How many calories should I really be eating?

taelor2

So according to the trainer I should be eating close to the 1800 mark to lose 2lbs a week. But MFP says like 1210. Yes I have it set to sedentary, only because I have my fitbit synced up. Which one is it? I'm so confused.

IsaackGMOON

OP, what are you stats?

taelor2

I'm 5'6 227lbs.

kmblank

It really depends on your training schedule and the intensity that you are going to be training. If you are lifting weights and cardio several days per week then your trainer is probably close. If you are questioning the number your trainer gave you, sit down with him and find out how he came up with that number. Good luck!

TimothyFish

MFP doesn't include exercise calories in the number it gives you. Once you log your exercise, it may have you at 1800 too.

terbusha

What I do and what I recommend to people is to eat at a calorie level that allows you to make good progress towards your goal. If you are trying to lose weight, eat so you drop 1-2 lbs/week. This assumes an average calorie burn from you getting in all of your workouts. This will be different for everyone, so you'll have to do some trial and error to figure it out. I'd start ~1600 cal/day. Hit this goal, along with your macros and getting in your workouts, for 2 weeks. If you lose 1-2 lbs/week, you're good to go. If you lose too much, increase your intake and repeat. If you don't lose enough, reduce your intake a bit and repeat. After a few cycles, you'll figure out what works for you in your situation.

StaciMarie1974

If you're using a Fitbit: what is your average total daily burn? And what does MFP say at the end of the day, in terms of what you should be eating when you add in your additional calories from Fitbit?

I'm afraid you're comparing apples to kittens. Your trainer is taking your true activity level/lifestyle & exercise into consideration, subtracting 1000 and saying eat X.

You're telling MFP you're sedentary (when I am guessing you are not) and expecting it to give you the same answer. Fitbit & MFP work well together - but if you're ignoring your Fitbit extra calories earned, this would explain the ~600 calorie difference I imagine.

taelor2 wrote: »

So according to the trainer I should be eating close to the 1800 mark to lose 2lbs a week. But MFP says like 1210. Yes I have it set to sedentary, only because I have my fitbit synced up. Which one is it? I'm so confused.

jemhh

I would just go with what the trainer says for now. Do it for several weeks and adjust from there. You are paying him/her for the advice, which seems reasonable IMO.

taelor2

I get around 10000 steps (usually right at). The only problem I have noticed is that when I eat closer to the 1800 mark I don't tend to lose anything like I do at like a 1300 calorie week (Yes I know cico). I just feel that if I eat all my calories back from exercising that it does not seem to do me good. Yes my fibit does tend to tell me to eat about 800 calorie more a day. Which I don't do.

SpecialKH

It's a very individual thing. I'm a big fan of Body Media and probably will get the Jawbone 3Up soon. These both measure more variables than other fitness trackers for a more accurate calorie burn estimation.

I've worn mine religiously and it seems to be pretty accurate based on weight loss. Personally I burn 2000 a day on a sedentary day and 2300-2400 on a day I do more cardio/work. I'm female, 47, 5'6" and 185pounds. 200 calories isn't a huge difference; you could always go with the lower number and then add in calories if you are overly hungry or fatigued.

StaciMarie1974

Ultimately you have to decide what is right for you. A good starting point: make sure what you're logging is accurate. Use a food scale for anything solid, log condiments/beverages/cooking oils/etc. Could be you're logging 1300 but eating 1800. Meaning when you think you're eating 1800 you're really eating more and that is why you're not seeing results. Or maybe you are just not giving it enough time?

Beyond that, it seems you have tools and resources on hand. It can take time to have enough data to recognize a trend. Try something 4-8 weeks, assess actual results against expected, and adjust as needed. Of course - if you have any medical concerns (feel dizzy/lethargic/etc.) then adjust immediately.

taelor2 wrote: »

I get around 10000 steps (usually right at). The only problem I have noticed is that when I eat closer to the 1800 mark I don't tend to lose anything like I do at like a 1300 calorie week (Yes I know cico). I just feel that if I eat all my calories back from exercising that it does not seem to do me good. Yes my fibit does tend to tell me to eat about 800 calorie more a day. Which I don't do.

