calorie intake?

katie1318
katie1318 Posts: 59 Member
edited November 25 in Health and Weight Loss
I cannot figure out what my calories to maintain (or lose) would be. I've tried online calculators but nothing really has worked. I'm currently eating about 1400-1500cals per day, and I've slowly gained weight over the last couple of weeks (about a pound). I'm 5'1.5", 115lbs, and exercise quite a bit. I run 4mi 4 days a week, do a cardio kickboxing class once a week, and a low-intensity cardio dance class once a week. Ideally, I liked to get down to a maintenance weight of 110. How many calories should I eat to lose and then maintain? Or any additional advice?
Thanks!

Replies

  • Rockin2014
    Rockin2014 Posts: 196 Member
    I find it hard to believe that you are eating over maintenance at 1500 calories. I suspect that you're either not counting/measuring the exact amount of calories or that the weight gain is just due to normal fluctations. One pound in two weeks could very well be water retention.
  • optionsgod
    optionsgod Posts: 144 Member
    are you weighing your food with a scale so you are accurate with calorie intake?
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    optionsgod wrote: »
    are you weighing your food with a scale so you are accurate with calorie intake?

    this ..

    are you eating back 100% of exercise calories?
    Are you accurately logging everything?
    do you use correct MFP database entries?

    if you are gaining you are eating too much, period.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    edited October 2015
    1-2 weeks is not enough tracking time to form a conclusion. The 'gain' could be hormonal/TOM, due to sodium, stress, etc. Track over 2-3 months, comparing weight every 30 days.

    BUT how do you know you're eating 1500/day? Using food scale, logging accurately? At your height/weight you do not burn at a high level so accuracy is very important. Your maintenance may be in the 1500-1800 range, depending on actual burn for exercise.

    Have you lost weight to get to your present level? If so what calories did you eat per day, on average, and how quickly did you lose weight? The simplest answer is to start from there. And to ease into maintenance, add 200-300 cals per day and test the results over time. As in more than 1 week.
  • katie1318
    katie1318 Posts: 59 Member
    optionsgod wrote: »
    are you weighing your food with a scale so you are accurate with calorie intake?

    I weigh food as often as possible. I'd say my logging is very accurate about 75% of the time, but never really inaccurate
  • katie1318
    katie1318 Posts: 59 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    optionsgod wrote: »
    are you weighing your food with a scale so you are accurate with calorie intake?

    this ..

    are you eating back 100% of exercise calories?
    Are you accurately logging everything?
    do you use correct MFP database entries?

    if you are gaining you are eating too much, period.

    Yes to weighing food, no to eating back exercise calories. I don't even log my exercise
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    A pound could just be normal fluctuation. I wouldn't even pay attention to that, most of us who maintain are maintaining in a range of 5 pounds or so. You should focus on the long-term trend.
  • katie1318
    katie1318 Posts: 59 Member
    StaciMarie1974 wrote: »

    Have you lost weight to get to your present level? If so what calories did you eat per day, on average, and how quickly did you lose weight? The simplest answer is to start from there. And to ease into maintenance, add 200-300 cals per day and test the results over time. As in more than 1 week.

    For the past few weeks I've been upping my daily intake by 50cals every two weeks. Starting at about 1300
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    So, you're eating 1400-1500, but estimate you're 75% accurate? Meaning you *could* be eating 1050-1995? (1050 being 75% of 1400, and 1500 being 75% of 1995).

    Personally I suggest staying at your current level for another couple weeks, but getting a scale and measuring everything. When you have so little to lose, accuracy becomes even more important. Also, maybe get a FitBit and monitor your activity a bit closer?
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
    katie1318 wrote: »
    StaciMarie1974 wrote: »

    Have you lost weight to get to your present level? If so what calories did you eat per day, on average, and how quickly did you lose weight? The simplest answer is to start from there. And to ease into maintenance, add 200-300 cals per day and test the results over time. As in more than 1 week.

    For the past few weeks I've been upping my daily intake by 50cals every two weeks. Starting at about 1300

    Sounds like this could be the culprit to me. As you start eating more and move into maintenance, your glycogen stores replenish themselves. I bet the pound "gain" you saw is just your body storing water as it adjusts to maintenance. Gaining a couple of pounds when you increase calories is very normal.

    But, as others have said, make sure you are being accurate.
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    Pregnant.....
  • katie1318
    katie1318 Posts: 59 Member
    Thanks so much for all the input? One last question: any ideas as to what my maintenance is and how many calories I should eat to lose just five more pounds?
  • katie1318
    katie1318 Posts: 59 Member
    katie1318 wrote: »
    Thanks so much for all the input! One last question: any ideas as to what my maintenance is and how many calories I should eat to lose just five more pounds?

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