Can anyone give me the best place to find my calorie intake ?
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size102b
Posts: 1,370 Member
Hi I’ve been in mfp years have lost lots weight on it
But I’ve been doing WW and lost 32 lbs in 21 weeks and - 50 inches
But
I’ve plateaued 5 weeks and have been weighing measuring tracking everything
I’m female
5 ft 2
184 lbs
Aged 49
I walk 30 miles a week
I do c25k 3 times a week
I do 2 Zumba classes a week
I do some weights 3 times a week
I walk walking 50 miles a week upto December then time was a problem I couldn’t spare 2-3 hours to walk everyday so I added in some high impact cardio and weights and dropped the walking abit.
I am looking for how many calories I should be eating in total a day, I have yoyo dieted many years but I’m trying not to do this anymore
I’m not sure if WW is right for me as I have jogged it about ate more ate less ate different weigh everything measure everything
I used calorie books and a couple weeks ago tracked everything in here I’m eating 1200-1400 calories every day.
I don’t drive so generally walk everywhere I do everything in the house for 5 of us so I’m not sedentary.
Many thanks
But I’ve been doing WW and lost 32 lbs in 21 weeks and - 50 inches
But
I’ve plateaued 5 weeks and have been weighing measuring tracking everything
I’m female
5 ft 2
184 lbs
Aged 49
I walk 30 miles a week
I do c25k 3 times a week
I do 2 Zumba classes a week
I do some weights 3 times a week
I walk walking 50 miles a week upto December then time was a problem I couldn’t spare 2-3 hours to walk everyday so I added in some high impact cardio and weights and dropped the walking abit.
I am looking for how many calories I should be eating in total a day, I have yoyo dieted many years but I’m trying not to do this anymore
I’m not sure if WW is right for me as I have jogged it about ate more ate less ate different weigh everything measure everything
I used calorie books and a couple weeks ago tracked everything in here I’m eating 1200-1400 calories every day.
I don’t drive so generally walk everywhere I do everything in the house for 5 of us so I’m not sedentary.
Many thanks
0
Replies
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If you have put your stats into MFP, correct activity level in and chose a suitable rate of loss MFP calculates it for you. The MFP calorie goal incorporates your deficit for weight loss based on non-exercise activity, so doesn't include any exercise, so any intentional exercises outside of your normal work/home life should be logged and eaten back. Explained more in-depth below.
Plateaus are not really a thing, they're down to either a lack of patience or not being in a deficit.
If you're logging all food and drink accurately and using a conservative figure for exercise burns you will be losing fat, it might just not be showing on the scale, is any of the exercise new? or have you increased the intensity? That can cause temporary water retention. Peri-menopause if you haven't gone through the change already could also be a factor given your age.
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what does MFP give you to lose 1lb per week at active? (which would mean you wouldn't log your walking cals, just the other exercise)1
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1770 a day but I fear I’d gain0
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There is so much information out there and personally I wasn't sure which one to follow. Eventually I did decide to trust MFP - that was just over 300 days ago. Living healthier, losing weight slowly, starting a little exercise - so I'll stick with MFP and thank you to all those members who offer such great support.2
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Just a point to say if you truly are only eating 1200- 1400 calories a day, that is not nearly enough given the amount of walking/exercise you're doing.1
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tinkerbellang83 wrote: »If you have put your stats into MFP, correct activity level in and chose a suitable rate of loss MFP calculates it for you. The MFP calorie goal incorporates your deficit for weight loss based on non-exercise activity, so doesn't include any exercise, so any intentional exercises outside of your normal work/home life should be logged and eaten back. Explained more in-depth below.
Plateaus are not really a thing, they're down to either a lack of patience
If you're logging all food and drink accurately and using a conservative figure for exercise burns you will be losing fat, it might just not be showing on the scale, is any of the exercise new? or have you increased the intensity? That can cause temporary water retention. Peri-menopause if you haven't gone through the change already could also be a factor given your age.
I was walking everyday 10 miles for 4 months on top of the 8,000 steps I normally do a day then I switched it to 1/2 that and added in Zumba classes c25k and weights and my weight loss stopped0 -
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tinkerbellang83 wrote: »Just a point to say if you truly are only eating 1200- 1400 calories a day, that is not nearly enough given the amount of walking/exercise you're doing.
I honestly eat that amount I don’t eat a lot as I yoyoed in meal replacements vlcd and lose slowly0 -
sounds like a normal fluctuation in 1 week.2 -
TavistockToad wrote: »
Lol true but fear I suppose if I gain 😚0 -
gaining 2.8lbs on 1770 a day in one week is NOT fat gain. That's water weight variation due to any amount of possible factors from hormones, to changed exercise to more salt, more carbs, heck even a sunburn will cause me to gain 1-2lbs of water.
Stick with it for 6 weeks before deciding it's not working.3 -
TavistockToad wrote: »
Lol true but fear I suppose if I gain 😚
if you gain over the 6 weeks then you know you are one of the unfortunate few who maintains on a very small number of calories. this is VERY unlikely.
suppose you start losing weight....?1 -
TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »
Lol true but fear I suppose if I gain 😚
if you gain over the 6 weeks then you know you are one of the unfortunate few who maintains on a very small number of calories. this is VERY unlikely.
suppose you start losing weight....?
