1700 kcal too much or too little?

jbreeze85
jbreeze85 Posts: 12 Member
edited November 28 in Motivation and Support
Hello all!
So I constantly struggle and debate on how much I should be eating. Currently doing 1700, work out usually 5/6 days a week, half weightlifting, half long distance walking for cardio. I'm 5'8 225lb, trying to get to about 175. My weight likes to stay around the same 3 numbers but not lower than 225. Any thoughts? Frustrated eating 1700 and not losing and not sure if I need more or less. More seems daunting, it's hard to clean eat more calories!

Replies

  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    Have you read any of the stickies? This one is good. https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,534 Member
    We lose weight eating fewer calories. The trick is hitting a number where we lose weight but are able to keep our minds right.

    All these calculators make it seems like the perfect number can be known apart from trial and error. Try a few weeks at 1600 or 1550 and see what happens. Calorie counting is not exact. Keep adjusting and experimenting until you get the result you want.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    If you're not losing weight, you can be sure you don't have to eat more, because laws of physics would be void if that was true.
    Your weight doesn't "like" anything, you're just quite comfortable living in a way that makes you maintain a certain weight. I take it you would feel even more comfortable eating more. Who wouldn't?
    While you're debating eating more or less, and possibly overexercising or at least boring yourself to death, and spending mental effort on eating clean (whatever that means to you), you could instead be logging correctly, hitting 1700 real and actual calories per day, eating whatever you want for those calories, do whatever physical activity you want, and lose weight.
  • countcurt
    countcurt Posts: 593 Member
    jbreeze85 wrote: »
    My weight likes to stay around the same 3 numbers but not lower than 225. Any thoughts?


    Thoughts? Yes. Your weight doesn't have preferences. It goes where the calories tell it to. So, if the number on the scale isn't going down, the number on the calories consumed needs to.





  • jbreeze85
    jbreeze85 Posts: 12 Member
    Thanks to those for replying! I lost 25lbs doing 1500 but then it stopped and I thought making it wasn't enough calories for my height and weight so I went to 1700. Now I'm thinking maybe it was the fact that I was working 2 jobs and not getting enough sleep. Now that I'm back to one job, I'm going to go back down to 1550 and see what happens. Thanks all!
  • mmnv79
    mmnv79 Posts: 538 Member
    I think getting a good sleep is key to recover and have more energy with such a busy life. Maybe try focusing on your eating, instead of in doing so much exercise, and see how it goes if you cut some calories. Best of luck!
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    jbreeze85 wrote: »
    Thanks to those for replying! I lost 25lbs doing 1500 but then it stopped and I thought making it wasn't enough calories for my height and weight so I went to 1700. Now I'm thinking maybe it was the fact that I was working 2 jobs and not getting enough sleep. Now that I'm back to one job, I'm going to go back down to 1550 and see what happens. Thanks all!

    what is the timeline?
    - how long did it take you to lose 25?
    - how long where you static (not losing)?
    - how long have you been at 1700?

    What does MFP say if you input your data (age, height, weight, activity level..)?
    How much more did you want to lose? as you get closer to your goal it's better to lose more slowly?

    Are you using a food scale and properly measuring/weighing/logging foods?
  • countcurt
    countcurt Posts: 593 Member
    jbreeze85 wrote: »
    Thanks to those for replying! I lost 25lbs doing 1500 but then it stopped and I thought making it wasn't enough calories for my height and weight so I went to 1700. Now I'm thinking maybe it was the fact that I was working 2 jobs and not getting enough sleep. Now that I'm back to one job, I'm going to go back down to 1550 and see what happens. Thanks all!

    Why would you think that if you increase your caloric intake you will lose more weight?
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,422 Member
    edited September 2018
    I lose on 1700.

    I'm also 5'8". I'm not working.

    Are you SURE you're eating 1700? Are you using a food scale? I have logged food with a scale for years so I'm pretty close to 1700 when I think I'm eating 1700 but when I wasn't using a food scale I wasn't being accurate. I also eat 20 out of 21 meals per week (on average) made by me - so my food is as controlled as I can get it.
  • jbreeze85
    jbreeze85 Posts: 12 Member
    countcurt wrote: »
    jbreeze85 wrote: »
    Thanks to those for replying! I lost 25lbs doing 1500 but then it stopped and I thought making it wasn't enough calories for my height and weight so I went to 1700. Now I'm thinking maybe it was the fact that I was working 2 jobs and not getting enough sleep. Now that I'm back to one job, I'm going to go back down to 1550 and see what happens. Thanks all!

