Am I eating too little?

ryansmama04
ryansmama04 Posts: 15 Member
edited November 27 in Health and Weight Loss
Mfp has me at 1600 calories to lose 2lbs a week(I have a lot to lose) I've been staying at 12/1300 but my friend said I can't do that..so yesterday I ate 1600 but according to mfp I burned 660 calories. I know they aren't always accurate but do I have to get into those calories? I'm just not hungry enough but maybe I need higher calorie meals? I'm afraid to add too many calories and then fail :(

Replies

  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    edited December 2015
    Eat the 1600 cals MFP have you to lose your 2 lb a week.
    Eat back at least 50% of the calories you burned through exercise.

    Eating less may cause you to burn out, give up, binge, get tired or ill easier.

    You need to fuel your body.

    Cheers, h.
    ETA: if you are not getting the calories in, eat full fat and calorie dense foods, not diet foods.
  • ryansmama04
    ryansmama04 Posts: 15 Member
    I just can't imagine losing weight eating almost 2000 calories..I guess I should listen to everyone that knows lol not mysf who got so overweight s d clearly doesn't know much about healthy eating
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    How tall are you?
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    I've lost the majority of my weight eating 2000 - 1800 calories a day.
  • blankiefinder
    blankiefinder Posts: 3,599 Member
    A few important questions... 1. how long have you been eating at that calorie level, and how much have you lost over that time?? 2. Are you using a food scale to weigh everything?
  • Shells918
    Shells918 Posts: 1,070 Member
    I feel the same way. I'm supposed to eat 1350 calories plus up to 800-950 exercise calories. It's very hard to imagine I can lose weight like this - I think I should be eating more like 1000, but I'm trying it.
  • Dreysander
    Dreysander Posts: 294 Member
    1000 calories is not a good idea.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    @ryansmama04 give it a try eating more, a month at least. This will give you a good gauge of your TOM fluctuations. If you are not losing at the 2 lb a week (average it out, weight loss is not linear) rate, drop your daily calories by 100 each week until you are losing the 2 lb. It is much easier on you physically and mentally to start with high cals and slowly lowering them.

    Cheers, h.
  • blankiefinder
    blankiefinder Posts: 3,599 Member
    darlswife wrote: »
    I feel the same way. I'm supposed to eat 1350 calories plus up to 800-950 exercise calories. It's very hard to imagine I can lose weight like this - I think I should be eating more like 1000, but I'm trying it.

    @darlswife your calorie burns look quite inflated. In a 60 minute zumba class I burn 400-500 calories, and you are showing cardio burns of 600 calories in 40 minutes. Plus it looks like you're not using a food scale...
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    darlswife wrote: »
    I feel the same way. I'm supposed to eat 1350 calories plus up to 800-950 exercise calories. It's very hard to imagine I can lose weight like this - I think I should be eating more like 1000, but I'm trying it.

    Your calorie burns are overinflated ...halve them by double clicking on the calories, overwriting them and then enter them

    Then eat those
  • Shells918
    Shells918 Posts: 1,070 Member
    I don't think they are overinflated. I got them from an app that showed them specifically for the workout. Have you done the Rockin Body workout? It's more intense than Zumba, which I've also done.
    I do use a food scale. This is not my first time losing weight. I came here for support, and 2 people came on this thread just to criticize me.
    Really nice.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    It looks like you have some logging issues ( don't get offended. Its hard at first. I did the same exact thing. So I'm not being rude. Just being honest )
    It looks like you need to get a food scale and learn how to use it . its hard at first . like it sucks at first ! But after you get the hang of it, you'll be fine. Learn how to weigh all your foods and log them accurately here. Otherwise your calories consumed won't be accurate and you might not lose .
    Then learn how inflated workout burns are. Its doubtful that you are really burning what you think.
    So work on that stuff first then update this thread after you've gotten the hang of weighing foods . you will likely be shocked at the difference.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    darlswife wrote: »
    I don't think they are overinflated. I got them from an app that showed them specifically for the workout. Have you done the Rockin Body workout? It's more intense than Zumba, which I've also done.
    I do use a food scale. This is not my first time losing weight. I came here for support, and 2 people came on this thread just to criticize me.
    Really nice.

    Wow what a weird and unnecessary reaction to standard advice

    If you use inflated burns you can eat up your defecit but the only proof will be in your actual weight loss over 6-8 weeks, so if you find you aren't losing at the rate expected then you will know to look at your logging
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited December 2015
    Zumba has a mets estimate of 6.5
    https://sites.google.com/site/compendiumofphysicalactivities/Activity-Categories/new-activity-updates

    So you would possibly burn 6.5 /kg/hr of consistent intensity activity (1 met/kg/he being sedentary)

    Say you were 73kg (around 160lbs) ...that would be around 355 cals per 45 minutes

    And I'm not saying this to catch you out so please don't take it personally

    Just trying to help
  • Dreysander
    Dreysander Posts: 294 Member
    PP is right, actual calorie burns from excercise are often surprisingly low to people.
  • ryansmama04
    ryansmama04 Posts: 15 Member
    blankiefinder wrote: »
    A few important questions... 1. how long have you been eating at that calorie level, and how much have you lost over that time?? 2. Are you using a food scale to weigh everything?

    It's been about 10 days of eating 1200 or under calories. The first few days I lost 6 pounds..I'm sure water weight. But nothing for the last 6 days. So I guess I really do need more calories. I don't use a food scale, I should invest in one

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    ryansmama04 wrote: »
    blankiefinder wrote: »
    A few important questions... 1. how long have you been eating at that calorie level, and how much have you lost over that time?? 2. Are you using a food scale to weigh everything?

