Calorie Deficit Help!!!!

jennbernardo79
jennbernardo79 Posts: 10 Member
edited November 16 in Health and Weight Loss
Okay, I'm very confused by the calorie deficit requirements to lose weight. I need to lose 60lbs as quickly as possible. I'm 37 and weigh 183lbs right now. I joined Planet Fitness and workout once or twice a day 5 times a week. Using an online calculator I figured my BMR to be 1570. My MFP calorie goal per day is 1380, I always come in under my goal after inputing my daily excersise. I'm burning around 500 to 600 calories per day with mostly cardio. Does that sound correct? MFP usually tells me I'm likely not eating enough when I complete my daily food diary. I'm confused because I'm not hungry, so I don't feel like I'm under-eating. I'm also taking several supplements that may be causing me to not be as hungry? Idk. Help!

Replies

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  • jennbernardo79
    jennbernardo79 Posts: 10 Member
    I'm 5'4" and want to lose 2lbs per week.
  • cathipa
    cathipa Posts: 2,991 Member
    Then yes this does sound correct based on what you told MFP you want to lose. Doesn't mean it's correct. Set to 1 pound loss per week and eat back 1/2 of your exercise calories. Weigh your food. Log everything. Have patience. Take pics and measurements. Use an app that uses weight trends and not just plots.
  • jennbernardo79
    jennbernardo79 Posts: 10 Member
    Ok I'll try to eat more. The problem is, I'm just not that hungry. Would meal replacement shakes be acceptable to drink after workouts?
  • adipace815
    adipace815 Posts: 112 Member
    Statistically you will see everywhere that you need to create a 3,500 calorie deficit per week (500 calories per day) to lose 1 lb per week. If your BMR is 1,570 and your active energy burned is around 500-600, then your calorie deficit at 1,380 is giving you a calorie deficit of about 700-800 per day or a weight loss of around 1.5 lbs per week. Now that assumes everything is accurate for your calories in versus calories out--- are you logging everything, weighing and measuring food, accuracy of your activity monitor, etc. There's a lot of things that can go wrong on both sides of the equation. The more you can tighten all that up the better your results will be.
  • cathipa
    cathipa Posts: 2,991 Member
    If they fit your calories then sure. If you aren't hungry you don't have to force yourself to eat.
  • jennbernardo79
    jennbernardo79 Posts: 10 Member
    By ASAP, I just mean about 2lbs per week. The reason for this is because I've just been diagnosed with RA and the extra weight makes it more painful. I have a 1year old, so I need to get healthy again and be able to keep up with him. I do not intend to try to rush my weight loss by any means.
  • cathipa
    cathipa Posts: 2,991 Member
    edited March 2017
    ASAP will depend on how honest you are with your diary and how much you want to lose. Everyone goes off track for a meal or even a day, but just make sure you get on track and stick to your goals should this happen.
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  • jennbernardo79
    jennbernardo79 Posts: 10 Member
    Yes I am logging everything. The food I'm eating comes in pre-packaged portions. I don't have my fitbit with me, so my calorie burn count comes from the machines at Planet Fitness. I'm not counting any strength training, only cardio.
  • cathipa
    cathipa Posts: 2,991 Member
    I was implying if she changed her goal to 1 pound a week and ate back 1/2 of her exercise calories. Not with the current method.
  • PokeyBug
    PokeyBug Posts: 482 Member
    MFP give you that "not eating enough" message anytime you don't consume at least 1000 calories. Don't worry about it if it's a once in awhile thing. It's not going to kill you to eat 998 calories once in awhile, as long as it's not an every day kind of thing. Trust me, your body will tell you when it needs more fuel. As for whether you're doing it right, as long as you consume fewer calories than you burn, you'll lose. Just be sure you don't burn yourself out by exercising and cutting calories too deeply, because that can be really counterproductive.
  • jennbernardo79
    jennbernardo79 Posts: 10 Member
    Okay I will try the meal replacement shakes after a workout. That would be much easier than forcing myself to eat. I'll also try to work in Apple's and peanut butter, that definitely sounds do-able! Thanks everyone!
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    The opening post makes me think that the opening poster is unable to articulate a "why" of this drastic lifestyle change. Jenn, this is going to take a year or more. You're beating yourself silly with exercise imagining that you'll be sexy by Memorial Day, or something like that. A 60 lb loss from your present weight is reasonable. A 2 lb weekly loss is possible for the first few weeks. Weight loss is not a linear process. You will do everything right and see your scale indicate a weight gain. You will get discouraged, frustrated, angry, and then get PMS. And you know what? It's hard. It's hard to keep doing everything right when nothing is going right. You have to trust the process. Don't cheat. Who would you be cheating, anyway?

    And, Enjoy the ride.
  • LessCookiess
    LessCookiess Posts: 538 Member
    edited March 2017
    Op as others mentioned eat back at least half or even all of it working out is just more food you can eat! MyFitnessPal already calculates your weight loss without taking into consideration the fact you will or will not workout.
    I honestly think your goal is trying to lose 2 pounds a week is a bit as another user mentioned as well.
    I would recommend starting at 1 pound loss rate at first to see how things go. However, I do know that when people first start trying to lose weight they are energized an are excited to begin the journey. I'm glad that you're putting your health first.

    The first few weeks of weight loss will be water weight, so 2 pound loss at first is doable. However, it's going to get more and more difficult with weight loss. I started my Weight loss bigger than you 188 and now I'm down to 155. You can do it! Slow and steady :) feel free to let us know how things go.
  • jennbernardo79
    jennbernardo79 Posts: 10 Member
    No, I don't intend to lose it faster than 1 or 2 lbs per week and it's not a vanity thing. It's a health issue. My normal weight is about 125-130. I had a baby a year ago and then gained more over the past year. I was diagnosed with RA, so I need to lose the extra weight and get back in shape. I'm not so much worried about how I look as I am about how I feel. The extra weight strains my joints and feels awful.
  • LessCookiess
    LessCookiess Posts: 538 Member
    edited March 2017
    No, I don't intend to lose it faster than 1 or 2 lbs per week and it's not a vanity thing. It's a health issue. My normal weight is about 125-130. I had a baby a year ago and then gained more over the past year. I was diagnosed with RA, so I need to lose the extra weight and get back in shape. I'm not so much worried about how I look as I am about how I feel. The extra weight strains my joints and feels awful.

    Since you've mentioned your rate of loss I think it's doable. But please eat more calories you're definitely under-eating right now. Eat back at least half the calories you burn with working out. You can even eat back all of it, but I've read posts stating that the machines can over-estimate burns so half is good. Sorry about the joint pain your dealing with, and I really hope it gets better for you!
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    The reason MFP is telling you you aren't eating enough is because you aren't replacing the calories you burn during exercise. Anytime your calorie deficit goes above 1,000 they are going to complain about it (and rightly so). If you are actually burning 500 to 600 calories with exercise then you should be eating 1,880 to 1,980 calories rather than the original 1,380 calories. Granted, some people think the calorie burn estimates are inflated, so they only eat half of their exercise calories. I believe they should be changing how they log they exercise and eat right up to the goal rather than logging extra calories and then not eating some of them.
  • mskanakana
    mskanakana Posts: 57 Member
    Just found this thread - jennbernardo79, I hope your weight loss has progressed! Great advise from everyone!! Maybe I'm not eating enough either. Going to give that a try for a couple of weeks. Thanks!
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