Am I eating enough?

FitForLife81
FitForLife81 Posts: 372 Member
edited October 2 in Food and Nutrition
I am 5'3" and am weighing in at 120. My fitness pal is set to lose 1lbs a week and it has me at 1200 calories. BUT when I do the equation out that comes with P90X it says 1300?! So how much should I eat? I find at 1200 I dont lose anything? I am also doing Insanity and am on month 2

Replies

  • iluvsparkles
    iluvsparkles Posts: 1,730 Member
    I am guessing that since you are already so small, that 1200 calories isn't enough for you, especially if you are working out in p90x style. I would say eat a little more each day for several weeks, and I bet that you start to lose again. But honestly, I think you are at a good weight right now, I would just focus on strength if I were you :)
  • channa007
    channa007 Posts: 419 Member
    For rigerous workouts you should probably be eating close to 1300 as you'll burn more. My wife's kickboxing classes are said to burn about 1000 cals an hour so she has to eat more to compensate. She's at 1200 cals too.
  • FitForLife81
    FitForLife81 Posts: 372 Member
    Thanks I am happy at this weight I just find it odd that I am maintaining at such a low calorie. I am thinking heck I would rather eat more and maintain then maintain at such a low calorie kwim?
  • ChitownFoodie
    ChitownFoodie Posts: 1,562 Member
    Are you eating 1200 total or NET? You can eat your exercise calories, so you should be eating more than 1200.
  • FitForLife81
    FitForLife81 Posts: 372 Member
    I am netting 1200
  • GaiaGirl1992
    GaiaGirl1992 Posts: 459 Member
    your end-of-day calories could be a little higher. try 1600 or 1500, and if you start gaining (unless it's muscle weight from strength training) then drop it, until you stop gaining/losing, and that will be your maintenance ^^
  • RaeannePemberton
    RaeannePemberton Posts: 382 Member
    For what it's worth, i did not lose much on insanity, but my body did change.
  • AggieCass09
    AggieCass09 Posts: 1,867 Member
    i use either fat2fit.com or freedieting to calculate my calories...

    http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm gives you 1485 per day

    especially if you are doing something like p90x you need to be eating more (and exercise calories). make sure you are getting in enough protein as well!
  • Michelle9939
    Michelle9939 Posts: 291
    Your BMR is 1,459 (according to this site http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/).
    So I wouldn't eat less than 1,459 calories. Since you are doing P90X, you need to be eating more. I would probably aim for around 1,600-1,700 calories.
  • DianaPowerUp
    DianaPowerUp Posts: 518 Member
    I agree, bump up the calories. You need it, you'll burn it, and your body will function better. Btw, your goal of 1 lb loss/wk is really quite a bit, esp. when you don't have lots to lose. The smaller you get, the more your body will hang on to any bit of extra that you have, and the harder it will be to lose. For ex, if you were 300 lbs, losing 1 lb/wk would be a drop in the bucket for you. But at 120...that's asking a lot. It'd be easier on you (and you'll feel better and be more successful) if you changed your goal to .5 lb/wk.
  • FitForLife81
    FitForLife81 Posts: 372 Member
    Thanks everyone! I am doing insanity not P90x not sure if that changes anything. I just used the equation from the P90x book =) Thanks I will try to up the calories and see what happens!
  • FitForLife81
    FitForLife81 Posts: 372 Member
    The only reason I havent changed it is because I still have fat covering my six pack ;) So even though I am at 120 my stomach still has some fat I need to move =)
  • LisaKyle11
    LisaKyle11 Posts: 662 Member
    you should log your exercise calories on here and then EAT as close to the new total MFP calculates for you. you should do your best to NET at least 1200 a day. even better would be to net your beginning allowance plus all your exercise cals. just be sure to log as closely as possible -- all food/drinks/exercise. it won't be perfect, but you will get more fuel and you will feel better. hopefully you will start to lose as well.
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