How Many Calories Do I Need?
Nearly everyone has wondered how many calories they should eat. There are calorie calculators all over the internet. Sure, they’ll spit out a number for you, but is this number really correct? Should every 35 year old female that weighs 150 pounds eat the same amount of calories? No.
Your metabolism is as unique as your personality. Everyone metabolizes fat, carbohydrates, and protein in different ways. These calorie calculators are nice for getting a general idea for what your caloric intake should be, but they shouldn’t be the last word on the subject.
In order to calculate how many calories you should eat, you need a little bit of information first. What you don’t need is your height, weight, or age. What you do need is an understanding of how many calories you burn, and what you’re trying to accomplish. Are you trying to lose weight? How much do you want to lose? Maybe you’d like to gain weight. Set yourself a goal first, but set realistic, sustainable ones.
A swing of two pounds per week in either direction is the maximum you should aiming for. Anything more and the muscle to fat ratio on your body can take a change for the worse. You also have a higher chance of maintaining your weight loss or gain if you take it slow. I realize everyone wants what they want, and they want it now. However, losing two pounds a week for six months equates to 52 pounds. That’s a lot of weight considering it probably took you a lifetime to put the weight on in the first place.
How Many Calories Do I Burn?
You might be wondering how many calories you burn during a particular exercise. Instead, you should be trying to figure out how many calories you burn the rest of the day. Exercise only burns a small amount of calories compared to the number of calories your body burns the rest of the day. A typical person may burn 100 calories for every mile they run. Run 3 miles, and you’ve burned 300 calories. This is great, but the rest of the day, even while you are relaxing or sleeping, you are burning thousands of calories.
Your muscle is extremely metabolically active. It takes a lot of calories to maintain. This is why it is so important for you to build muscle to burn fat. Your workouts are great to get a few hundred extra calories burned, but the real magic happens when you build muscle. Extra muscle is going to be your biggest game changer.
How Many Calories to Lose Weight?
OK, OK, you understand that now, but you still need to know how many calories you should eat to lose weight. The best way to determine how many calories you need is to follow these steps:
- Set a goal of how much weight loss/gain you desire each week.
- Plan your exercise program. Make sure you have a combination of resistance training and cardio.
- Get yourself a food journal so you can write down every single thing you eat. You should be writing down the calories for everything.
- Eat 2,000 calories per day. Plan your diet out in advance so that you know you are eating this much every single day.
- Watch the scale. Is your weight going up or down?
- If it’s going down, add 500 calories to your diet. Your goal is try and find how many calories you need to eat before you start to put on weight. Once you find this calorie amount, congratulations, you’ve just found that magic number that everyone is seeking – the calorie number that all future weight loss/gain formulas are based off of.
- If after adding 500 calories your weight is still going down, add another 500 calories per day until your weight increases on a week to week basis. Do NOT be afraid of adding a pound or two in the beginning. Everyone wants to see the scale go in one direction only. This isn’t going to happen. The important thing is you find the calorie amount that is going to enable you to eat as many calories as possible and still lose weight. This will keep your fat loss progress going, and ensure that the weight you lose is fat instead of muscle.
- Once you find the calorie intake that causes you to add weight, start to subtract 500 calories per day for every pound you want to lose per week. If you want to lose 1 pound per week, then subtract 500 calories per day. If you want to lose 2 pounds, then subtract 1000 calories per day.
- If when you started off eating 2,000 calories you immediately started gaining weight on a week to week basis (for at least 2 straight weeks), then you can go ahead and start cutting calories.
One of the top reasons diets fail is because people eat too few calories. When you do this, you force your body to slow down its metabolism. This causes all kinds of hormonal changes that work against you and your fat loss goals. Hormones such as testosterone, thyroid, and growth hormone are all negatively affected. Make sure that when you diet you are keeping your metabolism burning, and you will be well on your way towards success, instead of deciding what diet you’re going to try next.
How many calories do you eat per day? Do you keep a food journal? Share you thoughts in the comment box below.
About Coach Calorie
This is such a great idea. It certainly wasn’t what I had in mind when starting out to lose weight. I’ve always wondered though how a calculator could accurately tell me how much to eat. This is perfect and I bet a lot of people have great results when eating right for their metabolism. It’s amazing how much riff raff there is out there and I’m so happy to find someone who puts it to me like it is rather than blowing sunshine up my rear.
