per week....3500 x 2.
    I think losing 2 pounds a week is quite a bit for someone your size. You're not that big. I have mine set to lose 0.5lbs a week. One pound would be okay, but I don't want to deprive myself of the food I want. I love food! haha!!!
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    Since you're so close to your goal you probably won't be able to lose 2 pounds per week. When you have less to lose it comes off slower. That's because your body uses both fat and muscle for energy and your body will use whichever one is closest to the area that needs the energy. So if you're working your legs but don't have enough extra fat to burn your body will burn a little leg muscle. That's why strength training is so important, it helps keep your muscles from losing mass. This also means that you can spot reduce a little. So if your belly has more fat than you'd like you can do lots of ab work to burn that fat. You also need to eat a little more, the amount you'd eat if you were trying to lose half a pound per week, so that your body continues to burn fat and not muscle.
  • Time2BSkinny
    Time2BSkinny Posts: 91
    I am about the exact same as you! 5'5, 147lbs, 23. Did you try putting this information into this website? I want to lose 2lbs a week (actually I'd love to lose so much more a week haha) and for me, it says I'm supposed to have 1200. If I exercise I can eat more. So if I burn 500, for example, I can then eat 1700 calories. I don't always eat back my exercise calories but you're supposed to.

    Does that help?

    I'll send you a friend request. My past has been the same with food. I've over exercised way too much and used to live in the gym. I've also gone 4 days without eating just so I could see a change on the scale. I hate yoyo dieting but I like quick results. Hopefully We can do it different this time! Good luck!
  • seanxtreme3000
    seanxtreme3000 Posts: 3
    Hi

    how many meals a day are you eating, i would really try stay close to your your bmi at probably around 1500+a day but spread out over 6 meals. so im assuming you walk for an hour in the moring and then something in the gym in the afternoon. have you thought about lifting weights in the afternoons, lifting weights burns mor cal a day then walking or running will ever do. just a fyi.
    but to get back on the food. your protein intake should be about 35g a meal your carb intake should be about 22g a meal and your fats should be about 2g a meal. all of this is about 1500+ cal a day. i can go on and on so let me know if you need more stuff but here is a start.
  • seanxtreme3000
    seanxtreme3000 Posts: 3
    PS: there settings are off with the protein too stick to a cup of carbs per meal no startch carbs mostly fresh vegs and yams
  • TXHunny84
    TXHunny84 Posts: 503 Member
    Thank u all for your help!! :)
  • l3ugjuice
    l3ugjuice Posts: 233
    500 calorie a day deficit = 1 lb per week
    1000 calorie a day deficit = 2 lb per week


    Buy a good heart rate monitor/bodybugg, and make sure you eat less than what it says you burned. Easy peasy!
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