Sadly I have spent Yeats yoyoing on meal replacements 600 cals a-day and obviously couldn’t maintain that lifestyle having chronic ibs I don’t dare eat a lot anymore
You are right though how will I know unless I try
Thankyou for your help0 -
ladyreva78 wrote: »
gaining 2.8lbs on 1770 a day in one week is NOT fat gain. That's water weight variation due to any amount of possible factors from hormones, to changed exercise to more salt, more carbs, heck even a sunburn will cause me to gain 1-2lbs of water.
Stick with it for 6 weeks before deciding it's not working.
Ahh I see I will eat more probably add in some nuts and more while wheat carbs
Thankyou0 -
ladyreva78 wrote: »
gaining 2.8lbs on 1770 a day in one week is NOT fat gain. That's water weight variation due to any amount of possible factors from hormones, to changed exercise to more salt, more carbs, heck even a sunburn will cause me to gain 1-2lbs of water.
Stick with it for 6 weeks before deciding it's not working.
Ahh I see I will eat more probably add in some nuts and more while wheat carbs
Thankyou
If you don't feel comfortable increasing in one go. Add 50-100 kcals/day until you reach your target.
Also, make sure you weigh (on a food scale) your food. Especially calorie dense things like nuts. It's so easy to accidentally double the serving size.
Be patient. You're in this for the long run and not for a week. It's a matter of learning sustainable habits for the rest of your life. Because once you've lost the weight, you need to have the tools and habits in place to make sure you don't regain.1 -
ladyreva78 wrote: »ladyreva78 wrote: »
gaining 2.8lbs on 1770 a day in one week is NOT fat gain. That's water weight variation due to any amount of possible factors from hormones, to changed exercise to more salt, more carbs, heck even a sunburn will cause me to gain 1-2lbs of water.
Stick with it for 6 weeks before deciding it's not working.
Ahh I see I will eat more probably add in some nuts and more while wheat carbs
Thankyou
If you don't feel comfortable increasing in one go. Add 50-100 kcals/day until you reach your target.
Also, make sure you weigh (on a food scale) your food. Especially calorie dense things like nuts. It's so easy to accidentally double the serving size.
Be patient. You're in this for the long run and not for a week. It's a matter of learning sustainable habits for the rest of your life. Because once you've lost the weight, you need to have the tools and habits in place to make sure you don't regain.
I have been doing this my whole adult life I’m 50 this year and want to sort my body out
I weigh all solids on a digital food scale and measuring spoons and cups and all liquids in a measuring jug.
I honestly don’t eat a lot
Average day
6 pineapple cubes with 0% fat fage Greek yoghurt
2 eggs on one wholemeal toast
I baked crisps (fries)
I small banana
Salmon or chicken fillet / breast oven baked nothing added
Vegetables
5 grams weighed butter
Gravy
Nothing added
A WW calorie counted bar
2 litres water
Decaf green tea as I can’t take caffeine as migraines
0 -
YOU are the best source of your needed calories. If you are logging accurately and logging exercise then use the MFP recommendations for two months and then adjust. There are going to be fluctuations of 2-5 pounds. Stay the course for long enough to get good data. Don't jump around and don't panic.
Your numbers are your best source.1 -
ladyreva78 wrote: »ladyreva78 wrote: »
gaining 2.8lbs on 1770 a day in one week is NOT fat gain. That's water weight variation due to any amount of possible factors from hormones, to changed exercise to more salt, more carbs, heck even a sunburn will cause me to gain 1-2lbs of water.
Stick with it for 6 weeks before deciding it's not working.
Ahh I see I will eat more probably add in some nuts and more while wheat carbs
Thankyou
If you don't feel comfortable increasing in one go. Add 50-100 kcals/day until you reach your target.
Also, make sure you weigh (on a food scale) your food. Especially calorie dense things like nuts. It's so easy to accidentally double the serving size.
Be patient. You're in this for the long run and not for a week. It's a matter of learning sustainable habits for the rest of your life. Because once you've lost the weight, you need to have the tools and habits in place to make sure you don't regain.
I have been doing this my whole adult life I’m 50 this year and want to sort my body out
I weigh all solids on a digital food scale and measuring spoons and cups and all liquids in a measuring jug.
I honestly don’t eat a lot
Average day
6 pineapple cubes with 0% fat fage Greek yoghurt
2 eggs on one wholemeal toast
I baked crisps (fries)
I small banana
Salmon or chicken fillet / breast oven baked nothing added
Vegetables
5 grams weighed butter
Gravy
Nothing added
A WW calorie counted bar
2 litres water
Decaf green tea as I can’t take caffeine as migraines
Looks very low carb. So adding anything carb based will make the scale weight increase. But remember, that's really just water weight. The body needs water to store glycogen (the storage form of the glucose created out of the carbs you eat). When you don't eat enough carbs to replenish those stores, then your body doesn't need the water to hold them. So all in all, that can easily explain 5lbs of weight fluctuation.
Take it slow. Be patient. Don't do anything rash based on a scale reading of one week.
An really. weigh ALL solids. Measuring cups and spoons are for liquids.0
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