Going below suggested calorie limit for loss

fddee
fddee Posts: 24 Member
edited November 18 in Health and Weight Loss
I am thinking I need to change my calorie goals under 1200 because of my height. I am 126 and 5'2 and my RMR is 1280 (averaged). A deficit of 500 would put me at 780 (crazy?) but the suggestion of never going below 1200 calories is NOT working for me and I feel like it is a blanket guideline that shouldn't be used for all women as all women do not fit the same size mold.
I currently do strength training- (lift, I am a beginner but I go as heavy as I can)- 4 days a week and Hiit cardio two days a week and lose MAYBE a half a pound a week. I am lowering my calorie goal from 1200 to 1000 a day to see how I feel and what happens to my training and weight loss. I try to keep my carbs 40%/protein30%/fat 30%. I will try to add another cardio session as well.
Any thoughts? Suggestions? It is frustating to work my *kitten* off 6 days a week and not see more change.

Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    featherdee wrote: »
    I am thinking I need to change my calorie goals under 1200 because of my height. I am 126 and 5'2 and my RMR is 1280 (averaged). A deficit of 500 would put me at 780 (crazy?) but the suggestion of never going below 1200 calories is NOT working for me and I feel like it is a blanket guideline that shouldn't be used for all women as all women do not fit the same size mold.
    I currently do strength training- (lift, I am a beginner but I go as heavy as I can)- 4 days a week and Hiit cardio two days a week and lose MAYBE a half a pound a week. I am lowering my calorie goal from 1200 to 1000 a day to see how I feel and what happens to my training and weight loss. I try to keep my carbs 40%/protein30%/fat 30%. I will try to add another cardio session as well.
    Any thoughts? Suggestions? It is frustating to work my *kitten* off 6 days a week and not see more change.

    If you weigh 126 pounds, losing half a pound a week sounds like good progress. What do you want to lose per week?
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    My thought is that it would be a stupid move.

    While your RMR might be 1280, your TDEE is not, especially with lifting 4 days a week and HIIT 2 days a week. My prediction is that if you lower your calorie intake to 1000 per day you will feel like utter garbage within a week, which will be demotivating and likely put you on the path to break down and overeat like a madwoman.

    Instead, eat your 1200 plus at least half of your exercise calories. Accept that .5 pounds per week is a good loss rate, especially considering that you do not have much to lose.
  • fddee
    fddee Posts: 24 Member
    [quote
    If you weigh 126 pounds, losing half a pound a week sounds like good progress. What do you want to lose per week?[/quote]

    Closer to a pound.or even a solid half pound a week.
    I am actually losing less than a half a pound a week, but since I don't measure myself in increments that small….. I just have quite a lot of fat to lose and am working so hard at it that I can only assume that the fear of going below 1200 calories is what the hinderance is.
  • DemoraFairy
    DemoraFairy Posts: 1,806 Member
    I don't think you should have to go less than 1200, I mean you're not that short, only 2 inches below average. With no exercise I get that your TDEE is 1429, even higher with your exercise. But as others have said, half a pound a week is a good rate of loss for where you're at anyway.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    edited May 2015
    featherdee wrote: »
    If you weigh 126 pounds, losing half a pound a week sounds like good progress. What do you want to lose per week?

    Closer to a pound.or even a solid half pound a week.
    I am actually losing less than a half a pound a week, but since I don't measure myself in increments that small….. I just have quite a lot of fat to lose and am working so hard at it that I can only assume that the fear of going below 1200 calories is what the hinderance is.

    You're short, but not that short. I think cutting to 1,000 AND adding extra exercise sounds like a huge mistake. I am two inches taller than you, weigh four pounds more, and am losing on 1,380 plus eating back a portion of my exercise calories. When we weigh less, we usually aren't going to see the weight drop off quickly.

    It sounds like you've made your mind up to try this, but you asked for my thoughts and those are my thoughts. This is outside the scope of your question, but I took a peek at your diary and I noticed there are some days/meals not logged and it looks like you're using measuring cups (not a scale) for your food. Instead of cutting your calories, have you thought about tightening up your logging? That might bring you to the steady .5 per week level.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,336 Member
    Bad idea. With the amount you have to lose half a pound a week should be your goal.
  • fddee
    fddee Posts: 24 Member
    I haven't been using a scale, I just felt like my tracking was pretty spot on, the days I didn't log I log on at home in a notebook as my kids don't let me play on the computer as much as I like:). I supppose I should try cracking down on my logging. Thanks for the advice.
    Maybe I am just anxious for faster results.
    @ Jemhh, I do not have "much" to lose perhaps compared to others, but when looking at perecntage of my body weight and where I want to be it is still a good amount. Also, it is more difficult to lose weight as a thinner person.

