How many calories should I eat to lose weight while lifting?
Barbosas77
Posts: 100 Member
Hello I've been on mfp for a while now and I haven't managed to lose weight as I should. Can someone help figure out exactly how much calories to take in while lifting and lose weight?
My calories on here are 1200 yet I know that's default, I changed the macros to consume more protein than carbs which I thought it will help with weight loss. I lift and do cardio 4x a week, mainly lift. Cardio about 10 min of hiit. I only have 1 cheat meal on Saturdays and my meals are basically the same every week. Am I consuming too little calorie? Is my body going on starve mode cuz of that? Is that why my weight loss has not dropped? Please help!!! I will provide my info below, thanks!!
39-years old
146-pounds
5'0- height
Workout 4 days a week (one hour) moderate to heavy lifting.
My goal is 125 pounds.
My calories on here are 1200 yet I know that's default, I changed the macros to consume more protein than carbs which I thought it will help with weight loss. I lift and do cardio 4x a week, mainly lift. Cardio about 10 min of hiit. I only have 1 cheat meal on Saturdays and my meals are basically the same every week. Am I consuming too little calorie? Is my body going on starve mode cuz of that? Is that why my weight loss has not dropped? Please help!!! I will provide my info below, thanks!!
39-years old
146-pounds
5'0- height
Workout 4 days a week (one hour) moderate to heavy lifting.
My goal is 125 pounds.
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Replies
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Besides your height your stats are fairly close to mine. I would increase to 1600 calories a day. If you are lifting you need protein to prevent muscle loss so make sure you are getting at least 100g protein daily. Even if the scale isn't changing you should still be losing inches so I would recommend taking measurements or pictures.0
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Besides your height your stats are fairly close to mine. I would increase to 1600 calories a day. If you are lifting you need protein to prevent muscle loss so make sure you are getting at least 100g protein daily. Even if the scale isn't changing you should still be losing inches so I would recommend taking measurements or pictures.
This. Though 1,200 is the bare minimum its far too low if you want to have the energy to physically be able to lift (properly) and give your muscle the right nutrition to repair themselves and heal. I eat on average about 1,500 calories. I do Strength and Cardio alternating and take a break on Sunday.0 -
Starvation mode is not a thing. If you are not losing weight at the speed that MFP projects you are very likely eating more than you think you are - are you weighing everything to a gram? For being 5 feet tall I think 1200 is enough. I'm 5'2 and 139 and I eat 1200 a day (1660 being my TDEE ). Lifting is very good but does not burn that much calories, and neither does 10 min of really any activity. It is possible that your TDEE is quite low so at 1200 you don't lose very fast. For a full 1 lbs loss it should say 1160 for me...but it doesn't because under 1200 is unhealthy...but since you are shorter it could mean that at 1200 you are in a quite small deficit (some short people maintain at around 1400).0
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n1cholee93 wrote: »Besides your height your stats are fairly close to mine. I would increase to 1600 calories a day. If you are lifting you need protein to prevent muscle loss so make sure you are getting at least 100g protein daily. Even if the scale isn't changing you should still be losing inches so I would recommend taking measurements or pictures.
This. Though 1,200 is the bare minimum its far too low if you want to have the energy to physically be able to lift (properly) and give your muscle the right nutrition to repair themselves and heal. I eat on average about 1,500 calories. I do Strength and Cardio alternating and take a break on Sunday.
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Thank you I will try to increase calories0
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Barbosas77 wrote: »Thank you I will try to increase calories
@Barbosas77 I think you are taking the wrong advice. Count your TDEE... I just put your info on a TDEE calculator and it shows 1500 only... so you are in a 300 kcal deficit a day... so you are probably losing around 0.5 lbs a week. Eating more is not an answer.0 -
KorvapuustiPossu wrote: »Barbosas77 wrote: »Thank you I will try to increase calories
@Barbosas77 I think you are taking the wrong advice. Count your TDEE... I just put your info on a TDEE calculator and it shows 1500 only... so you are in a 300 kcal deficit a day... so you are probably losing around 0.5 lbs a week. Eating more is not an answer.
I agree, I got the same results. A good weight loss target for a 5'0" woman at 146 lbs is 1100-1200 calories per day. If you want to accelerate your fat loss, I would try these things, in the order listed:
1) Track your cheat meal calories and make sure they don't put you more than about 100 calories over your maintenance calories (1500-1600) for the day.
