Frustrated...Calorie Goal ?

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CarolinaGirl87
CarolinaGirl87 Posts: 12
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello everyone....

I'm quite frustrated. I have been dieting since December 2010 and I have lost 25 lbs so far. I started out at 250lbs and I am now down to 225lbs and 5'3". I've been dieting and excercising as much as I can. There have been weeks where I have fallen off track, but for the most part I have been able to stick to my diet. My weight loss was great until February and then I plateaued until June. I lost 5 lbs that month and another 5 in July, followed by August and now i'm stuck again.

I've tried numerous calorie goals. Based on MFP to lose 2lbs a week it says my goal is 1200 calories a day. I'm assuming that is NET calories..Correct? Do you guys actually follow what MFP says? I tried for 2 weeks to set my calorie goal at 1200 and excercised EVERY day which would cause me to net around 900. I lost about 5lbs the first week and 3 the 2nd...Since then i've gained it back but I went back up to about 1500 calories because I felt that I was eating too little (under 1200 net). When I excercised I was around 1200 calories.

I heard that it's a pretty common rule not to go under 1200 calories. So if I were to go by the MFP calorie goal I should make sure that I net 1200 right? Or is that "food" calories 1200.

I just wish I could find a calorie goal that I can stiick with a lose the weight. All this up and down is really discouraging. Anyone have any suggestions for me? Any calorie caluclations? I hate not going to the gym because I feel guilty and I feel lazy, but I don't want to dip under 1200..

Thanks!
Krystal

Replies

  • val071418
    val071418 Posts: 96 Member
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    Eat back your exercise calories...especially if you are already at 1200. Below that your body will go into starvation mode and cause you hold onto that weight. If you eat 1200 and work off 500, eat those 500 back. Good luck sorry you are having such a discouraging time.
    MFP had set me at 1410 I stuck pretty close to it and lost 10 pounds! MFP now has me at 1340. Been here only 3 days so we will see how it goes!!
    Keep going!!!
    :wink:
  • Lamemind
    Lamemind Posts: 18 Member
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    Net calories should not go under 1200. I would recommend measuring body fat as well as weight. Just because your weight doesn't change, doesn't mean that your body fat isn't going lower.
  • Sallycinnimon
    Sallycinnimon Posts: 102 Member
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    I'm new, so I may be wrong, but I just eat my food calories. Every once in a while i'll dip into the net calories, but only if I've excersized a lot and I feel like I'm starving. Try that. Stick to the food calories, but don't starve yourself, because you need fuel!
  • CarolinaGirl87
    CarolinaGirl87 Posts: 12
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    Does anyone else find it weird that for 225lbs and 5'3" my net calories are 1200? Does anyone find that low for my size?
  • Sallycinnimon
    Sallycinnimon Posts: 102 Member
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    what are your settings? cuz i found it low for mine so i changed them. I'm 5'0 and 189.. started at 195.
  • CarolinaGirl87
    CarolinaGirl87 Posts: 12
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    I put it losing 2lbs a week and that gave me 1200. 1.5 lbs a week was 1440 and 1lb a week was 1690. I evened it off and said 1400 a week...I plan on excercising daily but not near the intensity I was doing. Maybe 200 calories burned a day in a workout whether it be walking, wii active or the gym.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Does anyone else find it weird that for 225lbs and 5'3" my net calories are 1200? Does anyone find that low for my size?

    change ur goal from 2 lbs per week to 1, and that will give u more calories if you feel that 1200 isnt enough.
  • CarolinaGirl87
    CarolinaGirl87 Posts: 12
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    I'd rather lose 2lbs a week, but I wonder if changing my goal to 1 would be sufficient for my body and I might lose more than 1?

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