    Also.. This article has me questioning.http://johnbarban.com/weight-loss-fallacies-2lbs-per-week-and-1200-calories-per-day/
  • fddee
    fddee Posts: 24 Member
    rileysowner wrote: »
    Bad idea. With the amount you have to lose half a pound a week should be your goal.

    A solid half pound a week would be great. It isn't happening.

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    featherdee wrote: »
    I haven't been using a scale, I just felt like my tracking was pretty spot on, the days I didn't log I log on at home in a notebook as my kids don't let me play on the computer as much as I like:). I supppose I should try cracking down on my logging. Thanks for the advice.
    Maybe I am just anxious for faster results.
    @ Jemhh, I do not have "much" to lose perhaps compared to others, but when looking at perecntage of my body weight and where I want to be it is still a good amount. Also, it is more difficult to lose weight as a thinner person.

    Also.. This article has me questioning.http://johnbarban.com/weight-loss-fallacies-2lbs-per-week-and-1200-calories-per-day/

    I'm down to the last 10-15 pounds. I understand very well that it is slow going at this point. It still doesn't change my mind as far as what I wrote above.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    edited May 2015
    Weight loss isn't linear. How much are you losing a month? I agree with tightening up your logging and weighing everything. You may be eating more than you think. I'd try this in order to get a handle on exactly where you stand before even thinking about going any lower, which, imho, is a bad idea.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    featherdee wrote: »
    rileysowner wrote: »
    Bad idea. With the amount you have to lose half a pound a week should be your goal.

    A solid half pound a week would be great. It isn't happening.

    Then using a scale to weigh as accurately as possible is the #1 thing to do right now.
  • jkal1979
    jkal1979 Posts: 1,896 Member
    You are not supposed to subtract from your RMR to get a deficit. You subtract from your TDEE.

    I agree with the others though, It would be a good idea to start weighing all solid foods and be more consistent. With a small amount to lose your margin for error is smaller.
  • justcat206
    justcat206 Posts: 716 Member
    FWIW I'm 5'1" 115 lbs and I eat somewhere between 1400-1700 cal/day with minimal exercize at the moment. I second using a food scale - my estimates were shockingly off sometimes. Also, if you're looking to lose fat more than lose overall weight, try doing some reading up on recomp and eating to build muscle (try eattoperform.com) - you might be surprised at how much you can eat and still see great results. Remember that if you eat too little, your lifting sessions will really tank and that can be so discouraging. If you eat enough and the right foods, you can lift heavier and build more muscle. Good luck!
  • fddee
    fddee Posts: 24 Member
    Super helpful justcat206. Thanks.
  • brianam204
    brianam204 Posts: 17 Member
    Just to throw it out there, is there a reason you need faster results or is it just a general frustration with not seeing the results?

    I'd second the idea of calorie counting absolutely everything to see if you're making a mistake somewhere. You do seem pretty attentive to detail, but I wonder if it's not just some slight overages in calories and some overestimates in exercise that are throwing you off.

    My other thing would be that body size is not necessarily correlated to weight. We've all seen the pictures of people who post a few different shots and look thinner in the picture in which they weigh more. If you're at 126 and 5'2" (my partner is almost the exact same as you), then I can appreciate that you wanna get down to 110-115 or whatever (just like my partner) but maybe change your focus to size and let the pounds fall on their own. I know I'd rather be happy with how I look than with the number on the scale.

    Also, that said, lifting 4 times a week may not be doing you any favors. Maybe scale that back to 3 or even 2 and switch in some cardio/HIIT in its place.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    edited May 2015
    jemhh wrote: »
    featherdee wrote: »
    rileysowner wrote: »
    Bad idea. With the amount you have to lose half a pound a week should be your goal.

    A solid half pound a week would be great. It isn't happening.

    Then using a scale to weigh as accurately as possible is the #1 thing to do right now.

    x2

    ETA since you can't get on the computer much make it count...prelog..if you look at my diary I have my food in until about Friday at noon...I will follow what I have planned but also have space for variation if required.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    featherdee wrote: »
    I am thinking I need to change my calorie goals under 1200 because of my height. I am 126 and 5'2 and my RMR is 1280 (averaged). A deficit of 500 would put me at 780 (crazy?) but the suggestion of never going below 1200 calories is NOT working for me and I feel like it is a blanket guideline that shouldn't be used for all women as all women do not fit the same size mold.
    I currently do strength training- (lift, I am a beginner but I go as heavy as I can)- 4 days a week and Hiit cardio two days a week and lose MAYBE a half a pound a week. I am lowering my calorie goal from 1200 to 1000 a day to see how I feel and what happens to my training and weight loss. I try to keep my carbs 40%/protein30%/fat 30%. I will try to add another cardio session as well.
    Any thoughts? Suggestions? It is frustating to work my *kitten* off 6 days a week and not see more change.

