Advice on female caloric requirments

[Ogedei]

Not sure this is the best place, but it seemed like it would get the most exposure here.

The gf is interested in losing some weight, without prompting by me.

Various formulas with little or no exercise put her daily needs at around 1500.

My question is basically, the rule of thumb is drop 500/day to elicit a 1/lb per week loss. Is dropping her to 1000 a day too low? Does this rule of thumb apply or would a more percentage based approach be healthier.

This is new ground to me. My daily caloric is way above 2k, so dropping to 2k or so dosen't seem like a big deal to me.

Obviously the formulas are a rough guide, but more looking for a healthy approach instead of starting down on a potentially unhealthy one.

Thanks

Ogedei.

[LaraT]

Originally Posted by Ogedei

Not sure this is the best place, but it seemed like it would get the most exposure here.

The gf is interested in losing some weight, without prompting by me.

Various formulas with little or no exercise put her daily needs at around 1500.

My question is basically, the rule of thumb is drop 500/day to elicit a 1/lb per week loss. Is dropping her to 1000 a day too low? Does this rule of thumb apply or would a more percentage based approach be healthier.

This is new ground to me. My daily caloric is way above 2k, so dropping to 2k or so dosen't seem like a big deal to me.

Obviously the formulas are a rough guide, but more looking for a healthy approach instead of starting down on a potentially unhealthy one.

Thanks

Ogedei.

I think dropping to 1000 would be too extreme at first. Does she have any idea how much she is eating now? Has she been steadily gaining or has she been maintaining? Does she have a lot to lose or is it the "last 5 lbs" etc?

[LisaS]

<500> could be also 1/2 diet and 1/2 increased exercise (like a 1 hour walk)

[Espi]

Dropping by 20% is a better idea.. 500kcal is approx. 16% for someone burning 3000+ kcal, but as much as 33% if 1500kcal is her real maintenance. That's a LOT!

Lisa's suggestion is a good one too.. can be moderate exercise too, which doesn't burn her out. Walking and cycling are very good options.

[hazeldazel]

how many calories/day does she eat now? Would you say whatever her intake is, is that maintenance for the weight she's at? If so, I'd reduce around 500 calories from that. Maybe track via weighing every teeny thing that she eats for one week. Go from there. Make sure she gets enough protein and does some resistance training to ensure that she's losing fat and not muscle.

[Ogedei]

Ok so my thoughts seem to be correct, dropping to 1k is a little much.

She inputted her activity as a deskjob for her rough start, but she does horseback riding, on average twice a week for 40 minutes? Not sure on the time.

Might be a solid idea to have her track and eat at her maintenance for a "desk job", and see where it goes from there.

As for introducing other activities, I will suggest this, but leave the ball in her court, I don't want her to feel like I am pushing her, and I don't want to push. If she is ready she will make the decision.

We had talked about the gym after work, but I would rather go at lunch, and am typically wanting to workout on days she rides after work, so that has never really panned out.

[Ogedei]

Oh and as for her daily intake. If you talk to her, it's low. But she dosen't track. She has steadily been gaining weight, not at a huge rate, but definetely has gotten a little heavier over the last couple of years.

[Bytsi]

Horseback riding = minimal burn unless she's a beginner. As a former competitive rider, I can say that the better you are at riding, the less aerobic it is. Muscle control, yes, but not much aerobic or cardio.

[Aoife]

I need to be at 1000 to lose. So no, it's not necessarily too low. But it'd be better to track where she is now and reduce that rather than arbitrarily guess what maintenance might be (and sometimes the formulas aren't much better than guessing).

[Ogedei]

Agreed on the sometimes they are not much better than guessing. I am willing to give them a shot when I need 2500 or so and I am gonna drop to 2000. But when it's as low as 1k, I think I want more. The answers here have pretty much reinforced that and given me some idea.

I suggested we stick her at 1500, she responded with saying 1200 sounds like a good place. Second time she has thrown out that number, so I guess that is where she wants to start.

I plan on being supportive, but I am not going to shove numbers and information at her unless she asks for them.

[LisaS]

1200 is what all the magazines say - it's a pretty known quantity in the female weightloss psyche -

[hazeldazel]

yeah all the magazines have 1200 as the magic diet number. But hey, this is what she wants so she'll be more committed to it.

suggest that she actually weighs all her food to determine whether she's hitting her calorie goal. I measured at first and ate several hundred extra calories by mistake that way. If she's fairly slender that could be a disaster for her.

[Ogedei]

No trouble there. Volume sux. Weighing is the way to go! Must buy new batteries for scale....

It's driving ME nuts that it's down!