I need help on how many Calories I should Consume and how many calories i should burn

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Replies

  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    jacoblp
    Will i lose weight if i eat below my BMR? Everyone says take 500 off that number my BMR is 1821.75
    should i eat at 1500 to 1600 calories i am so Confused! I just don't see how i can lose weight if i am eating 1900 calories lol And don't i need to burn off more than 1900 calories if i'm eating them? Please help me figure this out
    :(

    It sounds like you have BMR and TDEE confused. You want to take the 500-calorie cut from your TDEE. Not BMR.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    jacoblp wrote: »
    Kalikel wrote: »
    Plug your info into he MFP and follow the recommendations.

    Eating under your BMR is no great tragedy, but try to eat as much as you can while still losing. You're going to want to cut back on calories later and you're going to want to have some to cut! So enjoy eating as much as you can right now. :)

    Thank you so much for your Advice I just started this Diet today so far i did a 3 mile walk with Leslie Sansone and i plan on also doing Zumba and i have been putting my Calories in on here and it says i still have 600 but i dont have room for anything else but a snack lol my problem is finding food to add up to all the calories i need but thanks again for your help :)

    Sorry to double-post but I just saw this. Eating under your BMR can have same seriously negative consequences. You will lose muscle and Your metabolism will rapidly slow making it more difficult to lose weight. If your metabolism slows, you will need to take a break from your diet to repair your metabolism.

    Not one size fits all.....the more you have to lose the less relevant this becomes. You have to work really hard to damage your metabolism.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1424507/warning-to-never-eat-below-your-bmr
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    i have been reading i need to burn more than what i am eating so if i eat 1600 i can't burn that much in a day

    You already do. When they say you need to burn more than what you are eating they don't mean from exercise (that would be quite unhealthy!) but from regular life+exercise.

    For example, my BMR is about 1200. I burn that if I just lie around all day. I also walk around a decent amount, so taking that into account I probably burn about 1680. And I exercise for on average around 500 calories/day. So that makes my maintenance (the calories I burn in a day) around 2180. So eating less than what I burn just means eating less than 2180. (I usually eat 1700-1800, since I am close to goal.)

    You said above that your BMR is around 1820, so your real burn even without exercise would be more like 2200, and anything less than that would be eating less than you burn. If you eat 500 calories less than you burn you lose 1 lb/week (on average).

    But the great thing about this app is that MFP figures it out for you.

    As for how much exercise you should do, I think you should do as much as you will actually enjoy or feel good from, but not so much that you burn out or get so tired you aren't doing it effectively (and as you said, you have a life on top of that). The Zumba and Sansone videos both sound fun--see how it goes, but don't go too crazy, as making it fun and not something you dread will be the key in making it part of your life.
  • michelleselmon
    michelleselmon Posts: 90 Member
    ok can someone help me figure out my TDEE lol
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    and what can i possibly eat in a day to get to 1900 healthy calories lol I have a hard time getting up too 1200 calories

    What on Earth are you planning to do when you reach your goals and transition to maintenance, then? There are tons of good foods out there that will help you boost your calories. Do a little planning, expand your horizons. Losing weight really isn't as complicated as you're making it out to be.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited July 2015
    ok can someone help me figure out my TDEE lol

    Age 23, female

    I need some more info....height....weight.....activity level including exercise

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    I plugged in as a total guess 5'5" 225 pounds, moderate exercise

    TDEE 2,830 .....so subtract 1,000 calories....you can eat 1,830 calories to lose 2 pounds a week
    With this method do not log exercise (it's in there).....if you want a record in MFP....over ride the calorie burn to 1. That way you don't double count.