Those calculators are a great starting point, but they will never be perfect. Everyone is different.
Wow, this is awesome! I am going to start a food journal immediately!! This is just such a logical plan! Thank you! Kathy
Let me know how the journal works out for you Kathy
I have full body composition scales which tells me how many calories I can eat each day but what really does it for me is seeing my muscle mass increase and my body fat% decrease as this allows me to eat more calories every day. I just wish people would stop getting hung up about their weight and BMI and start getting hung up about their body fat% and muscle mass as these are the real drivers in terms of a healthy body, it’s the fat which causes the problems. I have decreased my body fat% by almost 20% in the last 6 months and have increased my muscle mass by 8lb and I’m only just scratching the surface and taking things slowly however 2012 is the year I will be in tip top shape which will enable me to work at my optimum level and expand my team considerably.
Hey Alison, can you tell me more about this scale that tells you how many calories you should eat? I’ve never heard of one like that.
Congrats on the body fat loss. It’s always good to see someone who knows the difference between weight loss and fat loss. Thanks for the comment.
Hi Coach, the scales I use are Tanita body composition scales (the GP’s in the embarrassing fat bodies series in the UK use these), they measure the following:
weight
body fat %
BMR
metabolic age
water %
visceral fat (the silent killer)
bone mass
muscle mass
These scales are my most important weapon in my aim to get people healthy. Almost everyone knows what they weigh but how many people know what their visceral fat level is or their metabolic age or as your article states their BMR these scales help them to see what’s going on inside and this is real and aften quite shocking. I’m a personal wellness coach and Independent Herbalife Distributor and I have been taught so much about nutrition and health and my aim is to now share this with as many people as possible and to help as many people as possible to achieve their health goals as it’s worked so well for me so far. Pay it forward!!!!!
I know of the Tanita scales, but how do they get stats like body fat %, or anything for that matter beyond weight, simply by standing on them?
I wish I’d seen this a year ago when I struggled to find what I called my “resting calorie rate’? It took me a couple of months to finally work it out. This definitely would have saved me several weeks of trial and error!
I’d be interested how the Tanita Scales give you those measurements as well, looking forward to reading the replies.
Hey Donna, your RMR (resting metabolic rate) is what you get before you add in exercise. A calculator gives you a nice starting point, but only testing and adjusting will get you the real number. Thanks for stopping by!
Great points, will have to try this. I need to lose a lot of weight and I’ve just started.
Good luck Huguette. Be consistent, and be patient, and you’ll get there
I don’t count calories. I simply limit myself to reasonably sized meals and never take seconds.
I think this is a great approach to take. However, not everyone knows what “reasonably sized” means, and the size of the meal does not always correlate to total calories. In the beginning, counting calories teaches you a lot about food. I highly recommend it before moving onto the ultimate goals of eating whole foods and controlling portions. Thanks for the comment Cindy.
I have five of your tabs open in my browser as I try to read, reread and make sense of this and what to do. I have a feeling I’m making it more difficult than it should be.
Appreciate the info and the free education. All I know (which is okay for today) is that my pants fit better than they did last week. So it’s getting in somehow
Wendy T recently posted..This and That
It really is easy Wendy. The hard part is finding 1,351 ways to explain how to lose weight
I am one of those people who is so focused on my weight that eating more scares me. I work out everyday – TRX 3 times a week and running 3 times a week. I still can’t drop a pound – I eat healthy and very seldom do I indulge in anything. Whats frustrating is I can’t drop any weight. I know I must be doing something wrong – I just can’t figure it out. any suggestions?
How many calories are you eating Carm? You say you aren’t dropping any weight, but what about body fat?
Thank you for responding.
I am eating 1200 calories a day. I don’t know how to measure my body fat. I am 5’5 and weigh 132 lbs and though those numbers aren’t bad I am concerned about the fact that my clothes aren’t fitting right – everything feels tighter. I try not to get on the scale but I do weigh myself at least 1/wk. I know that I shouldn’t focus on the numbers but how I feel. Right now I’m not feeling so good because I don’t understand where I am going wrong.
What does a typical day look like diet wise? 1200 calories seems low based on your weight and activity level.
