caloric intake question

artslady96
artslady96 Posts: 132 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am looking to bust a plateau and know that I must improve the quality of food. However, I recently have concerns about the quantity I eat. I typically consume just under 1300 calories and burn 400-500 calories through exercise. I looked into the Zig-Zag diet (http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm) and it's telling me to eat 1848 calories on average everyday. Is that too much? How do you know what's enough without being too much? Any advice would be helpful.

Replies

  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    Without knowing your height, weight and activity level it's all guesswork.

    Ideally you should calculate your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) and knock 10% to 20% off that number depending on what your weight loss goals are.

    Go to: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ to estimate your BMR then click on the link "Daily Calorie Needs" to get the appropriate factor to reflect your level of activity which will give you your estimated TDEE
  • artslady96
    artslady96 Posts: 132 Member
    I'm 5ft 7in, 231 lbs and workout daily. I'll try the Web site you recommended. Thanks.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    I'm 5ft 7in, 231 lbs and workout daily. I'll try the Web site you recommended. Thanks.

    You are Mildly starving yourself with your current intake and stats. I'd increase your calories to 1800-2000 a day. It's all trial and error but I can tell you from experience that you're not eating enough.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    It's been my experience that my plateaus have been caused by undereating. You might find that you'll start losing again if you inch your calories up a bit and won't have to worry about the calorie cycling.
  • Nelski
    Nelski Posts: 1,607 Member
    I'm 5ft 7in, 231 lbs and workout daily. I'll try the Web site you recommended. Thanks.

    You are Mildly starving yourself with your current intake and stats. I'd increase your calories to 1800-2000 a day. It's all trial and error but I can tell you from experience that you're not eating enough.

    ^this
  • txbuckeye
    txbuckeye Posts: 1
    I am 5'5 and weight 150 pounds. I workout at least twice daily, sometimes twice, doing intense workouts yet the scale keeps creeping up and up. I was told that my body is in starvation mode and that I am not eating enough calories by far. This is going to be a hard concept for me to overcome but I am trying to really keep track of my food and water intake and track them through this site. It's frustrating! Good luck and keep with it!
  • artslady96
    artslady96 Posts: 132 Member
    Thank you for all the support. I increased my caloric intake to 1450 calories each day and will make sure to actually consume it with healthy foods. Check out my food diary and let me know what you think of my day so far.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    it's still not enough IMO but your food choices look good...i love that you included a whole egg with breakfast. I'd guess your fiber intake is low though.

Categories