    As you get closer to goal you will need to dial down 2 pounds, to 1.5 pounds, to 1 pound, to 1/2 pound. Closer to goal, you have to work to keep your existing lean muscle mass (strength training & protein goals help too).
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    ok can someone help me figure out my TDEE lol

    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
  • michelleselmon
    michelleselmon Posts: 90 Member
    and what can i possibly eat in a day to get to 1900 healthy calories lol I have a hard time getting up too 1200 calories

    What on Earth are you planning to do when you reach your goals and transition to maintenance, then? There are tons of good foods out there that will help you boost your calories. Do a little planning, expand your horizons. Losing weight really isn't as complicated as you're making it out to be.

    I just started this whole thing so for me It is Complicated I have no support at home I am a mother to 2 and i am trying to figure out how to lose weight the right way So i came here to try to get help I will figure out the foods i need thanks for your help!
  • veganbaum
    veganbaum Posts: 1,865 Member
    edited July 2015
    and what can i possibly eat in a day to get to 1900 healthy calories lol I have a hard time getting up too 1200 calories

    What on Earth are you planning to do when you reach your goals and transition to maintenance, then? There are tons of good foods out there that will help you boost your calories. Do a little planning, expand your horizons. Losing weight really isn't as complicated as you're making it out to be.

    I just started this whole thing so for me It is Complicated I have no support at home I am a mother to 2 and i am trying to figure out how to lose weight the right way So i came here to try to get help I will figure out the foods i need thanks for your help!

    Please see my previous response. You're making it more complicated than it needs to be. Let MFP do the work for you for a while
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    This is an example of "dialing down"

    Pound per week goals
    75+ lbs set to lose 2 lb range
    Between 40 - 75 lbs set to lose 1.5 lb range
    Between 25-40 lbs set to lose 1 lb range
    Between 15-25 lbs set to lose 1 -.50 lb range
    Less than 15 lbs set to lose 0.5 lbs range
  • jaga13
    jaga13 Posts: 1,149 Member
    veganbaum wrote: »
    and what can i possibly eat in a day to get to 1900 healthy calories lol I have a hard time getting up too 1200 calories

    What on Earth are you planning to do when you reach your goals and transition to maintenance, then? There are tons of good foods out there that will help you boost your calories. Do a little planning, expand your horizons. Losing weight really isn't as complicated as you're making it out to be.

    I just started this whole thing so for me It is Complicated I have no support at home I am a mother to 2 and i am trying to figure out how to lose weight the right way So i came here to try to get help I will figure out the foods i need thanks for your help!

    Please see my previous response. You're making it more complicated than it needs to be. Let MFP do the work for you for a while

    Agreed. If you are just starting out, forget about TDEE calculators and complications. Plug in your information into MFP. Done.
  • michelleselmon
    michelleselmon Posts: 90 Member
    TeaBea wrote: »
    ok can someone help me figure out my TDEE lol

    Age 23, female

    I need some more info....height....weight.....activity level including exercise

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    I plugged in as a total guess 5'5" 225 pounds, moderate exercise

    TDEE 2,830 .....so subtract 1,000 calories....you can eat 1,830 calories to lose 2 pounds a week
    With this method do not log exercise (it's in there).....if you want a record in MFP....over ride the calorie burn to 1. That way you don't double count.

    As you get closer to goal you will need to dial down 2 pounds, to 1.5 pounds, to 1 pound, to 1/2 pound. Closer to goal, you have to work to keep your existing lean muscle mass (strength training & protein goals help too).

    Thank you so much Teabea your a Great help :) I am 5'3 So I think the 1800 will be good And i am going to stick to exercise and the 1800 and see where it gets me Thanks again for all the help you truly helped me understand
  • michelleselmon
    michelleselmon Posts: 90 Member
    jaga13 wrote: »
    veganbaum wrote: »
    and what can i possibly eat in a day to get to 1900 healthy calories lol I have a hard time getting up too 1200 calories

    What on Earth are you planning to do when you reach your goals and transition to maintenance, then? There are tons of good foods out there that will help you boost your calories. Do a little planning, expand your horizons. Losing weight really isn't as complicated as you're making it out to be.

