If you are planning to lose weight then you should know how many calories you need each day. Calorie restrictive diets work well, but only if you correctly follow them! The problem with implementing a calorie restrictive diet is twofold:
- People often overestimate the amount of food that they need
- People underestimate the how hard it is to restrict calories
Here we share daily calorie tables and then provide advice on how to use this information to lose weight.
Remember that these are just average figures so you may need more or less than the calories stated here. If you wish to have a more accurate figure then read our page Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) Explained. Both of these are good weight loss calculators.
Also, you only need the higher figure on the days that you are most active. Doing two intensive workouts each week does not mean you need maximum calories on the other 5 days.
How Many Calories Does a Woman Need?
The number of calories depends on your height and muscle mass, so these figures are averages only. However, this does provide a good starting point – aim to eat fewer calories and adjust your diet depending on results. Daily Calorie Needs for Females:
| Age/years | Sedentary | Low activity | High activity |
| 2-3 | 1100 | 1250 | 1400 |
| 4-5 | 1200 | 1350 | 1500 |
| 6-7 | 1300 | 1500 | 1700 |
| 8-9 | 1400 | 1600 | 1850 |
| 10-11 | 1500 | 1800 | 2050 |
| 12-13 | 1700 | 2000 | 2250 |
| 14-16 | 1750 | 2100 | 2350 |
| 17-18 | 1750 | 2100 | 2400 |
| 19-30 | 1900 | 2100 | 2350 |
| 31-50 | 1800 | 2000 | 2250 |
| 51-70 | 1650 | 1850 | 2100 |
| 71+ | 1550 | 1750 | 2000 |
How Many Calories Does a Man Need?
Again, these are averages, and as with women, some men naturally carry a lot more muscle mass that others. So use these figures as a starting point in your weight loss plan. Daily Calorie Needs for Males:
| Age/years | Sedentary | Low activity | High activity |
| 2-3 | 1100 | 1350 | 1500 |
| 4-5 | 1250 | 1450 | 1650 |
| 6-7 | 1400 | 1600 | 1800 |
| 8-9 | 1500 | 1750 | 2000 |
| 10-11 | 1700 | 2000 | 2300 |
| 12-13 | 1900 | 2250 | 2600 |
| 14-16 | 2300 | 2700 | 3100 |
| 17-18 | 2450 | 2900 | 3300 |
| 19-30 | 2500 | 2700 | 3000 |
| 31-50 | 2350 | 2600 | 2900 |
| 51-70 | 2150 | 2350 | 2650 |
| 71+ | 2000 | 2200 | 2500 |
How Many Calories Do You Need to Reduce By?
So, how many calories can you eat and lose weight? Studies have shown that women who eat 1000 fewer calories than they need lost around 2 pounds per week. This is a healthy and sustainable level of weight loss. The same rule applies to men.
Start by eating 500 calories a day fewer than your body needs, and if this is not producing results, decrease a little further.
How many calories should you be eating?
The two tables above show the average calories requirements for males and females at various ages for varying levels of activity. Sedentary means no exercise or rarely active. Low activity means walking, housework, some play. High activity means regular exercise, generally more active in work and life.
This is a general guide to the amount of calories you need to be in deficit to lose a specific amount of weight:
- If you are in a deficit of 500 calories per day you will lose approximately 1 pound per week
- A calorie deficit of 750 calories will help you lose about 1.5 pounds per week
- A calorie deficit of 1000 calories will help you lose about 2 pounds per week (about 1 kg weight loss per week)
- To lose 20 pounds in a year you will need to eat 200 calories less per day than you were eating when your weight was stable
- To lose 20 pounds in 1 month, you need to eat 2400 calories fewer per day. Overweight people who usually eat 4000 calories per day can lose weight quicker than lighter people – they can reduce their intake by 2400 calories per day and still eat enough to sustain themselves.
Do Not Eat More When Exercising
What often strikes people who are new to dieting and exercise is that the high activity group do not need many more calories than the low activity group. Being very active adds 300 calories for men and 250 calories for women.
This is the equivalent of a sandwich or a large white coffee in terms of food energy. This is why it is important that you do not eat more food just because you are exercising! The exercise creates a calorie deficit but if you eat more to compensate you will fail to lose weight.
