How much should i really be eating?

I've tried so many different numbers.

1600,1800, 1900, 2000, 2200.

Nothing, zip, nada, zilch.

Im 5'5", weigh 185 lbs. Im 18, workout 5 sometimes 6 times a week for an hour. burning about 500-700 cals at the gym. I walk a bit in school, not too much, maybe about a mile summed up.

I lift weights 2 times a week, recently its been less, since my muscles have been fatigued, i could only do 5 minutes on the elliptical yesterday because of my theighs couldnt handle it that day. So i sticked to the 'mill.

At home i sit on the computer or do homework. Not much activity.

I weigh my food, though i do not have a digital food scale, the wheel thing isnt too inaccurate, is it?

I use a HRM to determine my burn, it has a chest strap, its asks for height, weight, gender, walk stride, run stride, and age.

Im beat. No weightloss for almost 2 months. Im throwing my hands in the air and im desperate for some help.

Original Post by mrb128:

For female, 5'5" 185 lbs your BMI is 31 your RMR is 1768, you should be consuming 1600 cal./week to loose 1 lb a week.  

 Healthisinplease, I'm hoping you do not listen to this or take this advice.  RMR is called Resting Metabolic Rate for a reason.  You are obviously not laying in your bed all day.

Best way that I was able to get a good estimate of how much I burn a day, without purchasing a heart rate monitor, was by going to this site and adding up every single activity I do.  Yes, it is a bit of a pain, but it will pay off the more detailed you get.

http://www.caloriesperhour.com/tutorial_BMR.p hp

That'll give you a good estimation of how much you're burning.  And keep in mind, you're only 18.  People in their teens require a higher calorie intake than adults.  Just from the sounds of your activities, current weight, etc., I'd suggest sticking to around 2000 - 2200 calories and see what happens.  Just keep at a steady pace for awhile.

And congrats on your progress!  I was checking out your profile the other day and you've done a wonderful job!

One more thing...

I always consider myself sedentary.  I have an office job, and at home I am usually sitting around (knitting, drawing, etc., don't burn many calories).  When I first found these tools, I figured that what I was burning was the amount they were telling me (around 1800 a day).

After calculating it out, I found out that I was burning closer to 2300 - 2400 a day, and that was before my excercise (which is another 400 cal).  And I'm only 5'2"!!

People who are using these bare minimum numbers are doing themselves more harm than good.  I used them, until I saw what my numbers were really looking like.  Now I actually have had energy instead of feeling constantly tired the last couple months.  And yes, my weight loss has slowed down, but it's healthy now.  I do not suggest you go any lower than 2000.

Again, this is just a suggestion. :)

Hey! Ok i wish i had know of calorie count when i was up at 186 but i had no clue then i was inturduces and well its amazing!! I have lost almost all of the weight i wanted i am very close to my healthy weight of 145 lbs! I am 21 and the same hight as you, if i can do it you can too!

First of all i think you should not workout so excessivly trust me i tried that and i got nothing! i use to work out 5 sometimes 6 times a week for an hour. burning about 500-700 cals at the gym. when your not eating the right foods, nutritional wize and eating more then you should then its not going to help, it took me a while to figure that out. its honeslty 80% what you eat

Honeslty i have lost all my weight this year starting in january tell now i have lost + 35 lbs and am very close to my goal and let me tell you it feels amazing! i ahve never felt so confident in my life! Its all in what you eat try to focus almost all your meals with veggies recipies are awesome on calorie count and learning to cook more sure saved my life!

Also look into making your own food with less proccessed foods making your own soups/ salads/ chilies/ stews if you like them great way to fill you up and get loads of veggies in calorie count has tons i am makign hamburger soup tonight! Try to incorprate more veggies then meat because protien is still great but veggies have fewer calories and alot of nutritional goodness in it.

That right there was my two bits :)

Have you had a medical check up to see if your Thyroid is OK? There may be a medical reason why your body is not able to loose weight. I think any diet is worth a medical consultation.

Don't give up! There are a couple of reasons why you're not getting anywhere. One is the amount of calorie intake and the amount you are burning. You have to burn more than you are taking in. You really need to make sure you write down everything. I had the problem of saying "oh I can have one bite of that and a little of this" and then not write it down because I felt so bad about eating it.

