No idea how many calories I should consume!

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graysmom2005
graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi there! First post. I'm a 31 year old stay at home mom/group exercise instructor. I have been overweight my whole life. I was 186 pounds when I started this journey...now with calorie counting and becoming a Spinning and Body Pump instructor I have lost 35 or so pounds.

My question is this. I'm 5'6 and the LOWEST I can get is 148 pounds, but I hover at around 150-153. My calorie count on fitness pal to lose two pounds a week (I think) is 1220 calories. Here is where I get confused. I generally teach two classes a day, so I hover around burning between 800-1200 calories a day in exercise probably 5 days a week...minimum. The only way I can get down to even 148 is if I keep my calories at 1200 or so. PLUS working out those two classes a day. THAT IS NOT A LOT OF FOOD FOR THAT MUCH EXERCISE! At the end of the day should I have consumed the 1200 calories plus make up the 1000 or so calories I consumed? To lose weight should I actually be eating around 2200? Am I eating too little? I don't understand why my weight won't go down. It has been stuck for months and months and months. Can anyone help me with this? Nutritionally I'm a mess. Thank you!!!!

Replies

  • AnnaPixie
    AnnaPixie Posts: 7,439 Member
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    The advice given for people with only a few pounds to use is to adjust your goals to half a pound per week and eat back all your calories, including your exercise cals. So yes, you aren't eating enough.

    If you search the forums you'll find longer more explanatory notes on this.

    Good luck :flowerforyou:
  • DrBorkBork
    DrBorkBork Posts: 4,099 Member
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    First of all, I hope you told MFP when signing up that you are highly active. Teaching two classes every day has got to be brutal. That alone should have given you a ton of cals, and then you could work from there.
  • graysmom2005
    graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
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    Thank you! I am close...I think for my height the 130-140's would be better. Working out that hard and not getting anywhere has been frustrating as heck. I thought maybe I wasn't eating enough..but then when I really cut back to 1200 strictly...I actually lost 4lbs...so then I thought I that can't be the case. Thanks for answering!
  • crazysillydancer
    crazysillydancer Posts: 7
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    Personally, I'm about the same size about you and also work out a lot (up to 3.5 hours a day). I know that I probably eat a total of somewhere between 1200 and 1500 calories and lose about 2 pounds per week. Just make sure you get enough protein to feel full. Unless your blood sugar is suffering and you're getting light headed or headaches you're probably eating enough. Just eat throughout the day! :D
  • LovelySnugs
    LovelySnugs Posts: 389
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    MFP user Taso42 made this, and i think it will help you answer some questions: www.shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com

    it started as a mean joke, i think, but it's actually got some good information. you might also search the forums for "eating exercise calories" and get some information like that. just a note though - when people say "starvation mode" around here, they usually mean "famine response". same effect, in the end - it becomes harder to lose weight, and your body may end up using its own muscle for fuel instead of its fat stores.

    hope that helps!
  • graysmom2005
    graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
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    Hi there! When I set up my account on my iphone, I'm sure I put I was highly active. I'll double check....but if given the choice that is what I'd put! LOL! Doing one of each isn't so bad. It's my double spin days that are brutal. Thursdays I have a 45 minute at 930 and 1 hour at 5:30. :-/
  • kylakesgal
    kylakesgal Posts: 952 Member
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    Yes I agree that you aren't eating enough!! Anytime you burn major calories like that, your body requires more fuel than say if you were just sitting around. I also workout really hard and I upped my calories about a month ago and have seen a huge difference in my weight loss. I'm 45 yrs old(will be 46 next month) and at first I was really skeptical on eating back the exercise calories but it DOES work. I try to eat back most of the calories but just listen to your body.....it will let you know when you need to eat. Good luck to you, this should break through that plateau you are on:) Also, make sure you aren't skipping meals and have some healthy high protein snacks in between and lots of water:)
  • graysmom2005
    graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
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    Thanks Kyla! I've been eating this amount (except for the occasional off the program meal/weekend) so eating all that back will feel like a lot of food. I do NOT drink enough water at all. I don't drink water unless I'm at the gym. It's so bad. I'm a soda addict. It's my one vice...diet soda that is. I probably don't eat enough protein either....I try and get it in snack wise with low calorie higher protein bars etc. This idea is hard to wrap my mind around. What did you do/how did it work when you added more food in?
  • kylakesgal
    kylakesgal Posts: 952 Member
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    Well before I upped my calories, I was barely losing even a 1/2 lb a week and some weeks nothing which was very discouraging because I literally work my butt off lol. I burned over 700 calories today working out. Within my first week of upping the calories, I could already tell a difference. The first week I switched it up, I lost 1.6 lbs. The next week 2 lbs and I've been consistent with at least 1 lb a week now ,, usually more though. I'm also about your size, I weigh 150 right now. I go over on the protein everyday but that is one that is ok to go over on because if you are working out really hard, your body needs that extra protein for energy. I also was a pop addict and loved my sweet tea but since Feb., I only drink water and lots of it. You might try cutting back on the diet drinks and slowly adding in water to replace it. Try adding lemon slices to your water or special k makes a great protein water mix you add to your water and it has 5 gms of protein in it. I wouldn't use any kind of additives with artifical sugars. Add maybe some unsalted almonds to your snacks for protein or cocoa roast almonds are wonderful. They come in the 100 calorie pack and of course greek yogurt also has good protein too. Sounds like you work out really hard so add that protein lol. You can do it! Feel free to browse my diary if you like:)

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