Advice on calories?

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CazLovesCalories
CazLovesCalories Posts: 144 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am eating 1500 a day...I eat some of my exercise cals, but not all...so I maybe eat 1650 cals a day?

I weighed this morning and I weigh exactly the same as last week. I spend most weeks struggling really badly lately, and half a pound a week, at best....is rubbish.

Feeling really crappy about it. Can anyone check my food diary? Not sure if you need to add me, and tell me where im going wrong?

Am I eating too much? Not enough?

I am 205.5lb and 5ft 7

Thanks.

I do have a fitbit, maybe I should just eat what that tells me too. I normally go my MFP.

Replies

  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    One week is not long enough to tell what is working and what isn't - the scale can change up or down for all kinds of reasons.
    1650 or so sounds pretty reasonable - try that for a month and see what happens after that time. Or use your Fitbit number and try that for a month. Just pick something and try it out. Change it after a month if you need to.

    I know we all want QUICK results, but 1/2 pounds a week is a good start. Take that as a positive, keep eating well and exercising when you can.

    If you're finding it too hard though, don't panic about eating a bit more (ie. eating all or most of your exercise cals). You have to do something that you can do for the long term, that's the only way to lasting success.

    Good luck!
  • tadpole242
    tadpole242 Posts: 507 Member
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    1/2 a pound off is better than half a pound on. I guess it depends on you really, as long as you are losing, you know that what you are doing is working. Maybe not as fast as you would like but it is still working. So are you in for a short sprint, and stop, or for the long run?
  • CazLovesCalories
    CazLovesCalories Posts: 144 Member
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    Obviously long cuz I have lost 4 and a half stone already......but I really wish I knew what my ideal calorie intake should be. Im gonna work on my fitbit cals and see what happens.

    Thanks
  • goldengirl28
    goldengirl28 Posts: 130 Member
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    Hiya,

    Your diary isn't open, i was going to have a look, really interested in your story as i'm the same height and 203lbs and struggling to know what amount to eat as well, as the scales have stayed the same for the last 20 days.

    Have you been eating 1500 when you've lost the 4.5stone? how many are you eating if you net of your exercise?
  • CazLovesCalories
    CazLovesCalories Posts: 144 Member
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    Have added you :)

    I lost 3 stone with slimming world but it stopped working for me so I tried calorie counting......

    I just dont get how some people lose 2-3lb a week...........and im struggling to lose half a pound. its so disheartening. There is always one diet out there that works for someone, I just need to find mine :/
  • ishtar13
    ishtar13 Posts: 528 Member
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    I plugged your numbers into a BMR and TDEE calculator for "sedentary" and got 1662 for BMR and 1994 for TDEE.

    Taking 20% off your TDEE results in a calorie count below your BMR. 15% off gives you just over your BMR at ~1695. That's only 300 cal a day deficit, so it would take ~12 days to lose a pound at that rate. Half a pound per week sounds about right.

    500 cals below your TDEE puts you well below your BMR at 1494, which could give you a pound a week loss or it could maybe slow your metabolism (depending on which school of thought you look at).

    Your diary is closed so I can't look at it.

    Can't you sync your fitbit to MFP? What kind of exercise are you doing (i.e. if you're lifting heavy, maybe you can eat more, if you aren't doing any/much maybe you need to cut a little more.)
  • tadpole242
    tadpole242 Posts: 507 Member
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    Obviously long cuz I have lost 4 and a half stone already......but I really wish I knew what my ideal calorie intake should be. Im gonna work on my fitbit cals and see what happens.

    Thanks
    I'd try eating the same amount, but adding a bit more exercise, either walking a bit more, swimming (Yate pool has lane swimming nearly every day) see if that can be fitted into your routine, if that doesn’t work then try dropping a hundred or so cals. Do one at a time till you find something that re-starts the weight loss.
  • CazLovesCalories
    CazLovesCalories Posts: 144 Member
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    I plugged your numbers into a BMR and TDEE calculator for "sedentary" and got 1662 for BMR and 1994 for TDEE.

