Calorie intake

tammietifanie
tammietifanie Posts: 1,496 Member
edited September 19 in Health and Weight Loss
So i've been doing 1200 calories and i always feel hunger and im not losing weight so i went to a couple different websites to see what they say about how many calories i should be taking in to lose 1-2 pounds a week and i got different amounts, but they where all between 1500-1700 calories and now im wondering how do i really know what calories intake should i be doing... any help on how to really know ? MFP says 1200 but i feel like im starving all the time... so should i just bump it up to 1400 and see if that helps.... HELP!!!!!!!

Replies

  • tammietifanie
    tammietifanie Posts: 1,496 Member
    So i've been doing 1200 calories and i always feel hunger and im not losing weight so i went to a couple different websites to see what they say about how many calories i should be taking in to lose 1-2 pounds a week and i got different amounts, but they where all between 1500-1700 calories and now im wondering how do i really know what calories intake should i be doing... any help on how to really know ? MFP says 1200 but i feel like im starving all the time... so should i just bump it up to 1400 and see if that helps.... HELP!!!!!!!
  • manganello16
    manganello16 Posts: 43
    If you're not losing weight then you're probably not eating enough, and when I'm hungry, I eat anyway. The important thing is just to make sure that if you'r enot hungry you don't eat! But there's no reason to starve. If you're eating the right amount, you won't be hungry.

    192119.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Calorie Counter
  • naugustyniak
    naugustyniak Posts: 836 Member
    Are you exercising? And if you are, are you eating your exercise calories? I think 1200 is the MINIMUM you should be eating. If you feel hungry, eat, just choose wisely what you eat.
  • jdhall
    jdhall Posts: 76
    I am on the 1200 calories also that MFP told me to eat. I am eating less than that and it is telling me I am not eating enough to keep my metabolism going. I am not hungry though. The computer changes my calorie intake as I exercise. So if you are exercising, you need to pay attention to the altered amount of calories. 1200 may be to low for you. Everyone is different, so make small adjustments to increase your intake. Also if you are hungry, by all means eat something, just try to eat something healthy, like a bowl of fruit or a snack bar. It can be very frustrating, so just be patient and adjust your diet to your comfort zone, Loosing slower is much better for you. Good Luck!:happy:
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
    when you eat your exercise calories it should be bumping you up into the 1400-1500 cal range at least. 1200 is very low, and is really only recommended for those in the obese BMI category or higher.
  • tammietifanie
    tammietifanie Posts: 1,496 Member
    i Try to exercise i might get 10-15 minutes in every 2 days due to my busy life style ... When i do workout i eat my exercise calories... I do walking for my workouts and crunches, leg lifts things like that.... I try to pick healthy things like celery with laughing cow cheese , hummus, fruits, veggies, good carbs
  • jarredondo
    jarredondo Posts: 284 Member
    If i just do the standard set up for MFP it says i should be at 1300 ish calories a day. I am nursing my 7 month old so I know I know I burn and need more calories than that. I reset my calories to 1800 and I have lost 6 pounds in 2 1/2 weeks. I guess what I am suggesting is try something different and see if it works for you. Don't take the generic plan as the end all truth. Everybody is different.
  • mfinney
    mfinney Posts: 314
    if you feel you are starving -- you probably are. when you adjust your caloric intake down, your body recognizes it and will adjust to only having that amount of calories. our bodies are able to tell us what is wrong either way. i don't know how you're spreading your calories out throughout the day, but that definitely helps no matter how many calories you are eating, and helps adjust your metabolism as well. if you feel hungry at 1200, i would definitely up it to 1500, but i urge you to do it correctly and spread everything out. you should never feel "stuffed", and you should never feel "starved" -- it's a tough balance, but once you get it right, you'll know.

    good luck!
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
    maybe you're underestimating your current activity levels? with 3 little boys at home, I'm betting you've gotten be pretty darn active to keep up with them! Upping your calories is probably the right choice.
  • ToniAnn45
    ToniAnn45 Posts: 78 Member
    I saw something yesterday that said your calorie intake should be 10X your goal weight. Not sure if exercise calories should be added in to that.
  • laddyboy
    laddyboy Posts: 1,565 Member
    I think the 1st thing you need to do is know how many calories you are burning during your exercise and chasing the kids. You also need to know your training zones. I burn 1800 calories a day just living. I also burn between 600 to 900 calories every morning doing P90X. My total calorie intake is 1500 plus my exercise calories and I am losing around 2 lbs per week.
    There are a lot of little things you can do to help yourself.
    1. Make sure you eat breakfast. So many people skip this meal to cut calories. All you are really doing it killing your metabolism. Food gets your metabolism going.
    2. If possible exercise before you eat. If you exercise on an empty stomach your body will use stored fat as energy. If you have food in your stomach that will be used instead. Eating after you workout will be more efficient because your metabolism is at peak performance as exercising increases it.
    3. Go to bead on an empty stomach. Don't eat anything 3 hrs before bed. While sleeping you burn calories. If your stomach is empty, fat will be burned instead.
    All this helps. Trust me, I hit a sticking point after losing 25 lbs and did the above to help get things going again.
    Also, get a heart rate monitor so you know exactly how many calories you are burning. I got the Sportline S7 from walmart for $25 and it works great.
    Hope this helps.
  • tammietifanie
    tammietifanie Posts: 1,496 Member
    Thank you all so much!!!! Im going to up my calories to 1400 and see how that goes.... Im willing to try anything at this point... Cross my fingers that all i needed was more calories to get my body to lose the weight...:happy:
This discussion has been closed.

Categories