Breakfast
3 egg whites and 1 whole egg with broccoli (omlet)
snack: 1/2 blueberries with 12 cashews
Lunch: 5 cups of salad with mixed veggies 4 oz of cheese
Snack -greek yogurt
dinner – protein (chicken/fish) with cooked veggies
While the food choices look good, are you sure that’s 1200 calories? A quick add in my head makes it look like only 900 calories or so.
WOW, I re-added my calories and your right – it came to just over 900 calories. I also did a count of what I ate yesterday and it came to almost the same amount. but shouldn’t I be losing weight if my intake is that low and I am working out? what suggestions would you make as far as adding food to my intake? there is so much information out there and it can get so confusing.
You should be eating as many calories as possible and still lose weight. Eating too few can have a negative impact on your metabolism. It can slow it down to a crawl, lowering thyroid hormone, and stopping fat loss in its tracks. I would add 500 calories to your diet and see what happens. Don’t be afraid if the scale jumps up the next day. Keep your calories at that level for 2 weeks and see what happens – then reassess.
Twitter: debsxx
says:
hi there carm tassone,
, i have been told i don`t eat enough by lots of people.
… we was on a
Yes i`m the same … i use the gym 4 times a week And get
weighed there 1 time that`s on sundays,and i`m always watching my
weight
Food scares me and i stopped eating burgers etc a long time ago
unless i made myself.I`ve been trying to follow slimming world
diet(they don`t call it a diet though).My partner and myself have
just got bikes but my cardio side is rubbish
bike ride and we were both shatterd the wind was taking my breath
and i knew i needed to do more.i`m 41 this year i`m 11 stone
want to be around 9 1/2 stone,i`m 5ft 3inch.and a day for me
following the sw diet is something like this:
breakfast:fresh fruit and fromage frais.
break:muller light yoghurt.
dinner:tuna salad with extra light mayo.
break:apple.
tea:spagetti bolognaise.
3 coffee in day and 3 bottles containing 500ml of water.
and maybe 2 glasses of diet coke in the evening.
this is everything in one day nothing missed out.
But i`m staying the same on the scales which is very disapointing.
don`t want to do what most people do and use diet pills as i`m not sure they even work.
Your diet looks like it’s less than 1000 calories. I’ve never seen someone need to go below that. In addition, I don’t see much protein in there either. I’m not positive on some of the food you’re eating – spaghetti bolognaise (is that spaghetti with meat sauce?). If so, get rid of it. Those noodles are a processed, nutrient sparse, calorie dense food. Try to keep your food choices – meat, eggs, fruit, veggies, nuts, beans, seeds, and potatoes. Consider getting rid of the diet coke too. I’m not a fan of artificial sweeteners, but if you aren’t seeing improvements after changing your food choices, that will be your next step.
Twitter: Dovescry2000
says:
This is my favorite post as it really gave me so many ideas that I must do to be successful. I plan to follow everything you’ve written. I especially like the idea of keep the food journal.
Hey Deb, if you want to find that magic calorie number, you have to write down your food intake. Let me know your magic number once you find it
thank u for all the info , i am 23 years old 5’1 and i am right know 200 lbs. i feel depressed, but all ur articles help a lot . thank u
I’m glad they help Indira. Good luck!
My concern is that if I discover that it takes me 2000 calories a day to gain weight and I want to lose 2lbs a day than I should only have a 1000 calories a day to lose 2lbs per week and if I get my body used to 2000 calories a day for two weeks, dropping it to 1000 per day would be very difficult to maintain since my body was used to 2000 calories? This would be the same if my gain weight point was 2500 calories and to lose 2lbs a week I would need to reduce it to 1500 calories. Please advise. Thank you.
Yes, if you wanted to lose 2 pounds/week, that would be a calorie deficit of 1000/day. This is the max I would ever recommend, and that is only if you are working out. If you are working out, it should take much more than 2000 calories to maintain your weight. People would be surprised at how much they really have to eat to gain weight.
I am 39/ F/ 146lbs/ 162cms height., have been eating low carb for many years now (no breads, pasta, sugar or starchy stuff) I do have occasional cheat days(weekends/ birthdays) and I brisk walked on hills 3-4 days a week. I did not see much change in my weight other than my legs/thighs got toned and looked better.
