1500 calories at 198 pounds?

Mrs_K_
Mrs_K_ Posts: 23 Member
Will I still be able to lose weight eating 1500 calories at 198 pounds and 5'6? I started this at 279 pounds and I have at 1500 calories for the entire duration. I slipped for a month or so and got back up to 205. In the last couple of weeks I have went back down to 198 and now I'm stuck again. I actually seem to be gaining. I am ready to give up and I'm not quite sure what to do. I tried to drop down to 1200 calories but found myself binge eating when I drop that low. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Replies

  • MynameisJerryB
    MynameisJerryB Posts: 168 Member
    edited May 2015
    Reset your "goals" in MFP to reflect your current weight. That should get you back on track. If dropping several hundred calories at a time causes you to binge then try readjusting in smaller increments. Say 50 to 100 pounds until you get use to eating at that range then try dropping another 50 to 100.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I'm 37, 5'5", never eaten under 1650 calories (total) and I'm 3 pounds away from my goal weight.

    Keep in mind that you're supposed to eat back your exercise calories, or at least half of them.
  • mkakids
    mkakids Posts: 1,913 Member
    Im 5'6", 196lbs and my goal is set to 1530. I'm losing ~ 1.5# -each week.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    It depends. Are you eating 1500 or netting 1500? Are you weighing your food and being super diligent with logging?

    When you start out very heavy, you often have enough wiggle room that slight sloppiness with logging and tracking doesn't slow you down to much. But once you lose a certain amount of weight the bad logging/tracking catches up and you need to tighten it up. So look to fix that first.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    You should lose on 1500 calories. Are you extremely sedentary? I'm 5'4" and about 130 pounds and I would lose weight on 1500 calories.
  • Mrs_K_
    Mrs_K_ Posts: 23 Member
    I am a full time cosmetology student and a mother of 4 kids 10 and under so I am constantly on the go. I weigh all of my food on a digital scale and I log everything to the best of my ability. Like yesterday we went to a restaurant that isn't on the database and they didn't have nutrition facts so I found something similar to what I ate. Other than that I log everything. Even if it's one skittle lol. I am also netting between 1300-1500 a day.
  • girlviernes
    girlviernes Posts: 2,402 Member
    Mrs_K_ wrote: »
    Will I still be able to lose weight eating 1500 calories at 198 pounds and 5'6? I started this at 279 pounds and I have at 1500 calories for the entire duration. I slipped for a month or so and got back up to 205. In the last couple of weeks I have went back down to 198 and now I'm stuck again. I actually seem to be gaining. I am ready to give up and I'm not quite sure what to do. I tried to drop down to 1200 calories but found myself binge eating when I drop that low. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

    How long, specifically, have you been netting 1300-1500 and not losing or possibly gaining (and how many lbs are we talking here?)
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Mrs_K_ wrote: »
    I am a full time cosmetology student and a mother of 4 kids 10 and under so I am constantly on the go. I weigh all of my food on a digital scale and I log everything to the best of my ability. Like yesterday we went to a restaurant that isn't on the database and they didn't have nutrition facts so I found something similar to what I ate. Other than that I log everything. Even if it's one skittle lol. I am also netting between 1300-1500 a day.

    So you're decently active and you weigh your food...1500 is to lose 2 lbs a week? It really seems like you should be losing. Are you weighing your condiments, oil? Fruits and veg?

    Maybe if you open your diary we could help a little.
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  • MsJulesRenee
    MsJulesRenee Posts: 1,180 Member
    edited May 2015
    We are the same exact stats and I'm losing inches (not pounds :( Actually the scale is going up ) on 1500 cals. I was the same on 1200 but binge by the end of the night - 1500 seems perfect for me right now and I can feel the difference in my body.

    Edit: and I work at a desk all day and workout out lightly about 4 times a week. No kids to run after either.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    What kind of exercise are you doing and how are you coming up with the calorie counts?
  • Mrs_K_
    Mrs_K_ Posts: 23 Member
    When I say stuck I mean I go up to about 201 and then back down to 198. Before gaining back I had lost down to 195 and now I'm back at 198. I recently started a new workout routine and that may have something to do with it but I'm not sure. I run bleachers 3-4 times a week for about 30 minutes. On those days I walk about 3 miles at a slow pace as well. I started doing turbo fire today and it has left me feeling dizzy all day. I feel like I am constantly having to snack to keep myself from feeling sick. Maybe I just need to clean up my diet and eat as many raw foods as possible. I still eat unhealthy snacks all the time. I opened my diary so you can feel free to have a look.


    jemhh wrote: »
    What kind of exercise are you doing and how are you coming up with the calorie counts?

    My normal routine was walking a few times a week for 3 or 4 miles and doing strength training on my bow flex. Within the last week I have started running bleachers along with walking, a squat challenge, and running as much as I can instead of walking. I was using the mfp database and only eating half back because it's way too high. Friday I got a fitbit charge hr and have been using it since then.
  • losingitseattle
    losingitseattle Posts: 90 Member
    Highly recommend you calculate your TDEE before you stall your metabolism from under eating. This link is fantastic for learning about TDEE and BMR.

    http://eatmore2weighless.com/understanding-tdee-and-bmr/

    Here's a calculator.

    http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

    Per Scooby's Workshop (www.scoobysworkshop) you could go TDEE - 20% (exercise is already included in TDEE number) and lose at a safe rate...not a fast rate...but a safe rate. And you won't be hungry. MFP, WW and other tools while good at most things often cause people to under eat because on days they don't exercise they try to hit that 1200-1500 calorie number when that's just the amount required to keep you breathing with no movement!

