Confused

wtchywmn
wtchywmn Posts: 193
edited September 18 in Health and Weight Loss
I have been on this site everyday since January 1st, and I've lost 11 pounds. I haven't lost anything in about 3 weeks. I am 5 ft. tall and it says I should eat 1200 calories. So far I get it. My BMR is 1173 (which I understand is what I burn if I do nothing all day). I get that too. Should I be adding more calories to my intake. (1200 - 1173 = 27. Here is where I get lost.) Am I supposed to add 1200 to 1173 and then subtract 500 calories to lose 1 pound per week without exercise?

Replies

  • wtchywmn
    wtchywmn Posts: 193
    I have been on this site everyday since January 1st, and I've lost 11 pounds. I haven't lost anything in about 3 weeks. I am 5 ft. tall and it says I should eat 1200 calories. So far I get it. My BMR is 1173 (which I understand is what I burn if I do nothing all day). I get that too. Should I be adding more calories to my intake. (1200 - 1173 = 27. Here is where I get lost.) Am I supposed to add 1200 to 1173 and then subtract 500 calories to lose 1 pound per week without exercise?
  • courtneyc
    courtneyc Posts: 3
    I have the same problem. This is only the second week since I have started using this site. I have been working out now for 6 years. I'm 30 years old. I am 5 ft. 6 in. 128 lbs. I would like to get around 220-225, but am not budging. MFP tells me to eat 1410 calories per day. Then it ads approx. 350 more calories after I work out. I usually only eat around 1450. Is this why I'm not losing anything. Should I be eating more calories? Or is this as low as my weight is going to get?
  • alaskagal
    alaskagal Posts: 326
    I have the same problem. This is only the second week since I have started using this site. I have been working out now for 6 years. I'm 30 years old. I am 5 ft. 6 in. 128 lbs. I would like to get around 220-225, but am not budging. MFP tells me to eat 1410 calories per day. Then it ads approx. 350 more calories after I work out. I usually only eat around 1450. Is this why I'm not losing anything. Should I be eating more calories? Or is this as low as my weight is going to get?

    I"m sorry....are you trying to gain to 220 -225 or is this a typo? :huh: If you're gaining I won't be of any help but if you are losing....EAT, EAT, EAT....all your BMR calories and ALL your exercise calories with healthy whole foods. I was in the exact same spot and when I started eating all my BMR calories and exercise calories it took 2 -3 weeks and a 3 - 4 pouund weight gain to get my body straightened out but I am now losing again. There are multiple threads with great advice about this.

    Please read http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6556-the-answers-to-the-questions
    for a lot more useful information.

    Good luck
    :flowerforyou:
  • prettyinpink
    prettyinpink Posts: 94 Member
    I have been on this site everyday since January 1st, and I've lost 11 pounds. I haven't lost anything in about 3 weeks. I am 5 ft. tall and it says I should eat 1200 calories. So far I get it. My BMR is 1173 (which I understand is what I burn if I do nothing all day). I get that too. Should I be adding more calories to my intake. (1200 - 1173 = 27. Here is where I get lost.) Am I supposed to add 1200 to 1173 and then subtract 500 calories to lose 1 pound per week without exercise?

    You have your calculations backwards.... If your BMR is 1173, you should subtract your calories intake from that... so it is like this: 1173 - 1200 = -27 so you are by logic "gaining" weight at a rate of 1 lb every 129 days. So in order for you to lose weight you need to be cardio, burning more than 27 calories to maintain your weight, then anything over and beyond that you will start to lose weight. (NOTE: If you burn 500+27= 527 calories each day you will then lose one pound per week) Because you are down to your last eight pounds it is going to be even harder to reach that goal! I have this to look forward to sooner than later! Don't get discouraged!
  • wtchywmn
    wtchywmn Posts: 193
    Thanks Mindy - I knew I was confused. Unfortunately, I still am. Putting exercise aside (which I do the elliptical 30 minutes 3 to 5 days a week) . I am trying to figure if my caloric intake is correct at 1200, or should I be eating more, whether I exercise or not. Thanks for your help.
  • alaskagal
    alaskagal Posts: 326
    Thanks Mindy - I knew I was confused. Unfortunately, I still am. Putting exercise aside (which I do the elliptical 30 minutes 3 to 5 days a week) . I am trying to figure if my caloric intake is correct at 1200, or should I be eating more, whether I exercise or not. Thanks for your help.

