New here and need help!

lynnie256
lynnie256 Posts: 1 Member
edited November 15 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey all! I am a 28yr old female, 5'0 & 125lbs. Because I'm so short I look like the fat Snooki, doesn't help that I'm from NJ either :D
I am pretty much sedentary all day due to my job (12+ hours a day) I want to lose 20-25lbs. I was 105 3 years ago but had postpartum depression and gained ALOT! If I am sedentary how many calories per day do I need to eat to lose 2lbs per week? I get the calories in\calories out but if I am eating 1200 calories per day and doing nothing isn't that just what my body needs to sustain itself? I don't get how I am actually going to lose weight? Wouldn't I have to do -500 calories under that? I know this is simple and I am just overthinking this. Please help!!

Replies

  • patslitzker
    patslitzker Posts: 127 Member
    This app tells you how many calories to eat if you enter you statistics. You need to enter you height weight age and lifestyle in the settings and that you'd like to lose 2 lbs a week and it will give you a calorie goal.
  • stylzemail
    stylzemail Posts: 33 Member
    Because you inherited being short its - not a bad thing , short people gain weight "faster" quicker- than tall people.- I would say, use portion control- with foods Meals.
    Portion: meaning 8 oz. Cup size amount of veggies, carbs, meats- ECT. And drink plenty of liquids too block - cravings. If a person want sweets then make lemon tea 44oz. Cup instead of cakes. Or whey protein shake instead of cookies. Sweet drinks are safe because- the body don't have time to store the sugar it gets used up in 40 mins where as cake or chips take hour to digest giving time for blood cells to store the fat cells. If you eat rice eat no more than 8 oz cup portion. And try to be active more, you not need gym memberships, but that can help.. the key thing is- keep legs and arms moving about. During the day--- to keep blood circulation up. Check this out, most men have pot belly that drive trucks or cars alot.. Because- driving be the same as sitting on a couch-psycologically- all day. Not burning up the calories ....so fat deposits settle on the stomach.
  • ccsernica
    ccsernica Posts: 1,040 Member
    edited January 2017
    First, be comforted that Snooki is actually from New York. (Well... Chile to start with, but she grew up in the Hudson Valley.)

    2 lbs/week is an extremely aggressive goal if you only have 20-25 lbs to lose. You'd be better off aiming for 1 lb/week, as MFP will recommend.

    Sedentary doesn't mean you're doing absolutely nothing, even though it might feel as if you are much of the time. According to the TDEE calculator at https://mytdee.com/ you should be eating 1610 calories to maintain your current weight, and 1280 to lose 20 lbs at its recommended rate, which is somewhat slower than MFP will recommend for you. So no, 1200 is well below your daily calorie needs and there's no reason why you shouldn't lose weight eating that many.

    Incidentally, when MFP tells you to eat 1200 calories, it's most likely because the weight loss rate you asked for was too aggressive. It will never recommend less than 1200 for any woman. (I believe its lower limit for a man is 1500.) It's very hard to get enough nutrition for good health with any fewer.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    2 lbs per week is extreme for someone of your weight. 1% of your body weight is about the most you should expect to lose in a week, so no more than 1.25lbs (regardless of how much you have to lose).
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    OP, 2 lbs per week is too aggressive for someone your size. Enter your stats into mfp, choose 1 lb per week, and get your calorie goal, it will already include your deficit. Log your food accurately and consistently, plus log your exercise and eat some of those calories back as well.
  • KiraCharman
    KiraCharman Posts: 90 Member
    Think I might be able to help but would need more info add me and we can chat if you fancy
  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,563 Member
    stylzemail wrote: »
    Because you inherited being short its - not a bad thing , short people gain weight "faster" quicker- than tall people.- I would say, use portion control- with foods Meals.
    Portion: meaning 8 oz. Cup size amount of veggies, carbs, meats- ECT. And drink plenty of liquids too block - cravings. If a person want sweets then make lemon tea 44oz. Cup instead of cakes. Or whey protein shake instead of cookies. Sweet drinks are safe because- the body don't have time to store the sugar it gets used up in 40 mins where as cake or chips take hour to digest giving time for blood cells to store the fat cells. If you eat rice eat no more than 8 oz cup portion. And try to be active more, you not need gym memberships, but that can help.. the key thing is- keep legs and arms moving about. During the day--- to keep blood circulation up. Check this out, most men have pot belly that drive trucks or cars alot.. Because- driving be the same as sitting on a couch-psycologically- all day. Not burning up the calories ....so fat deposits settle on the stomach.

