How many calories do I NEED to eat

evacastillo750

Hi all,

MFP currently has me at 1320 cals per day. A few days out the week I am far from my limit. Should I actively eat to at least meet the 1320 or is it no big deal?

31 yr old/female/5'6/206lbs/considered obese on standard weight scales

Thanks for your help in advance.

kristine806

It is important to eat your proper caloric intake BUT it not just how many calories it were they all come from. If you do not take in enough then your body will want to store the fuel you provide because it believes that you are not getting enough food. That being said a calorie deficite is important but you should be getting that with your exercise. But eating at least your base calorie (calories before exercise) is important.

cajuntank

MFP by default will assume you are logging your exercise so you can eat back those additional calories as the deficit is already built in from your general activity (i.e... sedentary if you have a desk job to active if you are on your feet all day to highly active if you are doing manual labor all day). Log your intake and exercise for a few weeks, and if you are losing between .5-1% bodyweight average a week, then you are golden. If you are losing less or more than that, then adjust accordingly as needed. Exercise helps with calorie deficit, but its the diet that will rule. Exercise calories tend to be vastly over reported, so that's why you see people not eat all of them back. You will lose weight by eating a deficit, no way around that. If you are not, then you are not in a deficit.

IsaackGMOON

I think 1320 calories for someone of your size is too little - if you keep up that consumption you'll lose weight too fast and potentially lose muscle mass, and have loose skin in the future.

I think something like 1600-1800 calories would be ideal with eating back exercise calories.

DeguelloTex

Why are you far short of 1320?

yarwell

I guess 1200 is the minimum for a reason (nutrition) so try to eat that. You have reserves for the rest.

kshama2001

evacastillo750 wrote: »

Hi all,

MFP currently has me at 1320 cals per day. A few days out the week I am far from my limit. Should I actively eat to at least meet the 1320 or is it no big deal?

31 yr old/female/5'6/206lbs/considered obese on standard weight scales

Thanks for your help in advance.

I'm about your height and weight and can't imagine being satisfied on less than 1320 calories. In fact, I need to exercise to get enough calories.

Would you open up your diary so I can see what you're eating? http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

gcprotos

IsaackGMOON wrote: »

I think 1320 calories for someone of your size is too little - if you keep up that consumption you'll lose weight too fast and potentially lose muscle mass, and have loose skin in the future.

I think something like 1600-1800 calories would be ideal with eating back exercise calories.

oilphins

IsaackGMOON wrote: »

I think 1320 calories for someone of your size is too little - if you keep up that consumption you'll lose weight too fast and potentially lose muscle mass, and have loose skin in the future.

I think something like 1600-1800 calories would be ideal with eating back exercise calories.

This is very true. 1320 is way to low. As long as your exercising and burning calories on a regular basis, you will still lose the weight but just at a slower pace. When your overweight at 1320 a day you will lose a lot at first but then hit a wall. you need to up your calories a bit.

Kalikel

You need to eat enough to get all your nutrients in and fuel your body so that it remains healthy and strong. That number is different for different people and even varies by day for the same person.

If it says 1320, then that's a good number to shoot for, I guess. Take a look at your weeks and months as they end and see how you've done. If you're under or over the number, make changes.

You have to adjust as you go.

evacastillo750

I'm almost scared to open up my diary hahah.. but it's done.. 1234

kshama2001 wrote: »

evacastillo750 wrote: »

Hi all,

MFP currently has me at 1320 cals per day. A few days out the week I am far from my limit. Should I actively eat to at least meet the 1320 or is it no big deal?

31 yr old/female/5'6/206lbs/considered obese on standard weight scales

Thanks for your help in advance.

I'm about your height and weight and can't imagine being satisfied on less than 1320 calories. In fact, I need to exercise to get enough calories.

Would you open up your diary so I can see what you're eating? http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

evacastillo750

Hi all,

Thanks for the comments. Right now, my main focus was to just stay within the 1320 range without so much focus on the macros.. I know that macros are important, I just want to take it one step at a time and not get overwhelmed or confused.

The plan was for me to just meet the calorie requirements and then focus on macros. From the advice you guys have given, I see that I will have to up my calorie intake so I will look into to how much I need to do that by. Right now I am restricted on the activities that I can do so I do a lot of walking..

evacastillo750

Loose skin, I'm "obese" and have loose skins lol.. I can thank my son for that..

gcprotos wrote: »

IsaackGMOON wrote: »

I think 1320 calories for someone of your size is too little - if you keep up that consumption you'll lose weight too fast and potentially lose muscle mass, and have loose skin in the future.

I think something like 1600-1800 calories would be ideal with eating back exercise calories.