Learn more about activity calorie burn (calories burned for different exercises) in our article on What is the Best Exercise to Help Lose Weight?
Calorie Requirements for Teenagers
We have highlighted the calories needs of teenagers as this is an important time during a persons development, and also a time when many people start to become more aware of their bodies.
Few teenagers are aware that their calorie needs are higher than that of any other age group, and for sporty teens, such as those that play sports or are practicing martial arts or are learning to dance, they need around 500-600 more calories a day than their sedentary peers.
During this time the quality of energy consumed must be high for healthy growth. What is worrying is the trend for many teens to skip meals to keep their weight down. They could be setting themselves up for long term health problems as well as stunted growth. We have a page dedicated to teenagers here: Diet and Weight Loss Advice for Teenagers.
Calorie Needs As We Get Older
For a woman in her 30’s that is not exercising, 2000 calories a day is enough to maintain weight. To lose 2 pounds per week, she needs to reduce her daily calories by 1000, which means consuming 1000 calories a day. If she is exercising 3-4 times a week then she can eat 1250 calories per day.
This may seem low, but it is how our bodies work. To lose weight you need to restrict calories, this is what is meant by a calorie deficit. Eating healthier foods help too. Lean proteins will be used to build new muscle tissue. Fresh fruits and vegetables contain fiber to aid digestion. Bread is full of energy (around 100 calories per slice) and has little of nutritional value.
Losing weight is not just about counting calories – it is about eating a balanced diet and exercising too. Diet without exercise almost always leads to eventual weight loss failure. See our article MotleyHealth’s Guide To Losing Weight to learn why.
Calories in Carbohydrates, Protein and Fat
If you are counting calories to aid weight loss, then you need to know how many calories are in carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
- Protein has 4 Calories per gram
- Carbohydrates has 4 Calories per gram
- Fat has 9 Calories per gram
- Alcohol has 7 Calories per gram
You may think that the best way to create an energy deficit is to eat more carbohydrates, but not all carbohydrates are equal. To lose weight while eating carbs you need to eat low GI carbohydrates (effectively they contain less sugar) which tend to have higher fiber content, which means that you do not absorb so much of the energy.
All food that you consume is either used immediately as energy by the body or stored as fat for the future. You gain weight when you eat more than you burn, you maintain your weight when you eat as much as you burn, and you lose weight when you eat less than you burn. Understanding this is the key to start losing weight.
If you look at the calories in fat, it quickly becomes obvious why there has been such an emphasis on eating low fat foods in recent decades. Fat has more than twice as many calories per gram than carbohydrate or protein. A healthy and well balanced diet will have adequate macro-nutrients and still allow weight loss to occur.
Swapping fatty food for carbohydrate or proteins means that you can eat the same weight in food and take in fewer calories. The health food industry has taken advantage of this and produced many foods that are low in fat but far higher in sugars. Read Sugar, Carbohydrates and Your Health to learn more about this.
Structure Your Life
To lose weight you need to start to structure your life. You need to plan what you are going to eat each day so that you do not end up snacking on junk food when your fridge gets empty. You need to plan each exercise session in advance so that you never put off exercising because you cannot think what to do.
Find 5 workouts that you enjoy doing, such as bodyweight exercises, circuit training workouts, weight training workouts or just sessions on the elliptical trainer. This ensures that you can get variety in your new lifestyle and this helps you to stay interested.
If you plan your weight loss and calorie restriction, there is no reason why you cannot lose 100 pounds in 2 years. It will not be an easy task, but it will be rewarding, and the best thing you ever do.
Creating An Energy Deficit
If there is one rule that applies to every single overweight person it is this:
- To lose weight you must create an energy deficit
It is that simple! Although as we all know, implementing a theory is never as easy as writing it down.
The amount of energy you consume is related to what you eat and drink. So the first step in losing weight is to determine how much you are eating and make a guesstimate at how much you need.
Permanent Lifestyle Changes
Just eating less will work, but it is not as effective as eating less and exercising. When you eat less food than you need you create an energy deficit. You will lose weight, but your metabolism will slow down, i.e. you burn calories slower.