    I just started this whole thing so for me It is Complicated I have no support at home I am a mother to 2 and i am trying to figure out how to lose weight the right way So i came here to try to get help I will figure out the foods i need thanks for your help!

    Please see my previous response. You're making it more complicated than it needs to be. Let MFP do the work for you for a while

    Agreed. If you are just starting out, forget about TDEE calculators and complications. Plug in your information into MFP. Done.

    thank you for your help
  • michelleselmon
    michelleselmon Posts: 90 Member
    TeaBea wrote: »
    This is an example of "dialing down"

    Pound per week goals
    75+ lbs set to lose 2 lb range
    Between 40 - 75 lbs set to lose 1.5 lb range
    Between 25-40 lbs set to lose 1 lb range
    Between 15-25 lbs set to lose 1 -.50 lb range
    Less than 15 lbs set to lose 0.5 lbs range

    ok i will set the weight loss to 2 pounds a week :)
  • jacoblp
    jacoblp Posts: 13 Member
    and what can i possibly eat in a day to get to 1900 healthy calories lol I have a hard time getting up too 1200 calories

    Your BMR is how many calories you would burn if you don't get out of bed. It is just to keep your organs running. If you eat less than your BMR, you are starving your body and your body will adapt accordingly by reducing the amount of calories you need to live. This will lead to a drastic metabolism drop and significant muscle loss, not to mention all the awful stuff that happens during starvation (your hair will fall out, for example).

    http://www.calculator.net/bmr-calculator.html
    Your BMR sounds a little high. I would try recalculating. I'm 5'8" and my BMR is about 1650. You will lose weight if you are eating under your BMR but you will lose more weight if you are eating slightly above your BMR.

    As for what to eat, eat your macros. You should eat somewhere around 230g carbs, 100g protein and 50g fat per day (depending on your body size and composition).
    Try to get your carbs primarily from vegetables and secondly from fruits and grains. Avoid sugar and get 38g of fiber. Avoid added sugar like the plague (natural sugar has micronutrients but is still sugar).
    Get your protein from diverse sources. Complete proteins are best but it doesn't make a huge difference from what I've read.
    Eat good fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) found in Olives, seeds, nuts, avocados, soy, and fish.

    Finally, DRINK A TON OF WATER.
  • michelleselmon
    michelleselmon Posts: 90 Member
    I have looked my BMR up on several sites and it says 1700 too 1821.75
    so im guessing it's somewhere in the Middle It asked me my height 5'3 weight 225 Female and 23 years
    So I am going to stay it's in the middle I am eating fish and chicken vegetables fruits and water
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    and what can i possibly eat in a day to get to 1900 healthy calories lol I have a hard time getting up too 1200 calories
    Peanut butter
    Avocados
    Olive oil
    Butter
    Beans
    Rice
    Full fat dairy
    Fruit
  • michelleselmon
    michelleselmon Posts: 90 Member
    jacoblp wrote: »
    and what can i possibly eat in a day to get to 1900 healthy calories lol I have a hard time getting up too 1200 calories

    Your BMR is how many calories you would burn if you don't get out of bed. It is just to keep your organs running. If you eat less than your BMR, you are starving your body and your body will adapt accordingly by reducing the amount of calories you need to live. This will lead to a drastic metabolism drop and significant muscle loss, not to mention all the awful stuff that happens during starvation (your hair will fall out, for example).

    http://www.calculator.net/bmr-calculator.html
    Your BMR sounds a little high. I would try recalculating. I'm 5'8" and my BMR is about 1650. You will lose weight if you are eating under your BMR but you will lose more weight if you are eating slightly above your BMR.

    As for what to eat, eat your macros. You should eat somewhere around 230g carbs, 100g protein and 50g fat per day (depending on your body size and composition).
    Try to get your carbs primarily from vegetables and secondly from fruits and grains. Avoid sugar and get 38g of fiber. Avoid added sugar like the plague (natural sugar has micronutrients but is still sugar).
    Get your protein from diverse sources. Complete proteins are best but it doesn't make a huge difference from what I've read.
    Eat good fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) found in Olives, seeds, nuts, avocados, soy, and fish.

