How many calories should I be consuming each day?

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heyitslexi95
heyitslexi95 Posts: 39 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi,

I have been using MyFitness Pal (with set calorie goal of 1200 per day) for 7 months and am kind of lost as to how many calories I should properly be getting for my body. Over the last 7 months I would eat anywhere between 950-1200 calories per day. I have lost approximately 16.5lbs doing so, however I am feeling like I may be not eating enough even though I sometimes think I am. The only reason I am questioning currently is I do not wish to be making myself ill with not eating enough since I do know I have struggled in the past with an ED. Plus, I have been at a plateau in weight loss for a month now eating the same amount of calories but I fear it's because I have starved myself.


My measurements are...
Gender: Female
AGE: 20
Height: 5'7"
Weight 132.4lbs
Exercise: Walking 3 miles per day, 5-10 minutes of vigorous calisthenics per day
Goal weight: 125lbs

Also, I wanted to add that today I have eaten around 1200 so far & I feel a bit better than normal eating this many calories. I'm not sure if it is the calories though.

Any feedback is appreciated, also thank you if you do respond and have a nice day! :-

Replies

  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
    edited October 2015
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    If you don't feel like your eating enough and have struggled with an ED, the first thing I'd recommend is to speak with someone about this. Your overall mental health is more important than what the scale says. I am around your stats and would run myself ragged trying to lose at that many calories a day. Hell, I ran myself ragged eating less than 1,000 cals a day when I weighed more.
  • scolaris
    scolaris Posts: 2,145 Member
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    It sounds to me like you need to eat more and either get a little more active or take the weight loss a little more slowly. I really don't understand why a young, able bodied woman would ever eat under 1200 calories when the warnings are so clear and explicit that this is distorted thinking.
  • heyitslexi95
    heyitslexi95 Posts: 39 Member
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    scolaris wrote: »
    It sounds to me like you need to eat more and either get a little more active or take the weight loss a little more slowly. I really don't understand why a young, able bodied woman would ever eat under 1200 calories when the warnings are so clear and explicit that this is distorted thinking.

    One of the main issues causing me to eat around 950-1100 calories was the fact that whenever I ate 950 MFP would say anything under 1000 is bad for my body & I thought 1000 was like the minimum I could eat so 950 a day only happened a few times mainly when I was feeling a bit ill.
  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,646 Member
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    scolaris wrote: »
    It sounds to me like you need to eat more and either get a little more active or take the weight loss a little more slowly. I really don't understand why a young, able bodied woman would ever eat under 1200 calories when the warnings are so clear and explicit that this is distorted thinking.

    Politely, it's not up to you to understand if you haven't suffered from disordered eating. It's up to us to recommend OP see a qualified therapist and get assistance getting their own personal issue under control so they can accomplish any weight loss, gain or maintenance goals in a safe and healthy fashion.

    OP, as an advocate supporting those who have experienced ED of any kind, please reach out to and speak with a qualified therapist or doctor, perhaps one who can refer you to a nutritionist who can help you identify and meet the requirements that you are requesting.

    If you want or need assistance locating someone in your area, let me know and I'll find you a list of qualified professionals in your local area.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    Speak to your recovery team if you think you're heading towards that path again. 950, if accurately counted, is not enough to fuel your body.
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
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    What's your weightloss goal set to? Maybe it's to high for the amount of weight your trying to lose?

    Are you weighing your food and logging accurately?

    5'7 isn't short is it? 1200 seems low for someone your height etc
  • Camo_xxx
    Camo_xxx Posts: 1,112 Member
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    Just do the math.
    You lost 16.5 lbs in 7 months = you have been averaging a 275 calorie per day deficit.
    Adjust your diet/exercise accordingly.

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