Calorie Upping Advice

Ebilfairylight
Ebilfairylight Posts: 28 Member
edited December 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Hi there!

After joining my fitness planner, and becoming a frequent lurker on the forums, I realised that my calorie consumption was far too low and that I needed to up it to achieve healthy weight loss. Previously, I was eating around 900 calories a day and, although I was seeing results at that level, I've tried to up it to a 1200 calorie net over the past week or so (though I've been a little bit short on a couple of days).

I've heard a lot of conflicting advice about whether I should up my calories even further. I'm 159cm tall and currently weigh 70kg with a desire to reach between 55-60 kg roughly to be in the middle of my healthy weight range. MFP lists by BMR as about 1450, which is why I am confused. If I try to up my net calories any more, say to 1450 would I cease to loose weight and just go into a maintenance zone?

Thankyou for any advice! My food diary is open! :)

Replies

  • Ebilfairylight
    Ebilfairylight Posts: 28 Member
    Also, I have been trying to cut out take away and processed foods. The times on my diary where I've been eating things like McDonalds is because I work there and I haven't had too much of another option for food as we have no fridge or adequate storage area for food out the back. Trying to work on convincing my boyfriend's family to eat takeout less, but I'm attempting to pick the lower calorie options when I do have to eat it.

    Also, I recently lowered my sodium goal to 1500 as I heard that that was the new recommended level. I've been trying to keep my sodium low, not adding any salt to things and reducing packaged foods but I'm generally finding that I'm over the 1500 before lunch time is over. Looking at my planner, does anyone have any suggestions of how to cut it back?
  • Ebilfairylight
    Ebilfairylight Posts: 28 Member
    Selfish bump :) I'm really keen to get going as soon as possible with how much I SHOULD be eating to still maintain a deficit but I have no idea what that amount should be. So much conflicting information!
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    Hi there!

    After joining my fitness planner, and becoming a frequent lurker on the forums, I realised that my calorie consumption was far too low and that I needed to up it to achieve healthy weight loss. Previously, I was eating around 900 calories a day and, although I was seeing results at that level, I've tried to up it to a 1200 calorie net over the past week or so (though I've been a little bit short on a couple of days).

    I've heard a lot of conflicting advice about whether I should up my calories even further. I'm 159cm tall and currently weigh 70kg with a desire to reach between 55-60 kg roughly to be in the middle of my healthy weight range. MFP lists by BMR as about 1450, which is why I am confused. If I try to up my net calories any more, say to 1450 would I cease to loose weight and just go into a maintenance zone?

    Thankyou for any advice! My food diary is open! :)

    You can up your cals to your BMR and you will still have a calorie deficit every day. Your mainentance calories (also known as TDEE) is calculated by taking your BMR (which is just enough calories to keep you surviving if you were in a coma) and multiplying it by an activity factor number to add extra calories to account for walking around, talking, going to work or doing things around the house.

    If you are sedentary you multiply your BMR by 1.2 to get your maintenance calories - so that would be 1740.
    And that' doesn't include exercise either, when you exercise you need to add these cals so your maintenance calories would be 1740 PLUS exercise cals.
  • Ebilfairylight
    Ebilfairylight Posts: 28 Member
    Thankyou :) So basically if I upped my consumption each day to 1450 that would give me around a 300 calorie deficit each day with a sedentary activity set? I set it to sedentary to be safe, as I'm a student and end up spending a lot of time studying but I would probably be closer to lightly active on days that I have to work as well.

    I haven't weighed myself since I started upping to 1200 calories as a way to keep myself motivated, as I assume that there would be some weight gain initially to get my metabolism right... Am I right in assuming that if I've been consistently at the lower calories then I am going to gain some weight with upping to 1450 before I start to lose weight again?
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    Yup, that sounds about right.
    And yes, I wouldn't be surprised if your weight goes up a little... but you are getting healthier so it is going to pay off!
  • Ebilfairylight
    Ebilfairylight Posts: 28 Member
    Thankyou! I've been going through so much confusion over which number I should actually be eating to attain a healthy level! :) Its a wonder that MFP doesn't set a minimum at your BMR if it is dangerous to go below that? :)
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