Finding the right calories to eat.
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movies2090
Posts: 3 Member
I'm a 37 yr old male 5'11" weighing about 225lbs. I'm trying to get back to my goal weight of 185-195.
I've been dieting since January 1st w good results so far. Down about 20-21lbs. But I feel like I'm hitting a wall. I feel like I'm eating too few calories and it's causing weight loss to slow. So many things to read so I figured I'd just post my question here and get some advice.
I have a retail job so I'm on my feet a good portion on the day (between 7500-12000) steps a day is the norm. I weight lift 3 times a week bout 30-35 min each time. I run 3 times a week too. 2 days on treadmill for 35 min, once outside for same amount of time. My fitbit blaze shows about 550-600 calories burned during runs and 200 during weight lifting.
So given these metrics, where should my calorie intake be to comfortably lose weight? I've been going at around 1200-1400 (got a food scale now which works wonders) and been doing thst number, give or take for three weeks. I'm comfortable eating that amount as I have a good system going.
I just feel like this is way too low given everything said above but I'm too afraid to jump that number up. And if i do jump it up, do I jump it to 1500, 1800, 2000? I'm in such a groove, that 2000 would feel like a cheat day. But I've got to be doing my body harm even if I don't feel any negative effects. Was just wondering if anyone could give me some decent advice on ballpark calorie counts to look for. Sunday my off day would probably stay down low but the other days are the ones I'm most concerned with. Thanks for anyone who takes the time to read this whole thing and chime in with their thoughts.
I've been dieting since January 1st w good results so far. Down about 20-21lbs. But I feel like I'm hitting a wall. I feel like I'm eating too few calories and it's causing weight loss to slow. So many things to read so I figured I'd just post my question here and get some advice.
I have a retail job so I'm on my feet a good portion on the day (between 7500-12000) steps a day is the norm. I weight lift 3 times a week bout 30-35 min each time. I run 3 times a week too. 2 days on treadmill for 35 min, once outside for same amount of time. My fitbit blaze shows about 550-600 calories burned during runs and 200 during weight lifting.
So given these metrics, where should my calorie intake be to comfortably lose weight? I've been going at around 1200-1400 (got a food scale now which works wonders) and been doing thst number, give or take for three weeks. I'm comfortable eating that amount as I have a good system going.
I just feel like this is way too low given everything said above but I'm too afraid to jump that number up. And if i do jump it up, do I jump it to 1500, 1800, 2000? I'm in such a groove, that 2000 would feel like a cheat day. But I've got to be doing my body harm even if I don't feel any negative effects. Was just wondering if anyone could give me some decent advice on ballpark calorie counts to look for. Sunday my off day would probably stay down low but the other days are the ones I'm most concerned with. Thanks for anyone who takes the time to read this whole thing and chime in with their thoughts.
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Replies
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A few red flags here...
A male of your height and weight should NOT be eating under 1500 calories! The likelihood of losing lean mass is a lot higher and you're not giving yourself enough good nutrition to be active at work and definitely not to lift.
Start by re-calculating an appropriate deficit. Losing fast at the beginning can be normal, but expecting to continue at that rate is not helpful. It doesn't work that way. You've made great progress and should expect it to slow. Aim for 1-2 lbs per week and see what number MFP gives you.
Your weight loss is NOT slowing because you're eating too little - that's a myth. With that said, you do need to eat more to fuel your body, NOT to jumpstart weight loss. You can cause harm by under eating, but it's not what is slowing your weight loss.4 -
Weight loss doesn't slow from eating too little. Weight loss slows from reduced activity, which can sometimes be caused by someone not fueling their workouts. Men shouldn't eat less that 1500 calories a day and no less than 1600 calories if they are working out. Your calorie deficit shouldn't be more than about 1,000 calories per day. I would suggest aiming for 1500 calories normally and then eating enough over that to replace the calories you burn exercising.3
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20lbs in a month is way high. I was your same weight at 5'4" so much more overweight and I lost 21lbs or so in 6 weeks which was overdoing it. You should eat a bit more - slow down. It's not a race.0
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I don't want to be snarky, but how do people even end up here on this forum without knowing how many calories to eat in a day? Telling you how many calories to eat in a day is pretty much exactly what MFP is for in the first place. Did you not enter your stats, activity levels, and desired weight loss rate? Were you not given a calorie total to eat?
Eat that. Record your exercise, and eat back about half the additional calories it gives you. (MFP probably overestimates exercise calorie burn.) And there you go.