This means that you will burn less energy throughout the day, which reduces your requirements even more, so you stop losing weight. You have to eat even less, and the cycle continues until a point where you are not receiving enough nutrients and vitamins to maintain a healthy body.
By exercising while dieting you keep your metabolism high and you build new muscle tissue which requires energy. By increasing your metabolism it is easier to adjust your diet to make changes to your daily energy deficit.
It is recommended that you make permanent lifestyle changes that will help you lose weight at a steady rate. Generally it is advisable to aim to lose 1-2 pounds per week (0.5 – 1kg per week).
Do not forget that there are a lot of calories in alcohol, especially beer. Just a few beers a week can put you over your daily energy requirements and stop you from losing weight. For example, drinking one glass of wine per day is enough to add 14 pounds of weight over a year. One bottle of wine has as many calories as a large meal. So if you are serious about losing weight you need to ensure that you are losing weight every day of the week. This is why diets such as the Dukan Diet are so successful – they encourage you to give up alcohol completely.
Calories Are Hard To Count
The order in which food is presented to you can determine how many calories you think it contains. If you are shown a low calorie fruit salad and then a burger you are likely to think that the meal contains more calories than if you see a burger followed by a high calorie cheesecake.
Research published in the Journal of Consumer Research explains that simply changing the order in which 2 meals were shown to a person would significantly alter their perception of how many calories were in that meal.
This discovery could explain why so many people eat too much food and put on weight, especially those that love desserts.
For example, when people were shown a cheeseburger they estimated that it contained 570 calories, whereas when shown a salad first and then a cheeseburger, they thought that the cheeseburger contained 787 calories. Just by looking at another meal they thought that the cheeseburger contained more energy than it actually did.
“The sequence in which items are considered often influences our evaluations of these items” – Alexander Chernev, Northwestern University.
Just by changing the order in which the meals were viewed changed the perceived calories from 757 to 1,097 calories.
Self Regulation of Consumption
This principal can help you to self-regulate their food consumption which should reduce overeating. For example, eating more than one course will result eating too much, so stick to a single course.
Diet is the main cause of obesity and weight problems, but many people do not realise that this is the case. Many people think they are not overeating even though they are overweight. For your next meal, avoid starters and desserts.
This could also explain why people that love desserts are more likely to be overweight. They simply underestimate the amount of food that they are eating.
Learn how to measure how many calories you have used or consumed.
1500 Calories a Day With Exercise
Here is an example for anybody hoping to lose 100 pounds. If you aim to lose one pound a week until you reach your goal, you should eat around 1500 calories a day, and exercise.
Your diet should be healthy and balanced. Avoid sugar and saturated fats, and instead eat low GI vegetables, fresh fruits, lean meat, fish. Also, avoid soft drinks and alcohol, and instead drink mostly water, tea and the occasional coffee.
For exercise you should aim to walk for at least 15 minutes every single day. Also do a 30 minute workout 3 times a week. As you get fitter you can do a shorter but more intensive workout 5-6 times a week. This helps you to maintain a higher metabolism and so burn more fat.
It is important to see your doctor before you start a weight loss plan that will see you losing so much weight. If you have not done any exercise for many years then it is wise to get some professional medical advice. Generally a walking program is suitable for most people that are obese.
Fasting
One weight loss method that is growing in popularity is fasting. Rather than eating fewer calories every day, you have extremely limited calories on some days of the week, and eat more normally on other days. Take a look at our articles on fasting:
All of these fasting systems work, but you must follow them responsibly and ensure that you are still getting all the nutrients your body needs.
References
“Semantic Anchoring in Sequential Evaluations of Vices and Virtues.” by Alexander Chernev. Journal of Consumer Research: February 2011. A preprint of this article:http://journals.uchicago.edu/jcr.
Hi April, stick to the plan. I have not used Myfitnesspal so cannot suggest why you are not losing weight. But, if you are really only eating 800 Calories a day and also exercising, then you must lose fat. It would be impossible not to. This suggests that your method of calculating calories may be wrong.
