Calorie goal

topazgal

I weigh 170 pounds so can someone tell me what i shld set my calorie goal at. Shld it be 1,200?

brianpperkins

What is your height? Age? Goal weight?

topazgal

5'4 48 and goal weight 155

brianpperkins

To lose about one pound per week, those stats come out at about 1500 calories per day.

topazgal

That seems like alot 1,500 for female

arditarose

It's not. If you're new to calorie counting, you will find that you have been eating quite a bit more than that to maintain your current weight.

brianpperkins

At 48 years old, 5'4, 170 pounds your body burns more than 1500 calories per day at total rest. It burns nearly 2000 calories at a "sedentary" activity level. 1500 is not a lot.

queenliz99

topazgal wrote: »

That seems like alot 1,500 for female

Nope, it's not a lot. He who eats the most and still loses weight is the winner

topazgal

Ok thank you so much will set my goal on the app to 1,500 this was a big help i never knew what to set it as also this may sound like a stupid question can you explain calorie deficit to me

queenliz99

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819925/the-basics-dont-complicate-it/p1

brianpperkins

Calorie deficit is eating less than your body burns overall.
MFP uses a model known as NEAT - Non Exercise Activity Thermogenisis - big words meaning the calories you burn from everything besides deliberate exercise. Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is what the body burns just to stay alive ... think why a person in a coma needs a feeding tube. For you, that number is right at 1500 calories per day depending on the calculator (all online calculators are estimates based on averages ... to accurately determine your individual numbers requires testing). A sedentary person burns approximately 120% of their BMR daily ... a resting metabolic rate or sedentary total daily energy expenditure. That is the number you try to eat less than.

From that number, subtract 500 calories for every pound you plan on losing a week. With approximately 20 pounds to lose ... 1 pound per week transitioning to an even slower rate makes sense. The goal is to lose fat, not lean mass.

1200 is the minimum number recommended for the average woman to consume in order to meet nutritional goals. It really can be a hard number to stay at because it is such a small intake. People get hungry, overeat and things spiral from there.

topazgal

Thank u!

topazgal

Thanks everyone for all the great info!