Ladies, have you lose on 1700 calories a day?

thebobogrind
thebobogrind Posts: 143 Member
edited November 13 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello all,

So I've been logging for about 90 days now, and so far have only lost 8lbs (I am hypothyroid, but take medication every day).

My stats:
SW 248
CW: 240
Height: 5'7
Age: 31
Activity- gym 3-4 times a week, cardio and strength training

At the beginning I was eating 1200, then upped to 1550, but I haven't lost as much as I thought I would lose based on all the success stories I've reading (MFP said I should have lost 1.5lbs a week).

I'm wondering if I should use the TDEE-20/25% and eat at 1700 calories instead?
Maybe I'm eating too little?

I'm confused and a little disappointed at this point...

Would like to hear back from women around my stats who are eating 1700 and losing nicely (or not).

Thanks in advance!
Bobo
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Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    edited November 2015
    Eating too little would not be the problem. How are you measuring your food intake?

    When I started I was 32, 5'6", and 248. I lost comfortably on about 1800 a day, but I ensured that I weighed everything I ate.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Hi Bobo - I'm a half inch shorter than you and with exercise calories, lose on more than 1700 calories. I do have a large frame.

    What percentage of your exercise calories are you eating back?
  • starwhisperer6
    starwhisperer6 Posts: 402 Member
    If you are not losing you are eating too much, which is a sad I know. Everyone will tell you not to drop back down to 1200 and really it isn't much fun to eat there, I eat 1340 I am 5'9 and I lose right at .7 pound a week SW 161 current weight 152. It is actually faster than I planned to lose so that is nice, but if I went up 200 calories it would be much less than that. drop it 100 calories for 2 to 4 weeks and see if there is a difference.
  • thebobogrind
    thebobogrind Posts: 143 Member
    @malibu927 yes, I weigh everything using a digital scale and use measuring cups. Should I maybe adjust my macros to 40-30-30 instead of the 50- something-something that MFP gives me.

    I sometime ate my exercise calories back, but I want to do the TDEE method, and not eat exercise calories back.

    Any thoughts?
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    thebobo6740 wrote: »
    @malibu927 yes, I weigh everything using a digital scale and use measuring cups. Should I maybe adjust my macros to 40-30-30 instead of the 50- something-something that MFP gives me.

    I sometime ate my exercise calories back, but I want to do the TDEE method, and not eat exercise calories back.

    Any thoughts?

    Macros are more about the nutrition you're getting. It still comes down to CICO for weight loss. Is your medication keeping your thyroid in check?
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I'm on 40-30-30 and while it may not help me with weight loss directly, it does help me stay in a calorie deficit by keeping me fuller longer than a higher carb/lower protein ratio does.
  • Obnoxa
    Obnoxa Posts: 187 Member
    Make sure you are weighting everything, not using cups/spoons/etc; include all drinks, gum, cough drops, whatever you put in your mouth. Make sure your "lifestyle" selection is accurate too; go low if you aren't super sure where you are.
    I'm 5'9, and at the 250 mark with 40 mins cardio and 25 mins resistance training 4x a week I was dropping 2-3lb/week eating close to 2000 per day, so I have to assume their is a flaw in your calculations somewhere or an underlying medical/medication problem you're not factoring in.
  • thebobogrind
    thebobogrind Posts: 143 Member
    Hmmmm... Sigh....

    At this point I'm as frustrated as they come...
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited November 2015
    thebobo6740 wrote: »
    Hello all,

    So I've been logging for about 90 days now, and so far have only lost 8lbs (I am hypothyroid, but take medication every day).

    My stats:
    SW 248
    CW: 240
    Height: 5'7
    Age: 31
    Activity- gym 3-4 times a week, cardio and strength training

    At the beginning I was eating 1200, then upped to 1550, but I haven't lost as much as I thought I would lose based on all the success stories I've reading (MFP said I should have lost 1.5lbs a week).

    I'm wondering if I should use the TDEE-20/25% and eat at 1700 calories instead?
    Maybe I'm eating too little?

    I'm confused and a little disappointed at this point...