Thanks for your reply! But how many calories was my question. Yes, I am eating healthy: Omelette with mushroom or spinach for breakfast, smoothies loaded with low GI fruits, protien pd shake given by trainer and home made soups( one bowl…differnt types…today i will be making Asparagus) with 5 sour dough crackers for dinner…this is a sample menu.
Hi Anop, how many calories in the protein shake your trainer gives? Your diet certainly looks healthy, and soup is a great way to ward off hunger. If you are having omelettes every day I am not sure that you need a protein shake too. Maybe reduce this if you are not losing much weight. Generally people take extra protein to grow muscle after doing a lot of weight training. If your goal is to lose fat then reducing calories may be more important, especially as you are getting an excellent source of protein from eggs. Also, how many smoothies? Low Gi fruits are good, but you can have too much of a good thing. These are the areas where we have to be careful. One extra glass could be the difference between losing more weight and remaining steady.
Hi there.
26, female and 5ft 10…71 kg. size 10/12. I generally do not watch what I eat, and I have put on 6kg in the last 3 yrs (2kg per year).
I am just worried that I will be 80kg by the time im 31.
I do not want to lose any weight as I still want a bit of fat on me, seeing as I am tall so I do not look too skinny.
My question is, what can you recommend to maintain one’s weight without losing any.
My fitness level is basic, I do situps 30mins 3 times a week, and I walk to and from work (10mins each way). I take the 4 flights of stairs as often as I can. Im just concerned that if I work out: cardio etc I will lose weight.
Pls reply.
Thanks :)
125 cal, per scoop and I am taking one scoop only.Yesterday and today I had one 100 cal toast with Almond butter for breakfast. Only one smoothie for lunch, which has low GI fruits and one green vegetable( either Kale or Spinach). To experiment I didn’t had smoothie today to see what happens tomorrow.
I printed chart from your website and shared with my colleague at the gym. According to her, thinking I have sedantary life, i should have 1800 cal and then I should minus my exercise to lose weight. my roughly calorie burn is 300+ 280( exersise and walking). So please advise what is correct calorie intake for me? I will appreciate it!
hi, i am 27 years old. I am 5’8″ hight and 90 kilogram(198 pound)weight.
I want to loss my weight 20 kilograms(45 pound). What should i do for this?
Please reply
Hi Lara, perform weight training or bodyweight workouts and eat healthy and you will get leaner, fitter and healthier. 2 kg a year is not a lot, a little extra exercise should stop that dead.
Hi Anop, I would go with 1800 Calories and focus on the exercise.
Hi Harshad, to lose 20 kilos you are going to have to make some big changes. You need to radically change your diet – cut out all junk and reduce calories. Cut out most if not all bread too. Then get exercising, every day. And get more active in general, walk more etc. Do not spend any time sitting in front of the television or the computer – find things to do.
Hi, I’d love some advice please. I’m a 27yr old female, 5ft4in and I weigh around 12.5stone. 3 years ago I was tipping the scales at 18stone and followed a very low calorie plan(vlcd) and shed 8 stone in as many months. I managed to keep the weight off for 2 years but this last year I’ve started to gain and struggle again. I’ve started to eat 600 cals a day, I know this isn’t a lot but following the vlcd I was only eating 500cals. I can keep up the good will for so long but after 3-4weeks I’m craving food and I end up having a huge binge. Please help, how can I stop this happening?!
Hi Laura, you really need to plan your meals more. If you plan your meals and stick to them you cannot have additional food. Most people binge on whatever food is available in the house at the time. Also you should be taking regular exercise to help manage your appetite better. I am not a fan of VLCD in the long term, really you should stick to around 1200 calories and exercise often.
Hello. I’m having some problems. I’m a 214 pound female, 5’7″.. I’ve been eating 1500 calories and exercising 3x a week. When I was eating 1500 calories I was losing about .5 pounds a week, then when I started exercising my weight loss stopped. Can you help me figure out how many calories I need to be eating? In 3 months I only lost 6 pounds so I just don’t know what I’m doing wrong. Other than my 3 workouts a week I’m very sedentary. Working out long periods of time uninterupted is impossible with my 1 year old. Please help!