Since last month I replaced walking on hills by 1 hour of Aerobic exercises/strength training 3-4 times a week (pushing my limits!) and am trying to keep my caloric intake to 1000-1400 Cals/day. I have put on 2 lbs! I believe it’s due to forming muscles. What do I need to do to START losing weight and/or inches.
I’m frustrated because neither the scale moves in the direction I want nor have I seen any major change in my dress size! I feel low in energy and am perpetually craving sweet and high carb food! Please HELP!
Hi Sandy, can you show me a typical day’s diet? It is not unusual to put on some weight when you first start lifting weights. If your calorie intake is below maintenance, it could be because you are increasing muscle glycogen storage capacity and the corresponding water weight that comes with it. Have you measured your body fat levels?
Hi Coach! Thanks for responding.
I drink plenty of water all through out the day…Offlate I have been adding more food since I dont feel full enough…..I avent measured my body fat
My typical diet is: B/F 1-2 eggs + Black coffee w/splenda, Snack- a handful nuts (walnuts/peanuts) + diet coke Lunch – 1 bowl lentils +veggies cooked OR I fillet Tilapia baked+ veggies Dinner – chicken + veggies OR Lentils/Beans + Veggies and plain yogurt. I sometimes also have a protien bar in between meals. Weekends are more relaxed with a slice of pizza sometimes and a couple of drinks!
levels..How’s that done? Thanks!!!
Hey Sandy, without knowing exact portions, I’m only counting about 800 calories or so in your diet. This is way too low. I don’t know your weight, but you shouldn’t need to go below 10 times your body weight in calories to get results. If you go too low, things start working against you.
I would also really consider dropping the artificial sweeteners. I know it can be hard, but I’ve seen those also cause problems with people trying to lose weight.
Thank you so much for taking time to respond!
Since you mentioned, I have started using Myfitnesspal to record my food, I did notice that i might be eating very few calories earlier….I’ve eliminated diet soda for now and will try to slowly get rid of Splenda from my coffee as well….I have to stop my little treats soon too….Thank you again! I have joined your FB and G+ pages to get regular updates from you
I weigh 92.2kg in Jan 4th 2012,body fat 42.4,bmi 33.6,.march 30th i weighed in,89.6kg,body fat 39.6,bmi 31,exercise is 5km walk/jog in atleast 4 days in a week,i try to watch my food intake but not so successful cos most days i exceed 1200 kcal intake that i ought to since my height is 5.6.Coach,can this be termed progress cos i expect faster result.
Maggie, you need to be eating more calories for your body weight. Even more important, you should be adding in some form of strength training. It’s good that you are walking, but strength training is going to give you much better progress, and I think you’ll be happier with the results. If you’d like to post up your detailed diet, I can take a look at it to see if there are any problems.
Hey coach I was wondering what you could tell me about the use of sweeteners. I do not consume much sugar at all but I do use up to 4 packs a day in my morning coffee? I consume about 1200-1600 calories a day and work out for about 1.5 hours most days with a combination of weights, cardio(machines) and cardio toning work(eg, burpies, sprint starts, jumping jacks —and all the toning stuff). I have noticed changes but have only lost 20 lbs and 4 % body fat in 7 months. I am sore all the time from working out so much and need a better system..but I thought maybe the sweeteners was making a difference as I was for a long time on a steady 1 to 1.5 a week loss which is what I would like to stay at. Since I restarted weights I have been up and down about 8 lbs but have not done body fat count in the past month since I gained most of it
PLEASE HELP!
I’m not a fan of sweeteners. They are empty calories. What other processed foods are in your diet? Can you lay out a typical day’s diet?
Eat very little processed foods…
Breakfast–Special K with 1/2 cup milk, few almonds/raisons or oatmeal. or egg white omelet with bit o cheese/vegis, 2 coffee with 2 French vanilla sweetener in each(figured it saved me 120 sugar calories so I can eat more good food)
lunch-wrap w/ chicken breast or tuna or turkey(1 portion size )& spinach with low cal sauce like salsa or low fat mayo or dijon mustard(1 tsp)…serving of fruit or veg OR Smoothie(1/2 cup frozen fruit, fat free vanilla yogurt, 1/4 to 1/2 cup of almond drink or skim milk or combo, scoop of protien powder, scoop of Chia seed, water if to thick)
Dinner-3 to 4 oz of white lean meat, salmon, or red meat maybe 2 a week ( once a week I may have a low cal burger or steak but in moderation). potato or uncle bens rice(1 serving only)..other half plate vegis/salad(low fat dressing-2 tsp max)
Snacks are vegis, fruit, raisons, almonds fiber one bar, popcorn(not more than 200 cal worth),sunflower seeds(measured half servings)
Occasional drinks 1 weekend per month(still gotta live..lol)
Vitamins-b complex, 1000 mg vit c, 1000 Vit D-1000
also take CLA tablets as I heard they help with belly fat.
