Ok, I've been using fitday, which estimates that I burn about 3050 calories a day. I really don't think I burn nearly that much! I've been eating around 1500-1600 a day and doind really well, but the loss has really slowed down and been pretty much at a plateau for 9 weeks now. I jog a mile three times a week and play tennis for about 90 minutes twice a week. Am I eating too many, too few, or do I just need to stay where I am and be patient? I felt so much better about myself when I could measure my results on the scale! I just want to burst into tears.
Plateaus are soooo frustrating. At your weight and height I sure don't think you want to go a whole lot lower. But going higher, even by a hundred is always scary. I hope someone with more experience weighs in with some good advice.
Ok, I've been using fitday, which estimates that I burn about 3050 calories a day. I really don't think I burn nearly that much! I've been eating around 1500-1600 a day and doind really well, but the loss has really slowed down and been pretty much at a plateau for 9 weeks now. I jog a mile three times a week and play tennis for about 90 minutes twice a week. Am I eating too many, too few, or do I just need to stay where I am and be patient? I felt so much better about myself when I could measure my results on the scale! I just want to burst into tears.
dear Sonata,
at your weight, you are definitely not eating enough as far as calories go! you should have started much higher (i started at 288 lbs and 1900 kcal, lost a pound a week, reduced to 1700 at 255 lbs after platoing for weeks), but since calorie cycling really helps and works, if i were you, i'd try eating at least 200 calories more for a week or two and see how that goes.
you are working out and spending many calories so i would say your body is trying to hold on to what it's got and feels as if it were starving, so it stores everything it can.
you need to eat in order to burn fat.
another thing, on our journey, every now and then, as we get thinner, we need to go lower with our calories and never ever go under 1200 kcal (and that is the level for really thin women who want to lose a few pounds). that is something to bare in mind at our weight - we have to count on our future steps and how will we maintain once we are done: if we eat too few calories now, how little will we have to eat later on?
hope this helps some, platoing is sooooo frustrating! congratulations on the loss so far and good luck!
you need to remember that, at a high weight the body gives more effort for even the simpler tasks, such as breathing.
so yes, you will need much more calories until you've lowered the required effort for "surviving" otherwise the body panics and tries to hold on to whatever it can.
i would suggest to eat 2000/day for a few days/week and see how it goes.
please, don't go much lower as then you might really struggle to lower it more later when it actually needs lowering.
Are you sure your counting is accurate? Do you weight or measure everything? Do you count everything? There are never off plan days that you kinda pretend didn't happen?
Assuming that's true, you aren't eating enough. Look at it this way: there's no way you'd gain weight at 1800-2000. Absolutely impossible. So try it for 3 weeks--worse case, you are right where you are now (since you aren't losing anyway) and best case, you lose more.
Make sure you add healthy calories, though they can be "dense". What do you macronutrient ratios look like?
I agree with the others that your calories seem a bit low. This time I started at about 2000 calories and I'm losing so far, and I don't even get to exercise that much (hard to get away from my toddler!) Unfortunately sometimes a plateau just happens for no discernible reason, but I think if you stay consistent you'll break through it. You're doing great with the jogging and tennis!
Are you sure your counting is accurate? Do you weight or measure everything? Do you count everything? There are never off plan days that you kinda pretend didn't happen?
Assuming that's true, you aren't eating enough. Look at it this way: there's no way you'd gain weight at 1800-2000. Absolutely impossible. So try it for 3 weeks--worse case, you are right where you are now (since you aren't losing anyway) and best case, you lose more.
Make sure you add healthy calories, though they can be "dense". What do you macronutrient ratios look like?
I agree with this. Be sure you are spot on with your calculating. You have to measure and add in every sip, bite, lick, taste...well, you get the idea . And if you do up your intake for a few weeks, nothing bad can happen. Try it out then tweak as necessary. Good luck
I have to agree with the others. I weigh in the low 170s and my average daily intake at the moment is close to @1800 per day. I'd say definitely go up. You have a great activity level, I think it would give you a weight loss boost.
Trial and error is the only way you will know what is right for you. You do want to always think about creating a calorie deficit. The means to do this varies but the end result is the same. When *I* eat 1500 cal, I gain. I do not know if this is a temporary gain or not. When I get to goal, I will then need to experiment to find my maintanence level.
Plateaus are very hard which is why I did not want to be the cause of one by over eating.
maybe try some different calculators? I just plugged my info into fitday and it says I burn 1828 a day... so I should eat 1,118 to lose weight......... don't know if i'll be doing that ha ha. but try caloriecount and/or freedieting?
I'm 5 ft. 4 in. and weigh 164 currently. I work out about three times per week. A Healty Me says I should eat 1610 calories a day to lose weight. Does that sound right? I've always read that you need to drop down to 1200 calories a day to lose weight. Thanks for any replies.
@SandyDiane I'm 5'7" and 174. I eat between 1200-1400 a day to lose consistently. There are other out there who weight less and eat more than I do. How many calories you need to eat, to lose, is such an individual thing.
I'd start at 1600 give that 2 weeks if you lose 1-2 pounds a week stay there. If you gain drop your calories 200 and try another 2 weeks. If you lose more than 4 pounds a week raise your calories by 200 until you are losing a steady 1-2 pounds a week.
Eat clean and eat healthy. Find a balance you can live with that isn't a struggle daily or it will never work for you. You will get there I have faith in you
Sorry it took so long to reply back to you girls. Thanks so much for the input.
I'm definitely keeping a very accurate record. There are no licks or nibbles sneaking in; I'm a very meticulous, almost OCD person about those kinds of things.
Shmead, my macronutient levels run at around 20% protein, 25% fat, and 55% carbohydrate. I intake little saturated fat, mostly mono-unsaturated because of my love of avocado, haha. Everything I eat has been whole foods and organic. If we eat out, I order salad and fish from the healthy menu options.
I've bumped my calories up to 1800-2000 to see what happens. Keeping my fingers crossed.
This is all made so much more frustrating because the college I applied to here in California, to finish my BA, put me on a waiting list because I didn't graduate from a school close enough to it. The budget cuts have really taken a toll on enrollment at CA state universities. It's like I've come crashing down from feeling on top of the world to feeling I can't do anything right.
I need advice on how many calories to eat!
congratulations on the loss so far and good luck!
. And if you do up your intake for a few weeks, nothing bad can happen. Try it out then tweak as necessary. Good luck 
