Question - Answers please would be fab-YOU-las

[Bambalina11]

Hi All,

I have a question some help would be very much appreciated

Ok, so I decided to do slim fast (Love the shakes so far) which is 2 shakes (460 cals) 3 snacks (300 cals) and dinner (600 cals) that works out at 1360 cals (fricking BRILLIANT!!!! ). However when I type into google How many calories do I need to lose weight calculator it states for me to lose 2lbs a week I need to eat 1200 calories a day.

Can somone please explain how many calories I should eat? (1200 made me feel so hungry yesterday but it was first day of diet)

Mucho Gracias xxx

 

[Annya]

A lot will depend on how much you have to lose and how much your weekly goal loss is. The best way to work it oue is to calculate your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) and take way 5% for a 0.5lb/week goal, 10% for a 1lb/week goal or 20% for 2lbs/week goal. If you have less than a stone to lose you should aim for 0.5-1lb week and more than that you can go for a 2lb/week. I have 12lbs to go and am aiming for 1lb/week now so I eat 1567 calories a day. If you do this calculation however, you DO NOT eat back your exercise calories.

Google TDEE or BMR calculators and loads of info will come up about it. Fat2fit is a good one...............

HTH

You should not really aim for more than 2lbs/week as it is not only not terribly healthy as you will be losing lean body mass as well as fat stores (and you want to try and avoid that as much as possible) but it is also unsustainable in the longer term.

 

[Bambalina11]

Thanks Anya!! I'd never go below 1200 I become a freaking lunatic if I'm starving lol

 

[mcv]

It's says for me to eat 1200 cals too I did it for a week I was bloody starving and I didn't loose as much weight as sticking to the 1360 that slim fast reccomend, go figure.... Do what's comfortable for you hun as you will be more likely to stick to it x

 

[Annya]

Yep, unless you are absolutely tiny (and I mean 5 feet or shorter) then 1200 calories is too few. Very few folks have a BMR of 1200 and you shouldn't really eat any less than your BMR so as to avoid metabolic slow down and lean body mass burning. The aim is to burn as much fat and retain as much lean body mass as possible.... better for calorie burning and you look better too!