    Finally, DRINK A TON OF WATER.

    I have looked my BMR up on several sites and it says 1700 too 1821.75
    so im guessing it's somewhere in the Middle It asked me my height 5'3 weight 225 Female and 23 years
    So I am going to stay it's in the middle I am eating fish and chicken vegetables fruits and water

    It said this is my BMR on the site you just gave me BMR = 1,745 Calories/day
    so I think it's between 1700 too 1850
  • jacoblp
    jacoblp Posts: 13 Member
    edited July 2015
    I have looked my BMR up on several sites and it says 1700 too 1821.75
    so im guessing it's somewhere in the Middle It asked me my height 5'3 weight 225 Female and 23 years
    So I am going to stay it's in the middle I am eating fish and chicken vegetables fruits and water

    OK, plugged in your data. I would actually guess your BMR is somewhere around 1600.

    GRAMS per day:
    CARBS: 227.3
    PROTEIN: 96.5
    FAT: 45
    FIBER: 44 - 55
    CALORIES: 1700
    http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

    Now, when you exercise, you'll have more calories to eat. Try to eat them all as carbs since you don't need any more fat and protein than 45g and 96.5g.
  • michelleselmon
    michelleselmon Posts: 90 Member
    jacoblp wrote: »
    I have looked my BMR up on several sites and it says 1700 too 1821.75
    so im guessing it's somewhere in the Middle It asked me my height 5'3 weight 225 Female and 23 years
    So I am going to stay it's in the middle I am eating fish and chicken vegetables fruits and water

    OK, plugged in your data. I would actually guess your BMR is somewhere around 1600.
    CARBS PROTEIN FAT FIBER CALORIES
    GRAMS per day 252.3 96.5 45 45 - 56 1800
    http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

    How did you get 1600?
  • jacoblp
    jacoblp Posts: 13 Member
    jacoblp wrote: »
    I have looked my BMR up on several sites and it says 1700 too 1821.75
    so im guessing it's somewhere in the Middle It asked me my height 5'3 weight 225 Female and 23 years
    So I am going to stay it's in the middle I am eating fish and chicken vegetables fruits and water

    OK, plugged in your data. I would actually guess your BMR is somewhere around 1600.
    CARBS PROTEIN FAT FIBER CALORIES
    GRAMS per day 252.3 96.5 45 45 - 56 1800
    http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

    How did you get 1600?

    Well to get an accurate BMR, you first need a body fat percentage. I estimated using this formula:
    Adult Body Fat % = (1.20 x BMI) + (0.23 x Age) – (10.8 x gender) – 5.4
    According to your numbers, your BMI=39.9 age=23 gender=0
    That puts your body fat at about 47.8%
    To find your BMR from that data, use this formula to calculate BMR (Harris-Benedict formula):
    Women: BMR = 655 + (4.35 x "typical" pounds) + (4.7 x inches) - (4.7 x age)
    where "typical" pounds=lean body mass*1.2(for women)
    Lean body mass=weight*(1-body fat as decimal)
    your Lean body mass=117.68 lbs
    "typical" pounds=141.21 lbs
    That'll actually get you about 1457 for BMR but I scooched it up figuring water weight.
  • jacoblp
    jacoblp Posts: 13 Member
    jacoblp wrote: »
    jacoblp wrote: »
    I have looked my BMR up on several sites and it says 1700 too 1821.75
    so im guessing it's somewhere in the Middle It asked me my height 5'3 weight 225 Female and 23 years
    So I am going to stay it's in the middle I am eating fish and chicken vegetables fruits and water

    OK, plugged in your data. I would actually guess your BMR is somewhere around 1600.
    CARBS PROTEIN FAT FIBER CALORIES
    GRAMS per day 252.3 96.5 45 45 - 56 1800
    http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

    How did you get 1600?

