Scared I'll gain fat consuming 2000calories

halimaiqbal00
halimaiqbal00 Posts: 288 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I workout 5-6 days a week lifting heavy and doing hiit and steady state cardio. I typically burn 500-600 calories a session. I'm female, 5. 7 and 32 years old. Body fat is 25%, aiming to get it to 20%. I'm finding that I get hungry on anything below 1900 calories so I've set my calories to 2000 a day. I have a 2 and 4 year old so I'm generally active on top of my workouts.

I'm worried that I will gain fat by inreasing the calories. I log accurately and log everything. By doing this, and lifting heavy, ive dropped 5% body fat in the last 3 or so months. Should I continue on 1800 calories and allow the hunger pangs or should I increase to 2000 so I have more energy and am not as hungry? My aim is to change body composition and focus on fat loss. My bmr is 1450. I'm getting different readings for my tdee so don't know how many calories to eat, which is annoying.

What would you recommend? Eating at 1800 like I've been doing and brave the hunger? Or eat at 2000 calories and risk gaining fat but I'll only know if I try it...? I just don't want to get really disheartened if that does happen. I am my own worst critic and enemy

Replies

  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    I think you should try 2000. I am 5'8.5" and maintain around 2300, and can lose on 2000. Try it for 6 weeks.
  • Julie9151974
    Julie9151974 Posts: 2 Member
    First of all with a BMR of 1450 and being very active your body is burning about 2500 calories a day so at 2000 calories you will be dropping about 1lb a week. Second, as women get older it is important to maintain a certain level of fat. This helps us prevent osteoporosis and hormonal changes that can lead to things like breast cancer. Current recommendations for your age are to not drop below 22% so keep that in mind.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    If you're eating slightly above TDEE consistently and lifting heavy and doing cardio and HIIT, fat accumulation should be slim to none. Unless of course you're stressed and not sleeping.
  • vingogly
    vingogly Posts: 1,785 Member
    If you monitor your weight at maintenance, you can go below maintenance calories if you put on a few pounds until you get back down to your maintenance weight. It sounds like you're overthinking things. Putting a few pounds back on wouldn't be the end of the world, and you already know you have the ability to take it back off again. And why would you want to live your life in a chronic state of hunger?
  • halimaiqbal00
    halimaiqbal00 Posts: 288 Member
    Thanks for all your replies. Very reassuring. I think I knew i should eat more but wanted reassurance to give me more confidence to do it
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,745 Member
    Why be scared? All you're doing is refining an estimate by trial and error. If you find your weight is tending up, adjust your calories. It's nothing to be scared of.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    How long have you been eating 1800? What results are you having at that level? What is your current weight?

    At your height and activity level I would be surprised if you gained on 2000. I'm 5'2 and 120, walk 15K steps a day and do some light circuit training and my TDEE is 2200.
  • halimaiqbal00
    halimaiqbal00 Posts: 288 Member
    I've been eating at 1800 for a couple of months now more or less but I'd only meet that target now and again. I'd be ravenous so would overeat (no junk) often and didn't weigh myself but I can tell I've definitely lost fat and inches and feel muscle where it wasn't before. I'm 143 pounds. I have had an awful relationship with the scales in the past so trying to focus on that less now and seeing the numbers go up, made me drastically cut calories and then binge because it wasn't sustainable
  • Dogmom1978
    Dogmom1978 Posts: 1,580 Member
    First, how do you determine the number of calories you are burning during a workout? If you truly are burning that many calories and you are hungry, then up the caloric intake. Or you can eat foods high in fiber that are low cal and will help you feel full longer.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,139 Member
    edited November 2016
    Esp as a woman use a trending weight app.

    Any changes in your weight due to the caloric difference generated by a 200 Cal change to your eating target would be very gradual.

    You're talking 18 days for a 1 lb of difference brought about by this level of change.

    You may surprise yourself and either find no variance or find yourself feeling stronger and healthier and able to do more.

    And all this happens you should certainty then increase by another 200. And repeat in 100 Cal increments. Till you get to a level of calories where you really ARE gaining consistently.

    And then back off just that little bit.... if you're patient enough.
  • charlenekapf
    charlenekapf Posts: 309 Member
    Have you considered cycling calories? One day 1800, one day 2000, then 1800, then 2000, etc? You may find better satiety by cycling calories.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    If it's working so far, then there's no reason to make any changes. If it stops working, then reassess.
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,745 Member
    But it's working by knowingly overeating. She's probably averaging 2000 already, better to have it actually set as the goal so you know where you're at and can eat the amount you need without worrying about it.

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