Figuring out how much to eat....
I have been trying to figure out how many calories I should take in while trying to lose weight. I have used a couple different websites to find my BMR and I am getting different numbers. I have a hard time believing I burn 2100-2500 a day, on days I work out. I have a hard time thinking I need to eat 1600-1700 cals to lose!
Stats: 5'3", 143 pounds, female
Workout: 4-5 days weights, alternating upper and lower body for about 25-30 minutes
&nb sp; 30-45 cardio, 4-5 days a week, alternating with interval training with running, elliptical, bike, stair stepper
I have been at this weight for a couple months now, and I just can't seem to figure why this weight is not coming off. I eat very healthy 90% of the time, lots of fruits, veggies, lean meant, whole grains, lots of water....I eat every 3 hoursish....Any advice???
For one, BMR doesn't really do a lot for you because the calculator has no idea how much muscle mass you have. Because it is only your weight divided by height it isn't very accurate unless you are obese (you are clearly not).. However, I would say that you may be eating too many calories. 1200-1500 is probably a more accurate goal for you exspecially when you are not weight training, you are probably only burning about 2-300 calories per workout depending on your difficulty level. Also, it would help for you to ADD weight training because muscle burns fat, the more muscle mass you have, the more fat your body burns!
For measuring weight loss, I prefer to watch my body fat percentage which you can calculate on a good scale or at your gym.. That actually measures your amt of fat lost. Example: When I first got into the gym the scale was steadily going down. it has slowed now even though I can still see more and more results, and thats because as I have lost fat I have gained muscle.
actually if you were to re-read her post she does weight training 4-5 days a week!!!!
Anyway
Have you tried lowering your caloreis by a few hundred to see what happens. Once you lower em keep it there for atleast 2 weeks. That way you give it time to work.
Another thought would be a few days low followed by one high day then repeat. It seems like you are stuck on a stubborn plateau.
Also, do you use a HRM? If not you may be over estimating your workout level. I know I was until I got one then I realized that I needed to work harder.
Im sure others will give better advice then me. I hope you do well!
bump
