Am I eating too litte?

Options
littlekrb
littlekrb Posts: 5
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been eating 1360 a day since the beginning of November. This goal is rather close to my BMR, which is 1288. This is supposed to give me 0.5 lbs weight loss a week. I have not been tracking exercise but burn between 1200-1500 additional calories a week through exercise. I have been doing this rather consistently for a month now and I have not lost an ounce! 1360 a day satisfies me. I am not left hungry. So, while it may seem that I need to eat more I am hesitant to do so since my current regimen is not producing weight loss and I am not particularly hungry for more. The last thing I need is to gain any more weight.

I only have 5 lbs to lose. I did not expect it to be this hard. Advice?

Replies

  • morganadk2_deleted
    morganadk2_deleted Posts: 1,696 Member
    Options
    Are you eating enough? Are you eating your exersise calories?

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficit

    Go to the tools section and figure out your BMI:

    Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit
    With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)
    With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)
    With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)
    and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle building, and reducing fat. This means it is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode).

    This is just a part of it! please read the link above
  • _Johanna_
    _Johanna_ Posts: 125 Member
    Options
    Are you eating back exercise calories? I'd eat back at least half of them...

    I haven't been there yet, but I'm told that losing the last bit of weight is much harder than losing a big bulk of it as your body is happy with a little extra fat on it and therefore fights you tooth and nail to hold onto it!

    Just keep it up - sounds like you are eating healthy! If you see no changes soon, maybe go up or down by 100 calories....

    Good Luck - you will figure it out!
  • merB89
    merB89 Posts: 122
    Options
    Def track your exercise! with out adding that in to your daily diary you are probably eating too little. So if you eat 1360 cals one day but burn 200 in exercise that same day you've only netted 1160 cals, which is fairly low (it might work for some people though, but I know that I would be tired, grumpy, and sick only netting that many cals a day)
  • GeekMom17
    GeekMom17 Posts: 51
    Options
    I'd say bump yourself up to an even 1500 calories a day. I thought the less I ate would mean the more weight I lost no matter what but, I found out that I lost more weight when I exercised more and at more. I am not saying eat 2,500 calories a day.

    To me it sounds like you are not eating enough for your body to burn off. Try it for a week or 2 and see if you see the difference.
  • MelanieAG05
    MelanieAG05 Posts: 359 Member
    Options
    start to track your exercise and try eating your exercise calories for a couple of weeks and see what happens - its works out about another 170 - 215 cals extra per day to eat. if you don't feel hungry enough to eat them you could try eating more calorie dense foods like nuts/nut butter - 5 brazil nuts is about 100 cals and a tablespoon of peanut butter is about 90 cals. you don't have much to lose so it will be harder.

    I am still trying to work out what is best for me - i was netting way too little and had no weight change for 3 weeks. I have started to to net 1100-1200 per day (my goal is 1250) from last week and finally lost the promised 1lb last week!
  • amymeenieminymo
    amymeenieminymo Posts: 2,394 Member
    Options
    If you aren't eating back your exercise calories, you should be. Especially since you are not seeing progress from not eating them.

    Also, those who have very little weight to lose have a lot harder time. Your body is resistant to let it go so it will take a lot longer than someone who has 50-100 pounds to lose. Obviously your goal is important to you, but 5 pounds is a very small goal, perhaps you should focus more on just overall toning rather than what the scale says.
  • AJHarman
    AJHarman Posts: 35 Member
    Options
    Getting too few calories and too much exercise can actually cause you to GAIN weight. You don't want your body to think it is starving. My thoughts are to add a protein rich meal before your workout and after as well on top of what you are currently eating. The more you exercise the more calories you need so don't deprive yourself. Good luck and great for you for making exercise a priority in your life!
  • ninjapixie87
    ninjapixie87 Posts: 124 Member
    Options
    I have been eating 1360 a day since the beginning of November. This goal is rather close to my BMR, which is 1288. This is supposed to give me 0.5 lbs weight loss a week. I have not been tracking exercise but burn between 1200-1500 additional calories a week through exercise. I have been doing this rather consistently for a month now and I have not lost an ounce! 1360 a day satisfies me. I am not left hungry. So, while it may seem that I need to eat more I am hesitant to do so since my current regimen is not producing weight loss and I am not particularly hungry for more. The last thing I need is to gain any more weight.

    I only have 5 lbs to lose. I did not expect it to be this hard. Advice?

    First off, you've only been doing this for a month. It might take a while for your body to adjust to the changes and start seeing a difference. So don't get discouraged! :smile:

    Second, I have a similar BMR and calorie burn per week. I try to net around 1200 cal/day (though it's not always consistant), and I'm seeing about a 1/2 to 1 pound weight loss (when I stick to it).

    That being said, everyone is different. Try adjusting your intake up or down, and stick to it for a while to see if it's working. If it's not working, try adjusting your intake the other direction and wait a while to see if it works. It will probably take some experimenting to find what works for you.
  • littlekrb
    littlekrb Posts: 5
    Options
    morganadk2, those posts were very helpful.

    Which do y'all think is better? Eating back the calories on the day you workout or adding a hundred calories to the daily goal (since I burn around 1200 calories a week in exercise)?
  • littlekrb
    littlekrb Posts: 5
    Options
    *bump*

    Anyone have an opinion about the above?
  • ninjapixie87
    ninjapixie87 Posts: 124 Member
    Options
    Personally, I don't think it matters much when you eat the calories, as long as it averages out on a weekly basis. I prefer to "save" my extra calories for days when I'm feeling hungrier or want a little something special.
  • Faythee
    Faythee Posts: 25 Member
    Options
    Were you exercising this same way before you started ? It is possible you are toning and gaining muscle rather than losing weight.
  • evselc
    evselc Posts: 15
    Options
    I don't think you are eating too many calories. However, without knowing the balance of foods you are eating on a daily basis it is hard to say. You could be eating too much or too little of different food groups. Your calories burned is not particularly high for a week. You may want to consult with an fitness professional because you are getting a lot of conflicting feedback : ) Good luck !

Categories