Hi Amber, what I think you are doing wrong is this – you are eating too much. Few people accurately count calories. One or two small snacks stop weight loss dead. What is your neighbourhood like? Can you go for walks in the day with your child? If not, why not do a fitness DVD in the evening when they go to bed? Ultimately, food is the key, or specifically, eating less of it.
hi im 39yrs old, housewife and weigh 280lb how many calories do i need please
Hello. I hope you can help. I am getting married in 3 months and at the moment I weight 12 stone 4 and am 5ft 6 and am 39. I have tried every kind of diet all my life, lose and then put on, lose and then put on. I am now trying to change my eating habits and not do a very low calorie diet, but do something I can maintain forever. I am eating 1200 – 1500 calories a day, and exercising for an hour 3 or 4 times a week, but the weight isn’t shifting. I wonder if I have messed up my metabolism by yo yo dieting and now I need far less calories to begin with, therefore to have a 1000 calorie a day deficit and lose 2lb a week, I need to be eating only 800 calories on the days I don’t exercise and 1000 calories on the days I do? 2lbs a week, would give me a weight loss of about 24lbs which I would be happy with, but I’m staying the same with my current plan? Please help!
Hi. I recently started a diet. I weigh 294lbs which is around 21stone, as you can tell I am morbidly obese. I joined the gym, and have been doing 40 minutes 4 times a week, and also walking to the shops the rest of the week. I am eating a low calorie diet and have restricted myself to 1000 calories, which has been fine as I haven’t been feeling hungry much anyway. However, 8 days after starting my diet, I got weighed and have only lost 2lb. I’m wondering if I’m doing something wrong and would appreciate any advice? Thanks.
According to the table you need only 1800 Calories a day. Remember that this is an average and the calories you need to maintain your weight as a sedentary person.
Hi Joanne, firstly, if through dieting you lost weight in the past, the diet did work. The only reason people gain weight afterwards is because they go back to the bad way of eating. Permanent lifestyle change is required. There are no quick fixes. You need to focus on getting fitter and eating healthier. I suspect that you are actually eating more than 1200-1500 Calories a day. It is very hard to count calories (I never do) and most people do get it wrong, and often by a long way. So focus on eating smaller, healthier meals and taking regular exercise. You will also need to increase your exercise intensity each week to force the body to get fitter too. This will help burn calories and tone muscles.
Hi Christine, although it may be disappointing to lose only 2 pounds, do not be disheartened. Stick to your plan. The weather is improving, so now is a good time to do more walking and more outdoor activities – and maintain the gym workouts.
Just struggling here. I am eating between 1400 and 1600 calories most days and exercise between 1800 and 2200 and the weight is not coming off..ANy suggestions?
Hi Tanya, just stick to the plan. If you are burning more calories than you are eating, you will lose weight. If you are not losing weight then you are mostly likely miscalculating how much you are eating – a very common problem. What are you eating each day?
hi im 19 years old, female, and my height is 5’7. i weigh 180 pounds and trying to have a goal to lose at least 1.5 pounds a week. im not sure if what im doing right now will help me reach that goal.i count my calories and try to keep it at 1400 a day with as much healthy food as i can. i also workout at the gym for an hour and a half 3-4 times a week. i do about 50 minutes of cardio and the rest weight training. would this be enough to lose 1.5 pounds a week?
Hello, I just started my weight plan, and i wiegh 100kg :( and my hight is 6.8. how many calories am I to consume per day? as I am confused please needing your help
Hi Michelle, that may be enough, although you may want to consider exercising 6 days a week. Maybe not the gym, but a walk, some callisthenics at home or dance routines – just to keep active and keep burning the fat.
Hi Sonia, hard to put a figure on it, but if you are serious about losing weight then maybe dive in and eat 1500 Calories a day and exercise each day too. Make sure you are still getting healthy food.
Hi!
So I’ve just started dieting and exercising. I’m 5’9″, 159 pounds, and 20 years old. I’ve been limiting my caloric intake to about 1300 calories per day, and I’ve been working out 60-120 minutes 6 days a week for the past few weeks. The first week, I went down four pounds (I was 162 originally.) The next week I went up a pound, and now I’ve been stable. I don’t understand why I’m not losing any more weight- I have been eating healthy food as well as exercising! What do you think is up?!