    Well to get an accurate BMR, you first need a body fat percentage. I estimated using this formula:
    Adult Body Fat % = (1.20 x BMI) + (0.23 x Age) – (10.8 x gender) – 5.4
    According to your numbers, your BMI=39.9 age=23 gender=0
    That puts your body fat at about 47.8%
    To find your BMR from that data, use this formula to calculate BMR (Harris-Benedict formula):
    Women: BMR = 655 + (4.35 x "typical" pounds) + (4.7 x inches) - (4.7 x age)
    where "typical" pounds=lean body mass*1.2(for women)
    Lean body mass=weight*(1-body fat as decimal)
    your Lean body mass=117.68 lbs
    "typical" pounds=141.21 lbs
    That'll actually get you about 1457 for BMR but I scooched it up figuring water weight.

    The reason why our numbers are so different is because fat requires a lot fewer calories than lean mass.
    For a more accurate body fat percentage, you can use this site:
    http://www.calculator.net/army-body-fat-calculator.html

    But to be honest, where you're at, you don't need to worry about this so much. Set your calories to about 1700. Set your protein to about 96.5g and fat to 45g and watch the body fat fall off. It'll be surprisingly fast at first. Just remember not to drop your calories too low or the weight loss will screech to a halt.
  • michelleselmon
    michelleselmon Posts: 90 Member
    jacoblp wrote: »
    jacoblp wrote: »
    jacoblp wrote: »
    I have looked my BMR up on several sites and it says 1700 too 1821.75
    so im guessing it's somewhere in the Middle It asked me my height 5'3 weight 225 Female and 23 years
    So I am going to stay it's in the middle I am eating fish and chicken vegetables fruits and water

    OK, plugged in your data. I would actually guess your BMR is somewhere around 1600.
    CARBS PROTEIN FAT FIBER CALORIES
    GRAMS per day 252.3 96.5 45 45 - 56 1800
    http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

    How did you get 1600?

    Well to get an accurate BMR, you first need a body fat percentage. I estimated using this formula:
    Adult Body Fat % = (1.20 x BMI) + (0.23 x Age) – (10.8 x gender) – 5.4
    According to your numbers, your BMI=39.9 age=23 gender=0
    That puts your body fat at about 47.8%
    To find your BMR from that data, use this formula to calculate BMR (Harris-Benedict formula):
    Women: BMR = 655 + (4.35 x "typical" pounds) + (4.7 x inches) - (4.7 x age)
    where "typical" pounds=lean body mass*1.2(for women)
    Lean body mass=weight*(1-body fat as decimal)
    your Lean body mass=117.68 lbs
    "typical" pounds=141.21 lbs
    That'll actually get you about 1457 for BMR but I scooched it up figuring water weight.

    The reason why our numbers are so different is because fat requires a lot fewer calories than lean mass.
    For a more accurate body fat percentage, you can use this site:
    http://www.calculator.net/army-body-fat-calculator.html

    But to be honest, where you're at, you don't need to worry about this so much. Set your calories to about 1700. Set your protein to about 96.5g and fat to 45g and watch the body fat fall off. It'll be surprisingly fast at first. Just remember not to drop your calories too low or the weight loss will screech to a halt.

    All those Numbers lost me lol Thank you so much for helping me out :) I will eat the 1700 and try to workout as much as i can Thanks so much again :)
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    ok can someone help me figure out my TDEE lol

    Your Fitbit burn is TDEE (total daily energy expenditure), the calories necessary to maintain your current weight.

    If you learn to log everything you eat accurately & honestly & use the following settings, you will lose weight. Connect your accounts at http://www.myfitnesspal.com/fitbit

    Set your goal to .5 lb. for every 25 lbs. you're overweight: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided

    Enable negative calorie adjustments: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

    You can learn more in the Fitbit Users group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users
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