    Oh gosh, no, you're not calculating properly.

    What is your TDEE? That's the number you need to subtract from to lose weight.

    However, if you set your goals in MFP, your deficit is already built in. .

    At 126 pounds, you should only be losing .5 pounds a week. You also don't have that much to lose. Slow and easy does it.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    edited May 2015
    IMO, it's not a good idea.

    I'm also 5'2. Although I weigh more than you, even at 126 lbs, I can tell you you shouldn't be eating that little. I agree with the others that half a pound is good progress. Will you see it weekly? No. Why? Because weight loss isn't linear. You aren't going to see half a pound every week. Heck, some weeks you won't see any loss at all. And then Bam, 2 weeks later, it comes off. Weightloss is more like a plethora of hills and valleys. It's not a flat plain.

    Also, you don't subtract your deficit from RMR or BMR. You subtract it from TDEE. And with less to lose your deficit should be smaller and less aggressive so you're not losing so much of your LBM.

    ETA: Start using a food scale too. Because it makes a difference. And with so little to lose and a small deficit (which you should have), accuracy is going to be needed.
  • fddee
    fddee Posts: 24 Member
    Thanks...This is all fairly new to me, I never lifted before. Pre kids I weighed 105, was a distance runner and never counted calories a bit, just ate clean whenever I was hungry. I always felt great, looked great. I now am over 40, weigh a soft 126, started at 138 post partum and am no longer running, just cardio hiit and trying to lift as heavy as am able.
    I'm doing something new and just trying to figure this all out.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    Like everyone else said, you want to subtract your deficit from your TDEE, not from your RMR.

    I'm 5'1" and just under 120lbs, focused on losing those last 5lbs. My BMR is around 1200, but my TDEE is around 1800. I'm losing slowly and steadily at 1450 calories/day.

    The one thing you will need to do is to tighten up the accuracy of your logging. Since you're working with small deficits, the margins for error are also small. Make sure you weigh your food on a food scale and use the correct accurate database entries, and log all the condiments, oils, etc. from cooking.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    featherdee wrote: »
    I am thinking I need to change my calorie goals under 1200 because of my height. I am 126 and 5'2 and my RMR is 1280 (averaged). A deficit of 500 would put me at 780 (crazy?) but the suggestion of never going below 1200 calories is NOT working for me and I feel like it is a blanket guideline that shouldn't be used for all women as all women do not fit the same size mold.
    I currently do strength training- (lift, I am a beginner but I go as heavy as I can)- 4 days a week and Hiit cardio two days a week and lose MAYBE a half a pound a week. I am lowering my calorie goal from 1200 to 1000 a day to see how I feel and what happens to my training and weight loss. I try to keep my carbs 40%/protein30%/fat 30%. I will try to add another cardio session as well.
    Any thoughts? Suggestions? It is frustating to work my *kitten* off 6 days a week and not see more change.

    you don't cut from your RMR or BMR...you cut from TDEE which should be substantially more. For example, my BMR is around 1800 calories...my TDEE is around 2800 - 3000 depending. I lose weight easily on 2300-2500 calories...much more than my BMR.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    featherdee wrote: »
    Thanks...This is all fairly new to me, I never lifted before. Pre kids I weighed 105, was a distance runner and never counted calories a bit, just ate clean whenever I was hungry. I always felt great, looked great. I now am over 40, weigh a soft 126, started at 138 post partum and am no longer running, just cardio hiit and trying to lift as heavy as am able.

    I'm doing something new and just trying to figure this all out.

    At 5'2, I weighed 105 as well. I wasn't a distance runner, but a smoker. Had a couple of babies, got back to 105 within six weeks. How old are your kids? Can you run with them in a special running stroller and do a picnic in the park?
  • justcat206
    justcat206 Posts: 716 Member
    p.s. in college I ate <900 calories each day and weighed 95 lbs. But I had a high bf % and was all squishy and didn't look good. Recently when I was lifting regularly I weighed around 110-112 but I was lean and had great muscle tone and looked SO much better than when I weighed less but had no muscle. Sometimes it's better to set non-scale goals like pants size or bf % because the scale doesn't always reflect how we look :)
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