Hi my name is renisha and i’m 31 5’7 and weigh 170 pounds i exercise 4 times a week I do 60 min of cardio. What do I need to cut my calorie intake by to lose 2 pounds a week? My doctor says for health reasons I need to drop 40 lbs. Please let me know on my non active days as well thank you
Hi Kailene, you have lost 4 pounds in the first week which is a good sign. I suspect that in your second week your diet slipped a little. You cannot gain weight without eating more than you need. Just stick to the plan and keep a diary of everything you eat, no cheating. If you are not losing weight examine your diet for the last week and look for items that can be replaced or removed.
Hi Renisha, to lose 2 pounds a week you need to consume no more than 1600 Calories on the days you exercise and 1350 Calories on the days you do not.
Well, This was very interesting! I am going to be 44 in May. I have 4 children oldest being 19 and the youngest being 4. I am 100 lbs over weight, and losing energy, knees starting to ache I see myself going down hill and fast! I am going to commit to walking 15 minutes a day and working with the Wii fit 3 times a week for 30 minutes a day. I am also going to cut my intake to 1800 calories a day.
I would like to post my progress on here if that is okay?
Well here is to a healthy me!!!!
Hi,im hoping to lose 10lbs in three weeks as i have a friends wedding to attend,i usually go to the gym 3-4 times per week but its easter holidays and my kids are at home so no gym although i do own a fitness dvd!as of yesterday i have reduced my calories to 800 per day,i am 5ft2 and currently weigh 8st10lbs,i know its not recommended to eat such low calories but its just for a special occasion,is it possible to lose 10lbs in three weeks eating just 800 cals per day?
Hi Shannon, you are welcome to post updates here.
Hi Kelly, with exercise it may be possible, without exercise it will be harder. Try to do some exercise everyday. 45 minutes of the fitness DVD once the kids have gone to bed should help a lot.
Hi,
I am 28 years old female and 5’4″ tall. Two weeks ago I started to eat healthier foods and use myfitness to track my calorie intake. I’ve been eating around 1200 calories a day. I have also been using my eliptical for 20 minutes 4-5 times a week. The first week I lost 4 lbs. In the middle of the 2nd week I weighed myself and I had lost another 4 lbs! I was excited and didn’t change anything but at the end of week 2 (my offical weigh in day) I had gained back 2 lbs! How? Why? What am I doing wrong? My official weigh in day is on Mondays…today is Friday but I weighed myself again today and the scale is up another 2 lbs today…How can my weight be so up and down and what am I doing wrong?
Hi Kari, you would have gained weight back either because the diet slipped a little, or it is just food / water that has not passed through yet. Stick to the plan, focus on getting fitter and do not worry so much about little fluctuations.
I’m a 42 year old woman, 5’3″ tall, I had a “pear shaped” figure, most of my weight is in my thighs, hips and butt! I’ve been fat since i was a child. Currently i weigh at 360lbs. I’m working out daily at the gym (cardio/weights), eating healthy around 2000 calories. The problem is that my weight loss is going V E R Y S L O W and it’s frustrating me! My body seems to retain alot of water, i feel stronger and lighter but the scale isn’t changing! What am i doing wrong? I NEED HELP!
Hi Savanna, how long have you been doing this? If you are feeling fitter and lighter then that is a very good sign. Weight loss can take a while, but if you stick to your plan you will be successful. You really need to be strict with the diet. Do you keep a diet diary? This will help you to eliminate snacks and other problem foods that may be slowing you down – you have to record everything you eat and drink.
hello,
I have one question. I am 24 years old. My weight is 66kg and height 165cm.
Please, can you tell me how much calorie do I need per day to lose weight ?
I need to lose 10 kg:(
many thanks,
best
Meri
Hi Meri, if you limit yourself to around 1600 Calories a day and exercise every day then you should be able to lose 1 kg a week. However, as you are not all that overweight, in fact according to your BMI you are a normal weight, this may be harder. Your focus needs to be on fitness – exercise often, always work up a good sweat and push yourself harder each session for fitness improvements.
