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number of calories per day?

bunnynose_bunny
bunnynose_bunny Posts: 5 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Just throwing this out there for a few of you experienced members. I have followed the weight watchers diet for the past 10 years on and off when ever I have needed to lose weight (after baby etc) and I have had really good success on it. When the old program changed (18 points a day) I stayed with the old program myself. This year I have lost a good number of kilos (went from 66 kilos to 54, now 119 pounds).

I a 37 year old female and I am 5 foot 5 and I would like to get down to 110 pounds. I am a dancer (for pleasure). I some knee and an ankle issues so I would like to get my weight down a bit more. I with the old ww points program I couldnt stick to it as I began to feel really weak and horrible. I do about an hour of light exercise a day (75 sits up, arm exercises, callanetics and some free weights) (but not much cardio). I filled in the MFP profile and they suggested 1200 cals a day for a pound a week weight loss. So I tried that for a few days but I found that I was waking up in the middle of the night starving. I would try and ignore it and go back to sleep. Which didnt work and I'd get up at about 7 am and finally eat then.

So obviously 1200 cals a day must be to low a calorie intake for me. Its not sustainable, especially when I am kept awake at night staving and spend the rest of the day exhausted. So I guess my question is, whats the magic number? Do you guys eat a 1400, 1500, 1600 etc cals a day and get any weight loss. Do you eat up all your exercise calories?

Just interested, as its wrecking my head.I would like to lose a pound a week or under and manage to stick to some kind of acceptable eating plan where I can function like a normal person and most of all sleep!

thanks for taking the time to read this, hope its not too rambling
all the best
Jen

Replies

  • LesliePierceRN
    LesliePierceRN Posts: 860 Member
    you're way to close to your goal to still be losing a pound a week. You should up your calories to only lose a half pound a week. If you're still hungry at night, up them a smidge more, until you find the place your body needs. Make sure your food is good quality, nutrient dense food.. restricting calories often also means restricting nutrition, which could contribute to your lethargy.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    Have somebody run your numbers for you.

    Get your TDEE, BMR and Body fat%.
    Knowing those numbers you can do just about anything weight related.

    If you are interested simply send me:

    Age
    height
    weight
    Body fat % http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/mbf/
    waist measurement
    how many times you work out

    I'll run the numbers for you!
  • HeavenLeAngel127
    HeavenLeAngel127 Posts: 211 Member
    Can I jump in on that and you run the numbers for me?
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    Sure thing!
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    Can I jump in on that and you run the numbers for me?

    Thats what she said BTW!
    =D
  • HeavenLeAngel127
    HeavenLeAngel127 Posts: 211 Member
    I want to meet this "she" who has a mouth like a sailor...
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    at 5'5 your goal weight is a bit low, no? maybe you should switch to maintenance and change your goals to strength/fitness based ones. I cannot imagine someone dieting down to such a low weight at your height and being able to maintain it without some fierce restriction. just sayin, I wish you the best but it doesn't seem like a goal that is necessarily worth pursuing considering...

    110 pounds at 5'5 is "underweight" according to BMI standards. While BMI isn't perfect it's a good sign that the weight is too low for YOU since you're dieting down to get there. You weren't meant to be underweight.
  • david081
    david081 Posts: 489 Member
    First, very well done for such great progress. I too am unsure whether you need to lose 1lb a week. One method is to work out by careful trial and error what you need to eat to maintain as you are, then shave off say 250 cals a day and see how it goes. You can always lop off a few more to adjust the process. Personally I eat a few more if I have done a lot of exercise (my minimum burn is 1000c per day) but never eat back more than 25% of exercise calories. Whatever works for the individual is best, so long as it's a safe method.....

    Regards, David
  • bunnynose_bunny
    bunnynose_bunny Posts: 5 Member
    Hi Everyone thank you all so much for your input and replying so fast, wow I think I have been hanging out in the wrong places :)

    HelloitsDan thanks for the offer to running numbers for me, I will take you up on it. I will check my weight tomorrow and let you know what the current reading is.

    love4fitness, I think you might be right about my goal being a bit low. I'd like to get there but I'll be open minded about it and see how it goes. I guess a pound is alot of weight when you get to 1119 pounds so maybe even slower is better to go. I think maybe try and stay off the scale (maybe I should make that my new fitness goal!)

    thanks everyone
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    I want to meet this "she" who has a mouth like a sailor...

    ;D
  • leanmachinedream
    leanmachinedream Posts: 223
    at 5'5 your goal weight is a bit low, no? maybe you should switch to maintenance and change your goals to strength/fitness based ones. I cannot imagine someone dieting down to such a low weight at your height and being able to maintain it without some fierce restriction. just sayin, I wish you the best but it doesn't seem like a goal that is necessarily worth pursuing considering...

    110 pounds at 5'5 is "underweight" according to BMI standards. While BMI isn't perfect it's a good sign that the weight is too low for YOU since you're dieting down to get there. You weren't meant to be underweight.

    That's what I was thinking but didn't want to be the first to say it. 110 is really low for 5'5"....
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    at 5'5 your goal weight is a bit low, no? maybe you should switch to maintenance and change your goals to strength/fitness based ones. I cannot imagine someone dieting down to such a low weight at your height and being able to maintain it without some fierce restriction. just sayin, I wish you the best but it doesn't seem like a goal that is necessarily worth pursuing considering...

    110 pounds at 5'5 is "underweight" according to BMI standards. While BMI isn't perfect it's a good sign that the weight is too low for YOU since you're dieting down to get there. You weren't meant to be underweight.

    That's what I was thinking but didn't want to be the first to say it. 110 is really low for 5'5"....


    I suggested the same thing. Ran numbers and shes skinny fat right now with lean mass around 87lbs.
    She pumps lean mass up to about 100lbs shed be a rock!

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