[NorthernChick13]

Hey guys,

Every now and then, I make the mistake of reading more about Basic Metabolic Rates, calories, weight loss, yada yada, and I rethink EVERY aspect of my plan!

I tried lowering my calories to 1200 for the past few weeks (always netting 1200, even if I worked out) and I've noticed my weight loss has really slowed down.

I am thinking of upping it to 1400 (which is still under my BMR) but numbers aside, I was curious if you all found yourselves shifting your calorie intake the closer you got to goal? Not only decreasing it because your metabolism changes, but did any of you find you had to INCREASE it?!

I am fine if weight loss gets slower (as it's stopped for 2 weeks anyway!) I just want to be healthy!!!!!!!!! aaaaaaand skinny...ahahaha but in a healthy way!

Looking forward to learning from you all!

[Remington90]

I'm at about 1600 calories a day. Weekends are always more, as my social life kicks in. So for Monday and Tuesday I drop it down to about 1400-1500 and back to 1600 for the rest of the week. I average 1600 a week, each day is different.

I'm starting heavy weights tomorrow so I'll need to bump that up on training days.

[Katydid77]

I keep my calories low, but it's kind of more from the mental battle side of it than anything.

If I tell myself I can have 1500 calories, then that is enough calories where I feel like I can splurge and I wind up overdoing it.

If I tell myself it has to be between 1000 and 1200 then I feel like I have to watch it so closely in order not to go over that it keeps me on the lower end of the scale.

I know it's mind games. And since I've been at a plateau for a month, it may be stupid, but that's what I do.

[Changergirl]

Since I started tracking my calories I've done anywhere from 1400 to 1650. I'm currently at around 1530, however I'm eating back up to 270 exercise calories so today I'll be eating 1800!

[NorthernChick13]

I appreciate you guys sharing! I love when other ppl are on 3FC at night when I am!

It truly is amazing how different we all are! Katydid77, I hear you about it being so mental. I am nervous to up my calories even though I KNOW it won't cause me to gain- just perhaps lose slower!

And Remington, I appreciate how you take your workouts into account. I am started a new regime tomorrow and I have to keep that in mind!

The more I think about it, the more I am determined to net 1400 cals/day this week. I've got try something new!

[alaskanlaughter]

I played around with calories ranging from 1500-2000 for MONTHS(!!) and was not losing, only maintaining, with hard workouts....I drop my calories lower than that and I can lose but I STARVE also....

now i'm playing around with WW Momentum/Core/Flex bits n pieces to find what will work the best for me....im trying to teach myself that "hunger is not an emergency" and trick myself into thinking that "hunger is merely a side effect of losing weight" in a way that my aching ankle is the sign of a good run this morning...some days that works, some days it doesn't

[modifyeddoll87]

weekdays i eat aout 1600 calories weekends about 2000 ..... i do not excersize

(this sounds nuts but im a numbers fanatic when i work out i stall like crazy on the scale alot of times ill even move up !!)

but i dance my butt off in my house while im cleaning and on the weekends i get dance fever !!

[sacha]

2000 to lose. Now, the downside of that is 24/7 nursing and the extra chub that comes with a baby

"Losing" calories without the baby is about 1400.

[Psychic]

I'm 5'4" and 175.8 pounds. My daily calorie allowance is 1500. I started at 1400 for the first two month, but I kept binging. I'm doing much better at 1500 a day. If I keep to plan, I'll lose about a pound a week.

[newleaf123]

I've only started counting calories a couple weeks ago. I aim for around 1200 if I don't work out, around 1400 if I do.

[kymb92]

I've got my MFP set at 1360 cals a day but once I've added exercise I usually end up at around 1500-1700 daily. I'm currently losing around 1-2lbs a week (if i'm good!)

[saharag]

I actually do weight watchers but for the past 3 weeks I've been logging on MFP as well and eating 1200 calories even on exercise days. Lost 10.6 lbs in the 3 weeks (first week loss may have been some binge related weight but I'm happy!). I too wonder if I should increase it a bit at least on exercise days but I'm in a hurry to reach goal!

[Nikel1979]

I average 1800 calories. I only eat back some of my exercise calories if I'm running more than 10ish miles. My eventual maintenance calories should be around 1800, so hopefully it'll make the transition easier when I get to that point.

[crispin]

After exercise, I've been netting around 1400 calories the past few weeks. (I wasn't tracking before then.) I may have to drop it a bit, but I'm trying to keep it as high as possible. The minimum weight loss I'll accept is 2 pounds a month, so if I go slower than that, I'll drop further. I'm 113 pounds and 4'11" (and a half ).

[betsy2013]

I average between 1000-1200/day but I'm in my 60s so my metabolism which was never high speed to begin with has definitely slowed down. However, I'm never hungry on that amount so it may just be that is what my body needs and no more. There are days when I'll have more calories, but often I feel sluggish the next day.