I would like to think that maybe I am not eating enough with the amount of exercise i do…I would like to be able to do HIIT 3 times a week for 20 or 30, and just regular walks etc for the rest of the week…but I am scared to up my food intake and although I like this idea to start at 2000 and go from there with summer coming up I don’t want to chance a gain since I go up every time I slow the workouts and up the food at all.
I really don’t see 1200-1600 calories there. I don’t even see 1000. You might want to recheck your calculations. Do it manually from the nutrition label – not some app.
I would also get rid of the Special K and wrap. There are processed products and can cause problems.
If you still have problems, try moving your carb intake to your post-workout meal and have protein/fat meals the rest of the time.
I am trying to get down, and while I know its hard, I do want to at least lose some of it pretty fast. I need to see the progress again. I am starting from a very high number almost 393. I start everyday with dynamic resistance yoga, and do that for 30-50 minutes depending on work schedule. At night I do a 1 plus mile walk with the dog. My daily eating:
Breakfast, Apple, Slice of Glutton Free Toast
Lunch 5 Cups of salad, 7 oz of protein, 1 oz of sheeps milk feta, 1 fat
Dinner 7 oz of protein, baked sweet potato, veg, salad, 1 fat
Snacks: orange and 2oz of protein if time permits
According to my quick calculations its about 1200-1500 a day depending on my protein and carb of choice. Its really frustrating so far to be down 5lbs in 3 weeks. Ive done 5lbs in a day before. I want it gone for good this time, but I need to get some progress going. Goal is 30lbs a month, 5 accomplishes nothing.
thoughts?
Thanks
In 3 weeks Ive lost
There is nothing wrong with 5 pounds in 3 weeks. Sure, you are starting from a higher weight, but progress is progress. 5 pounds in a day would be mostly water loss, not fat loss. You certainly can lose 30 pounds in a month, but don’t beat yourself up if you only get 10 or so. Keep the weight loss fat, and you will be happier with the end result.
1200-1500 calories for a 400 pound person is way too low. Try something closer to 2500 calories and go from there. You want sustainable weight loss, and you’ll never get that by eating so little. Try eating 5 full meals. The snacks are good for those who eat fewer calories, but you are going to need more food. Each meal should have protein. Aim for 1 gram per pound of lean body weight in protein and divide it up evenly into each meal. Keep your carbs around your workout and have protein/fat meals the rest of the time. Most importantly, be patient and be consistent. Try to add some strength training into your routine too. That will make a huge difference.
Take a look at this post How to Lose 10 Pounds in a Month. You should have no problem losing more than that at the beginning following that diet.
I love that you have been replying to people! Great article!
I also have a few questions about my diet and exercise if you don’t mind taking the time to reply! Here is a typical week of work out for me: I usually work out 3-4 times a week, sometimes more sometimes less… I always try to do 30 min of cardio; running and stationary bike are my staples, and then push-ups, lunges, squats, followed by weights I like to focus on arms but also do abs, back, and legs about 2-3 times a week.
My eating habits might be where I’m having troubles though: Since I’m a broke college student I eat a lot of pasta, probably 3 meals out of the week is noodles, with olive oil and tomatoes with arugula or other vegetables. I have probably 2 coffees with soy and 1/2 teasp. of sugar per day, cereal or toast with peanut butter for breakfast, and then potatoes or vegies for dinner or pasta again, for snacks I try to do apples, bananas and nuts, since I know I don’t get enough protein but meat is expensive. Anyways I want to try this 2000 calorie adjustment idea you have to see where I am gaining and loosing… I’m also 5’5″ 140lbs… thanks!