Also, Stress and the amount of sleep you are getting can also effect your weight loss a lot! I just left my job which was a HUGE stress factor in my life and without changing anything about my diet, I ended up losing 8 pounds! Not saying you should leave your job or drop out of school, but maybe find something that you really enjoy doing that takes your mind off of everything (not including the t.v and or computer). I got into boxing and that REALLY made a difference as well. You may be stressing to much about losing the weight. Just have fun with it. Relax and the pounds will come off.

Are you changing your work out at all? Instead of walking on the treadmill everyday or biking, maybe try a cardio class or use the stair stepper. Changing it up will keep your body guessing and in the end it will jump start your metabolism which will burn more calories at rest.

GOOD LUCK!

Hello,

I didn't read all of the replies, but I found this site and thought that it may help you.

What should I weigh?  http://www.dietbites.com/Pyramid-Diet/recomme nded-weight-chart.html

Calorie Needs Index  http://www.dietbites.com/Pyramid-Diet/calorie -needs-index.html

Please remember that every one's body is not the same, and these charts are not exact.  Weight management is different for each person.  There are guidelines to help you,  but the best thing that i think you can do is pay attention to your body.  Judge how much you are eating based on whether you are gaining or losing, and your activity. 

Also, if the bulk of your diet is whole grains, protein, and vegetables, you will feel fuller longer and less prone to snack.  And it's ok to eat a little chocolate once in a while, as long as it's not every day and you don't eat the whole box! 

Another thing that I do that seems to help me is to incorporate small amounts of activity in your entire day.  For instance, while I'm doing my hair, I do squats.  If I'm reaching for something, I use that as an opportunity to stretch and maybe do some side turns.  Whatever you can think of, if you are using a muscle, it will help!  :)  Good luck!

Hmm this is interesting. I am a 'little person' in that I'm "only" (everyone tags an only to below 5 6 so  I'll go ahead and stick with society's modern norms of calling anyone under that a shorty but I don't consider myself as such WhatEver)

5 4 and 114 lbs or so, 18% body fat about. I do p90x and also add a jog or walk here and there and maybe resistance training once or twice a week in addition to the X. I can lose on 1700 cals but it'll be slow. My body goes into starvation mode at around 1200 if I'm on this exercise regimen so ideal for me is about 1400-1500 cals for weight loss.

So I'm saying that even being 'less than average size' and not having much fat to dispose off, I can still lose on more than 1200, your standard diet. I lose on 1200 if I do not exercise at all but I haven't gone w/o exercising for almost a decade now, except for when I had the flu for a few days. I even exercise on the p90x rest day lol.

Heart monitor says that from exercise I burn about 400-750 or so a day, depending on duration and type of exercise..

Oh and I'm 28. no 'only' there...Surprisingly I had a sluggish metabolism during my childhood and teens but it picked up when I started eating more protein and exercising...I think it's just 'normal' for me-I also got my Thyroid levels checked a few years ago-and it came out normal.

Woah!  Cool down there pardner.  The first thing to do is not stress about it.  Don't forget all the stress you put on your body (in the form of exercise as well as anxiety over not losing enough) can cause it to become bloated, constipated and otherwise out of whack, therefore making the problems worse.    So the first step is just relax for a sec.  Then sit back and take an accounting.  A lot of times what trips us up isn't what we know we're eating, it's what we don't know.  You weigh your food, but I find when I gain or maintain, it's because I am training for a marathon, and all the exercising is dropping my blood sugar.  My body is taking that as a cue to eat, and since I am trying to get down to a healthy race weight, I don't want to.  My body is still telling me to eat, so eventually it can drive me to little bites of things here and there - a sip of milk when I'm getting my morning pumpkin out of the fridge.  A hand full of nuts when I'm reaching for the whole grain flour to make my tortillas.  Keep a journal for a while and see if there is some invisible ghost food showing up that you're not counting.  Rather than restrict yourself even more, really take an account.  And next time you eat, make sure you are treating yourself with enough kindness to sit down and enjoy your food rather than popping it in your mouth without thinking. 

