I need advice.

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kelseyannxo
kelseyannxo Posts: 37
in Health and Weight Loss
i’ve been using this site for my weight loss and i feel as though eating around 1270 calories a day isn’t doing it for my body. even around 1300 or so whenever i exercise, i still feel hungry. i want to lose more body fat and gain more muscle but i want to stop counting calories because i feel like restricting isn't doing well to keep my body satisfied. it’s becoming a bit too worrysome for me. my BMR is 1406. should i continue to still count calories if i want to lose fat/gain muscle, or should i eat without counting but still eat healthy foods/exercise?

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  • rosieraven
    rosieraven Posts: 21 Member
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    I've got a few suggestions for you. First: what specifically are you eating? If you add a lot more fresh vegetables and home cooking to your diet, you'll be eating a lot more food with a lot less calories. I just made a stir fry that only had 2 chicken breasts in it and still served 12 people. And I'm stuffed! I think the point of counting calories isn't entirely watching how much you eat--it's also WHAT you're eating. And WHEN--that's important too.

    The second suggestion is this: how many times are you eating throughout the day? If you eat more meals, and less food during those meals (maybe have some celery and a piece of string cheese for one meal, half a sandwich for another) you'll be eating more often so you shouldn't feel as hungry. My mom is hypoglycemic so she has to eat like that--she eats an apple and some cheese if she feels hungry, and ends up eating about 6 meals a day. And it really seems to work.

    Also, when you do cardio, you're allotted more calories. Feel free to eat them!!! It's really a good idea. When you're done exercising, you keep burning calories. That's the point of having extra calories to eat. Even if you just walk to the grocery store (I walk about 3 blocks to take my daughter to get frozen yogurt every couple days) it still counts as cardio--because you're doing something good for your heart, and it IS burning calories.

    Feel free to email me if you want recipe ideas--I'm chock full of them! I'm a chef, and I've done a lot of work creating healthy menus, so I'd be happy to help if you need some guidance.
  • Forensic
    Forensic Posts: 468 Member
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    Are you eating back your exercise calories? Because if you burn 200+ calories, you should be eating back at least most of that.
  • Valechka
    Valechka Posts: 192
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    I looked your file, you're 16 y.o.You're still growing, make sure you eat protein :) that is why u r hungry!
  • mamacremers
    mamacremers Posts: 183 Member
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    your BMR is only 1470!? that seems really low! Or is that without any activity at all and you're an active person, even slightly active? On here, my maintain suggested intake is around 1900. And you should definitely eat back your exercise calories!

    Ok, I just looked it up and mine is 1480. But that's just to exist, not to add everything I do all day. Of course you'll be hungry if you're cutting from that! Check out what MFP is suggesting for you and do a half pound a week or a pound a week. You may be able to eat more.
  • glenr79
    glenr79 Posts: 283 Member
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    Eat plenty of protein and fiber. Fiber and protein make you stay fuller for longer. You can get fiber from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are low in calories, but high in nutrients and vitamins making you fuller for longer.
  • SeanC86
    SeanC86 Posts: 88
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    I looked your file, you're 16 y.o.You're still growing, make sure you eat protein :) that is why u r hungry!

    I'd certainly have to agree with this too. :) Lots of protein, and you definitely need to eat more if you're working out at a younger age. :)
  • CRody44
    CRody44 Posts: 776 Member
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    You started last month and have lost 11 pounds already. I don't think you want to lose any faster than that.
  • kelseyannxo
    kelseyannxo Posts: 37
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    I started out HERE last month. I started losing weight 4 months ago.

    But thanks, everyone. I will try to edit my MFP settings. Any other suggestions?
  • rosieraven
    rosieraven Posts: 21 Member
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    I like to eat yogurt with granola and fresh berries for breakfast or as a snack. It's low cal, tasty, and gives me,a lot of energy. Lol when I can keep my toddler from conning me out of it!
  • babyblake11
    babyblake11 Posts: 1,107 Member
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    you should keep counting. change to maintenance. im just trying to tone as well. paying attention to what you eat is fantastic and should not just be associated with weight loss :)

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