    Taking 20% off your TDEE results in a calorie count below your BMR. 15% off gives you just over your BMR at ~1695. That's only 300 cal a day deficit, so it would take ~12 days to lose a pound at that rate. Half a pound per week sounds about right.

    500 cals below your TDEE puts you well below your BMR at 1494, which could give you a pound a week loss or it could maybe slow your metabolism (depending on which school of thought you look at).

    Your diary is closed so I can't look at it.

    Can't you sync your fitbit to MFP? What kind of exercise are you doing (i.e. if you're lifting heavy, maybe you can eat more, if you aren't doing any/much maybe you need to cut a little more.)

    Hiya, I just sent you a friend request so you can see my diary ;)
  • CazLovesCalories
    CazLovesCalories Posts: 144 Member
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    I have synced my fitbit with MFP but I dont know whether to trust the calorie adjustments 100%.

    I do Jillian Michaels 30 day shred everyday, and I do 3 x aerobics a week, 3 x boxercise, and I walk alot :)
  • CazLovesCalories
    CazLovesCalories Posts: 144 Member
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    I have changed my profile to lightly active, so to lose 1-2lb a week what should my calorie intake be? and should I eat exercise cals?

    thanks so much for the help :)
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
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    bump...I'm interested in replies as I'm in the exact same boat. I weigh exactly the same as OP and also 5'7". I lost 40 lbs before MFP and have lost addl 55. My lowest weight was 194 last summer. Had creeped back up to 220, now back down to 205 and have been there for 2+ months. I eat 1800 cals per day and net 1300-1400 after exercise. I'm at a loss as where I should be. I've done all the TDEE/BMR calcalutions.
  • CazLovesCalories
    CazLovesCalories Posts: 144 Member
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    see I am eating loads less than that.......this whole eat more to lose more confuses the hell out of me :(
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
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    see I am eating loads less than that.......this whole eat more to lose more confuses the hell out of me :(

    Yes me as well! I was actually eating 1500 and netting closer to 1000 cals when I put that 25 lbs back on.....so eating more does help me but now I've been stuck since beginning of April. My inches are going down and I know that's important! Yet 205 on the scale is discouraging and I know I haven't gained that much muscle if any, I know I'm stronger but I haven't gained muscle. So confusing!! lol
  • CazLovesCalories
    CazLovesCalories Posts: 144 Member
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    I just looked here

    http://weight-loss.co.nz/dailyneeds.php

    and it says I need to eat 1275 a day......

    I just need to know whether to eat the exercise cals or not.......lol

    That does seem very low though :/
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
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    I just looked here

    http://weight-loss.co.nz/dailyneeds.php

    and it says I need to eat 1275 a day......

    I just need to know whether to eat the exercise cals or not.......lol

    That does seem very low though :/

    Yes does seem low as it just told me I need 2100 cals/day to lose 1 lb week. Keeping in mind we have the same stats. I entered moderatelly active, which I am. I do know this number includes exercise cals if you chose correct activity level. so you would not eat them back (or bonus cals, however you look at it)
  • CazLovesCalories
    CazLovesCalories Posts: 144 Member
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    Oh well if that includes exercise cals, I do have 1500 - 1600 a day..in total. I will try this for a couple of weeks and see how i go :)
  • ishtar13
    ishtar13 Posts: 528 Member
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    For lightly active, I get 1757-1810 to lose 1 lb per week (depending on the calculator - lower number comes from http://theskinnyequation.blogspot.com/p/weight-loss-calculators.html and the higher one from http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/)

    For moderately active, I get 2044-2104 for 1 lbs per week.

    You're doing a LOT of cardio. Have you thought about adding any strength training into the mix?

    Peeked at a few days of your diary. Your protein is only about 10-12% of your total calories for the 3 days I looked at. If that's normal, I'd say try to cut the carbs a bit and boost the protein. Your fats are about 25-30% which is ok, but that means carbs are at 65-58%. Even my nutritionist recommends less than that - she suggests 50-55% carbs (I'm lifting heavy, so I'm aiming at lower than that and more protein).
  • ishtar13
    ishtar13 Posts: 528 Member
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    Oh, and that much cardio plus kids? I'd put you at "moderately active".

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