    Here is another calculator that might help you determine if 1200 is the correct intake for you. There are multiple calculators on this site to help you.

    http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

    Please keep in mind that on the MFP site the BMR is calories that are burned if you did nothing else but just breathe for 24 hours a day -- it's for basic body functions. So we need to always consume at least our BMR calories. Once you determine your BMR then add any exercise calories each day and try to consume that amount of calories. Keep in mind this is for a slow steady sustainable weight loss. This won't be the type of stuff that we see each week on Biggest Loser, but at least it's progress in the right direction.

    An example is my BMR is 1252 and I usually burn 500ish calories when I work out 6 - 7 times a week. So I've consistently been eating 1700ish calories and I'm losing weight again. When I was eating only my BMR calories 1252 and exercising but not consuming extra exercise calories my weight loss stopped for about a month or more. Very frustrating!

    Hope this helps.
    :flowerforyou:
  • wtchywmn
    wtchywmn Posts: 193
    Here is another calculator that might help you determine if 1200 is the correct intake for you. There are multiple calculators on this site to help you.

    http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm



    Thanks for the website it did help. I can actually eat a little more than I have been and still lose weight. That sure makes my day.:flowerforyou:
  • courtneyc
    courtneyc Posts: 3
    Sorry, yes I am trying to lose to get to 220-225. I haven't lost anything. Are you saying that I should eat everything it recommends and I might still gain weight before losing. Why?
  • alaskagal
    alaskagal Posts: 326
    Sorry, yes I am trying to lose to get to 220-225. I haven't lost anything. Are you saying that I should eat everything it recommends and I might still gain weight before losing. Why?

    Courtneyc - I was only relating my personal experience. I had gone quite some time eating below my BMR (this wasn't on purpose, I just wasn't following my calories close enough and often didn't "feel" hungry which is a sign of being in starvation mode). So when I finally did start eating my BMR PLUS MY EXERCISE CALORIES, my body wanted to make sure there was going to be a steady influx of food coming in before it was willing to let go of any pounds. Once I had a regular intake of BMR + exercise calories about 2 - 3 weeks in my case (that's when I gained 3 -4 pounds, then my body decided that regular food would be coming in and it was okay to part with the extra pounds. This is a highly simplified version but it more or less conveys the story.

    I'm certainly not saying that you will gain weight before you lose weight. However if you've been undereating for some time I just wanted to let you know it might be a possibility -- just in case it does happen. It's tough to see the scale climb and believe that you are doing the right thing when you aren't getting the desired results. Undereating for any length of time leads to a host of problems we all want to avoid.

    I hope this clears up some of the confusion.

    Best of luck
    :flowerforyou:
  • Assilem
    Assilem Posts: 21
    This topic came up right when I was going to look for it. Exercising, calorie counting yadda yadda yadda. It's all greek to me. Can someone help?

    What's the BMR number you're all mentioning?

    So my info says that my net calorie goal is 1,340, today I burned 592, minus what i've consumed 623, and it says calories remaining is 1,309. Why does it put it up when I've burned calories?

    How do I know if I'm burning enought to lose weight?
  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
    I have the same problem. This is only the second week since I have started using this site. I have been working out now for 6 years. I'm 30 years old. I am 5 ft. 6 in. 128 lbs. I would like to get around 220-225, but am not budging. MFP tells me to eat 1410 calories per day. Then it ads approx. 350 more calories after I work out. I usually only eat around 1450. Is this why I'm not losing anything. Should I be eating more calories? Or is this as low as my weight is going to get?

    I"m sorry....are you trying to gain to 220 -225 or is this a typo? :huh: If you're gaining I won't be of any help but if you are losing....EAT, EAT, EAT....all your BMR calories and ALL your exercise calories with healthy whole foods. I was in the exact same spot and when I started eating all my BMR calories and exercise calories it took 2 -3 weeks and a 3 - 4 pouund weight gain to get my body straightened out but I am now losing again. There are multiple threads with great advice about this.

    Please read http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6556-the-answers-to-the-questions
    for a lot more useful information.

    Good luck
    :flowerforyou:


    click on the link above for all (or at least most) of your answers.
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