Calorie intake

paradi3s

Hello! I'm reverse dieting in order to go back to maintaining my weight. I run (30 minutes) and do bodyweight training (20 minutes) for 4x a week (Mon/Tue/Wed/Sat). I also plan to do 20 minutes yoga + bodyweight training (20 minutes) on Sundays. I'm a student so I can say that I spend my day glued to the seat 3x a week (Thursdays and Fridays are what I consider my rest days since I'm in campus from 7am-5pm. Thank God my schedule isn't that hectic). I used to eat 1,200 calories a day from September to mid-December and started increasing my calorie intake by 100 every week. Tomorrow, I'll be starting 1,600 calories.

What confuses me is what exactly my calorie intake should be in order to maintain my weight? MFP says it's 1,800 and so do some other sites, but there are other sites that recommend 2,000-2,100? Is there an accurate calculator? I'm also still not sure what my activity level is, if I'm either lightly or moderately active.
What I'm thinking is to consume 1,800 everyday but 'eat back' the calories I burned during exercise instead. Or should I eat 2,000-2,100 calories everyday?

I'm 5'4 and 115 lbs by the way.
Thank you! :-)

MinnieInMaine

There isn't really any good way to determine your exact calorie intake. Those calculators are good for giving you an approximate place to start and from there, it's trial and error. Whichever number you decide to go with, give it at least 4 weeks before you decide to change again. Your body needs time to adjust.

editorgrrl

paradi3s wrote: »

What confuses me is what exactly my calorie intake should be in order to maintain my weight? MFP says it's 1,800 and so do some other sites, but there are other sites that recommend 2,000-2,100? Is there an accurate calculator? I'm also still not sure what my activity level is, if I'm either lightly or moderately active.
What I'm thinking is to consume 1,800 everyday but 'eat back' the calories I burned during exercise instead. Or should I eat 2,000-2,100 calories everyday?

I'm 5'4 and 115 lbs by the way.

The bolded part is absolutely correct. Your MFP calorie goal (1,800) is your activity level minus your deficit (in your case, zero). MFP is structured in such a way that you log your exercise and eat back your calories.

It'll take trial & error to find which settings work for you. Leave your activity level as it is, and get used to logging everything you eat & drink accurately & honestly. In two weeks, evaluate you progress. If you're still losing, increase your activity level.

Congratulations for taking steps toward a happy & healthy 2015!

jklei169

My approach to "eating right" had been to make sure my percentages of fat, carbs and protein is balanced. 40-60% carbs, 20-30% protein and 40% fats. After that it's a numbers game that varies by person. Calories are like money. If you spend more than you take in, your reserve shrink. If you spend less than you take in, then your reserves grow.

paradi3s

thank you so much for the advice, will probably just take in 1,800 and eat back what i burned. that and make sure i hit my macros. thanks again and happy new year everyone! :-)

MKEgal

paradi3s wrote:

What confuses me is what exactly my calorie intake should be in order to maintain my weight? MFP says it's 1,800 and so do some other sites, but there are other sites that recommend 2,000-2,100? Is there an accurate calculator? I'm also still not sure what my activity level is, if I'm either lightly or moderately active.
What I'm thinking is to consume 1,800 everyday but 'eat back' the calories I burned during exercise instead. Or should I eat 2,000-2,100 calories everyday?
I'm 5'4 and 115 lbs by the way.

Harvard Medical School says that if you're lightly active (30 min a day) it will take about 15 cal/lb to maintain weight.

115 x 15 = 1725
That's _total_, not net. Ignore net, ignore what you burn, just eat at your calorie goal.

Here's a calculator which will explain the different activity levels, and show you how much of the various food groups you should be eating to maintain a certain weight.

paradi3s

MKEgal wrote: »

paradi3s wrote:

What confuses me is what exactly my calorie intake should be in order to maintain my weight? MFP says it's 1,800 and so do some other sites, but there are other sites that recommend 2,000-2,100? Is there an accurate calculator? I'm also still not sure what my activity level is, if I'm either lightly or moderately active.
What I'm thinking is to consume 1,800 everyday but 'eat back' the calories I burned during exercise instead. Or should I eat 2,000-2,100 calories everyday?
I'm 5'4 and 115 lbs by the way.

Harvard Medical School says that if you're lightly active (30 min a day) it will take about 15 cal/lb to maintain weight.

115 x 15 = 1725
That's _total_, not net. Ignore net, ignore what you burn, just eat at your calorie goal.

Here's a calculator which will explain the different activity levels, and show you how much of the various food groups you should be eating to maintain a certain weight.

Thank you, I kinda get it now! :-)