Calorie intake

[Angelbunny]

Just wanted opinions on what I should be doing in regards to calorie intake and macros.

For years I have been trying to lose weight, I always want a quick fix and end up basically starving myself for a few days and then bingeing. I have consistently exercised for years now - I do 5x 30 min strength training a week, 3x 30 min cardio training, daily dog walk 1-2 hours in total and then I do have an active full time job as a massage therapist. So it's really just my eating. I think because I don't eat enough for a few days I'm just starving and then want to eat everything in sight!

I want to start doing it properly now with calorie tracking but don't really know where to start. I put into chatgpt that I want to lose 1-2lbs a week, weight 204lbs, height 173cm and it came out with aiming for 2000 calories a day initially- this just seems too high to me? What does everyone think? It also said aim for 160g protein, 65g fat and 195g fat. I know when I lose weight I will have to lower calories to continue to lose weight but 2000 seems too much to start with?

Get something convenient to track your calories - the Nutracheck app is great if you are in the UK.

There are lots of TDEE calculators online you can use to check the target calorie figure. If you cut your calories too far below your needs it will be unsustainable. You sound very active so starting at a higher calorie allowance might work. Why don't you just track at 2000 a day for a week and see what happens?

Focus on building meals around protein and fibre, reduce sugar and refined carbs and you won't get the starving hungry blood sugar spikes.

Most importantly, lock in for the long haul. Work out how long it will take to get to target at your lower rate - 1lb a week - and be realistic about how to sustain your new eating plan for that long. Breaks are fine - being miserable for months on end is not, it has to be something you can stick to. Good luck.

It could be right, I’m 5ft 2 and lose on about 1800. The big caveat is to make sure you’re being totally accurate on what you put in as your activity levels and in how you’re counting calories - it’s so easy to be a little off in either of these which can make a big difference. There’s plenty of calorie target calculators out there so worth testing out a few then going somewhere down the middle of what they’re telling you. Then lock in and really test it out for a couple of weeks, if you lose weight great, if not drop it a bit and repeat.

Hey there, you won't know if 2000 is too high until you try it for a month, don't go lower (as tempted as you will be, based on your restriction history) and then see if you lose on that amount.

If, after a month it's too much or you're not losing as much as you'd like, reduce by 200 and do that again for a month. It will take some tweaking but TDEE are only a guide, can't take into account all individual variabilities etc.

I’d start tracking at what maintenance calories look like for you just so I could get used to it and see what types of food I’m eating. Do a TDEE calculator and put in your age, height, weight and it will
give you a more accurate approximation of maintenance calories. To lose 1-2lb a week you would then take 500 cals a day off that and go into a deficit.
the nutracheck app is really good, huge food database on there and you can easily scan labels too.

I gain weight at 2000 cals a day, and am 5'10. But, I only swim a couple times a week and play squash once a week. I garden, but apart from that am not exerting myself. Everyone's situation is so different it kind of turns into how long is a piece of string.

I think you need to do a TDEE calculator to find your specific calorific needs.

Also, just to add. Some people say a calorie is a calorie, regardless of whether it comes from a chocolate bar or a bag of spinach.

But IME eating whole foods, 50% veg, 25% protein and 25% wholegrain, keeps me satiated through the day on far fewer overall calories.

As others have written, if you do calorie tracking then you have to do it properly.

All calories count, all should be logged.

Calories eaten while standing up count.
Calories taken from someone else’s portion count.
Biscuits count, as do crisps. Wine, beer, just that few bits you popped in while cooking, the sandwich while travelling, the little bag of pretzels on a plane….

It really matters. You can add hundreds a day in “exceptions” and treats, so log everything.

Having to log them will also help to cut out those extras.

I agree that everyone is different and unfortunately age is definitely a factor in how easy it is to lose weight (I’m 50)

For info, I’m 5’ 9 and weigh 150lb and try to stick to the following:

16:8 intermittent fasting
1500 calories a day
100-120g protein
80g carbs
50g fat

I exercise every day including 3 x strength training and 3 x cardio (running/spinning/rowing) and have got into a good pattern of sticking to the above although do have one day where I eat more calories and have wine because life is too short to be an angel 7 days a week!

I’ve really stuck to lower carbs this week (holiday next month!) and was pleased to see the scales dropped when I weighed on Saturday - it may be water weight but I’ll take that!!!

Those macros are 1,250 calories a day @MrsClattenburg

OP I would cut the cardio you're doing as it will be making you hungry on top of the dog walking and your job and that will make it harder to stick to a calorie deficit. Dog walking is a form of cardio exercise.

As pp said, i would start at 2,000 and give it a month. Build each meal around the protein and look at some high protein snacks. Take pics and measurements too as the scales don't always tell the full story. Check foods before you eat them, some are just not worth the calories.

A 2lb a week weight loss is a large deficit and this is going to (IMO) leave you really hungry.

@Needtosoundoffandbreathe ah, I've never gone into it as far as tracking macros, I've just looked at a balance of protein/carbs/fat that I know is sustainable for me. I did think that 160g protein for the OP seems very high but if this is linked with calories (2000) then that does make more sense.