Calorie Count and not eating enough

[Rotten]

Hello,

I am at a loss with understanding my calorie intake and weight loss. My calorie count is always way more than what I can get close to conusming. My count is roughly 3300 Calories a day. Yesterday, I consumed 1769 and just about everyday I consume roughly the same amount. My best guess is not eating enough or closer to my count is sending my body into starvation mode. So my weight doesn't really seem to go down. Even with activity and exercise.

My question is how close should I be getting to that count? How can eat high calorie (healthy) foods? I am a desk jockey and work 9 to 5 so keeping snack (non-perishable) food on hand isn't a problem.

Thanks for any suggestions.

[divedragon · Accepted solution]

First of all, don't count on the calorie allowance offered by the fitbit app - it's way too high.  Instead, calculate your own by going to a site like:  http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

This site also allows you to input your activity level and calculates your daily need.  Mine shows 2206 as my daily burn.  I typically will try to stay between 1500-1800 calories consumed per day.  At this level I have lost an average of 2 lbs a week since Aug 1.  When you input your exercise level, be conservative.  Whatever level you think you are, drop it one. 

Secondly, there is no such thing as starvation mode.  It's a popular myth, but the studies show it doesn't exist.  What happens is as you lose weight, your BMR goes down as does the calories you burn in a given intensity of exercise.  You have less mass that has to be maintained and 'moved' during exercise so that requires less energy.  To compenstate, you have to constantly increase the intensity of your exercise.  I practice something called intermittent fasting (several different methods, google it!) in which I eat only between the hours of 6pm and 10 pm and consume my full days worth of calories (1500-1800) during that period.  The rest of the day, my body is burning fat and producing ketones for energy.  I am up at 5 am and jog for 45-50 minutes.  At lunch time, I walk for another 45-50 minutes and in the evening I lift weights 3 days a week for about 40 minutes - then I eat.  My diet is high protein and healthy.  I've been doing this style of eating since September and lost 21 lbs and feel great.  BTW, I also have a desk job (software) and I travel every week and stay in hotels.

You didn't give any information as to you hight weight and age, but if you're eating 1700 calories a day, you are no where close to metabolic damage.  I recommend you try to increase your exercise INTENSITY.  Use your heart rate as a gague and get it to 80% of Max for at least 20 minutes ((220-age)*.8).   If you don't already do it, add some High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) once or twice a week and also add some type of resistance exercise such as weight lifting or bodyweight exercise.   

Good luck!

[Trooper]

To me 1769 seems a bit high because your in an occupation where you sit down all day. If you were on your feet walking or moving around a lot, I think 1769 would be good for you. The less active you are, the less you should be consuming. I generally stay in the 1200 range to lose weight and it has worked for me. My advice is to go a bit lower than 1769 down to about 1500 a day. At 1500 you should see results within 5 days.I also follow the Fitbit for my calorie counting. It works for me. 92 pounds lost. This Thanksgiving I will have been on my diet for one whole year. Good Luck!!

[Rotten]

I will give that a shot. I actually move around a lot more than I thought I was. I actively walk about 5 miles with work alone. Not to mention I take the stairs when I can (3 flights) I'm not sure I could squeeze 200 Calories less out of what I consume considering I'm eating pretty healthy and only when I know I must eat. 

[RexFeral]

I totally agree with Divedragon. I was obsessing about this very issue not long ago because I was burning way more calories than I was consuming. I generally only consume about 1200 calories a day and sometimes I've gotten only 950. I was burning 1700 or 2000. I thought that was a very large deficit in calories but I just wasn't hungry. I felt full and completely energized.

Now I am noticing that as my weight keeps dropping, my baseline metabolism is slowing down. I am not burning as many calories anymore. I'm slowly catching up with the caloric intake. This is good because I don't want to lose anymore weight, maybe just a couple of more pounds but my body will know when it gets to its preferred weight.

[divedragon]

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@Rotten wrote:

I will give that a shot. I actually move around a lot more than I thought I was. I actively walk about 5 miles with work alone. Not to mention I take the stairs when I can (3 flights) I'm not sure I could squeeze 200 Calories less out of what I consume considering I'm eating pretty healthy and only when I know I must eat. 

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Please remember, its not just about how much you move, but at what intensity you move.  Heart rate is the best gauge we have.  Its not about taking out more...although dropping to 1500 calories wouldn't be a bad move.  Too low and it's difficult to get the nutrients you need.  Get that heart rate up and generate a sweat for 20 minutes every day.