Another Calories Question

Metsfn4life
Metsfn4life Posts: 125 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm sure people have posted this question before, but here it goes:

I started off MFP weighing 162 lbs with a goal of 1380 calories per day. I have lost 10 lbs since joining on July 10, losing to 1.5 lbs per week. Sometimes I eat more than 1380, sometimes I eat less. I do this to keep my body surprised and I exercise regularly (no less than 5 times per week).

Two weeks ago (at my 10lb loss...152lbs), MFP set me up with a goal of 1280 calories. Now, the scale is not moving. I think I'm eating too few calories. Should I manually change it, or just stick to it and eat more on some days and less on others as I did before?

I know weight loss is better done slowly, but since I was consistently losing every week before the calorie change, I'm wondering if this is the problem or my body has hit a plateau.

Replies

  • glockster972
    glockster972 Posts: 704 Member
    I know after 5 weeks for me I hit a plateau. I wasn't eating back my exercise calories. Now I am a little more educated in the whole process thanks to my great mfp friends. Do you eat your exercise calories back? You might want to try that for a few weeks to see if it changes. However, I'm just as new as you, so I don't know anything. Just a thought though!
  • amyjthomas
    amyjthomas Posts: 35
    In the same boat.. would love to know the magic answer:smile:
  • bry_all01
    bry_all01 Posts: 3,100 Member
    Depending on where you are at with # of calories you eat, you do not want to create a deficit, if you do this consistantly, your body goes into starvation mode and thus you will most likely not lose the weight.

    MFP took into account everything you plugged in when determining your goals. You definitely want to try to eat back at least half, if not all of your calories, if possible.

    Plateaus happen, unfortunately, and when they do, that only means that it is time for a change, because your body has grown accustomed to what it was used to doing. Once it is adjusted, you will get stuck on a plateau and start to feel discouraged.

    Best of luck to you!!
  • Metsfn4life
    Metsfn4life Posts: 125 Member
    @glockster972, yes, for the most part, I do eat back my exercise calories. I make sure that my net calories are at my goal. I am usually only between 50 to maybe 200 calories (the most) under my calorie goal. I've had days when I've had 400 calories left over at 9PM after a work-out and have had to force myself to eat, but I was still losing weight consistently.

    I'm going to up my calories a little bit, cut the carbs to 100 grams per day for 2 weeks and change my work-out routine. I've been running/walking everyday, so maybe I'll try cycling or the eliptical. I really don't want to get discouraged.

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