StaciMarie1974

But back to your original question - MFP is NOT telling you to eat 1200 per day. Its telling you to eat 1200 per day if you're sedentary and you don't work out.

jemhh

taelor2 wrote: »

I get around 10000 steps (usually right at). The only problem I have noticed is that when I eat closer to the 1800 mark I don't tend to lose anything like I do at like a 1300 calorie week (Yes I know cico). I just feel that if I eat all my calories back from exercising that it does not seem to do me good. Yes my fibit does tend to tell me to eat about 800 calorie more a day. Which I don't do.

Are you logging your food intake accurately? By that, I mean are you weighing your food on a digital scale and logging it using verified entries in MFP (USDA entries, entries that match the nutrition info on labels, etc.)? What do you mean by "I don't tend to lose anything like I do at like a 1300 calorie week"? Do you mean that you lose but not as much or do you mean that you don't lose any weight whatsoever? How long have you eaten at both calorie levels before switching to a different calorie level?

strong_curves

taelor2 wrote: »

I get around 10000 steps (usually right at). The only problem I have noticed is that when I eat closer to the 1800 mark I don't tend to lose anything like I do at like a 1300 calorie week (Yes I know cico). I just feel that if I eat all my calories back from exercising that it does not seem to do me good. Yes my fibit does tend to tell me to eat about 800 calorie more a day. Which I don't do.

You don't have to eat them all back, you can eat half back. Also, its not about how fast you can lose weight. I'd rather go the slow healthy route by eating right than starving myself, being miserable and cranky to lose weight.

_lyndseybrooke_

At your height and weight, you should be able to eat about 1700 calories without exercise and lose a pound a week. If you're not seeing results at 1800 with exercise, my guess is that you're underestimating how much you're eating. Do you use a food scale? Are you logging consistently, every day, everything you eat/drink? If not, you should be.

juggernaut1974

As others have said...difference between the two numbers is likely that your trainer is taking all of your activity into account. MFP is giving you a net goal (total calories - exercise calories).

Frankly, given your stats both are probably somewhat aggressive. You could likely lose weight fairly steadily and easily eating closer to 2,000 per day as long as you keep up the exercise routine.

p_cisneros2

Hi, you can go online and search the Harris Benedict equation and based on your basal metabolic rate you can determine how many calories you need daily to maintain weight. Then if you're trying to lose weight subtract it by 500; for 500 times 7days equals 3500 which is equal to a pound. Double this to aim for a 2lb weightloss. This is the most accurate way of finding out. This is how dietitians calculate calorie needs for all adult ages and genders healthy and not healthy. I'm going to school to be a dietitian, and a personal trainer isn't really qualified to be giving such advice. A registered dietitian has the credentials. Anyway I hope this helps

taelor2

Yes I weigh my food! I have been for sometime now. I have been at this for 60 days but only been working with a trainer for a month. Before that I was just watching what I ate and didn't work out. (Seemed to lose better then.) I have been working out 4-5 times a week. Every other day cardio/weights and off days just cardio. Since starting at the gym things have slowed way down. I started eating more as the trainer suggested and working out. I don't know wether to chalk the slow progress to starting the gym or more calories.

pensierobello

I have lost 46 pounds since the start of 2014 eating at a deficit of 1400 calories and additionally eating back half my exercise calories, which always gives me a decent amount for the day (MFP is notoriously inaccurate, which is why a lot of people eat back half and it works for us). You could up that calorie total and still lose weight. Check iifym.com.

At the start, on that, I was losing 2 pounds a week and then 1 pound. You do not need to starve yourself. Remember that if you're already eating at a deficit, the calories you burn exercising need to be recovered with food in large part, as otherwise you will struggle with energy and your body will be unhappy! Slow and steady wins the race.

PS I agree re the weighing thing - if you're just entering generic things etc in your diary it probably means you're being inaccurate. Get a scale and find out the truth so you know what your calorie levels actually are!

helenlovesruby

Hi I'm 5 6 and 175 pounds mfp says I should be eating 1610 Cals a day.
1200 sounds too low, I agree with your trainer at 1200 you won't have the strength to work out.