For those that count calories

[lmbjer]

I've begun counting calories and I've a few questions for those of you with more experience. I've heard and read often that going under 1200 in a day is not good for your metabolism. I've also heard and read that losing 1-2 lbs a week is a reasonable plan. However, in every online calculator I've used I get the same results - in order to lose 2 lbs a week I should be eating around 1,000 calories. And the more I lose the lower that number gets! What is a sensible plan? I would really love to drop about 30-40 by mid-December (my 30th b-day). At 1,000 I feel hungry all the time. At 1,200 I can at least feel full most of the day.

Second, when you are counting calories do you allow yourself to eat in calories what you expended in exercising for the day? For example, my recommended calorie intake is 1,000. I usually exercise and burn around 200 each day. Should I be eating 1,000 or eat 1,200?

Thoughts?

[chiromamma]

I count my calories and keep it to between 1200 and 1500/day with one high calorie day a week...usually about 1800.
I exercise an hour to an hour and a half 6 days a week.
I've been dropping more than a pound or 2 a week.
I based this formula on my resting metabolic rate of about 1400. Also, I like to exercise and want to look really toned and lean.
That said, I think 1000 is a little low and hard to maintain for an extended period of time.
Can you up your calories and your exercise time?

[ParisApril]

I would suggest joining a group like sparkpeople.com You can input your height, weight, weight loss goals and your exercise. SP then gives you a calorie range for the day and you can track what you eat. I have found it very helpful.

SP recommends that no one eat less than 1200 calories a day because the human body needs 1200 calories a day to function properly.

[HappilyEvrAfter]

Originally Posted by lmbjer

I've begun counting calories and I've a few questions for those of you with more experience. I've heard and read often that going under 1200 in a day is not good for your metabolism. I've also heard and read that losing 1-2 lbs a week is a reasonable plan. However, in every online calculator I've used I get the same results - in order to lose 2 lbs a week I should be eating around 1,000 calories. And the more I lose the lower that number gets! What is a sensible plan? I would really love to drop about 30-40 by mid-December (my 30th b-day). At 1,000 I feel hungry all the time. At 1,200 I can at least feel full most of the day.

Second, when you are counting calories do you allow yourself to eat in calories what you expended in exercising for the day? For example, my recommended calorie intake is 1,000. I usually exercise and burn around 200 each day. Should I be eating 1,000 or eat 1,200?

Thoughts?

I can tell you what I've done...I've lost 30 pds since mid-Feb-ish:

I also keep my calories between 1200-1350....and also have a "free-ish" day (once I lost the first ten).
I do some sort of cardio/strength for an hour 3 times a week and sometimes get in an extra 2 hours of running.

The type of calories are probably more important than the amount. I've read information about both sides of the "starvation theory" at 1200 cals and below. Some of the calorie tracking sites out there will show that their tracker doesn't go below 1200 because it's not possible to get the nutrients you body needs for functioning below that number.
So, it's accepted that if you track your nutirents and you can get all the recommended amounts with a number below 1200 then it's not dangerous for a period of time....plus, exercise will keep your metabolism going.

Personally, I don't go below 1200 and would rather build up a deficit by finding an exercise I enjoy and adopting a very clean diet. Eating clean has really, really dropped my hunger/cravings....Lol...I have trouble getting all 1200 eaten.
I wouldn't say my plan has lost me 1-2 pds every week, but overall I met the 30 pds down in 6 months.

And, actually, I found that my body tended to hoard pds when I didn't get a set number of calories weekly. It's the day after a free day, where I ate a higher number of calories, that my body let some go.
That's just me though.

If you feel that hungry at 1000 then you will probably be better off with eating at least 1200 and upping your exercise.

You can sit down and look at your weekly activity along with your daily BMR and average it out over 7 days to burn the 3500 it takes to lose one pd.
Or you can plug all your info into one of the weight loss sites that will do it for you.

ETA: I recommend a good web site like SparkPeople too. They have a good team and it's helped alot. They have a good reports section too. It really does all the work for you....you just have to eat. :-) Lol.

[bronxmom]

Try dailyplate. It seems to allow higher calories and I've consistently lost following their formula. To need to eat 1,000 to lose 2lbs you'd have to be maintaining at 2,000. It seems hard to believe that you would both need only 2,000 to maintain AND need to lose 30-40lbs. So either your goal is off (you really don't have that much to lose) or you need more than that to maintain.

Yes, eat back at least a portion of calories burned because that's part of your deficit. But be really conservative with how much you estimate burning. If you tell me more - your height, current weight and goal - I and others could probably help more.

Personally, I'm losing 1.5lbs a week eating about 1,600 calories plus more on the days I exercise. So if I burn 300 calories, I eat closer to 1,900 for the day. Now, that's partially because I'm nursing a toddler; if I wasn't nursing I'd have to eat 1,400 calories to lose the same amount. But in that case, I'd go for slower weight loss than drop my calories more. Also, when I was 50lbs heavier (I'm down to within 10lbs of my goal) I could eat closer to 1,900 calories and still lose lots of weight. 1,600 calories can leave me quite satisfied, leaves me feeling good, lets me get nutrients and allows me plenty of treats as needed. Exercise allows me to eat more, which is nice. I like this method because it's easier to maintain long-term. When I"m done I'm set to eat about 2,000 calories a day to maintain along with a moderately active lifestyle. That seems really doable. I'd rather take longer but do it in a way that becomes a lifestyle then try to drop really low (I can't imagine 1,000 cals - I eat that by the early afternoon most days) and then set myself up to gain it back.

Good luck!

[nolansmummy]

I find i would rather exercise more so i can eat more, than to eat fewer than about 1500 calories. Sparkpeople is really great, I use daily plate and the way the calculator works is that you eat back your calories. Like i am given 1500 a day. If i burn 400 calories, than i can eat a total of 1900 calories for the day (although i usually don't)

[lmbjer]

Thank you for the insights - I appreciate it.

I plugged my info into the Daily Plate and to maintain weight I would need 2036 calories, to lose 2 lbs I would need 1036 calories. I'm 5'2 146.4. (30-40 was based on my start weight of 150 and my frame size - small). So I'm thinking that to lose weight at my size I really cannot lose 2 lbs a week without going below 1200....I have to go at it more slowly?

I'm trying to find a balance with eating - I've found my balance with exercising - roughly 30 to 45 minutes 6 days a week (training for a 5K). That is an amount that doesn't burn me out, but allows me to set an achievable and fairly effective routine. I can see results already.

But recently I've decided that I need to balance my eating out. I kind of like the idea of eating around 1200 or so, but eating a cleaner diet than I have before. I've just had it in my head that I would like this weight off by my 30th (in December). It's a personal goal....perhaps too far reaching?

[veronicam]

Here's the thing. If you want to lose two pounds per week, you will need to burn 1000 more calories than you eat per day. You are right--Anything under 1200 calories is unhealthy. It shouldn't be too hard to burn 2300 calories per day if you really push yourself.

[babygrant]

I've been using the calorie counter thing at www.freedieting.com and have had good luck! I've lost 13 pounds in the past 6 weeks by eating 1800 calories. I am 5'8, 200 lbs.

[veronicam]

Another tip to help monitor your calorie intake is to write down everything you eat throughout the day. It really does help

[ambereva]

You can increase your resting metabolic rate by building mucle mass via weight lifting. Then your body will burn more calories at rest and you can eat more.