Will I lose weight with 1600-1700 calories per day?

[PrincessBananaH]

I am 5.2 ft tall and weight just over 10 stones, have gained a lot of weight over the past 2 years (had a DC, little time to work out, sedentary job).
I want to lose weight and go back to how I used to be, my aim is to lose at least 1 stone but am not in a rush and am looking for a lifestyle change rather than a very restrictive diet that will work in the short term but not in the long run (been there).
The way I reached the current weight was mainly by eating pretty much whatever I fancied at any given time and not exercising. So I'd say that in average, I used to eat about 2000-2200 Kcal per day with a sedentary life. Based on myfitnesspal I'd have to eat 1300 kcal per day to lose weight but for me it is simply not sustainable. So I wonder if limiting my daily intake to 1600-1700 kcal per day (plus a heavier meal in the weekend if eating out or having a take away) and doing a quick 25-30 min workout 3 times a week I can expect to lose weight over the next few months?
I have started a few weeks ago and already feel better, I can see that from my jeans etc but not sure if it will continue in the long run or whether I'd have to cut calories further in order to properly shed weight.

As I said, I am aiming for a sustainable lifestyle change, I'd rather get there slowly in 6 months than restricting myself too much to lose all the weight in 2 months.

Hi! It’s great that you’re aiming for slow loss rather than fast loss; this will be key. I don’t think you will lose weight fast using what you propose but you will lose weight. I’d guess maybe half a pound a week (or a stone in seven months).

Just a word of warning though; exercise burns barely any calories. A marathon burns 2000 calories and a 5k burns about 250 (if they are run at a pace of at least 9km/h). So I’d advise not counting exercise calories to be on the safe side! Obviously, still do exercise for health but don’t include it in your calorie count. The average half hour workout done by the average person might burn 100 cals.

I'd try and build more activity into your day instead of/as well as doing workouts. Expending even a little more energy in your 112 waking hours a week is probably more sustainable than killing yourself for 90 minutes.

If you are in defecit you will lose weight. have you worked out your TDEE?

I work full time (desk job) and have a little one at home and DH works weekends so I can't easily increase the amount of exercise I do. I walk a lot during the weekends and currently am managing to fit in 3 short workouts per week in my schedule, I am doing my best but more than this is hard to do in this period of my life.

You'll probably maintain if you exercise 3 times a week. Your tdee would be around 1600. If you didn't exercise your tdee is around 1400 so you'd gain 1-2lb per month.

My advice is to gradually reduce your intake and eat lots of protein to help you feel full

It’s bloody hard when you’re on the shorter side of average! There’s just very little wiggle room to allow for a deficit.

For me, I find IF/low carb helpful, as it reduces the cravings. Breads and potatoes are something I struggle to moderate, and increase my blood sugar slump hunger which is when salty/sweet snacks get grabbed.

prioritising protein and veg keeps me satiated and are difficult to overdo. Seeing what a portion of cereal or pasta is can be a real eye opener.

Honestly?

Probably not. You'd have to reduce to 1400.

It's so tough, I know

Seeing what a portion of cereal or pasta is can be a real eye opener

^

This. You could easily consume 300 cals with a portion of pasta. A baked potato is 100.

If you've been your current weight for a while (i.e. it's not actively going up) and you reduce your calories by 300-400 a day as you are saying, and add in a bit of exercise, then yes, of course you'll lose weight.

This depends totally on your metabolism and weight! I burn about 400 calories doing a 5k and I can assure you a marathon would come in at well more than 2000! There's no fixed amount of calories that any activity burns.

Try it and see. It might or might not be the right amount to lose weight but should probably stop you from gaining.

What and when you eat matters as well as just calories. Higher fibre, less sugar and saturated fats, more protein. Calorie counts on labels don't accurately reflect how much energy your body can extract from them, and minimising sugar highs and dips helps.

I'm about your size and I find some form of intermittent fasting helps - nowadays I find it works for me to not have breakfast just a white coffee mid morning and then nothing to eat after dinner.

What makes 1300 unsustainable? Perhaps folk on here can help with suggestions?

It's hardly any food. It's unsustainable for people with an appetite.

But if I was regularly eating 2000/2200 before, wouldn't 1600 be significantly less to allow me to lose a fair amount?

Potentially yes! As long as you were genuinely eating 2200 and maintaining your weight you should expect to lose on 1600

Do combined exercise and calories. So you could eat 1500 a day and burn 150 with exercise fairly easily (that's about 30 mins exercise bike for me).

Not snacking between meals and burning 250kcal at gym 4 times a week is slowly doing it for me, but I only lose 0.5lbs a week

I wouldn't. I have to be below 1200 to lose, and I'm a lot heavier and taller than you. But do it for a month and see what happens – it'll be easier to cut down from there than to drop dramatically straight away.

Also just an important point, if you still eat above your daily require kcal (assuming it's about 1600), you will still gain weight, just slower than before.

If you go back to eating like 1900 a day, you'll still gain weight. Sorry if that's obvious (it wasn't too me when I first started!)

Obviously. That’s why I used the word average. It’s very unlikely that people would burn more than 200 in an half hour unless they had loads of muscle and exercised very intensely. This is average though, not fixed.

I'm 5'4" and 42 and honestly to lose weight I can only eat about 1200 calories, O don't exercise enough I know, the only thing I do is walk the dog and to pick up DD from school. But even so I think even with exercise 1300 is about right.
Have you tried higher protein lower carb Mediterranean type diet? Works well for me because I stay fuller longer so end up eating less overall

You didn't say average when you made that claim. You stated it as fact with no qualification.

A marathon burns 2000 calories and a 5k burns about 250 (if they are run at a pace of at least 9km/h)

OP, are you me? same size/height/weight/situation! two weeks ago, I signed up for a trial of Noom, and started logging my calories for the first time ever. I have had a massive shock to the system as to what staying around my TDEE intake involves. I don't know about you, but I've obv been eating exactly what I liked forever. I thought I was healthy because i cook from scratch, eat a lot of veggie meals, but simply I've been over consuming.

Have you considered continuing to eat entirely as you have been, but just logging the calories? That’s a good way of initially gauging what your current eating habits are like.

I also find that when you know you want to lose weight, it’s because it’s continuously creeping up, and you’re not staying at a consistent weight for 2 years but actually increasing in weight with those eating habits. I know I fool myself by wearing the oversized jumpers or less form fitting clothes in my wardrobe, so I don’t always notice it.

@coxesorangepippin I suppose what I don’t understand is what happens after I reach the goal weight with such a low calorie intake? Surely I then need to go back to eat more than 1300 cal per day so wouldn’t it be possible to still lose weight (albeit slowly) if I eat a bit more than that for good, instead of 2-3 months of restriction to then go back to eating more?

I am similar size and height OP, and for me this would be a maintenance weight. On 2000 calories and no exercise, you are gaining weight. On a bit less, you will stay the same. If you want to truly shift, then you need to eat less again, plus get that metabolism kicked along a bit. It is hard when you are short and sedentary, you can't eat nearly as much as the tall busy people, but that's kind of how it is!

Give it a go for three months, reassess, that's what I did, I maintained my weight but didn't lose a pound, I am over 50 though!