Calories I should eat for weight loss-HELP!

KaleiAlanaSmith

I started using MFP to calorie count and stay on track so that I can lose weight and get back into shape! The calorie intake it gave me seems low, and I want advice from the community on what I should do. My fitness Pal told me I should be eating 1,360 calories a day, and I work out about 3 times a week (walking, jogging, or DVD workout). Is this a right amount of calories?
Here is a little about me:
Weight: 144
Height: 5 foot 7 inches
Age: 19

I want to get back to my weight and physical shape that I was before the freshman fifteen hit me in my first year of college, which was 130. Help!! I'm just confused, should I trust MFP with their calorie intake they gave me?

lemonychild

what is the rate you want to lose the weight? ... if its 2 lbs then yes, you will have to drastically cut your calories.

after you log your exercise you should eat 50-70% of them back

KaleiAlanaSmith

lemonychild wrote: »

what is the rate you want to lose the weight? ... if its 2 lbs then yes, you will have to drastically cut your calories.

after you log your exercise you should eat 50-70% of them back

I do want to lose weight fairly quickly, but also in a healthy way!! I don't want a yo-yo effect on my body weight to happen.

kristen6350

What did you set your pounds lost per week too? If you set it any higher than .5lbs a week, it's too aggressive.

Also, eat back 1/2 of your exercise calories. You gained the weight over a year, it's not going to take weeks to get it off. Take things slow and steady.

TeaBea

KaleiAlanaSmith wrote: »

I started using MFP to calorie count and stay on track so that I can lose weight and get back into shape! The calorie intake it gave me seems low, and I want advice from the community on what I should do. My fitness Pal told me I should be eating 1,360 calories a day, and I work out about 3 times a week (walking, jogging, or DVD workout). Is this a right amount of calories?
Here is a little about me:
Weight: 144
Height: 5 foot 7 inches
Age: 19

I want to get back to my weight and physical shape that I was before the freshman fifteen hit me in my first year of college, which was 130. Help!! I'm just confused, should I trust MFP with their calorie intake they gave me?

MFP gave you calories based on height, weight, age, gender and activity level (but NOT exercise). Then MFP took that number and subtracted the calories that represent the number of pounds you wanted to lose.

1 pound = (500)
1.5 pounds = (750)
2 pounds = (1000)

Start over.....pick a moderate weekly goal:

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

Then log exercise & eat 50-75% of those calories also. As weight loss progresses bump up (or down) the percentage of exercise calories MFP adds.

KaleiAlanaSmith

Thanks for the replies! I reset it and it still wants me to do about 1350, but I will be eating no more than 1600 until I feel comfortable going lower. My greatest concern is sticking with this low calorie count and then, once I eat more than that for a while, I'd gain the weight back!! I've also been eating 1300 for about 3 days now and am starving, so I'm going up to 1600 for a while lol!!

kshama2001

kristen6350 wrote: »

What did you set your pounds lost per week too? If you set it any higher than .5lbs a week, it's too aggressive.

Also, eat back 1/2 of your exercise calories. You gained the weight over a year, it's not going to take weeks to get it off. Take things slow and steady.

Yes, with only 14 pounds to lose don't shoot for more that 0.5 pounds per week.