    1. A person eating 500 calories a day more than they expend will gain weight at the same rate as anyone else regardless of height
    2. What's magic about 8 oz.? Especially when comparing apples to oranges (carbs/fats/protein)
    3. Just no
    4. See #2
    5. Huh?
    6. When eating excess calories, fat deposits wherever genetics dictate

    Just an aside, my brother drives a truck and is probably the fittest person in my family.
  • mactaffy428
    mactaffy428 Posts: 61 Member
    stylzemail wrote: »
    Because you inherited being short its - not a bad thing , short people gain weight "faster" quicker- than tall people.- I would say, use portion control- with foods Meals.
    Portion: meaning 8 oz. Cup size amount of veggies, carbs, meats- ECT. And drink plenty of liquids too block - cravings. If a person want sweets then make lemon tea 44oz. Cup instead of cakes. Or whey protein shake instead of cookies. Sweet drinks are safe because- the body don't have time to store the sugar it gets used up in 40 mins where as cake or chips take hour to digest giving time for blood cells to store the fat cells. If you eat rice eat no more than 8 oz cup portion. And try to be active more, you not need gym memberships, but that can help.. the key thing is- keep legs and arms moving about. During the day--- to keep blood circulation up. Check this out, most men have pot belly that drive trucks or cars alot.. Because- driving be the same as sitting on a couch-psycologically- all day. Not burning up the calories ....so fat deposits settle on the stomach.

    Huh?

  • marm1962
    marm1962 Posts: 950 Member
    According to the info the OP gave, with no exercise she would have to settle for approx 1lb a week @ 1000 calories a day or move more to be able to eat 1200 calories and still lose. At least according to http://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/. I personally think she'd do better at 1/2 lb a week which averages about 1200 calories. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong
  • ccsernica
    ccsernica Posts: 1,040 Member
    marm1962 wrote: »
    According to the info the OP gave, with no exercise she would have to settle for approx 1lb a week @ 1000 calories a day or move more to be able to eat 1200 calories and still lose. At least according to http://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/. I personally think she'd do better at 1/2 lb a week which averages about 1200 calories. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong

    BMR is not the number we start with, but TDEE. You burn your BMR if you're in a coma, literally doing nothing at all but basic metabolic functions. Also, we don't suggest fewer than 1200 calories/day unless we're doctors and have the dieter under medical supervision.
  • Stella3838
    Stella3838 Posts: 439 Member
    stylzemail wrote: »
    Because you inherited being short its - not a bad thing , short people gain weight "faster" quicker- than tall people.- I would say, use portion control- with foods Meals.
    Portion: meaning 8 oz. Cup size amount of veggies, carbs, meats- ECT. And drink plenty of liquids too block - cravings. If a person want sweets then make lemon tea 44oz. Cup instead of cakes. Or whey protein shake instead of cookies. Sweet drinks are safe because- the body don't have time to store the sugar it gets used up in 40 mins where as cake or chips take hour to digest giving time for blood cells to store the fat cells. If you eat rice eat no more than 8 oz cup portion. And try to be active more, you not need gym memberships, but that can help.. the key thing is- keep legs and arms moving about. During the day--- to keep blood circulation up. Check this out, most men have pot belly that drive trucks or cars alot.. Because- driving be the same as sitting on a couch-psycologically- all day. Not burning up the calories ....so fat deposits settle on the stomach.

    There is so much no in this, I don't even know where to start. OP ignore this.
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