    Would like to hear back from women around my stats who are eating 1700 and losing nicely (or not).

    Thanks in advance!
    Bobo

    Keep in mind TDEE includes exercise. TDEE = BMR + activity level + Exercise. TDEE is your maintenance. The 1700 you got is TDEE less a percentage.

    MFP's 1200 = BMR + activity level - 750 calories.....you earn more calories in MFP if you log exercise.

    Ideally if you set these 2 things up the same, you get similar numbers.

    TDEE - total daily energy expenditure
    BMR - basal metabolic rate (calories used if you stayed in bed all day).

    Keep a really good eye on your logging. Weighing portions is going to be more accurate than measuring cups. Make sure MFP food entries reflect what you are eating. Some entries are flat out wrong.
  • brb2008
    brb2008 Posts: 406 Member
    Im concerned it could just be your medication not working optimally because if your logging really is tight then you should be losing.

    Im the same height as you and am about 20lbs heavier and I'm trying to lose on 1700. It would be working if I would stop going over every weekend :-P I do drop fast when I stick to it religiously. I list myself as lightly active, get about 10k steps a day with my job and go for purposeful walks on weekends to hit the target. I do pilates and body weight stuff on occasion but I dont think its enough to factor in. So comparison wise I feel if your meds are the difference between us I would have your levels checked and make sure your thyroid is functionaling correctly just so you dont have to torture yourself wondering where you're going wrong. You might be doing just the right things!

    I know everyone *says* eating too little shouldn't impact weight loss but I didnt drop anything eating 1400 calories a day and at 1700 I drop very well (when I do what Im supposed to).
  • sunandmoons
    sunandmoons Posts: 415 Member
    edited November 2015
    Disregard. Double posted and now deleted. Phone app needs fixed
  • ECTexan
    ECTexan Posts: 195 Member
    I have Hashi's and stay around 1500-1800 cals/day. I workout 6 days a week with a mixture of lifting and lots of cardio but never eat exercise calories back. I'm also trying to lower my carbs just a little bit because it helps me lose more. Make sure you get your thyroid levels tested regularly. I'm in the endo's office every 3mo. I really think with hypothyroidism, you gotta work extra hard for each and every pound.

    I'm 5'8, 32yrs
    SW in Aug: 285
    Current: 241
  • thebobogrind
    thebobogrind Posts: 143 Member
    Thank you all for your input!
  • hybridtheory45
    hybridtheory45 Posts: 84 Member
    I am the same height and age as you, and while I don't have thyroid issues, I do have PCOS. I lose nicely (1-1.5 per week) on 1800-2000 a day, depending on my exercise level. For what its worth, for some reason when I first started, I was going back and forth with the same 3 pounds for about 2 months, then all of a sudden, I had a whoosh, and its been fairly steady every since. That is a long-winded way of saying to keep going! :)
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited November 2015
    thebobo6740 wrote: »
    @malibu927 yes, I weigh everything using a digital scale and use measuring cups. Should I maybe adjust my macros to 40-30-30 instead of the 50- something-something that MFP gives me.

    I sometime ate my exercise calories back, but I want to do the TDEE method, and not eat exercise calories back.

    Any thoughts?

    But what percentage of them did you eat back? If 100%, therein may lie your problem.
  • megbugs
    megbugs Posts: 102 Member
    Hey Bobo, I feel your frustration! I'm currently 228 pounds, lost 32 pounds in 3.5 months and now am at a plateau. I work out daily at the gym and home (bodypump 3x, spinning 2x, class called functional strength 1x, and I run/walk on my treadmill 2-3 days/wk) and have been at 228 for like 3 weeks. I also take medicine for hypo thyroid. Maybe I need to get it checked again. Super frustrating because I went from 1260 calories that felt too restrictive to 1440 calories and while I do eat some exercise calories, I don't feel like I'm overeating . I sent you a friend request. I think what I'm going to do is put myself back at sedentary and try my hardest not eat any exercise calories for a week and see what difference that makes. Totally sucks because I'm also reading success stories of people who lose 100 pounds in a year eating like 1800 calories and being at my start weight.
  • jkal1979
    jkal1979 Posts: 1,896 Member
    It might also be a good idea to set your food diary to public so people can see if inaccuracy is the problem. Along with using a food scale to weigh all solids, you have to make sure that you are using the right food entries. There are quite a few inaccurate/outdated ones in the database.
  • megbugs
    megbugs Posts: 102 Member
    Ok I went back to look and I haven't lost weight in 9 days, not 3 weeks. Feels like 3 weeks lol
  • thebobogrind
    thebobogrind Posts: 143 Member
    @megbugs thanks for the add!

