[jpgoeth]

OK, seriously. I've been trying to figure out how much I should eat every day drop some poundage and every place I check give a different answer. The range is between 1200-2500, which is obviously a big difference.

Mayo Clinic says 1200
dietitian.com says 1200
diet-blog.com says 1600
thedailyplate.com says 1800
freedieting.com says 1830
aheathlyme.com sale 2370
cancer.org says 2530

about me - I'm 26, 5'9" (and a half!), and kinda fat (I'd rather not say how much I actually weigh ). In college, I was about 165 which is the tippy top of my "healthy" weight range by the BMI standards. That was very difficult to maintain - I ate about 1200 calories a day and did a minimum of 120 minutes of cardio a day, plus weights. If I ate more or exercised less, I gained weight. This was the lowest weight that I have ever been able to maintain for more than a month or two.

After college I still worked out daily, but did more like 90 minutes of cardio instead of 120. I bounced up to about 180. I wasn't thrilled with the way that I looked, but it was tolerable and much easier to maintain. Over the past year or so I've gained more as I've gotten lax about things like using butter on veggies and haven't had the time to go to the gym for 2+ hours a day. I currently do 45 minutes of cardio 4-5 days a week and weight training 3 days a week.

With all of this conflicting info, I am really not sure how much I should be eating. I've been trying to stay in the 1200 area, but I don't have a lot of energy and I'm not sure that it's healthy. I'm afraid that if I eat more, I'll derail the progress that I've made. There's nothing worse than killing yourself at the gym only to find out that you've been eating away all of your effort!

[kbell]

With all the exercise you are doing & at your height & healthy weight range there is no way you should be eating only 1200 cal a day......

I'd suggest working with one of the fitness trainers at your gym to find
a healthy balance. I don't think your eating enough.

[jpgoeth]

Originally Posted by kbell

With all the exercise you are doing & at your height & healthy weight range there is no way you should be eating only 1200 cal a day......

I'd suggest working with one of the fitness trainers at your gym to find
a healthy balance. I don't think your eating enough.

I did have a an appointment with a very disinterested dietitian at kaiser who said that if I was trying to lose wieght that I should cut all my portions in half. If I listen to what she said then I should only have ~600/day which I know is not healthy.

I'm not sure she was really hearing what I was telling her and I don't think she believed me when I told her that I weigh all of my food. Maybe I should try for a different dietitian? It took over a month to get that appt, so maybe it would be worth it to go to someone that's NOT part of an HMO.

[artjen]

I suggest you see a nutritionist. They can help you to figure out exactly how many calories that you should be eating. I did that a few years ago because I wasn't eating enough calories. For myself, I need at least 2200 calories a day.

[gypsumrose]

I used the calorie calculator at dailyplate.com. the 1200 minimum (probably not right for you given your height/weight) DOESN'T include anything you've worked off. So, at the absolute minimum do 1200 + however many calories you work off that day.

Also, it's a daily average and there is benefit to varying your calorie intake as you continue with a diet. And you shouldn't try to lose more than 1% of your weight a week (if you're 150 lbs, go for 1.5 lbs a week at most).

[girliceclimber]

In my nutrition classes, the recommended website for meal planning was mypyramid.gov, which is an updated, interactive version of the food pyramid. It has a "mypyramid plan" (http://www.mypyramid.gov/mypyramid/index.aspx) which not only gives suggestions for daily caloric intake, but breaks it down into the different food groups (x ounces of grains, y ounces of meats, etc). I also like how it gives you weekly recommendations, too, since we all have on and off days.
I'd recommend checking this out, and maybe seeing another nutritionist as well. I'm sorry your Kaiser dietitian was so dismissive and unhelpful. Hopefully the next person you see will be better!

[mh21]

Getting professional advice is the best way to go but you did and you didn't get the advice you needed.

