calorie intake help

brannanj2013
brannanj2013 Posts: 5 Member
edited November 2024 in Getting Started
Hey I am trying to lose some weight I'm currently weighing 174 and would love to get nav k to 155-160 I gained allot when I started working out more from 155 to 174 lbs. But I sure have a belly lol. Its not too bad but I do cardio arms and abs. Just can't get the weight to lose. I also started this app yesterday and I have a hard time eating 1200 calories like right now I have 392 calories remaining but I also did my exercises on a app I have and burned 269 calories what can I do to lose the weight and what should my calories be if I never been able to hit 1200 calories my whole life.. I watch that pretty close always have..

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    If you weigh 174 pounds, you’ve been eating over 1200 calories with no problem whatsoever
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    Your profile says you're male, so you should be eating at least 1500. Check out the Most Helpful Posts thread pinned to the top of each forum. There are common logging mistakes when you first start out that can take some practice to get right. I'll add that with 20 lbs to lose, you should be set to lose no more than 1 lb per week to spare muscle mass.
  • brannanj2013
    brannanj2013 Posts: 5 Member
    Ok well let me start over I'm sure 2-3 years ago I have eaten 1200 or more calories. But in the last 6 months I know its been either 1200 or less like yesterday 900 calories total but that was with my 269 calories I've lost in my exercise. So really my food calorie intake was just over 1000 calories. My wife mother is a dietitian but she hates my gut lol. My depression also don't help much I haven't eaten much but . I'm on pills so and its helping me wanna get back into my exercises.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    But you still haven’t gained 19 pounds eating 1200 calories.

    Do you know what would happen if you really ate that little? You’d lose muscle. And hair. And have no energy. And mess up your hormones/sex drive. And mess up some of your organs (especially your heart).

    Set your goal to lose .5-1 pound a week. Buy a food scale and start weighing everything on it. Find a full body program that doesn’t only work your arms and abs. And be patient.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Get a food scale. Use it religiously and log everything, no skipping, cheating, or forgetting. Get at least 1500 calories per day.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10634517/you-dont-use-a-food-scale/p1
  • Redordeadhead
    Redordeadhead Posts: 1,188 Member
    If you gained weight, you were definitely not eating 1200 calories or less.
  • brannanj2013
    brannanj2013 Posts: 5 Member
    Actually redordeadhead I have gained weight by my exercise. But I still have a tummy I'd like to get rid of. Malibu my goal is 1 pound a week and my exercises evolve arms. Legs. Shoulders. Abs. And I also do full body cardio workouts as well. Since I have started I noticed muscle gain in my legs and arms but still fattish in my stomach. And quick since I started this app I actually barcode everything or put in myself I notice more energy since I started two days ago. ill juat keep chugging along thank you all
  • MichelleSilverleaf
    MichelleSilverleaf Posts: 2,027 Member
    You didn't gain almost 20lbs from under-eating and exercising. At best you'd gain a few pounds of initial water weight that would drop away. Plain and simple you're eating more than you think, and especially without a food scale you're likely overestimating. Forget the scanning, get a food scale, weigh everything and keep to whatever MFP gives you for 1lb/week loss. Try it for a month and see how it goes.
  • musicfan68
    musicfan68 Posts: 1,143 Member
    How are you measuring your food? My guess is you are not weighing the food in grams and you are actually eating way more than you think you are.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    No male is going to gain weight on 1200 calories. If you're in the spot of needing to lose weight, you were eating well over 1200 calories. The average male as a BMR of around 1800 calories...that's just being alive.
  • brannanj2013
    brannanj2013 Posts: 5 Member
    Well as I said. I'm new at all this my wife isn't she knows allot but I'm stubborn. I recently started back up my exercises about a month ago and started this app 2 days ago but anyways thanks for the help bit I gained all this weight about 3 months ago but thanks for all the info
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