Upping Calories

[slenamond]

Has anyone here had the experience of eating a low calorie diet with exercising and not losing weight. Then, finding that if you up your calories you then lost weight?

I am going crazy trying to do the right thing. I am stuck thinking I have got to stay under a certain calorie count. But I am going no where.

I weight 123 and am 5'1". My middle range weight is 115-118. This is where I want to be. How many calories should I eat? I exercise 5-6 times per week and do at least 4-5 cardio sessions. PLEASE help me.

Thanks in advance, I am so tired of wondering what I should do. I would be so nice to hear from experience.

 

[eam531]

I am not a nutritionist, but I can tell you that if the number of calories you take in gets too low, your metabolism will grind to a halt. This means you won't be able to lose weight, and you probably won't be getting adequate fuel to give you the energy for your workouts. I would advise actually eating *more* food, but making certain that it is low in fat and nutritious, and be sure you are getting enough protein. This extra fuel, along with cardio and lifting weights, might very well jump-start your metabolism. You also do not have much weight to lose, and it seems to be a truism that the last five pounds are the hardest to lose. Anyway, please be sure you are giving your body the nutrition that it needs; you are doing a lot of physical activity and that requires good fuel for your body.

Take care,

Elizabeth

 

[Debra]

Fitday.com is one of several on-line resources that help you calculate your calorie needs. If you have been on a very low calorie diet, then slowly add calories to your diet since you've slowed down your metabolism. The body needs to adjust to that fact that it's no longer under "starvation" mode. You may see a little weight gain before your body adjusts.

Sports nutrition books written by RD's are another good resource for determining the right amount & type of fuel. They cover weight loss tips for fitness enthusiasts.

It looks like you only do one wt training session each week (maybe I'm misreading your post). If you've hit a plateau, you might increase the weights & build some more calorie burning muscle. Just an idea.

Debra