There definitely seem to be quite a bit of processed food in your diet. Try to have protein with every meal, even if it’s just a little. Protein doesn’t have to be too expensive. I wrote an article on the cheapest sources of protein. It might help you out – 10 Cheap Sources of Protein for the Budget Conscious
Hey! I’ve recently started working out five times a week, two lots of cardio and three lots of toning/weight exercises. I usually rest on the weekend but sometimes I’m active (walking/hiking). I’m jsut worried about my diet. Because I’m still living with my parents I have to rely on the food they buy. Today I’ve had quie a lot of food to work with but a lot of the time it’s less or more junk food. Here is what I’ve had today, would you mind giving your opinion?
Breakfast: Smoothie (1 banana, 1/4 cup blueberries, 1/4 cup raspberries, 1/2 cup strawberries, oats 1 tbs, organic coconut oil 1 tsp, 3/4 cup organic yogurt and 1/2 cup of fruit juice)
Lunch: Small cheese sandwich with sliced apple, snack-a-jacks and an activia yogurt
Snack: Blueberry muffin (made with 1/4 cup of oats, 1 egg, 2 tsp sugar, 2 tbs of milk and small handful of blueberries)
Dinner: Grilled chicken breast covered in dry spices in a flour tortilla wrap, oven baked potato (medium/large) and big handful of salad on the side and some mayo
I’m around 17st in weight and 5’8″ height wise. I still need to get some bathroom scales but as soon as I have I’ll be trying this, I don’t want to lose weight quickly I want to lose it properly
I do see quite a bit of processed food in there. Bread, muffin (although that’s an interesting recipe), and tortillas will make it difficult for you to lose weight. Have you considered talking to your parents about buying certain food for you? I only see about 50 grams of protein in there. You’re going to want quite a bit more than that.
I have tried however they are stuck in their ways and think it’s more expensive. When I try to explain how it’s not if you buy well they just ignore me because I’m only 18. I’m always scared to add more protein, not sure why but I’ll definitely be adding more, thank you for the reply
Good Afternoon
I was checking out the on-line calories calculators and they are different….every single one gave me a different number….so I just wanted to know….I am 5’6, 190lbs and 35 years old…..I am looking into loosing 35 to 40 lbs…I do work out 4 to 5 times a week, unless I get a migraine….I’m currently eating 1500 calories a day, and burning around 1200….should I continue doing this or do I have to change my calorie intake?
Thanks!!!
Hey Jesie, what do you mean you are burning 1200 calories a day? If that’s all from exercise I’m afraid that’s probably a very high estimate. Unless you are running marathons, you probably burn less than half that in a typical 1 hour workout.
If you’re saying you burn 1200 calories all day, but you’re eating 1500, then I think you can see the problem – you’re eating more than you’re burning.
Well, I have the BodyBugg and every night I have to log in my calorie intake and then I connect the device and it downloads my activity for the day. I’m a stay home mom, so I’m usually up by 7 pm and I don’t go to bed til 12 midnight….I also walk 1 hr. in the morning, then around noon I go to the gym and work out some more (elliptical and some weights) then I walk in the evening about 1 1/2 hr. Maybe, I’m misunderstanding how to read my bodybug. Now there are times where I eat much less and burn more, currently I have been losing about 1 lbs a week….but I feel it’s to slow, and last month I maintained the same weight for 3 weeks straight and then week 4 I lost 0.6 lbs. Last week I lost .8 and this week I lost 1.0lbs. I eat very healthy, lots of green veggies and lean protein….I limit my carbs to 2x a day and it’s usually wheat carbs. I want to shock my body and get my metabolize active again.
FYI: I do drink Intek Protein at night (made with water and PB 2)
I’m not familiar with the BodyBugg. You should be burning much more than 1200 calories a day unless you are under 100 pounds.
