FITNESS PROFESSIONALS! I would like your thoughts.

scapez
scapez Posts: 2,018 Member
edited October 1 in Food and Nutrition
I'm wondering if my daily calorie amount is set too low.

I'm set at sedentary (because I'm in an office everyday)
Loss of 1 lb/week

This gives me 1200 cals/day.

More info:
I started at 150 (May 2011), have lost about 13 to date, and would like to lose another 10-15ish.
I'm 44.
I exercise daily, some days I burn around 600-700 cals, others around 200.
I do mostly cardio, with some strength.
I eat pretty clean, make most of my own food, hardly eat prepared/processed stuff.
Drink 64 oz. water daily.

The reason I wonder this is because my weight loss has been pretty slow going (average of about .5/week), and that's ok. But I noticed something interesting when I went on vacation a few weeks ago. During that time, I didn't log, ate pretty well, did a little exercise (but not much), had drinks nearly everyday, didn't drink as much water as usual (on a daily basis) and a week after I got home, I was down over 3 lbs (!!!) and I was feeling pretty good physically.

Since coming home, I'm back on my normal routine and my weight hasn't budged. Not only that, but I'm hungry ALL OF THE TIME. I've never been an 'obsessed with food' kind of person, but I'm starting to fantasize about eating just gobs of food. :love:

Is it possible that I should be eating more calories? At the beginning I didn't eat back many/all of my exercise calories simply because I wasn't hungry enough to. Now my problem is that I'm TOO hungry and trust me, I want to eat BEYOND my exercise calories nearly every day!

Advice is appreciated, thanks. :smile:

Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,458 Member
    I'm not a fitness pro, but having been here for four years, the consensus probably is -I think you should set your goal to .5 lbs for one thing.

    Eat back all yor exercise cals.

    You are eating a lot of carbs. Try to cut back on the processed carbs in cereals and breads.

    That last 10-15 lbs is a loooooong slooooooow process.
  • vettle
    vettle Posts: 621 Member
    ok NOT a pro, but I also added calories (200) to my diet and I lost 2 pounds in a week.

    Also,I know this is a touchy subject, but I was told by a personal trainer/nutritionist NOT to eat back exercise calories if trying to lose fat. This is what he wrote to me:

    "You don't need to eat the exercise calories back. These calories burnt from exercise will be taken from your fat storage, so if your maintenance calories are 1500 and your recreational activities and exercises burn 1500, than you will have created a 1500 calorie deficit that can only be gained from burning fat. If you were to eat these burn calories back you would have no need to burn fat storages to replace that 1500 calorie deficit. So instead of eating the calories back you train your body to burn fat for extra calories"

    BUT I know everyone will have their own opinion - but this paragraph is from a pro.
  • DixiedoesMFP
    DixiedoesMFP Posts: 935 Member
    I am not a fitness professional, but 1200 calories a day left me hungry and cranky, with a fierce headache. I am slowly changing my eating habits. My diary is open. Tons of water, minimal soda. I eat 5 or 6 times a day, 200 to 300 calories at a time and I try to make those calories count. Lean protein, fruits & veggies. Only whole wheat breads and pastas. Keep up the good work.
  • cbinnd
    cbinnd Posts: 178 Member
    Also, I think it's a telling sign that your body is so hungry, when you've never been obsessive about food. Your body knows what it needs. I would slowly up your calories every week and see what happens. Your body will tell you what it needs.... trust it

    Oh and a nutritionist pro friend did tell me that if you are eating whole, unprocessed foods that you shouldn't even have to count calories. You'll fill up on way less.
  • jenny_fur
    jenny_fur Posts: 73
    Bump :wink:
    Because I'm curious!
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