Personally, I wouldn't trust your Fitbit for weight lifting calories. I don't see how it could possibly estimate that with any accuracy. For cardio and sports, it's probably as reliable as anything else. (Which is to say, not very. So as I said, eat back about half of exercise calories.)
If you have about 30-40 lbs to lose, 1 lb/week is perfectly fine. Lose too much faster, and even with exercise you risk burning more muscle than you want.7 -
If you are logging your intake accurately, you are massively undereating. I punched your stats into a TDEE calculator ( http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ ), setting you to "moderately active". It estimates you to burn about 3100 calories/day and would need to eat about 2600 calories/day to lose 1 pound/week. I have a husband with similar stats; those numbers are completely realistic.
So, be honest with yourself. Are you really consuming just 1200 calories/day? Are you counting everything and weighing everything? If so, eat more! You need to be at 2100 calories/day bare minimum.0 -
If I can stop shaking my head long enough to type...
My husband has very similar stats to you, almost identical activity levels, and he has 10 years on you and loses at 2400 (actually, he loses too fast on that). Plug you stats in to MFP, choose the active setting and 1 lb/week, and EAT YOUR CALORIES!2 -
My daily intake (Monday thru Friday) usually consists of two pieces whole wheat toast (130 calories) before I leave for work.
1st break usually apple abd trop 50 orange juice (160 calories)
Lunch consists of either cup of soup (240 calories) or gatorade protein bar (360 calories)
When I get home I usually have two string cheese before working out (160 calories)
Dinner usually is 8-10 Oz of chicken w 3 Oz of ketchup 375-400 calories or 6 scrambled eggs w salsa (450-485 calories)
130+160+360+160+450=1260. I'm quite satisfied w this amount of food. I just want to know how much more I should eat to be on the same path of loss.
Also, ever since I've started most weeks I have been down 3-4 lbs a week0 -
movies2090 wrote: »My daily intake (Monday thru Friday) usually consists of two pieces whole wheat toast (130 calories) before I leave for work.
1st break usually apple abd trop 50 orange juice (160 calories)
Lunch consists of either cup of soup (240 calories) or gatorade protein bar (360 calories)
When I get home I usually have two string cheese before working out (160 calories)
Dinner usually is 8-10 Oz of chicken w 3 Oz of ketchup 375-400 calories or 6 scrambled eggs w salsa (450-485 calories)
130+160+360+160+450=1260. I'm quite satisfied w this amount of food. I just want to know how much more I should eat to be on the same path of loss.
Also, ever since I've started most weeks I have been down 3-4 lbs a week
You are eating very little, and what your are eating is extremely nutrient poor. I would focus on including more nutrient dense foods (vegies especially!) as well as bumping up your calories to an appropriate amount that'll fuel your body and give it what it needs to function properly.0 -
movies2090 wrote: »My daily intake (Monday thru Friday) usually consists of two pieces whole wheat toast (130 calories) before I leave for work.
1st break usually apple abd trop 50 orange juice (160 calories)
Lunch consists of either cup of soup (240 calories) or gatorade protein bar (360 calories)
When I get home I usually have two string cheese before working out (160 calories)
Dinner usually is 8-10 Oz of chicken w 3 Oz of ketchup 375-400 calories or 6 scrambled eggs w salsa (450-485 calories)
130+160+360+160+450=1260. I'm quite satisfied w this amount of food. I just want to know how much more I should eat to be on the same path of loss.
Also, ever since I've started most weeks I have been down 3-4 lbs a week
You should not be on this "same path of loss". Period. You do not have the body weight to lose 4-5 lbs a week, and if you attempt to, you will lose major amounts of lean muscle. It doesn't matter what you are satisfied with; it matters what your body needs. One of the muscles you are compromising with this rate of loss is your heart.
Really, really hoping this is just a troll.
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I'm just wondering if he's ever able to poop with so little fiber/veggies....maybe he's full of poop?0
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Jesus. Your weight lifting must be pretty poor with that diet (not meant as an insult), but how do you even have the energy? Stop worrying so much about keeping your calories low - focus on eating a lot of real food and lift weights more often.1
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movies2090 wrote: »My daily intake (Monday thru Friday) usually consists of two pieces whole wheat toast (130 calories) before I leave for work.