    I would also encourage the weighing/measuring for a while until you can eyeball it easily (if you don't do that already) as people who aren't measuring often under calculate what they have eaten by almost 10% of total calories in some studies.

    And if you don't strength train you should consider adding that!

    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/womens-strength-training-guide.htm

    Good for you for trying to brainstorm ways to keep going! I always think of it this way. I can

    a) stay where I'm at
    b) keep moving forward
    c) kee gaining

    Simple as that.



  • flabassmcgee
    flabassmcgee Posts: 659 Member
    I eat 1850 calories at 5'6" and 194 pounds, but I don't eat calories back. That's only because I've accounted for my activity level. If you're not, eat at least half of the calorie burn allotment back from MFP.

    Or here's a good link to help see how much to eat without eating exercise calories back: http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/
  • Mrs_K_
    Mrs_K_ Posts: 23 Member
    I will keep moving forward, no doubt about that. I have already lost 80 pounds and I'm too close to goal to give up now. My TDEE is 2021 calories. Am I not eating enough, especially since I have added a lot more cardio to my routine?
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    Mrs_K_ wrote: »
    Friday I got a fitbit charge hr and have been using it since then.

    Your Fitbit burn is your TDEE—way more accurate than any online calculator. If you eat at a reasonable deficit from that, you will lose weight.

    Hands down, the best weight-loss advice I ever received was to read the Sexypants post: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1
  • bhawk102
    bhawk102 Posts: 36 Member
    Get foods higher in fiber and protein. It'll make you full and you won't have lots of cravings especially with binge eating.
  • pmg2000m
    pmg2000m Posts: 44 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    I'm 37, 5'5", never eaten under 1650 calories (total) and I'm 3 pounds away from my goal weight.

    Keep in mind that you're supposed to eat back your exercise calories, or at least half of them.

    That doesn't work for everyone. If I ate back my exercise calories, I'd be gaining weight. I lose only a pound a week, and I eat about 1300 calories per day... and do not eat back exercise calories.

    If you're not losing (or if you're gaining), you may be eating back too many calories. This app tends to overestimate how many calories you are burning, and I think it causes some people to eat too much or go way over on some of their macros. Try eating what is shown for your goals before entering your exercise... and stick with the 1500, instead of trying to lower your calories. Focus on more healthy fats, protein & fiber... and less sugar.

    Eating back calories does not work for a lot of people. You didn't gain or plateau from not eating enough.

  • allyphoe
    allyphoe Posts: 618 Member
    I'm 5'4, 41, and mostly sedentary. Maintenance for me at ~190 was about 2,100-2,200 calories a day.

    If you aren't weighing every day and tracking the trend, you may not be able to tell if you're losing weight. I had a stretch last month where I got an outlier low weight at the beginning and didn't see a lower number on the scale for a full month. Calculated trend showed I lost two pounds over that period, which was consistent with my eating during that period.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    allyphoe wrote: »
    I'm 5'4, 41, and mostly sedentary. Maintenance for me at ~190 was about 2,100-2,200 calories a day.

    If you aren't weighing every day and tracking the trend, you may not be able to tell if you're losing weight. I had a stretch last month where I got an outlier low weight at the beginning and didn't see a lower number on the scale for a full month. Calculated trend showed I lost two pounds over that period, which was consistent with my eating during that period.

    This happens to me too! That's why it's nice to have as much accurate data as possible.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    allyphoe wrote: »
    If you aren't weighing every day and tracking the trend, you may not be able to tell if you're losing weight. I had a stretch last month where I got an outlier low weight at the beginning and didn't see a lower number on the scale for a full month. Calculated trend showed I lost two pounds over that period, which was consistent with my eating during that period.

    OP, it's easy peasy to see your weight trend now you have a Fitbit. Just sync your account at http://trendweight.com

    Unlike MFP's "in 5 weeks" nonsense, Trendweight accurately predicts when you'll reach your goal weight. It shows your trend without the "noise" from water weight. And it's free. (It also syncs with Withings.)
  • 365andstillalive
    365andstillalive Posts: 663 Member
    Mrs_K_ wrote: »
    Will I still be able to lose weight eating 1500 calories at 198 pounds and 5'6? I started this at 279 pounds and I have at 1500 calories for the entire duration. I slipped for a month or so and got back up to 205. In the last couple of weeks I have went back down to 198 and now I'm stuck again. I actually seem to be gaining. I am ready to give up and I'm not quite sure what to do. I tried to drop down to 1200 calories but found myself binge eating when I drop that low. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

    Yes, you will lose on 1500 calories. How fast depends on your TDEE.

    I'm 5'6, 165lbs and I eat around 1700 to lose about an lb per week. Maitenence (aka my TDEE) is around 2200-2300 depending on how many hours I work that week (I have an active job, so a week off means less calories to play with unless I up my exercise, but the TDEE method still seems to work better for me than NEAT).

    Basically, go about this one of two ways: change your goals in MFP around and see how much you would lose at 1500 cals per day (I think if I'd been eating 1500 when I was in the 190s, I would have been running better than a 1000 calorie a day deficit, so over the 2lb per week mark). I do recommend if you're going to do the MFP route that you use a few calculators to get an accurate picture of what your BMR is (what you would burn if you were in a coma, basically) and to make sure you're netting above that number on a regular basis. Eating below your BMR can create some health issues long term, but the odd day below it certainly won't kill you. So basically, if MFP sets your goal below your BMR, evaluate if you really need to lose weight that quickly, or could back off by 0.5lbs per week.

    Second route: is to determine your TDEE, and the cut by a percentage. 20% is considered "aggressive" weight loss. Someone else has provided you some links above on that.