    I will tighten up my logging and try eating at 1700 (no excercixe calories back) and then see what happens.

    I'll post an update in 1-2 weeks.

    Thanks all for your input- I will keep going!

    Much love to all.
    Bobo
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    edited November 2015
    I lost on 1700, and I'm older than you, but I was doing something every day, even if it was just a 3.5 mile walk. And I weigh all my food, none of that measuring cups nonsense.

    IMO you need to eat less.
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    With a thyroid issue, you can't compare yourself to others. The first thing I would do, if it hasn't been done recently, is have a checkup with your doctor/endocrinologist to make sure the medications are working like they should.

    Once that is established, you may have to find the right calorie level for yourself, rather than going from websites. Most of those work on averages, and you just might not find that they apply well to you :frowning: Have you talked with your doctor about weight loss or asked for a referral to a dietician who works with people who are hypothyroid?
  • thebobogrind
    thebobogrind Posts: 143 Member
    @mathjulz I will make an appointment with my endo, thanks for the suggestion.

    Bobo
  • RaeBeeBaby
    RaeBeeBaby Posts: 4,246 Member
    While everyone is different, I still believe it comes down to CICO (calories in/calories out). I consistently eat at 1400-1500 a day and I exercise at least 5 days a week. Without the exercise, I cannot lose unless my calories are lower at around 1200-1300. For me, even with exercise, 1700 cals a day is maintenance. Sad, but true.

    Also, you HAVE lost weight even if it is not as fast as you'd like. It took me nearly 10 months to lose 25 pounds. That's about the same rate that you have lost so far. I had several plateaus along the way, but I've stuck with it and the weight has come off slowly. Don't give up!
  • thebobogrind
    thebobogrind Posts: 143 Member
    Thank you RaeBeeBaby and everyone else!
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    I lost the majority of my weight eating 1800 a day.
  • tracie_minus100
    tracie_minus100 Posts: 465 Member
    edited November 2015
    My starting weight was 263.8lbs. (I'm 5'7"). I lost 75lbs eating 1800 calories a day. I now eat 1600-1700 and am down 89lbs and still losing.
    Edited to add: I exercise 5-6 days a week, a mix of cardio and weights.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Nope. But I'm short, lightly active, and I started at 165 lbs. Technically I guess I could have lost a bit of weight but not what I was aiming for, and when I started I probably wasn't as accurate at logging. Now 1700 is only about 150 less than my maintenance calories.
  • thebobogrind
    thebobogrind Posts: 143 Member
    edited September 2017
    Hi everyone,

    So it's almost 2 years later and I'm back on here weighing 20 lbs more than I started off when I wrote this post! Whoooops!

    I ended up losing a lot of weight, but then got comfortable, stopped logging, and put the weight back on, plus an extra 20!
  • RavenKnight2018
    RavenKnight2018 Posts: 5 Member
    That has happened to me. I lost 60 lbs back in 2013, then fell off for a few years now I am back up to my top weight again and having to start over. I am happy about it though because I have learned a lot from my past experiences and learned that I really have to fix my head first. I also have learned I can't be so overly critical of myself. Good luck, I am sure that like me you have learned a lot from the past and can use it to shape a better future. :wink:
  • fitness_goals_007
    fitness_goals_007 Posts: 30 Member
    I use TDEE and have been aiming to eat 1700 calories. For me that's a 500 calorie decrease. I have been losing weight :) Most days I end up eating 1900 or so
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