1st break usually apple abd trop 50 orange juice (160 calories)
Lunch consists of either cup of soup (240 calories) or gatorade protein bar (360 calories)
When I get home I usually have two string cheese before working out (160 calories)
Dinner usually is 8-10 Oz of chicken w 3 Oz of ketchup 375-400 calories or 6 scrambled eggs w salsa (450-485 calories)
130+160+360+160+450=1260. I'm quite satisfied w this amount of food. I just want to know how much more I should eat to be on the same path of loss.
Also, ever since I've started most weeks I have been down 3-4 lbs a week
You should not be on this "same path of loss". Period. You do not have the body weight to lose 4-5 lbs a week, and if you attempt to, you will lose major amounts of lean muscle. It doesn't matter what you are satisfied with; it matters what your body needs. One of the muscles you are compromising with this rate of loss is your heart.
Really, really hoping this is just a troll.
Definitely not a troll. This is what I've been doing for weeks and have done this type of diet a few times in my life (I've lost 50 lbs or more twice before).I'm just wondering if he's ever able to poop with so little fiber/veggies....maybe he's full of poop?
My bathroom habits have changed. Maybe poop once every two days and usually not a lot like before.Jesus. Your weight lifting must be pretty poor with that diet (not meant as an insult), but how do you even have the energy? Stop worrying so much about keeping your calories low - focus on eating a lot of real food and lift weights more often.
I have plenty of energy. Way more than before I started this diet.
I'm.not trying to make anyone angry or mad, just looking to do what's right this time to make this weight loss stick.
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movies2090 wrote: »movies2090 wrote: »My daily intake (Monday thru Friday) usually consists of two pieces whole wheat toast (130 calories) before I leave for work.
1st break usually apple abd trop 50 orange juice (160 calories)
Lunch consists of either cup of soup (240 calories) or gatorade protein bar (360 calories)
When I get home I usually have two string cheese before working out (160 calories)
Dinner usually is 8-10 Oz of chicken w 3 Oz of ketchup 375-400 calories or 6 scrambled eggs w salsa (450-485 calories)
130+160+360+160+450=1260. I'm quite satisfied w this amount of food. I just want to know how much more I should eat to be on the same path of loss.
Also, ever since I've started most weeks I have been down 3-4 lbs a week
You should not be on this "same path of loss". Period. You do not have the body weight to lose 4-5 lbs a week, and if you attempt to, you will lose major amounts of lean muscle. It doesn't matter what you are satisfied with; it matters what your body needs. One of the muscles you are compromising with this rate of loss is your heart.
Really, really hoping this is just a troll.
Definitely not a troll. This is what I've been doing for weeks and have done this type of diet a few times in my life (I've lost 50 lbs or more twice before).
That actually makes it worse. Wouldn't you rather stop that cycle and just eat in a healthy, sustainable way all the time?
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Definitely not a troll. This is what I've been doing for weeks and have done this type of diet a few times in my life (I've lost 50 lbs or more twice before).just looking to do what's right this time to make this weight loss stick.
Instead of repeating the same diet over & over (I done this too)......stop. Think about what you can do to lose weight ONE LAST TIME. What kind of changes can you make permanently?
Eating at a moderate deficit will be more like eating at maintenance.....when you get there. Eating at a moderate deficit will also help spare (more) lean muscle mass. Lean muscle mass burns calories when you are inactive....fat does not. A lower body fat % should be your goal....not a lower number on the scale as fast as humanly possible. There's a price you pay for fast weight loss.
Eating at a moderate deficit will allow you to have a treat here & there. Logging and measuring treats is going to be helpful for maintenance. At maintenance you want experience of portion control for all foods....not just diet foods.
Learn new habits. Super restriction (for a time) is not a new habit.3 -
We're not mad -- speaking for myself, anyway, and from the sense I get from other replies -- we're puzzled that you'd try the same thing again and again even though you know it doesn't work long-term. And we're trying to answer your question. The kind of extreme weight loss you've been doing is not sustainable and doesn't lead to the kind of healthy eating habits you need to keep the weight off permanently.movies2090 wrote: »I'm.not trying to make anyone angry or mad, just looking to do what's right this time to make this weight loss stick.
Lose weight at a safe, moderate pace, and teach yourself new eating habits along the way. That's what works.1 -
Im 23, 5'11", 230, calories range from 1900-2100, and my fitness level is 0. I don't workout(which I am about to start because I'm not losing weight) and I have a completely sedentary job. You will only see good things from increasing you calories. You should be able to workout much harder.0
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