Just cant grasp the 1500+ calorie rule

Okay, so your tdee should be around 1700 and your bmr around 1550. Eating 1200 you should be at a deficit of 3000 cal a week if you eat back exercise calories. Honestly, one crazy cheat day a week can easily knock that out. Do you really need one every week? Log them as accurately as you can and see if that is where our deficit is going. Upping to eat 1500 and not eating back exercise calories should also work. But if you net 1500, you won't have much of a deficit. Also, you should do resistance training to maintain your lean mass and this burn more fat

^^
where did you get your 1700 for TDEE???????
based on OP's height and current weight, that does not even cover sedentary (figures from fat2fit). Eating 1500 and exercising 4x a week will result in a net well below BMR which is not healthy and will in no way preserve muscle mass. This is no different from eating below 1000-1200 cals per day without exercise.

OP should aim for 1841 total intake if lightly active, or 2108 if moderately active. This gives a safe deficit of 0.5lbs per week as she doesnt have much to lose.

Activity Level Daily Calories
Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job) 1825
Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk) 2091
Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) 2358

I used fat2fit also, maybe I put something in wrong.

Just redid it, and you are right that I gave the activity levels of her -20 lb goal weight. she has clearly stated she does not want 0.5 lb per week, and she can do more without losing lean mass (I'm at 23% body fat, not losing muscle with a 500 cal per day deficit). Also, if she picks lightly active, the key is that that is not a NET goal, but the absolute goal. So as I said, she should EAT 1500 and not eat back exercise calories. And really cut down on cheat days. Every week having a cheat day will really slow your progress unless your idea of a cheat day is eating at maintenance.

Everytime I have lost weight in the past, I have gone a very similar route to what I’ve been doing this time around – workout, eat fewer calories, etc – and YAY – I’m skinny.

Eating calories is not what makes you gain the weight necessarily, its whats in the calories. Are the calories mostly from fat and etc? Its true your metabolism is what breaks down your fat. If you are not eating a lot then there is no need for it to be in high gear, but if you eat something light and fresh every two hours as in an apple or veggies then your metabolism has to speed up to break down those foods but get this fruits and veggies dont have much fat so your metobolism kicks up and burns off the little fat that you have just ingested thus making you loose weight and get all the nutrtion that is needed and getting rid of all the fat. Coming from a nurse. Please do not look at your friends weight lost and you are pretty tall for a woman. Loosing to much weight can be a bad idea it may look good, but women need to realize that our body contains fat for vital reason. Our reproductive systems is made of fat so you need it. Is it better to be skinny and loose bodily functions of have SOME fat and be healthy. ALL SKINNNY PEOPLE ARE NOT HEALTHY again ALL SKINNY PEOPLE ARE NOT HEALTHY GOD BLESS

I LOVE MY FITBIT! Best thing ever.

I restricted myself to 500 calories for a week when I started MFP (despite its annoying warnings), then upped my calories to 800, then to 900 then to 1200 once I got to the weight that I wanted. I'm going on a year and have lost 48 lbs and kept it off. Same for my wife.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/81391-starvation-mode-myths-and-science

You're a male and maintain at 1200? Ick! You also said that people use starvation mode as an "excuse" to eat more. Um no. I properly fuel my body, and I am a 115 lb female that can maintain on 2200 calories. Good luck with being hungry for the rest of your life.

#Best.Post.Ever.

I haven't read all the replies, but I'm not understanding why you don't just TRY eating some more calories for 4-6 weeks and see what happens? It's not like you're going to gain a crazy amount of weight. If it doesn't work at least you tried and don't have to wonder anymore??

Im not against the concept of higher calories (for losing weight) in general - but Im getting married in August -
I started this journey 5 months ago - thinking 8-9months of healthy "dieting" would get me to my goal - clearly is hasnt
5 months in, and I've got nothin to show for it.
Now I have 3 months to reach my goal?

The main problem I was facing was whether to "cave" and go with a Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers route - or stick with this & raise calories (even though IIm skeptical)
I actually increased my Net to 1500 on Monday (that doesnt mean I have to love it) :grumble:
That also doesnt mean I still understand it or really BELIEVE it will work for me

If this was a "normal" weightloss journey; I would dive right in and figure it out - but I am crazy motivated to look phenomenal on my wedding day - and trusting a 1500+ calorie approach (when I dont understand it) is very risky for this very unstable, very scared-to-not-fit-into-dress bride!

But I really do appreciate everyone's advice - many of these posts were extremely helpful and im going to drink the kool-aid and go for 1500+

Basically eating a calorie deficit starts like this:

But after a while it's like this:

And eventually like this:

And you feel like this:

So basically,


So instead, you should do this:

and this:

so you can eat like this:

and feel like this:

and be able to do this:

and look like this:

instead of this:


and that's why you eat more calories.