Why don’t you lay out your diet for me…
Breakfast:
1/4 cup Egg White
3 Turkey Bacon Strips or Turkey Sausage
1 Sara Lee Delightful whole wheat toast
1 cup of mix fresh fruits
snack:
protein bar
Lunch:
Canned Tuna or 3 oz chicken breast…no skin or bone and I baked it in my nuwave oven
1tsp light sour cream
2 cups shredded lettuce
5 cherry tomatoes
2 Tbps low fat shredded cheese…(mozzarella)
Snack:
Plain Greek Yogurt
2 chopped strawberries or some blueberries (both are fresh fruits)
Dinner:
3 to 4 oz Protein….it can be chicken, turkey burger, lean steak, or fish
1 cup Mix Veggies steamed
1/2 cup cooked Quinoa or Brown Rice
Snack:
Intek Protein Shake (made with water)
1 Tbps PB 2
**Now through out the day I drink 10 to 12 cups of water, green tea, and deca coffee no cream or sugar. I do also take 1 day out of the week to indulge my self with something sweet…of course I make sure it’s not so high on calorie and as a pastry chef I like to bake my own sweets this way I know what I’m putting in my dessert.
Your diet looks good. I’m assuming the protein shake is protein only and no added sugar? How is your body composition changing? You say you’re losing 1 pound a week, but how much fat are you losing? Are you taking body fat readings? This info can help determine if your calories are too low or too high for your goals.
We can definitely make some tweaks to your diet, but let’s get that info first.
I began working out January 14 2012 and I’ve lost 30 pounds. I am currently 206 and I workout 6-7 days a week. I do RPM( stationary bike cardio circuit) Monday, step aerobics with a 6-12 inch step( high intensity cardio) then immediately after I do pump( full body strength training I uses 15-20 pounds of weights) on tuesday, RPM or a dance class ( like Zumba) on Wednesday, step and pump on Thursday, RPM on Friday, pump on Saturday and RPM Again on Sunday… Sometimes I will take Sunday or Wednesday off.
Breakfast: 3 egg whites 1 whole egg healthy life 100% while wheat toast.
Lunch: turkey wrap in a tomato and basil wrap with reduced fat provolone, mustard, avacado, baby spinach,and tomato.
Dinner: typical…. Chicken breast, broccoli and cheese( single serve green giant)
I drink 1-2 EAS carb control Protien shakes a day as well.
If I need more Protien or calories I eat peanut butter.
My normal daily intake is between 1200-1450 calories. I try not to eat outside of this but have had a burger along the way. I’m tryin to change my life not diet. I know I can not not have a hamburger for the rest of my life so I will not forbid myself that right now. I just choose not to eat it often.
Here is my question….. Why am I getting stuck? I know I have a lot of bread in my diet and I try to make sure it’s the best bread but I don’t eat pasta or if I do it’s always whole grain. But I feel like I am makin decent food choices and I get plenty of exercise so why am I not losing as I should? Sometimes I wonder if I’m taking in enough calories.
For your activity level, it looks like you are undereating by quite a bit. I also only added up about 1000 calories there, but you also said you eat peanut butter when you need more.
Try increasing your calorie intake another 500 calories and see what happens. Eating too little is just as bad, if not worse than eating too many when it comes to weight loss.
I eat fairly healthy & have been just maintaining my weight the past several years without doing any exercise.(I take in between 2000 & 2500 calories a day) I’d like to add an exercise routine but I have scar tissue on a tendon in my foot. I work in childcare & am on my feet all day so by the time I get home I’m already hurting & have lost my motivation. Any suggestions of exercise that won’t over stress my foot?
I would definitely stay away from any running or high impact exercise. Does your foot hurt when you squat?
I recently found you through a friend. I have greatly enjoyed learning so much from you over the last couple weeks and just fell across this article which was linked in another article I was reading of yours. I’m 49 this year, 207 lbs (having lost 80+ over the last 2+ years) and my weight loss completed stalled last October. I invested in a HRM and at that time, I had upped my workout routines to do cardio 3-4 times per week in the mornings and then strength training 3 times per week in the evenings after work and was burning about a total of 400-600 calories per day and all on the “recommended” calorie intake of 1200-1500 calories per day. Needless to say, I fatigued. I stopped in late November due to an arm injury and then slowly made my way back in January and February.
Over the last two months, I’ve developed a workout routine that is more conducive to my lifestyle and “doable” for me -I lift weights 3 times per week and do cardio 2 times per week and then one Yoga day and one rest day and I walk/sometimes jog with my dog daily but that’s just for him. LOL. I generally burn about 400-500 calories per day based on my HRM reading. After reading your posts, I’ve reincorporated some healthy grain carbs into my eating-at dinnertime after I lift weights. (Thank you for that – I notice I’ve been sleeping better!)
My typical calorie intake was still about 1500-1600 but after reading various articles of yours I increased it to about 1700-1800. Do you think I’m still eating enough? A typical daily menu:
Bkfst: 2 egg whites, one egg, spinach and 1/4 cup kidney beans & salsa + my beloved coffee no cream/sugar
Snack: medium Pear w/either cottage cheese or plain lowfat yogurt -3/4 cup (can’t eat greek yogurt it bothers my stomach)
Lunch: 3 cups salad greens, mixture of carrot, red bell pepper, cucumber + 5 ounces of chicken breast, 2 TBSP lowfat homemade ranch dressing; or leftover Chicken Satay or two Turkey Muffins
Snack: Power Crunch Bar or Apple & 2 TBSP peanut butter (if cardio after work)
Dinner: 5 ounces of meat, 1.5 cups of steamed asparagus or broccoli or salad, 1 small red potato steamed w/1 oz. skim mozzarella cheese.
Snack: Casein protein shake (w/water) if it was a weight lifting day and I’m still hungry
Thanks Coach -any suggestions? I met with a nutritionist last October and she told me I could either lower my calorie intake OR up my cardio to 1 hour instead of the 45 minutes I was doing at that time. I felt defeated and stalled. As I said, I started back up in January and have been trying to pay attention to other things rather than the scale or inches – like I can do two perfect tricep pushes now! LOL
Thank you.
Hey Laura, I definitely wouldn’t just keep cutting calories and adding exercise if you were already only eating 1200 calorie and doing all that exercise.
It’s hard to say if 1700-1800 is going to be enough. Only you will be able to figure that out. If you increased your calories to that amount and nothing happened to your weight, you probably still have room to add more. If you added it and your weight loss picked back up, I would stay with it for the time being. Focus on those strength training workouts. They are going to give you the biggest return on your investment.
Thank you! One more quick question – when you describe adding in calories until you figure out – you indicate to add approximately 500 calories. Is that to your daily intake while still exercising? So if I’m at 1500, do I go up to 2000 for about two weeks while still doing the same workout routine, etc. to see if any fluctuation? Then when I reach the point where it starts to go consistently up, THEN I reduce by the 500 calories per day for weight loss? Thanks Coach!
Right, just increase it by 500 calories. You can go in smaller intervals, but you can get from point A to B much quicker just going by 500 calorie jumps. Once you see your weight consistently going up, and you’ve determined your maintenance calories, then you can start creating a calorie deficit.
Thanks for this post, Coach Calorie. It’s nice to know that it might not all be in my head when I feel like I’m starving to death on calorie counter recommendations and still not dropping a pound.
I am attempting to follow the steps you’ve outlined to find my ideal calorie goal. I’ve spent the past week eating about 2000 calories (700 calories more that what I’d been eating, thanks to what calorie counters had me thinking I needed to eat to lose weight.) I exercised every day this week and only took one day off (I thought I was coming down with something — I usually try to work out every day.) My workouts consist of one day a week of hour long cardio and strength training, two days of 45-minute cardio exercise, and four days of really high-intensity circuit training for half an hour.
What’s been nice is that my energy level is better and I’m not nearly as cranky as I was after on 1300 calories a day. When I weighed myself today, though, I’d put on almost a pound in the past week and I’m trying not to freak out.
It’s hard, though, when I’ve already spent months losing nothing on restricted calories.
I’m going to make myself continue with the 2000/day for another week, as is suggested, even if it means putting on two total pounds. I’m worried that if I do gain weight another week, though, does that mean it’s going to be pretty much impossible for me to lose more than a pound a week? I wanted to try for a pound an a half, but that would have me at 1250 a day, and I was already starving on 1300… and not losing anything.
Thanks for any advice or reassurance you can offer, Coach! I really love all the information available here.
It’s been another week, how did your weight do? A lot of that pound could have been from extra glycogen storage within your muscle. It’s not something I’d worry about. Are your clothes fitting any differently? Have you measured body fat %? It’s highly doubtful that pound of weight gain was fat. For that to happen you would have had to eat over 500 calories a day above your maintenance calories. That would put maintenance cals at just 1500 calories. That is low.
Tell me how the 2 weeks went and we can go from there.