If you are totally able to cut out ghost eating, taking notes on what you do eat, and still not losing weight, it might be time to do something nutritionally to help yourself.  Talk to a doctor about righting your electrolytes, try a healthy (not unhealthy like some of these fad things out there) detox program (for instance a colon cleanse or sth - there are plenty out there with more or less good reviews - you can buy them sometimes on Amazon where the reviews really are genuine).

Good luck. 

I have lost 120 pounds so I have learned one or two practical things on the journey.

Hi there! I am by no means an expert, but have you gone to your doctor and had your blood tested to see if you maybe had a thyroid problem? I had mine checked, and it was normal, but I know of a few people who had similar issues such as yourself and ended up finding out they had a thyroid issue. Just an idea.

I've finally learned how to totally understand my body and can even predict with accuracy what I will weigh the next day (true!). I count my calories (crucial to do) and have learned important things that you may not find written down anywhere. Everyone is different and people burn calories at different rates doing different things. For me, I will burn more calories sitting in a room that is 65 degrees for a couple hours, than going to the gym and working out for 90 minutes! For some reason my body is extremely efficient when working out (maybe because I was long distance runner for years?). Here are some short and sweet facts that are extremely true for me and they simply work consistently... hope this helps:

--You can't use a formula for calorie intake and expect it to be accurate. Mine isn't. I have to eat 300 less than what the math tells  me. Find what works for you and don't worry about other people's numbers.

--Cetain activities burn calories more efficiently in certain people. If you drop weight one day, more than you expected to, write down what you did the day before. Try it again another day and see if the results are consistent. For me, just being cold (your body burns more calories to stay warm) burns a ton of calories for me. It is much easier for me to drop weight in the winter. Strange, but that is my body. Working out does a minimal dent in calorie burn. Again, you are unique too. So find your best burn activities. BTW, agressively lifting weights for me does no difference in my calorie burning. Walking does more. Go figure.

--Remember, lifting weights will make you heavier, although beatifully toned. Allow yourself extra pounds for that if you are doing a lot of it. I weigh the same as I did in college but I'm a larger size. My pants are a size larger and my tops are too. I was a hard core athlete in college, all heavy dense muscle and a woman's size 3. I was running anywhere from 60-75 miles a week, power lifting and eating 5000 calories a day. Any less and I'd lose weight! Now... I'm only eating 1300 and still working out (but much easier workouts) 3 days a week. But I'm a size 5. Not as lean and dense.

-- I try to never eat a large dinner, extra calories get stored as fat at night because you are on a minimal burn cycle. Save the bigger meal for breakfast or lunch. High protein dinner with veggies is great. I can actually get away with eating a little more calories if I eat a small dinner and still not gain. If I eat a large dinner I have to reduce daily intake by 50 if I eat at 8pm, any later than that... take 100 calories off or I'll gain.

You'll come up with your own observations with time and this is important to document. We are all unique and you just need to figure your own body out. I know heavy women who eat nothing and can't lose weight. Screw the math formulas, they are only guides and are often wrong. 

Original Post by cenacooks:

I saw Dr. Oz on TV covering the plateau issue.  I loved his advice.  First to figure out how many calories you need to eat to MAINTAIN your present weight...take your weight times 8 and then add 200 and that is how many calories you need to maintain your weight...

Not even close.  I weigh 140.  Multiply that by 8 and you get 1120.  Add 200 and you're at 1320.  I maintain on almost 1000 calories/day more than that.  Even if I were sedentary, I'd still maintain on ~1800 cals/day - not 1300!

Original Post by valoria44:

I think you definitely need to drop your calories.  What does CC say that you should eat per day?  There is a tool on here that estimates that for you.  I exercise 3 x a week, weigh 157, am 5'6 and eat between 1200-1500 calories a day.  1800 sounds like maintenance and when you're stuck at a "set point", working out as much as you do, calorie drop is the next thing to do as long as you aren't eating too low already.

She's under 21.  She should not be eating less than 1500 cals/day.  Given her stats, 2000 is a *much* better number than that.