2) Make sure you're measuring very carefully and tracking ALL your calories. All solid foods should be weighed on a kitchen scale, liquids can be measured with spoons/cups. Don't forget about the dollop of oil you're sauteeing your vegetables in, and don't forget to measure the butter on your toast and/or the mayo on your sandwich.
3) add 30 minutes of cardio three days a week0 -
Well, I weigh, measure everything I eat. I lift heavy and do hiit cardio.. I've been on 1200 diet for almost a year and only lost about probably 10 total in a year! I also drink over a gallon a day.
So I'm thinking I'm taking on too lil calories for my active lifestyle. But thanks for the advice.0 -
Barbosas77 wrote: »Hello I've been on mfp for a while now and I haven't managed to lose weight as I should.
What does this mean, exactly? How long have you been counting your calories accurately? Have you lost any weight at all? How much have you lost in what amount of time?Can someone help figure out exactly how much calories to take in while lifting and lose weight?
My calories on here are 1200 yet I know that's default, I changed the macros to consume more protein than carbs which I thought it will help with weight loss. I lift and do cardio 4x a week, mainly lift. Cardio about 10 min of hiit.
You are short and not terribly overweight. It is possible that 1200 may be an okay goal for you and that your deficit is just small enough that you won't see scale loss very often, especially when you factor in water retention due to hormonal fluctuations. The carb/protein thing won't make a difference as far as how much weight you lose. 1 gram of protein = 4 calories. 1 gram of carbs = 4 calories.I only have 1 cheat meal on Saturdays and my meals are basically the same every week. Am I consuming too little calorie? Is my body going on starve mode cuz of that?
No, you are not going into starvation mode. Starvation is when you don't have enough calories to provide proper nutrition. People who are starving lose weight. You're old enough to have seen pictures of people who starved during the Holocaust and to have seen pictures of people starving around the world. Those people are not overweight or retaining mass. They are exceedingly thin and sickly and in danger of dying.
Your cheat meal on Saturday can easily eat up any caloric deficit you've incurred during the week. If your TDEE is 1500 and you're eating 1200, eat some fries or a big burger or a margarita and you've lost a good chunk of the prior 6 days of uneaten calories. Try eating at maintenance on Saturday rather than having a cheat meal.0 -
I seriously don't understand why I'm not losing. So frustrating. I've been on this for a year, max lost 10 pounds. I workout super hard in the gym with moderate to heavy lifting and cardio. I don't drink and sometimes I don't even cheat just cuz I don't want to gain weight....I measure even the oil I put in my foods. I weigh my food and snacks. I haven't gained any weight but I haven't lost any either. There has to be something that's not adding up. Idk what else to do...I have toned a lot which is great but like I said I want to lose this weight.0
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Have you measured yourself, though? When lifting, there may not be much scale change at all.Barbosas77 wrote: »I seriously don't understand why I'm not losing. So frustrating. I've been on this for a year, max lost 10 pounds. I workout super hard in the gym with moderate to heavy lifting and cardio. I don't drink and sometimes I don't even cheat just cuz I don't want to gain weight....I measure even the oil I put in my foods. I weigh my food and snacks. I haven't gained any weight but I haven't lost any either. There has to be something that's not adding up. Idk what else to do...I have toned a lot which is great but like I said I want to lose this weight.
Do you eat peanut/nut butters, mayo, salad dressings oils? Do you weigh these things? Spoon measurements can be notoriously off when it comes to these foods. Also, do you eat anything that is prepackaged? It is good to weigh foods like this (pre-packaged meals/foods, bread slices, cheese, snack packs, eggs) as they can vary in weight. Weigh everything solid and semi solid and use measuring cups/spoons for all liquids. Also, choose accurate database entries... some of them are a joke, so compare them to the food nutritional information on your packages.
How much sodium do you consume?0 -
When you are short and not very heavy it gets slow... That's just how it is...our TDEE is low so we can't be in a big deficit. Make sure you weight EVERYTHING to a gram - of course you need to count oil...that can add up a lot. It's easy on such a tight calorie budget to overdo it. It can be the smallest things but there is no wiggle room at all. Everything that you put in your mouth- food or drinks needs to be weighed and logged properly (make sure you are using correct data entries because some are way way off). Other thing you can do is increase duration of cardio to create bigger deficit. Have patience, you are losing after all.0
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Happy to try and help if you want to add me as a friend & open up your diary. As soon as you work out what the tweek you need is you should be fine getting right back on track.0
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cerise_noir wrote: »
Have you measured yourself, though? When lifting, there may not be much scale change at all.Barbosas77 wrote: »I seriously don't understand why I'm not losing. So frustrating. I've been on this for a year, max lost 10 pounds. I workout super hard in the gym with moderate to heavy lifting and cardio. I don't drink and sometimes I don't even cheat just cuz I don't want to gain weight....I measure even the oil I put in my foods. I weigh my food and snacks. I haven't gained any weight but I haven't lost any either. There has to be something that's not adding up. Idk what else to do...I have toned a lot which is great but like I said I want to lose this weight.
