[camper67]

Ok everyone...I have been reading here and now I am starting to wonder if my body is in starvation mode? I eat about 1500 calories per day and I allow myself one "free" day of food. I work out 6 days a week and burn (according to my elliptical calorie counter) 1300-1700 calories per day. I know that the calorie counters can be off up to 30% so I may not be burning that much. I have lost 55 lbs (depending on the time of the month) in the past 15 months. Am I eating too little or working out too much? Recently, I have gained about 5 pounds back and have been in panic mode and thinking I need to lower my calories, but after seeing what others here are eating and burning, maybe I am doing too much?? I am so afraid to change things up for fear of gaining!!! I am going to try the calorie cycling now, but I am so confused as to how much I should actually be eating and how many calories I should be burning. I cannot work out and I am not willing to work out anymore than I am. Its about 2 hours a day/6 days a week as it is now.

[chickadee2]

I eat 1400 a day and burn 2400 to 3000 a day. According to that method I should have 7000 calories in my "bank" each week, which equals 2 pounds lost per week. Some weeks I have lost 3 pounds. But I'm still new to this journey - this is my 4th week...well Thursday will mark the end of my 4th week - so I'm 12 pounds down so far.

[queenie91]

Originally Posted by chickadee2

I eat 1400 a day and burn 2400 to 3000 a day. According to that method I should have 7000 calories in my "bank" each week, which equals 2 pounds lost per week. Some weeks I have lost 3 pounds. But I'm still new to this journey - this is my 4th week...well Thursday will mark the end of my 4th week - so I'm 12 pounds down so far.

How much exercise do you do to burn so many a day?

[toobig]

Have you had a look at the calculators at freedieting.com?

[seagirl]

I eat between 1500-1700 calories a day and burn 1000-2500 per week. I lose about .8-1 lb per week on average.

I use Sparkpeople, which gave me the calorie range to eat, and the recommended calories to burn (they recommended burning 3000 per week, which usually doesn't happen, but that's ok). Maybe try putting your information into a site like that and seeing what comes up as recommended eating.

[Mollewogg]

Are these burn amounts pure exercise burn or including BMR burn?

[camper67]

I work out on an elliptical machine approx 2 hours per day/6 days a week. It says I have burned anywhere from 1300-1700 calories, but I have been told these machines are often almost 30% inaccurate in determining how many calories are burned.

[mrslynah]

I assume you all are adding your BMR to your cardio to come up with your daily burn numbers. I am an avid elliptical user, and in the past I have done two hours straight on it. The fact is the elliptical can burn around 500 calories an hour if you go intense, so that's 1000 calories in two hours. That is a **** of a burn. But the numbers I am seeing on this thread don't add up. If you did the elliptical for 2 hours a day=1000 calories burned, PLUS your basic functions, which for me is around 1400 calories a day, that's 2400 calories. So, if that's the formula you are using, then that makes sense.
However, my recommendation is not to use your BMR at all. 1500 calories a day is a reasonable amount if you are trying to lose weight. If you do the elliptical for 2 hours during that day, you will burn an additional 1000 calories, putting you in a steep deficit. You should be losing a couple of pounds a week. If you're not, I would recommend adjusting your carb intake (eating more protein, less carbs) and cutting your cardio to one hour and adding strength training for the other 30 min- 1 hour. You may have hit a plateau. Change it up a bit.

[mrslynah]

Originally Posted by camper67

I work out on an elliptical machine approx 2 hours per day/6 days a week. It says I have burned anywhere from 1300-1700 calories, but I have been told these machines are often almost 30% inaccurate in determining how many calories are burned.

I hate to tell you this, but your elliptical is lying.
You could buy a cheap heart rate monitor that counts calories burned and wear it during your workouts if you want a more accurate count.

[mrslynah]

Sorry to keep commenting here, but I keep thinking about your problem. How long have you been doing the 2 hr elliptical workouts?
The reason I ask is that several things happen when you start working out like that. You build muscle. You retain water and other fluids. Are you measuring yourself? You may be making much more progress than you realize! When I was working out that hard, I did not weight myself every day. Instead, I would save my weigh in day for the morning after my rest day and a long nights sleep. I always weigh less after a rest day than after a workout day.

[camper67]

Thanks everyone. Yes, I am well aware that the elliptical is not accurate. I workout 2 hours at the very top of the endurance bar. I try to rev it up a bit and go faster and harder and then go back down since I cannot go up any higher on the actual machine. I have lost 55 lbs over the past 15 months but now have gotten a little more hungry and put on a couple pounds. I did not do any type of calculations...I just ate 1500 calories per day and then worked out for 2 hours. I decided when I started this process, I was only going to do what I could keep up and that is where I got my numbers. Not smart, I am sure, but now that I am here I am worried I haven't been eating enough and I am afraid I will now gain if I up my calories!