Calorie intake help

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luvmyboys525
luvmyboys525 Posts: 8 Member
in Getting Started
Hi everyone :) I'm a 26 year old female, standing at a whole 5' tall lol. I'm currently 217lbs and set up MFP to lose 2lbs per week being lightly active. Now, it tells me I should eat 1310 calories a day, but that seems really low by what I've been reading on the message boards. Would it be best to change it manually or use the suggested amount? The past week I've been consuming 1500 and eating my exercise calories back and lost 1lb. Thanks for any help!

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  • lauries8888
    lauries8888 Posts: 70 Member
    edited October 2015
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    It is probably right (the 1310) but I'm not sure if you need to lose that aggressively. 2 pounds a week is a lot. You didn't put it all on at a rate of two pounds per week, so give yourself time to take it off more slowly so that this new way of eating becomes a new way of life, instead of a "diet". Also, I only eat back half my calories because I think that the caloric values given for exercise tend to be too high. Best of luck.
  • luvmyboys525
    luvmyboys525 Posts: 8 Member
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    Some of the weight I actually did put on very quickly..about 15 pounds was in less than 2 months. I thought it was pretty normal for someone with a substantial amount to lose 2+ per week..is that not right? Considering I could lose 100lbs and be in the "normal" range for my age and height, I thought that was the best way to set it up.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
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    Change your goal to 1 to 1 1/2 per week and you will get more calories per day. Losing weight slower is easier.
  • lauries8888
    lauries8888 Posts: 70 Member
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    I think that many people who restrict too many calories find that it is too hard to maintain that lifestyle and they give up, cheat, binge, etc. and/or end up putting the weight back on if they do manage to lose it. Slow and steady is easier for many people but it really depends upon so many factors. Keep in mind that there often is not one "right answer" to this. You can always try it one way and adjust your strategy, as needed. As long as your calories out exceed your calories in (and you are not restricting below 1200 per day, which is unhealthy), you are doing it "right".
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    Don't forget it is 1310 PLUS exercise calories. But as others have said - lower your goal if you're worried about it to 1 lb.
  • Bshmerlie
    Bshmerlie Posts: 1,026 Member
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    At some point, because of your height you probably will have to get down to the 1300 range to continue losing at a decent rate. But I think you could stick with the 1500 for awhile.
  • melmerritt33
    melmerritt33 Posts: 1,058 Member
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    Use the suggested amount for a while and see how it goes. I'm not only short like you but not very active because of a chronic illness so I only get 1200 calories a day. For most people that wouldn't be enough but for me I seem to need it that low to lose weight (I've just lost 4lb in the last two weeks).
  • suziecue20
    suziecue20 Posts: 567 Member
    edited October 2015
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    Unfortunately us 'shorties' are destined to eat less than the giants because although we get as hungry as taller people we don't NEED as many calories as them. I'm 5ft and on 1200 calories a day. First 2 weeks I lost 2lbs a week then it has been 1lb a week. I can't do lots of exercise because of a chronic bad back. I don't eat my exercise calories back, to me they are just a bonus to my calorie deficit.

    With a 217lb starting weight you could try eating 1400 calories and only eating back half of your exercise calories and see how that goes. Edit - Welcome and good luck :)

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