My Activity Level/Should I increase my calories?

lindzmt22
lindzmt22 Posts: 335
edited October 6 in Food and Nutrition
Just want to be sure that I'm eating enough. I weigh 183, am 5' 4", and my goal weight is 134. I chose to lose 2 lbs a week and chose lightly active. My daily calories are 1200, and my BMR is 1565. My question is, should I choose 'active' instead? My activity level has increased since I started in September. I am a massage therapist, and do about 3-5 (but closer to 5) hours of massage 5 times a week. I exercise 6 days a week for usually around 60 minutes a day. (I have completed Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred, Ripped in 30, and am now in the middle of C25K, and a combo of JM's Killer Buns and Thighs and 6 Week 6 Pack. I also do yoga, take walks, and bike ride sometimes.) I DO eat my exercise calories. I have definitely felt myself getting WAY more in shape, and developing more endurance and energy when it comes to my workouts. However the past couple weeks I've been getting hungrier more often (like an hour after eating a meal) and although I am not perfect I am trying my best to eat a well rounded diet full of healthy food (fruits, veggies, meats, dairy, non-processed food etc.) so it should be sustaining me pretty well right? Just wondering what you all think....should I increase my calories? For the first couple months I was losing about 2 pounds a week but lately it has been back and forth from 0 to 2 to 1 to 0. lol. I'm not tripping about that, just wondering if I need to fuel my body more for all the exercise I'm doing....or is eating my exercise calories enough?

Replies

  • Jenniferslast10
    Jenniferslast10 Posts: 36 Member
    I would up the activity level setting...what you described does not sound like "lightly active". Also, I wouldn't eat below your BMR. I have increased the calories I eat from what MFP says I should because I don't want to be stuck eating a low amount of calories in maintainence.
  • lindzmt22
    lindzmt22 Posts: 335
    I would up the activity level setting...what you described does not sound like "lightly active". Also, I wouldn't eat below your BMR. I have increased the calories I eat from what MFP says I should because I don't want to be stuck eating a low amount of calories in maintainence.

    Thank you for your response! That is helpful to me. I am highly considering upping them...
    Anyone else?
  • Tan43
    Tan43 Posts: 87 Member
    I would increase activity level as well. From what you have wrote 1200 calories is not enough for the activities you are doing. Increase calories for 1 week and see what happens.:smile:
  • SWilland
    SWilland Posts: 232 Member
    I was just thinking about this yesterday. I'm in the exact same pickle you are. I decided to up my calories. I started making protein shakes after my work out which adds in approx 280 calories and helps make sure I dont loose that muscle im trying so damn hard to get :laugh:

    Im on day two of testing this out and so far I like it. Feels like I have more energy or somethin'.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    3-5 hours a day on your feet sounds like "lightly active". If you log all of your other exercise and eat those calories and still aren't getting enough to eat I'd decrease your desired weight loss. 1 pound per week is plenty and should give you about 300 more calories to eat per day.
  • Thena81
    Thena81 Posts: 1,265 Member
    if i were you, id up my activity one notch
  • lindzmt22
    lindzmt22 Posts: 335
    Thanks everyone!! I think I will change to atleast 1.5 pounds per week soon. That should help!
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