How many calories should I be eating?? TDEE

bethany_h_xx

Hi
So MFP is telling me to eat 1200 calories but I am starving!!
I know I have posted threads about this but finding it hard to stick to!
I'm 5 foot 2 and weigh 11 stone 12
As of Monday I will be going to the gym and working out everyday! Other than that I will be sat down.
Do you think I could up my calories and still lose weight?

juggernaut1974

bethany_h_xx wrote: »

Do you think I could up my calories and still lose weight?

As you have been told in all your other threads...YES

EricNewark

What do you have weight loss per week set to?

Logging exercise will give you more calories, yes. So you will be able to eat more than that. Be careful logging in MFP though since it can be overestimated.

futuremanda

Did you tell MFP 2 lbs a week? Change it to less. Try 1 lb or 0.5 lb and see what it gives you.

You can also try moving more. Hard exercise has a bit of a cap on it in terms of energy and health -- you can't spend all day on the treadmill running (and shouldn't try). But you can take more walks, get up more often, do more chores, walk for more errands (rather than driving or one big errand run), etc.

Log your exercise, and eat back those calories (as MFP intends).

And if you think you move enough to not be sedentary, bump up to lightly active. If you move even more, bump up to active. If you're not sure, you might benefit from a Fitbit or Jawbone or something to help you see how much you move and increase it over time.

GreenIceFloes

Of course you can. Just set MFP to lose 0.5 lb/week. You'll need to be extra careful about logging then because it is a small deficit. I assume you are set to lose 1 lb/week right now?

kristen6350

MFP isn't telling you to eat 1200 calories. You chose how much weight/week you wanted to lose. More than likely your goal is too aggressive. You've gotten a ton of good advice already from your numerous posts. I'm not sure what the disconnect is?

When you signed up, how much weight did you tell MFP you wanted to lose per week? If it was 2lbs, set it to 1lb. It will magically give you more calories to eat. If it was 1lb set it to .5lbs.

I lost close to 20lbs since January eating no less than 1400 calories a day. I'm 5'11 and started at 167. You are making this WAY too hard, hun.

juggernaut1974

For those not familiar with OP - she originally wanted to eat <1200 per day and burn off 1000 per day via exercise, thinking this was a good plan.

californiagirl2012

Of course you can, but at the same time remember a calorie deficit anywhere in the range under your maintenance number is not comfortable. It is temporary corrective action (like taking medicine temporarily) to fix a health problem of being overweight. It is meant to be temporary and can be "taken in doses" sustainable to you. Every day does not have to be the same.

So always use your own body as the end game, not the calculator, book, chart, guru, what someone else here says. Your body always has the answer. Other than feeling a bit uncomfortable from the calorie deficit you should sleep well, have energy for workouts, recover well from workouts, and have enough energy to complete your daily responsibilities <--- that will be your best answer as to whether or not it's too low. Not what anyone tells you.

I am 5 foot tall and now a super lean athlete, but I was once obese. Since I am lean I can't eat under 1300 or even 1400 most days. I only need one or two deficit days now and then to maintain. But when I was obese and considerable over weight I could actually have a few 1000 calorie days a week, and varied up the deficit days (upping the level of calories) based on how I felt.

For us shorter people, especially females, I have found MFP to be a little high like others who have said. Again, it doesn't matter what anyone says, if your body is losing or gaining (allowing for a few pounds of water weight fluctuations) then the answer is right there.

sijomial

No MFP doesn't tell you to eat 1200. As people keep telling you.

Yes you should eat more. As people keep telling you.

No you don't have to exercise to an obsessive degree to burn calories. As people keep telling you.

brookekingyens

I am eating 1200 calories (plus additional calories for exercise) and some days I honestly have trouble getting enough in (but I do). If you're starving you may also not be eating enough nutrient rich foods (lean protein, heaps of veggies, some hummus, nuts etc) and maybe not drinking enough water. You may also be overestimating your portions.

I gained a lot of weight and was probably eating 2000-2500 a day before I was tracking and making better decisions. Now that I'm eating better, I feel just as satisfied with a 1200 calorie day as I was with a 2500 calorie day and have way more energy.

I've only been tracking for 2.5 weeks (this time) but I'm getting results, not just on the scale but on how my clothes fit and my body feels.