Struggling to eat full calorie allowance

[60schild]

I promise this isn't a stealth boast. I've been following lots of threads about dieting- particularly the MFP one.

I decided at Easter that I needed to lose weight. I got in the 'zone' really quickly (unlike various attempts in the past). I have been logging everything on MFP and walking as many steps as possible.

Mid April I was 13 stone 7lb. I am now 10 stone 3lb. I am really pleased with my loss and have gone down 2 dress sizes. I'm 5 feet 5 inches.

It seems like there shouldn't be a problem however I'm starting to think I might be getting obsessed. Although I've just changed my target to losing 1 pound rather than 2 each week I am struggling to eat the 1290 calories allocated. I never eat my exercise calories even though I am averaging 18000 steps each day. I always over estimate by calories to 'be on the safe side'. I just don't seem to be hungry.

When my weight loss should be slowing down it's actually increased. I've lost 10 pounds in the last four weeks.

I know this might seem an ideal situation to some but I'm worried as I HAVE to be under my calorie allowance and have walked a crazy number of steps each day.

I know I can lose a lot more and still have a healthy BMI but friends are already saying I've lost enough.

Sorry this is so long!

[Icouldbeknitting]

So have you reached your target weight or not? I'm unclear as to whether you want to lose more or agree with your friends that you've lost enough. The MFP community boards have a section for maintenance weight, that's where I would start. There are some good posts there about changing the mindset from weight loss to maintenance.

If you're averaging 18,000 steps a day is that in your calorie allowance or have you declared yourself to be sedentary? Can you leave the step counter at home for a day to see whether you can live without it? The three stone won't come back overnight, I'm sure about that.

[60schild]

Thanks for replying. I probably only need to lose a couple more pounds so am trying to slow the loss down, up calories slightly and then find what I can eat to maintain. Problem is I'm struggling to eat more so will continue to lose.

I put lightly active as my activity level. I honestly can't imagine not logging my steps. It's like it's become an obsession.

[Icouldbeknitting]

There are two issues then, the feeling that you need to maintain steps and as a separate thing, adding more calories into your diet. I think the maintenance board on MFP is where you need to go for the latter, from memory I think they suggest adding 100 calories a week onto your calorie target until you find the sweet spot. It's not just numbers on a screen though, you do need to eat the extra or cut back on the exercise. If you're not going to shave a bit off your step count then you are going to need to add some calorie dense food.

1200 calories is the minimum that MFP sets and from the sound of it you've not been eating that. If you set your target to maintain then you'll see what your daily calorie intake should be for maintenance, it's going to be considerably higher than what you've been eating, you must have been losing three to four pounds a week. Suddenly the rules of the game have just changed - you need to find a new balance point. You don't need some random woman on the internet (hi!) to tell you that you need to eat more calories and/or move less because you know this, it's the reverse of what you've been doing since Easter. It needs your head to be in a different place, that's why I'm suggesting the relevant MFP board because it has people who have been in the same place as you.

If it was me I'd be eating All The Cheese.

[Icouldbeknitting]

I skirted around the step obsession because it really would be "do as I say not do as I do". When the UP trainer congratulated me for being in the top 6% of females of my age I immediately wondered what I had to do to get even higher. I'm now in the top 3% of females my age (which is also your age if you were a 60's child) but as I don't walk in the rain it will plummet in the autumn.

If you are worried about your long term health and nutrition you should maybe consult a professional.

[Pestilence13610]

It's summer (honest), lots of us eat a bit less when it is warm.
Don't get obsessed, once stew and dumping weather sets in you will be back on track.
Walk past some blackberry bushes and collect them to make a pud.

[60schild]

Thanks everyone. I too am in the top 3% . Hopefully darker nights will decrease my step count but I can't believe how I'm driven to do more and more. I used to be such a coach potato!

Adding 100 calories seems a good approach. I've just calculated my maintenance calories and it was 1,850. That seems impossible at the moment but perhaps I can build up gradually.

Thanks again.