Calories... too high, too low?

ptrose13 · February 2013

I need all the help I can get here please! My wedding date is Nov 16th- so I have a good amount of time, but, I've been stuck in a plateau for literally months now, and I need to get out of it. I lost 30 pounds around this time last year, and have been trying to stick with it, but managed only to get off about 5 more pounds the rest of the year. I was going by a phone app that said I should have about 1500 cals a day, but that's got to be wrong. I was going to go down, thinking that was the only way to go, but then I just bought the Bridalicious Boot Camp dvd's, but their e-books basically put me at an 1800 or so level. So which is it? Do I go up instead of down? Will I gain if I do that? I'm a bigger girl, but I am also pretty active. I don't have a sendentary job, and I workout at least 3-5 days a week as well. Help, please, anyone, I am getting very desperate here!

jennylee813 · February 2013

I found that I started losing (finally) when I upped my calories. I started following the TDEE system, which I read about on My Fitness Pal, and basically it made a lot of sense. Before that I was eating an average of 1200 calories (on a good day, I'm not a lover of food but am working on it), and only netting around 800 after exercising. My body wasn't getting enough fuel.

I've got about 20lbs to go - that's what would make me really happy, but I'm gaining a lot of muscle, so I'd be just as happy to see my sizes shrink by at least one. Two would put me over the top.

You're doing fine. I know it's really frustrating, but sometimes the body needs to rest at a new weight before it can start losing again. Start tracking your calories if you haven't already, and see where you go from there.

Good luck, and stick around!

unchatenfrance · February 2013

Are you fairly close to your goal? Those last 5-10 pounds are usually a beyotch to lose. How does your diet and exercise look? You may need to shake things up because your body gets accustomed to foods and exercises. Start doing HIIT if you're not already. If you're doing lots of steady-state cardio, make sure you keep your heartrate under 75%HRmax - if you're above this, it's actually a body stressor and cortisol makes the body hold on to and accumulate more fat. Cut down on mental stress, too, and make sure you're getting enough quality sleep.

Make sure you are eating real foods and nothing processed - what you eat is just as important as how much you eat.

Are you eating enough fat? You need fat for body function, satiety and nutrient absorption.

jenburke6 · February 2013

I've also been at a plateau for about a month now. Keep doing muscle toning as well and that will help. I use the My Fitness Pal app and it has me at 1200 cal a day which is the minimum one is supposed to have.

ptrose13 · February 2013

Thank you ladies- I will have to check out all of your suggestions. I am actually nowhere near my goal, and would like to lose at least 50lbs before the wedding. I have been doing a combo of home videos- all either Biggest Loser, Bob Harper, or Jillian Michaels videos, all of which are tough and incorporate intervals, or when I'm at the gym I usually spin or do a combo of cardio and lifting. I honestly think it is the calories, I get this nagging feeling that I should be at a higher number, but I just don't want to change it and then gain, since my level of frustration is currently so high already. I probably could be better about good fats like almonds and avacados, but otherwise I feel like I do a good job with what I am actually eating. And then there's that whole sleep thing, which is unfortunately a tough area for me with such a busy schedule. Thanks for all of your suggestions, it means a lot to me that people took the time to answer!

Lobsters25 · February 2013

Chiming in late - you're eating 1500 total calories with all of those workouts, or net? If it's total, you are WAY undereating. Which app are you using?

entropicbeauty · February 2013

I ditto Lobsters - I started trying to lose weight with 80lbs to lose, I've still got about 30 to lose and I'm at 1650 calories. When I exercise though, I eat those calories back! That is super important to stay close to NET 1650 for me. You really might want to check out myfitnesspal.com - it's helped a lot of us understand our bodies needs better.

ptrose13 · February 2013

Thank you Lobsters and entropic- yes, I was not eating back the calories, so net I was very seriously low I would guess. I just joined myfitnesspal yesterday, and ate all the calories it told me to yesterday and today, which they still wanted me at the 1370 range when not exercising that day, I'm thinking I might need to switch to 'active' instead of 'lightly active' for my daily level so that my net gets up toward that 1500 level. I have more than 50 to lose, I just think 50 is realistic for the wedding. My total desired would probably be closer to 75, but there is no way I am stressing myself out about that for the wedding. I was using the 'Lose It' app, which doesn't necessarily explain everything as well as fitnesspal does.

Calories... too high, too low?

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