I'm 5'2", my BMI is in the healthy range but I want to lose another 10 pounds. I don't go to the gym or do any other form of exercise other than 30 mins walk per day. Not a brisk walk since I have my kids with me. When I ate 1,200 cals I lost weight faster but I felt awful. Now I eat on average 1,500 and the weight is coming off slowly but that's fine by me. I feel better eating a little more and I function perfectly well!

I'm not a dietitian/or nutritionist/or taken classes, but for your height and activity levels I think as a minimum 1,500 sounds about right.

[T0TEMAMA!]

All athletes/ people working out are supossed to eat a 2000 cal + diet with lots of carbs and protein.

[cheburashka]

Originally Posted by jpgoeth

OK, seriously. I've been trying to figure out how much I should eat every day drop some poundage and every place I check give a different answer. The range is between 1200-2500, which is obviously a big difference.

Mayo Clinic says 1200
dietitian.com says 1200
diet-blog.com says 1600
thedailyplate.com says 1800
freedieting.com says 1830
aheathlyme.com sale 2370
cancer.org says 2530

about me - I'm 26, 5'9" (and a half!), and kinda fat (I'd rather not say how much I actually weigh ). In college, I was about 165 which is the tippy top of my "healthy" weight range by the BMI standards. That was very difficult to maintain - I ate about 1200 calories a day and did a minimum of 120 minutes of cardio a day, plus weights. If I ate more or exercised less, I gained weight. This was the lowest weight that I have ever been able to maintain for more than a month or two.

After college I still worked out daily, but did more like 90 minutes of cardio instead of 120. I bounced up to about 180. I wasn't thrilled with the way that I looked, but it was tolerable and much easier to maintain. Over the past year or so I've gained more as I've gotten lax about things like using butter on veggies and haven't had the time to go to the gym for 2+ hours a day. I currently do 45 minutes of cardio 4-5 days a week and weight training 3 days a week.

With all of this conflicting info, I am really not sure how much I should be eating. I've been trying to stay in the 1200 area, but I don't have a lot of energy and I'm not sure that it's healthy. I'm afraid that if I eat more, I'll derail the progress that I've made. There's nothing worse than killing yourself at the gym only to find out that you've been eating away all of your effort!

You need to see either see a professional nutrionist or if you can't see one, you need to find guidelines how to calculate how many calories you need based on your height and weight. The more you weigh now and the taller you are, the more calories you need.

I am not a nurionist but I took some classes in college in physiology and biochemistry and remember my professors telling me that 2000 + calories is actually quite a lot for someone who's average weight. At the same time 1200 is quite too little, I have been on a calorie restricted diet for several years now - and I eat about 1400 calories every day and it is very very little. It's not much at all. 1200 just seems almost undoable to me unless you would starve yourself.

[mh21]

Originally Posted by jpgoeth

I did have a an appointment with a very disinterested dietitian at kaiser who said that if I was trying to lose wieght that I should cut all my portions in half. If I listen to what she said then I should only have ~600/day which I know is not healthy.

I'm not sure she was really hearing what I was telling her and I don't think she believed me when I told her that I weigh all of my food. Maybe I should try for a different dietitian? It took over a month to get that appt, so maybe it would be worth it to go to someone that's NOT part of an HMO.

My son saw a dietitian when he was really young (18 months old because I was worried he was so skinny) and her services weren't covered by insurance. However, since we paid out of our own pocket we got a reduced price. The dietitian was really helpful.

[margaritas]

Try this:

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

[cutiepie21]

I think a lot of times people underestimate their calorie intake. 1200 calories is not a lot if it is actually added up correctly. I am 5'10" and currently 150 lbs. I gained a lot of weight in college because I was eating unhealthy and not exercising. I imagine I eat anywhere between 2000 and 2500 calories a day to maintain 150lbs without exercise. I would like to lose 20 lbs. and get back to my pre-college weight. I know I could lose the weight quickly if I start running again and eat healthier.