Do you eat peanut/nut butters, mayo, salad dressings oils? Do you weigh these things? Spoon measurements can be notoriously off when it comes to these foods. Also, do you eat anything that is prepackaged? It is good to weigh foods like this (pre-packaged meals/foods, bread slices, cheese, snack packs, eggs) as they can vary in weight. Weigh everything solid and semi solid and use measuring cups/spoons for all liquids. Also, choose accurate database entries... some of them are a joke, so compare them to the food nutritional information on your packages.
How much sodium do you consume?
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I have a food scale and I scan a lot of my foods also measure. My measurements are the same for over 6 months but then I see the diff in pix..I see myself more toned but same mearuments if that makes sense.0
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sarabushby wrote: »Happy to try and help if you want to add me as a friend & open up your diary. As soon as you work out what the tweek you need is you should be fine getting right back on track.
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Sure... Anything advice is appreciated.0
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KorvapuustiPossu wrote: »When you are short and not very heavy it gets slow... That's just how it is...our TDEE is low so we can't be in a big deficit. Make sure you weight EVERYTHING to a gram - of course you need to count oil...that can add up a lot. It's easy on such a tight calorie budget to overdo it. It can be the smallest things but there is no wiggle room at all. Everything that you put in your mouth- food or drinks needs to be weighed and logged properly (make sure you are using correct data entries because some are way way off). Other thing you can do is increase duration of cardio to create bigger deficit. Have patience, you are losing after all.
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I do ALL those things...I use pam spray for my foods and I bake most of my meats and fish..so hardly any oils0
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1200 is not the default...it's based on stats and weekly weight loss goal actually.Barbosas77 wrote: »Hello I've been on mfp for a while now and I haven't managed to lose weight as I should. Can someone help figure out exactly how much calories to take in while lifting and lose weight?
My calories on here are 1200 yet I know that's default, [/b]I changed the macros to consume more protein than carbs which I thought it will help with weight loss. I lift and do cardio 4x a week, mainly lift. Cardio about 10 min of hiit. I only have 1 cheat meal on Saturdays and my meals are basically the same every week. Am I consuming too little calorie? Is my body going on starve mode cuz of that? Is that why my weight loss has not dropped? Please help!!! I will provide my info below, thanks!!
39-years old
146-pounds
5'0- height
Workout 4 days a week (one hour) moderate to heavy lifting.
My goal is 125 pounds.
Macros are for health not weight loss.
Exercise is not required for weight loss.
Starvation Mode is not a thing. If you were starving you would know it.
you are losing weight just not as fast as you think you should be.
If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal
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Barbosas77 wrote: »I do ALL those things...I use pam spray for my foods and I bake most of my meats and fish..so hardly any oils
Do you accurately log your weekly cheat meal so you know how much it is impacting your deficit?
You say you've lost 10 lbs in the course of the year. That works out to daily average deficit (including whatever impact your cheat meal has) of just over 100 calories a day.* If Korvapuusti has your TDEE right at 1500, that would work out to an 1800 calorie deficit across six days -- is it possible your cheat meal is putting you at around 2600 calories for the seventh day?**
*The arithmetic, in case you care: 3500 [calories per pound] X .833 [=10 lbs/12 months] / 4 [weeks in a month] = 728.875 calorie-deficit per week, or just over 100 calories a day.
**2600 - 1500 = 1100 cal surplus for day 7. 1800 cal deficit for days 1-6 minus 1100 cal surplus for day 7 equals 700 calories deficit for week => 10 lb loss for year.0 -
If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal
These are pretty arbitrary. Ideal targets depend very much on height and lean body mass.0 -
Barbosas77 wrote: »I do ALL those things...I use pam spray for my foods and I bake most of my meats and fish..so hardly any oils
Dietary fat is not the enemy; quite the opposite, it's essential. Skip the non food stuff like Pam and have some natural fats, especially from animals.