My husband has a degree in Biomedical sciences and a masters and PhD in BioEngineering and this is what he tells me:

Loosing 3600 calories is the same as 1lb of fat. So assuming that you want to loose 1lb per week (anything more than 2lbs at your weight is considered dangerous) you would take 3600/7 (days)= 514 calories/day. This is how many calories you need to subtract daily from your diet. In general you should never be eating less than 1200 calories a day (dangerous).

For example I am 5'6" Female 26y/o and weigh 160lbs. With no exercise I need 1895 calories a day to maintain my weight. Therefore I should eat 1381/day to loose 1lb a week. At the very least I could eat 1200/day and loose 1.35lbs/week.

You need 2073 calories so should eat 1559/day for 1lb/week.

This of course does not include exercise. When you do cardio exercise you can burn calories. Therefore instead of eating 500 calories less you can eat 200 calories less a day and burn 300 calories running/day.

But you are lifting weights. This will eventually let you burn more calories but remember than muscle weighs more than fat. So at first you will be burning fat and adding muscle but your overall weight may not change. Look into your percentage of body fat instead of your weight to find see that you are doing well, If you keep it up you will loose the fat.

I completely understand and sympathize with your plea for help. I'm where you are and have been for over 5 months; 35 pounds to lose and have not budged a pound...not very comforting, huh?! The advice I received was certainly well-intentioned, but the truth is that I had and have tried EVERYTHING that was suggested. Changed up caloric intake, increased and decreased amount of exercise, changed up exercise with interval training, checked my target heart rate, measured and logged every morsel and crumb, drank 'proper' amount of water, had medical and blood tests performed, read everything available on this website and others, destressed, detoxed, low carb, no carb, etc., etc. YIKES!! Truly, I wish I could say that any of it made a difference, but it hasn't. Losing weight should not be this involved or difficult, but there are some of us who do not respond to any of the advised methods.

Although I do not have any additional advice on nutrition and exercise, I will say this...do not give up! Although I am not seeing any weight loss and minimal inches lost, I know that the exercise I'm doing is strengthening my heart and providing me a fitness level I did not experience previously. It is helping me to destress and not get as stressed to begin with...that's certainly a plus. In addition, at least I am maintaining and not gaining which is, again, a plus and extraordinary, for me. When I'm ready to throw my hands in the air, I think of how blessed I am and focus on what I have, not on what I don't have.

Keep the faith...something you read, some advice you take will 'click' for you and you will be on your way to the best life you can imagine. Sending you encouragement and best wishes.

have your thyroid checked. i was in the same spot as u two years ago and it turns out i was struggling due to Hashimoto's disease, a hypothroid condition (slow thyroid). Make sure u see an endocronologist to properly diagnose. I started with my GP and he mis-diagnosed me. good luck!!!

Thanks for the advice. Thyroid is perfect. Will keep plugging away.

Original Post by gdgfgv:

You need 2073 calories so should eat 1559/day for 1lb/week.

 She is an 18 year old student, she needs more like 2000 calories per day.  She needs to take into account all of her activities before even counting exercise.  I am 23, 5'2", 168lbs, and live a very sedentary lifestyle, and I burn 2400 a day!  You are not going to find accurate numbers by plugging your information into a BMR calculator.

Honestly, to see a real difference, I'd try eating 1200 a day for at least 3 weeks. No cheating. If that doesn't work, I don't know what to tell you. I'm 5'9" and weigh 145 and I eat 1200 a day and I either see the scale stay the same or drop a little, if I'm good and stick to the 1200 cal/day consistently.

2000-2200 is entirely too many calories. If you eat healthy, space out your meals properly and have small snacks in between them, then you really can eat lots and lots of food for 1200 a day and be completely full and satisfied. If you think 1200 is ridiculous, still definitely do not go over 1500 at most. Your body can subsist on a minimum of 1200 a day, so never go below 1200. Eating 1500 would be OK, i suppose, if you get a good workout in (burning at least 300 calories).

Does this help any?

She'll never see any weight loss at 2000 cal/day unless it's a "break day" in which to trick your body after you've been consistently having much less calories per day (like around 1200).

Original Post by sukibahsoun:

 I am 23, 5'2", 168lbs, and live a very sedentary lifestyle, and I burn 2400 a day! 

wow i wish i had your metabolism!