[shiningthru]

Hi folks i was just wondering if I could ask some really basic questions, sorry if they are too basic.

Im 5'5" 43, trying to lose about 15 maybe 20 lbs and I cant seem to get my calories over 1200. I know that i probably need to be higher and I dont want to hurt my metabolism, im just so desperate to lose the weight. I did a wierd fad diet in the past that basically backfired on me, bummed that i fell for it, and now Im worried that unless Im super drastic the weight wont come off.

I need some feedback and maybe some sense talked into me if i need to go up to 1500 or even higher. I started my New Year, New Me plan 1 week ago so Im just getting back to eating healthy and started exercising again. Im doing about 30 min exercise 5x a week and will be increasing the time as i get stronger. I dont really understand how to use the BMR calculators etc. Thanks for any feedback, appreciate it.

[midwife]

Hi Shiningthru! Welcome to 3FC! I moved your question so it wouldn't be lost in another thread.

[JennaR]

Hi!

I'm pretty new to the boards also!

I can't really help you with an exact calorie amount because I don't know what your start weight is. But, as an example I'll use my own weight. I currently weight 167 lbs and to lose about 1 lb per week I'm eating roughly 1600 calories and working out 6 times a week. I used livestrongs calculator to figure out how many calories I need to consume to drop approximately 1lb per week. You can select 2 lbs, 1.5, 1 or maintain.

You know though, as for calorie counts, I've approached this entirely differently from the last time. I too was desperate to lose weight the last time and although the weight did come off, it came right back once I stopped "dieting". What I had failed to learn was how to eat and live for life. Instead, I had restricted and restricted but failed to adopt any healthy eating habits that would become a lifestyle.

This time around I'm going at it slow and steady. I'm making lifestyle changes and am less concerned with how much I lose but more concerned with finding a balanced and healthy lifestyle that fits my needs!!

At the end of the day, you need to find what works for you. Although online calculators are an excellent starting point they aren't perfect or exact all the time!

Best of luck to you!!! xoxo

[4star]

I think many people are familiar with that sense of anxiety concerning weight loss. As far as calorie consumption, less isn't always more. The idea is fueling the body well while not taking in too much "fuel" or calories. Of course, you don't want to compromise your energy or ability to build muscle which is why we need to eat enough. Not to worry though, bodies are forgiving and want to run efficiently so they tend to fall in line with weight loss efforts as long as they are healthy ones.

I have in the past lost a lot of weight quickly on very low calorie diets but I found myself fatigued after a few weeks and honestly can't recommend them unless medically supervised. In reality, I traded muscle gain and energy to lose an extra pound a week, not really worth it when I considered how much muscle and energy I gained eating at a higher calorie allotment and how effortless it felt. I've done it both ways and slow and steady really did pay off with a much higher return overall.