my nutricionist said....

Yesterday I went to see her and she gave me a plan of 1850 calories. I'm 5'1 tall, CW is 155 lbs and 23 years old (female). She said that i was eating around 2500 calories, but i realy don't know how she got into that (i wasn't counting so i don't know either).

For exercise i go to the gym 4 times in the week and do 30 min. high intensity aerobics+ 30 min dancing+ 30 minutes of workout routine such as abs, light weight lifting, etc.

It is really confussing for me to choose between sedentary, light activity or moderate and i don't know  really how to calculate the total calories i should be eating.

Can somebody give me advice please?- I think i'll do what the nutricionist is saying, but i would also like to have a 2nd opinion.

Many thanks.

 

someone? I need advice please

What I do is I have mine set at sedentary, even though I do a lot of exercise, and then I log in the exercise.

It depends on what you spend most of the day doing. When you're not exercising, are you mostly sitting? Then set it to sedentary.

Trust him/her. if you don't lose weight, she'll adjust the number.

Ok, a friend sent me your way! I am 22, 5' and 157lbs.

To find out the calories I burn I personally choose to log a general idea of what I do daily (sleep, grooming, driving, work, cooking) and my workouts. Then since there are a total of 1440 minutes in each day, I subtract how many minutes total that are in my log from 1440, and the remaining balance I log as tv watching (since that's what I'm usually doing in my spare minutes.) I do all this so that I know how many calories I am burning in a whole entire day. (Once you get the gist of your average day you may just want to add your workouts to the amount of cal that you have figured you normally burn, to get your total for each day.) I have a sedentary job, and have found that on non workout days I burn about 1900-2000 cal, and workout days closer to 2500 cal.

As far as calories consumed, I try to average 1300-1600 cal a day. Which if you are eating healthier things is still quite a lot of food! On days I know I won't be able to work out I try to keep on the lower end (under 1500). On days I do workout I try to reach the higher end (1500-1700) cal, if I'm low on my cal for the day I usually make it up with a protein shake after my workout.

thank you vbery much. I just going to the gym right now (i haven't gone since march 14th) and hope that the dinner that the nutricionist gave to me works well for me and i don't feel hungry.

well wish me luck in this month.

 

it was very funny for me to start eating that much calories. But i'm feeling definitively better.

Since you are working out, your body does need more fuel. On days you don't you could maybe aim for a lil less. 

honestly, you're 23 years old. it's spelled nutritionist

Hi.

My rule of thumb: if you've hired an expert for advice, either follow that advice, or don't hire that expert.

So, I'd trust your nutritionist until/unless she gives you reason not to.

That said,  here's why I agree with her:

Your BMR is 1508 cals.  So, your daily need for a sedentary life is 1810 cals.  This is what you need to maintain your current weight. Sedentary = school/desk job, no exercise, TV/Computer in spare time ...

To lose 1/2-1 pound per week, you need to burn 500 cals more daily cals than you ingest.  So, without adding any extra stuff beyond a sedentary day, you'd need to eat 1510 to lose that weight. 

On your workout days, you burn an additional 581 cals.  So, to lose the 1 pound per week, you can eat up to 1891 cals on the days you work out, 1810 on the days you don't.

These are all estimates, of course.  But it gives you sense of the ballpark she is using for you.

Here are the tools I use for these calculations:

• http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ - for min daily caloric intake
• http://www.consumer.gov/weightloss/bmi.htm - to set healthy BMI
• http://www.healthstatus.com/cbc.html -  caloric burn for activities.

Re: the burn meter on CC+

Which way you enter your lifestyle depends on how you want to use the meter.  The burn meter basically spreads the total caloric usage throughout the day, based on what you enter.  

I put myself at "sedentary" even though I do some workout every day.  This way, I get a on-going measure of how many calories I have already used up versus what I've eaten, so I can adjust throughout the day.  So, if I haven't exercised yet, my burn meter won't show that I have "burned" the portion of the exercise burn spread over the hours of the day so far.  Those calories don't get counted until I enter them.

If you just want to check your tally at the end of the day, go ahead and put our actual lifestyle (moderate activity).

Hope this helps!  Good luck.

 

Hi Thisjess

I am of similar proportions 5'1 cw 130lbs.  I can't imagine how I would look at your current weight according to my built, but it does sound like your eating to much in the day.  I can't offer sound advice as far as how many calories u should consume daily according to your nutritionist.  I am suffering w/not eating enough calories daily, however in my opinion, I couldn't see me consuming that many calories (1850) on a daily basis and expect to lose weight in a good time frame.  I have to commend you on your workout regiment keep it up.

Thank you very much for your advice. everybody!!!!

1- sorry for misspelling nutritionist wrong (english is not my first language..i knew the word i guess it was some typing error)

2- I think i have a fine 1850 menu so far. It is only my mid morning snack that is sometimes a little bit too much. I can have: 2 oranges, or 2 slices of watermelon or melon, or 2 limes, 2 guavas and something else which i don't remember right now.-

3- i'm really looking forward to loose weight.

Lordie, If people get upset because you are spelling a word wrong..watch out for them...and no reason to be sorry. I am sure that they would not be able to spell many words in your primary language.....best of luck!!!

I couldn't see me consuming that many calories (1850) on a daily basis and expect to lose weight in a good time frame.

Ctara72,

What do you consider "a good time frame?"

Losing more than 1-2 pounds per week, unless you are under professional supervision, is almost always unsafe, unhealthy and, more importantly, futile.

Trying to lose weight by cutting calories too much is the primary cause of yo-yo weight and/or eating disorders.

Obviously, every rule has exceptions, particularly rules of thumb.  Still, the science of human biochemistry shows that the only way to lose weight and keep it off is to lose weight by eating a healthy range of calories that you can maintain once the weight is off -- and by losing gradually enough that the body and its metabolism adjusts to the new eating along the way.

The Original Poster is also doing a good amount of exercise, so it is not surprising that her nutritionist would want her to eat more calories to fuel her activity.

Keep in mind, also, that it is very hard for a woman to get a complete nutritional load in less than 1200 calories per day.

I wish you the same good luck I wish all of us, on our goal to new us.

 

Well I'll tell you this, there is nothing really confusing about the activity levels, despite all the confusion (lol)

I switched from sedentary to light activity, and all it did was add 300 cals. I repeated at a bunch of different weights (to compile my table for my spreadsheet, don't ask, I am a research geek) and this was consistent across all weights I can be. It's not magic, it's just math, and simple math at that.

Switching from sedentary to moderate means I have to burn an extra 2100 cals per week to stay on track. Which means I can sit on my butt all day long, which I do, as long as I burn 2100 cals through exercise I am good to stay at Light Activity level. I go to the gym 3 times per week and burn around 500 cals each time, that's 1500....the other 600 are made up by taking stairs, walking to store, and the residual metabolism boost the exercise provides. I am on perfectly on track. Trust the numbers.....