I am 5’2″ 33 years old and use myfitnesspal to track cals and exercise. It gives me a net of 1350 and I workout 6 to 7 days a week burning between 300 to 500 an hour. 3 days of weights and cardio and the rest of the days cardio and abs. Now myfitnesspal gives me back my workout cals to eat. If I don’t eat these back I fall under 1200 net. Should I be making sure I net 1200 cals after exercise which means I would be eating like around 1700 or 1800 to lose weight? So should I always make sure my net doesn’t fall under 1200 cals?
That sounds about right. Always hard to be sure, even when tracking carefully. The best method is to your monitor progress – take measurements, weigh yourself, check that you are losing weight as planned. If not, then you need to adjust workouts, review diet etc.
Hi, I am a 5’7 46 year old female and weigh 176 lbs. I am looking to lose 40lbs by the end of August = 2lb a week due to healthy eating, 5 days of 4 mile running and 2 days of 1 hour gym workouts. The question I have is I have type 1 diabetes plus just been told I have a very underactive Thyroid, will this prevent me reaching my goal?
Many Thanks
Jennie
Hi,
I’m 23 year old female.
I use my fitness pal and it gives me a calorie allowance of 1270 per day.
I weigh 200 pounds and walk/jog 6 days a week with usually 3-4 30 minute aerobic classes per week as well.
I eat almost entirely vegetarian diet with fish 2-3 times a week and red meat only once a week.
I have been on this fitness and diet regime for 3 weeks and although my body feels tighter and fitter I haven’t lost any weight on the scales..
Is there something wrong with me?
Hi, I’m 5.4 foot tall and weigh 1201bs- I’m also 41 yrs old. I look slim other than a massive flabby tummy that people comment on. I follow a healthy low fat diet of lean meat and fish and lots of vegetables and have a small handful of nuts a day, I eat just over 1200 calories a day as I’m stuck at my desk for 8 hrs without exercise. I don’t exercise much on an evening other than 15 mins on a ex bike- any more than this and I feel unwell and run down all the time. If I reduce my calories I can lose weight but not from belly – it seems to come off my chest instead making me look flat chested with a big belly – help !!
Hi Jennie, this is a tricky one. I think that it will certainly make things harder for you, but it should not stop you reaching your goal. So long as you are monitoring your diabetes carefully (taking blood sugar readings before exercising and ensuring that you have enough insulin) then you should be OK. An underactive thyroid slows down your metabolism, but exercise does increase metabolism, so in theory exercising will certainly help you to maintain your weight. Have you been given medication for your thyroid? There are certainly some athletes with the condition who manage to train hard and stay fit.
Hi Lex, give it time. If your diet log is accurate and you are doing all that exercise you will start to get fitter and lose weight. Be patient, just keep going!
Hi Bella, it is possible that you are not getting adequate nutrition to exercise properly. Try to do more exercise and if you still continue to feel unwell after 15 minutes then maybe speak to a doctor for some advice, there may be other underlying problems. Do you have a stressful job? This could be making the problem worse too.
Hi I recently started counting calories and i eat about 1200 a day sometimes 1500. I exercise a bit each week. BUT I spend most of my days in bed with my laptop. I have a mental illness so it’s harder for me to get out or be active. I am about 5.2 and i weigh about 180 pounds. But it’s freaking me out that 1200 may be what my body needs just to stay alive and because I’m so lazy I won’t lose weight. Can you recommend how much time I have to walk each day at normal speeed and how many times I have to exeercize a week to keep losing weight? When I exercize I play badminton and ride my exercize bike for 45 min on low setting
Hi Ann, I would suggest that you start with a daily 45 minute walk. Walking is a great way to not only stay active, but you get to see your local neighbourhood, find out what is going on and get some fresh air too. If you have shops nearby you can stop off there on the way home too. So, start by walking every day for 45 minutes. Carry on doing you exercise bike sessions and badminton too.
hello
I’ve been on a diet now for about 6 Weeks, started out at 150 pounds because I had a baby and i’m 5’2 and now weigh 137 my goal is 125 but i’m having problems with the loose baby tummy. I have the biggest loser Mac cardio workout DVD and I have an ab roller but its not getting that extra loose skin, any advice on what exercise too do (I watch the doctors and have been eating a 850 calorie a day diet mostly berries because the doctors say berrys are belly burning foods)