Is my calorie intake sufficient?!
Question: Dinner is a ritual at my place and I am expected to eat what is served, with the family, at the dinner table every night. Dinner usually varies between 400-600 calories.
I am not overweight. I am about 165cm and 53kgs but for my small frame (narrow hips and shoulders) I would like to lose around 3 more kgs.
It's been suggested I eat around 1200 calories a day if I want to lose weight but taking into consideration almost half my (unavoidable) calorie consumption is at dinner time I end up starving during the day! I eat wholegrains and low-GI foods to stay fuller for longer but it doesn't seem enough.
I dance twice a week, light weights most days, occassional yoga and go for slow paced 30min walks most nights with my pregnant sister. My metabolism has always been quite fast as I've always been very active and energetic.
Should I be eating more? What would be considered sufficient calorie intake to maintain my weight? And also to lose a few kilos? (Rapid loss not necessary).
Answers: Dinner is a ritual at my place and I am expected to eat what is served, with the family, at the dinner table every night. Dinner usually varies between 400-600 calories.
I am not overweight. I am about 165cm and 53kgs but for my small frame (narrow hips and shoulders) I would like to lose around 3 more kgs.
It's been suggested I eat around 1200 calories a day if I want to lose weight but taking into consideration almost half my (unavoidable) calorie consumption is at dinner time I end up starving during the day! I eat wholegrains and low-GI foods to stay fuller for longer but it doesn't seem enough.
I dance twice a week, light weights most days, occassional yoga and go for slow paced 30min walks most nights with my pregnant sister. My metabolism has always been quite fast as I've always been very active and energetic.
Should I be eating more? What would be considered sufficient calorie intake to maintain my weight? And also to lose a few kilos? (Rapid loss not necessary).
There are loads of calorie requirement calculators on the web, and they'll all tell you something a bit different.
It also depends on how old you are and what your main occupation is, ie do you sit at a desk all day, or are you active?
My estimation would be that you would lose weight nice & slowly if you aimed for around 1500 calories a day.
If you can have a small dinner. You burn less calories at night.
Breakfast and lunch should be the bigger meals because it's when you need the most energy. 1200 is okay, but for your height your daily intake would be 2000. eat 300 less than that to lose weight. i'm 165cm too (if 165 is 5ft5) and 59kg.
To me 30 minutes of exercise doesn't do much. you might want to build up to an hour.