    It's been about 10 days of eating 1200 or under calories. The first few days I lost 6 pounds..I'm sure water weight. But nothing for the last 6 days. So I guess I really do need more calories. I don't use a food scale, I should invest in one

    Good idea

    They're only about $10-15 and are a revelation

    But yes if your logging is accurate trust in the system

    I lost most of my 55lbs eating 1500-1800 cals
  • ryansmama04
    ryansmama04 Posts: 15 Member
    I'm also so confused on the calories burned. There's no way it was 660 calories from a 2 mile leslie sansone walk and 5 or 6 dance fitness with jessica videos. Everyone tells me it's because I'm so over weight so I burn more but that seems like a lot for 45 or 60 minutes cardio
  • blankiefinder
    blankiefinder Posts: 3,599 Member
    darlswife wrote: »
    I don't think they are overinflated. I got them from an app that showed them specifically for the workout. Have you done the Rockin Body workout? It's more intense than Zumba, which I've also done.
    I do use a food scale. This is not my first time losing weight. I came here for support, and 2 people came on this thread just to criticize me.
    Really nice.

    That's great that you use a food scale. As to your burns, if that's what you're really burning, then you will see it in your rate of loss. That really is the best way to calculate your burns anyway, if you are losing faster than expected then you're probably burning more than you think, and if you're losing slower, then you're either burning less, or eating more.

    BTW, if you think that we were criticizing vs trying to help, you're in for a rough ride here, because there was no criticism, just a comment.

    I wonder why so many old timers have stopped trying to help...
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    edited December 2015
    ryansmama04 wrote: »
    blankiefinder wrote: »
    A few important questions... 1. how long have you been eating at that calorie level, and how much have you lost over that time?? 2. Are you using a food scale to weigh everything?

    It's been about 10 days of eating 1200 or under calories. The first few days I lost 6 pounds..I'm sure water weight. But nothing for the last 6 days. So I guess I really do need more calories. I don't use a food scale, I should invest in one

    I got a food scale, figuring I would just use it to make sure I was estimating properly for a couple of weeks and then I'd ditch it. But the difference in what I thought I was eating blew my mind. And now the scale sits on my kitchen counter and gets used almost every day two years later! It takes hardly any extra time and I feel like it helps me stay on track. I paid $15 for a digital scale on Amazon, best $15 I ever spent :)

    Once you know you are working with accurate numbers, you will have a much better idea of what to do next. And it will be a lot more important once you get down to the last 10-15 lbs and your margin of error is lower. And you will get to that point if you stick with it! So eat the 1600 plus half your exercise calories for 4-6 weeks and see what happens. It's all trial and error. Good luck :drinker:
  • blankiefinder
    blankiefinder Posts: 3,599 Member
    ryansmama04 wrote: »
    blankiefinder wrote: »
    A few important questions... 1. how long have you been eating at that calorie level, and how much have you lost over that time?? 2. Are you using a food scale to weigh everything?

    It's been about 10 days of eating 1200 or under calories. The first few days I lost 6 pounds..I'm sure water weight. But nothing for the last 6 days. So I guess I really do need more calories. I don't use a food scale, I should invest in one


    I would highly recommend getting a food scale. They really are inexpensive, you can get them usually between $10 and $20. Get one that has a tare or zero function. That way you put your bowl / plate on, then hit zero. Add food #1 (lets say lettuce). Log weight, hit zero. Add next food, log, zero, repeat...
  • ryansmama04
    ryansmama04 Posts: 15 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    ryansmama04 wrote: »
    blankiefinder wrote: »
    A few important questions... 1. how long have you been eating at that calorie level, and how much have you lost over that time?? 2. Are you using a food scale to weigh everything?

    It's been about 10 days of eating 1200 or under calories. The first few days I lost 6 pounds..I'm sure water weight. But nothing for the last 6 days. So I guess I really do need more calories. I don't use a food scale, I should invest in one

    Good idea

    They're only about $10-15 and are a revelation

    But yes if your logging is accurate trust in the system

    I lost most of my 55lbs eating 1500-1800 cals
    What were your workouts like at that time?
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited December 2015
    ryansmama04 wrote: »
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    ryansmama04 wrote: »
    blankiefinder wrote: »
    A few important questions... 1. how long have you been eating at that calorie level, and how much have you lost over that time?? 2. Are you using a food scale to weigh everything?

    It's been about 10 days of eating 1200 or under calories. The first few days I lost 6 pounds..I'm sure water weight. But nothing for the last 6 days. So I guess I really do need more calories. I don't use a food scale, I should invest in one

    Good idea

    They're only about $10-15 and are a revelation

    But yes if your logging is accurate trust in the system

    I lost most of my 55lbs eating 1500-1800 cals
    What were your workouts like at that time?

    Same as now really

    I hit the gym 3 times a week (twice recently but am focusing on doing better) I tend to burn around 300 -350 calories in a 45 minute gym session alone (20 mins cardio plus weights / calisthenics) and 600-650 in 80 mins with my trainer (20 mins cardio plus weights / calisthenics)

    I wear a fitbit zip and allow it to adjust my activity from sedentary generally earning 200-400 calories for daily steps.

    During weight loss I was more focused so was probably hitting 10K steps more regularly then and earning 350 calories on average, now I tend to hit around 6-8k ...around 3k steps allows me to hit sedentary activity
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