How can I lose weight when my fit bit says I.only burn 1300 calories a day????

[Movinghouseatlast]

I have put on around 3 stone due to the menopause.

I have really struggled with motivating myself to diet. I've had a fit bit for 2 years but have basically used it as a watch.

I'm now motivated and looked yesterday at my calories.

On a day with no exercise, so going to work etc, I burn 1300 calories a day.

Last week on one day I got to 2000 calories by doing a 2 hour brisk walk. On the day I did a pilates and dance class I got to 1850.

I go for a brisk uphill walk most days- I did an hour yesterday and burned 1600 calories.

So it seems that I am going to have to restrict what I eat quite severely which I don't think I can do. In no exercise days I would have to eat 800 calories. I can't even only eat 1300 in a day!

When I have dieted in the past, once when I was 25 and once when I gave up smoking at 34 I did it on eating 1500 calories a day to lose 2 pounds a week and it worked! But now I would gain weight doing that.

Am I right? My fit bit isn't faulty-everything seems to be measured correctly.

Any help gratefully received

You’re going to have to either accept your bigger weight or eat less than 1300 calories or do significant amounts of exercise everyday. Your metabolism does slow down as you get older, it’s shit but that’s how it goes.
No easy answers unfortunately. FWIW I’ve accepted I will be a bit bigger

I’m similar. I’ve just started a two meal a day 1000 cal a day diet.
I’m 5’2”, in my late 40’s wouldn’t lose on 1300 either.
1000 is easier than 800 and you’ll probably lose weight on that.
I skip breakfast now by doing a fast and only eat between 12pm and 7pm. It’s easier to eat less if it’s 2 meals and a snack.

I think your calculations are about right I'm afraid. Our calorie requirements get less as we age and after menopause seem to just fall off a cliff for most of us . The women I know in that age bracket who stay slim-average size eat like birds (slim birds!).

That sounds wrong. Find a bmr calculator. I'm 5 foot, 55 and 7 stone 7 and my bmr (ie what I burn just existing, no movement at all) is about 1150-1200).

is that exercise calories because our bodies use a certain number of calories just living ie making heart pump etc this is known as basalmetabolic rate, the amount of calories you would burn even if you lay in bed all day, it is over 1150 calories even for someone 5'3 and 8 stone it goes up if you are heavier
you can find basal metabolic calculators online easily
so if you eat 1500 calories a day and do 1300 calories of exercise (your least according to OP) with a BMR of 1150 you have a net loss of -950calories a day which in a week is 6550 which is more than enough to lose 1.8 lb a week

No, not exercise calories! 1300 is the calories it measures I use in a day not exercising but just doi g daily tasks.

Eat less. It's crap!

I think that sounds about right - my BMR is just over 1300 and I'm 5'3 and 45 yrs old. I'm losing weight slowly doing 16:8 (so eating 2 meals a day) at around 1200 calories, and walking at least 10k steps, which takes my calories burned up to 17-1800. I know in my twenties if I'd done similar the weight would be dropping off.

Problem is your body only needs 1300 to remain at that weight. To lose you have to eat less.

It's rubbish.

Oh my god.

Online BMR calculators are crap - they don't take into account the fact that you are an individual. I for example probably need 500 calories a day fewer than another woman my weight because I used to be massively morbidly obese and I've fuct my metabolism

For example I just used an online calculator and it told me I need 2100 calories to maintain my weight. I'm currently eating around 1200 on an average day and am not losing weight.
Try fasting op

Yep, you either eat 1200 calories a day. Or do 300 calories of exercise a day and then eat 1400- 1500 calories a day.

I can’t eat minimal calories like that, wish I could. I burn on average 2500 calories a day, though I accept Fitbit’s over estimate a bit so maybe 2300 calories rather than 2500. So I can eat more, but I still find it a struggle, I need to eat less.

How old are you? Can you incorporate more exercise in your life?

The Fitbit is not measuring the basic calories your body burns just to stay alive. You need to look into your Basal Metabolic Rate- not just your Activity calories which are counted by the Fitbit.
You prob will need to eat 1200 to 1500ish calories per day (depending on your BMR / age/ height/weight) in order to drop weight. Use MyFitnessPal app to record and measure EVERY CRUMB AND DROP that you eat and drink. WEIGH everything- no guessing at portion sizes.

I'm under 5 foot and early 40s. For the 1st time in my life last year I hit a BMI of over 25. I find I am now having to fast 1 to 2 times a week eating around 600cal on those days. I find Monday an easy day to do and don't notice it really. This is keeping me at a BMI of 22. I do exercise, martial arts a couple of times a week, but apparently I need barely any calories to survive!

I eat veggie and fresh, which does help. But my skin has gone down hill.

Mine's a bit higher than yours - I'm 5.4, 10 stone and 60.

I'm sedentary. My BMR is 1450 cals per day. I usually add around 100 calories to that for exercise.

I can lose, but it's hard. Even 1200 is not enough of an undereat, really.

It's a pita.

I have to go well below 1000 to lose weight. Some people do. I'm active too.

Yes, I am planning on doing exercise at least 4 times a week, which I used to do until a year ago when I moved house to somewhere veryruralwith no gym or exercise classes.

I think fit bit shows how many calories your body has used doesn't it? It isn't just activity, you input your age and weight and height so I think it calculates your BMI and factors that in.

Yes, it calculates your BMR based on what you put in the app then adds on calories as you exercuse.

Can we ask exactly what you are eating?

Well, I only started doing it yesterday. Eating isn't the issue, it's the fact that I will have to eat below 1300 a day to lose any weight. I could keep that up for a few weeks but not long enough to lose 2 stone!

Yep it’s bloody miserable. As you get older you have to eat much less, hardly any treats and do a lot more exercise. Or accept you’ll be a bit fat. I’ve accepted I’ll be a bit fat. I love chocolate too much.

It’s awful OP on a non exercise day I only burned 1,100 calories, it’s utterly depressing.

On a positive note though I never realised how many calories proper housework burns and my Garmin has definitely made me move a lot more in addition to my normal 4 times a week runs etc and the dog is like WTF? at the additional walks!