    Why would you think that if you increase your caloric intake you will lose more weight?

    Because of how much I was working out. Although I know it's easy to overestimate how much we are actually burning off, so I'm just going to go back down.
  • jbreeze85
    jbreeze85 Posts: 12 Member
    cmriverside wrote: »
    I lose on 1700.

    I'm also 5'8". I'm not working.

    Are you SURE you're eating 1700? Are you using a food scale? I have logged food with a scale for years so I'm pretty close to 1700 when I think I'm eating 1700 but when I wasn't using a food scale I wasn't being accurate. I also eat 20 out of 21 meals per week (on average) made by me - so my food is as controlled as I can get it.

    Yep. Food scale, measuring cups/spoons, scanned barcodes, etc.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    jbreeze85 wrote: »
    countcurt wrote: »
    jbreeze85 wrote: »
    Thanks to those for replying! I lost 25lbs doing 1500 but then it stopped and I thought making it wasn't enough calories for my height and weight so I went to 1700. Now I'm thinking maybe it was the fact that I was working 2 jobs and not getting enough sleep. Now that I'm back to one job, I'm going to go back down to 1550 and see what happens. Thanks all!

    Why would you think that if you increase your caloric intake you will lose more weight?

    Because of how much I was working out. Although I know it's easy to overestimate how much we are actually burning off, so I'm just going to go back down.

    some people find when they increase their calories that they naturally start moving more (more steps, energy) - which increases workout productivity and weight loss - rather than being lethargic from cutting calories too low - so its not the extra calories that cause you to lose weight but the increased energy expenditure
  • jbreeze85
    jbreeze85 Posts: 12 Member
    Panini911 wrote: »
    jbreeze85 wrote: »
    Thanks to those for replying! I lost 25lbs doing 1500 but then it stopped and I thought making it wasn't enough calories for my height and weight so I went to 1700. Now I'm thinking maybe it was the fact that I was working 2 jobs and not getting enough sleep. Now that I'm back to one job, I'm going to go back down to 1550 and see what happens. Thanks all!

    what is the timeline?
    - how long did it take you to lose 25?
    - how long where you static (not losing)?
    - how long have you been at 1700?

    What does MFP say if you input your data (age, height, weight, activity level..)?
    How much more did you want to lose? as you get closer to your goal it's better to lose more slowly?

    Are you using a food scale and properly measuring/weighing/logging foods?

    I started in March, lost 25 by June, static for about 2 months, semi gave up, quit 2nd job, have been eating 1700 for about 3 months now I think?
    Been back at it for 3 weeks, 1700, alternate between long distance walking cardio, weightlifting, swimming laps, reintroduced running yesterday.
    MFP says to eat 2080 which makes me balk, which is why I'm always confused to eat more or less. Most calculators tell me to eat more and I'm like "aren't I supposed to eat less?"
    Planning to lose another 50 or so.
    Yes, I have a food scale, and measure out portions, and of course use mfp.
    Not close to goal, so that's why I'm trying to figure out how to get the ball rolling again.
  • PaytraB
    PaytraB Posts: 2,360 Member
    jbreeze85 wrote: »
    Yep. Food scale, measuring cups/spoons, scanned barcodes, etc.

    Measuring cups and scanned barcodes can be off by a lot. You could be eating 10-20% more than you are logging when you use these methods.
  • countcurt
    countcurt Posts: 593 Member
    jbreeze85 wrote: »
    countcurt wrote: »
    jbreeze85 wrote: »
    Thanks to those for replying! I lost 25lbs doing 1500 but then it stopped and I thought making it wasn't enough calories for my height and weight so I went to 1700. Now I'm thinking maybe it was the fact that I was working 2 jobs and not getting enough sleep. Now that I'm back to one job, I'm going to go back down to 1550 and see what happens. Thanks all!

    Why would you think that if you increase your caloric intake you will lose more weight?

    Because of how much I was working out. Although I know it's easy to overestimate how much we are actually burning off, so I'm just going to go back down.

    So, this makes no sense. You never lose more weight by increasing your caloric intake, regardless of your activity level. You lose more weight by reducing your caloric intake.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories