Is this the best way to do this?
Just a quick question if anybody could take the time to help...
I'm 5'2, 141lbs and my goal weight is 124lbs. I have a desk job but do make sure i exercise 5 - 6 times per week. Anway, CC sould be eating 1200 if i don't exercise. Is it ok to eat 1400 and burn off 1200? Is this kind of the same as just eating 1200?
Also, how bad is it to eat a little more sometimes. At the time of the month i'm starving and although i normally stick to pretty healthy stuff i still feel super hungry!
Sorry about all the questions, just need some help from people who have done this xxx
If you mean eat 1400 and burn 1200 ALL DAY (between sitting at your desk, running errands AND your workout), then YES, it's fine. If you mean burning 1200 cals at the gym and eating only 1400, hellz no. In that case, you are ignoring your BMR (basal metabolic rate) which is just what you burn sitting around doing nothing. Which is actually quite a lot!
Try to look at it as a range. 1200 is the BARE minimum for someone who is not active at all. If you do nothing all day but sit at your desk, eat at least 1200 calories (perhaps try and keep it between 1200-1400). If you workout and burn 300 calories, add 300 calories to that base (1500-1700).
I recommend the range A. because it makes life easier and more enjoyable :) and B. Your body is equipped for you to change it up a bit now and then, in fact I think it is good for your body! And finally C. You run a much lower risk of going into starvation mode and screwing yourself.
Hope that helps :)
Oh no, sorry if i didn't make it very clear, there is no way i could exercise off 1200 in the gym ha ha! Just about manage to get me 200 cals burned!
So basically 1200 is the net cals for somebody who is doing nothing pretty much nothing? the only reason i ask is because this website says i need 1600 to maintain my current weight. Take away 500 leaves 1100. Not healthy (also not possible for me i love food too much!). So i was just thinking that eating 1400 and burning 200cals would leave a deficit of 400.
So I guess its not the end of the world if i go over 1400? Sorry to ask so many questions just want to get this right in my head.
Thanks sooo much for your quick reply, really appricate it.
Sounds like a good plan to me. I'm also 5'2", I was 147pounds, now I am 120pounds. I tried a few things along the way but the plan that you described worked the best for me. (consistent weight loss) Just make sure you are not exercising so much that you need to increase cals--I mean if you are exercising so much you are tired and drained all the time, increase your cals a bit, otherwise you may stall your weight loss (and feel awful). Good luck! But about 200 cals burned with exercise and eating about 1300 on average works for me. Good luck.
sokkies
Hey sokkies thanks for the advice. Let me know how you are getting on, how much do you have left to lose if you don't mind me asking?
I'm working on losing another 5-10 pounds. I'm at 120 right now. Some people look beautiful at 120 pounds and 5'2" but I have a 32 inch waist and bodyfat percentage of 27% so I'm going to be losing a bit more so I can fit into clothes properly and feel proud of my body.
I have plateaued for maybe a month now but that is completely due to eating at maintenance and not exercising very much. I'm back on the counting calories, 1300, exercise every day plan (turbojam and bowflex) now again so hopefully I'll be losing again. I'm on a weekly weigh in accountability thread for december.
http://caloriecount.about.com/christmas-prese nt-new-group-weigh-ft155125
sokkies
