Strength training vs. caloric intake - Help.

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TorridSkies4
TorridSkies4 Posts: 94
in Fitness and Exercise
So when I started using MFP back in January I started off at 1200 cals a day.

Since then I've been taking a pilates class twice a week, strength training my entire body 2-3 times a week, and I get 20-30 mins of cardio in 4-5 times a week.

I bumped my calories up to 1300 about a week ago, but I find that I'm hungry more often than not.

Am I eating enough? Seriously. I haven't exactly been eating "clean" recently (I've been giving in to cravings), but my weight hasn't gone up or down in a while. I'm not so much concerned with my weight anymore, as I am about how I feel and look.

So, can someone (who knows what they're talking about) look at my diary and let me know what I should do? Should I eat more? Help please. :)

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  • Glucocorticoid
    Glucocorticoid Posts: 867 Member
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    How can anyone help without knowing what your goal is?
  • TorridSkies4
    TorridSkies4 Posts: 94
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    How can anyone help without knowing what your goal is?

    Like my goal weight?
  • TorridSkies4
    TorridSkies4 Posts: 94
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    I guess my overall goal is to be as lean, and strong as I can be.
  • fifteenorphans
    fifteenorphans Posts: 5
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    I flipped through your last few days. As Kenny so eloquently pointed out, it would be helpful to know more about your goals. I have three questions, actually: Height? Weight? Goal Weight? and Timeline? (ie how long do you want it to take to lose the weight you want to lose)

    Based on what I saw, you're not eating 1300 kcal, but as I know MFP lays that out in a (IMHO) silly way, I know that it is telling you your goal is 1300. How appropriate that number is would be based on the answers to the questions I posted above. And since I'm taking too long to type this... Why don't you give me the answers to my questions and we'll go from there :)
  • brandiuntz
    brandiuntz Posts: 2,717 Member
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    Offhand, you're probably not eating enough. If you're hungry a lot, your body is telling you it needs more fuel. Trying bumping up another 100 calories for a week or two and see how you feel. Increase some more if that's still not enough.

    How much weight do you want to lose? What did you set your weekly loss goal to? I ask because many times, people are given 1200 calories at MFP because they set too high of a weekly loss for how much weight they need to lose. Say, setting it to 2 pounds a week when you have less than 75lbs to lose will create too large of a deficit.
  • TorridSkies4
    TorridSkies4 Posts: 94
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    So here's my stats:

    Height: 5'3"
    Starting Weight: 175
    Current Weight: 158
    Goal Weight? Nothing less than 130. After that I start to look funny.

    When I first started, I had set my weekly loss goal to 2 pounds. I recently changed it to 1 pound a week.

    As for me not eating enough, there are a few days in the last 2-3 weeks where I totally just forgot to log dinner.

    As for timeline? Let's say by my birthday in December. If it happens before then, hallelujah!
  • fifteenorphans
    fifteenorphans Posts: 5
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    Perfect. So the internet tells me that your BMR is 1520. I would advise you do not eat fewer calories than this number. The next thing I would suggest is to calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html Use that. Or find a different one, same difference to me. Personally, I prefer to calculate my TDEE using my regular activity NOT including my workouts, and then add my workouts. This gives a more acurate number day by day, rather than an average, but in theory either works.

    As for your goal, 1lb per week is estimated at 500kcal deficit per day. Deficit or surplus can be calculated simply by subtracting your TDEE from your total calorie intake. If you eat 1500 kcal, and burn 2000kcal, your deficit is 500kcal and you've met your goal. Tailor your intake to your output so that you maintain the deficit you want and you'll get to your goal. If you maintain 500kcal per day deficit, you should reach your "goal" of 130 by November.

    tl;dr- IMO, you should eat no less than 1500 kcal per day, and eat proportionally more if you burn more than 2000kcal that day.
  • Glucocorticoid
    Glucocorticoid Posts: 867 Member
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    How did you calculate her BMR at 1520? That is not correct.

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