[jpgoeth]

Originally Posted by cutiepie21

I think a lot of times people underestimate their calorie intake. 1200 calories is not a lot if it is actually added up correctly. I am 5'10" and currently 150 lbs. I gained a lot of weight in college because I was eating unhealthy and not exercising. I imagine I eat anywhere between 2000 and 2500 calories a day to maintain 150lbs without exercise. I would like to lose 20 lbs. and get back to my pre-college weight. I know I could lose the weight quickly if I start running again and eat healthier.

I agree that's it's easy to underestimate, but to be clear, I measure and/or weigh everything that I put into my mouth. I hope that doesn't sound too defensive, I'm just very frustrated because I'm having a very hard time losing weight.

1200 isn't a lot. It takes a lot of effort and planning to keep my intake there and take care of most vitamins and minerals. The actual VOLUME of food isn't too bad, but none of it seems to keep me full for very long. You can eat a lot of plain steamed broccoli for 100 calories but you'll be (or at least I'll be ) hungry again in not too long. That's why I'm trying to figure out if I can add a couple hundred more calories or not.

I think I am going to end up eating the cost of seeing a non-kaiser dietitian or nutritionist, but I'm nervous about seeing another one who might be just as judge-y and dismissive. So for the meantime I'm putting it off.

[kbell]

Originally Posted by jpgoeth

I agree that's it's easy to underestimate, but to be clear, I measure and/or weigh everything that I put into my mouth. I hope that doesn't sound too defensive, I'm just very frustrated because I'm having a very hard time losing weight.

1200 isn't a lot. It takes a lot of effort and planning to keep my intake there and take care of most vitamins and minerals. The actual VOLUME of food isn't too bad, but none of it seems to keep me full for very long. You can eat a lot of plain steamed broccoli for 100 calories but you'll be (or at least I'll be ) hungry again in not too long. That's why I'm trying to figure out if I can add a couple hundred more calories or not.

I think I am going to end up eating the cost of seeing a non-kaiser dietitian or nutritionist, but I'm nervous about seeing another one who might be just as judge-y and dismissive. So for the meantime I'm putting it off.

1200 is not a lot & is not enough for you - I'd add in more & eat more frequently - like every few hours.

1200 is what I'm supposed to eat net (after calorie burn off so more if I exercise) and that's to maintain or get to around 120 pds & I'm slightly over 5'2!

[cutiepie21]

Originally Posted by jpgoeth

I agree that's it's easy to underestimate, but to be clear, I measure and/or weigh everything that I put into my mouth. I hope that doesn't sound too defensive, I'm just very frustrated because I'm having a very hard time losing weight.

1200 isn't a lot. It takes a lot of effort and planning to keep my intake there and take care of most vitamins and minerals. The actual VOLUME of food isn't too bad, but none of it seems to keep me full for very long. You can eat a lot of plain steamed broccoli for 100 calories but you'll be (or at least I'll be ) hungry again in not too long. That's why I'm trying to figure out if I can add a couple hundred more calories or not.

I think I am going to end up eating the cost of seeing a non-kaiser dietitian or nutritionist, but I'm nervous about seeing another one who might be just as judge-y and dismissive. So for the meantime I'm putting it off.

That doesn't sound defensive at all. if I was in your position I would be very frustrated, too. You didn't mention how much you weigh currently, but you did mention that at your lowest you were 165 and that was hard to maintain. I think you mentioned you were eating 1200 calories and exercising 2+ hrs a day to try to maintain 165 lbs? This was concerning for me because I'm only an inch taller than you, but if I limited my caloric intake to 1200 a day and exercised 2+ hrs daily I would weigh in at under 120 pounds. Perhaps your problem isn't nutritional, but medical? Have you seen a physician about your concerns? I'm thinking that it might be a thyroid problem. Are you on any medications that cause weight gain? I think it's best to exhaust all the medical possibilities before you starting putting your body into starvation mode by eating less than 1200 cals per day, which in the long run, would ruin your metabolism.