So you are trying to build muscle but also want significant losses on the scale? lol You are eating at a huge deficit and expect to build muscle and not slow metabolism? lol0 -
I can see why you're frustrated. I'm 5'2" and started the year at 148. I'm 137.7 as of this morning and I've been eating about 1400-1500 calories per day. I do strength training too, but also do 3 days of cardio ranging from 30 min to 1 hour. On my 3 strength days, I make sure I get 10,000 steps which usually requires some amount of purposeful walking. My TDEE according to my Fitbit is 1800-1900 most days.
Maybe up your normal daily activity and make sure your logging is super accurate. Good luck. I hope the scale starts moving for you!0 -
Akimajuktuq wrote: »Barbosas77 wrote: »I do ALL those things...I use pam spray for my foods and I bake most of my meats and fish..so hardly any oils
Dietary fat is not the enemy; quite the opposite, it's essential. Skip the non food stuff like Pam and have some natural fats, especially from animals.
So you are trying to build muscle but also want significant losses on the scale? lol You are eating at a huge deficit and expect to build muscle and not slow metabolism? lol
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If your just gonna "lol" don't respond to my post. I'm simply asking for help not to be mocked!0
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geogirl0626 wrote: »I can see why you're frustrated. I'm 5'2" and started the year at 148. I'm 137.7 as of this morning and I've been eating about 1400-1500 calories per day. I do strength training too, but also do 3 days of cardio ranging from 30 min to 1 hour. On my 3 strength days, I make sure I get 10,000 steps which usually requires some amount of purposeful walking. My TDEE according to my Fitbit is 1800-1900 most days.
Maybe up your normal daily activity and make sure your logging is super accurate. Good luck. I hope the scale starts moving for you!
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Thank you so much!!! I will take your advice...I think your right, I have to up my workouts. Let's see if eating at 1500 is better since I'm weight training. I was reading a lot of important info on bodybuilding.com and a lot of ppl say you can't eat less then 1200 if your strength training... Maybe that's my mistake...what do you think?0
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Barbosas77 wrote: »Thank you so much!!! I will take your advice...I think your right, I have to up my workouts. Let's see if eating at 1500 is better since I'm weight training. I was reading a lot of important info on bodybuilding.com and a lot of ppl say you can't eat less then 1200 if your strength training... Maybe that's my mistake...what do you think?
I was eating at a smaller deficit and making great progress in my lifts. But the scale wasnt really moving.
I dropped my calories.... but eventually I lost my energy to lift (I did also get sick and lost sleep with sick baby) I think dropping calories was a mistake and a contributing factor to my stall.
I have been eating about 200 more calories each day and actually feel better.
If fitness wasnt part of my journey- a lower intake would be fine. But Im asking a lot from my body and I cant expect my car to run on empty.
A lot of us underestimate the calories we need in fear of eating too much.
Lifting WILL change your body even if the scale doesnt change.
I lost 7.6lbs only- BUT 9 overall inches- pretty quickly too. Looking back my first attempt was right.
Eat to live. Eat to lift.0 -
Barbosas77 wrote: »Hello I've been on mfp for a while now and I haven't managed to lose weight as I should. Can someone help figure out exactly how much calories to take in while lifting and lose weight?
My calories on here are 1200 yet I know that's default, I changed the macros to consume more protein than carbs which I thought it will help with weight loss. I lift and do cardio 4x a week, mainly lift. Cardio about 10 min of hiit. I only have 1 cheat meal on Saturdays and my meals are basically the same every week. Am I consuming too little calorie? Is my body going on starve mode cuz of that? Is that why my weight loss has not dropped? Please help!!! I will provide my info below, thanks!!
39-years old
146-pounds
5'0- height
Workout 4 days a week (one hour) moderate to heavy lifting.
My goal is 125 pounds.
Your stats are close to mine. I'm 4'11" and started at 150. I've lost 20 lbs so far. I've only been here on this site since last week but I also do Weight Watchers and was steadily losing there. I have 1200 calories here and no matter what I do to try and change it I can't get it to go higher. So I make sure to eat the calories I lose through exercise on the days when I burn calories.
You have your diary private so I can't see but what is a typical day of meals for you?
Do you measure and weigh all of your foods?
I also eat as many one ingredient foods as possible each day: fruits, veggies, egg whites, nuts, fish, chicken
You say you aren't losing weight but do you measure yourself? I've noticed a big loss in inches versus the pounds lost so far.
Feel free to add me as a friend if you'd like!
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