Most accurate way to determine daily cals

empressjasmin

So MFP has told me the daily calories that I should be eating. Just wondering is there a more accurate way to know how many calories I should intake? I generally exercise everyday and have my activity level set to moderately active, however, just wondering what is the most accurate selection to make sure I am eating the correct calories? I am currently about 241 lbs and am 27 years old. Getting frustrated because I do weigh and track all food, but can't really seem to lose much.

rankinsect

Most accurate is to weigh and accurately log all food, weigh and trend your weight, and look at the rate of observed weight loss. Calculators are a good start but after a few months of real world data I would use that instead.

You do need high quality data for both weight and caloric intake for this to be accurate.

cityruss

As above.

Real world results trump generic calculators/exercise burn guesses/activity level settings.

Use the TDEE method, which allows you to forget about exercise burns and the like.

Pick a number, log accurately and track trends in weight, adjust as necessary according to rate of loss, satiety, athletic performance and adherence.

kshama2001

Your activity level does not refer to exercising every day but to what you do for work. If Lightly Active/Active doesn't describe you, your activity level is set too high.

If you have a desk job, change your activity level to Sedentary and check out how many less calories you get.



Do you eat back the calories you earn from exercise? If so, what percent? Many people here suggest eating just 50% of them.

When I weigh my food on a digital food scale, eat the calories MFP gives me, eat some (but not all) of my exercise calories, I lose as expected over the course of a month.

empressjasmin

kshama2001 wrote: »

Your activity level does not refer to exercising every day but to what you do for work. If Lightly Active/Active doesn't describe you, your activity level is set too high.

If you have a desk job, change your activity level to Sedentary and check out how many less calories you get.



Do you eat back the calories you earn from exercise? If so, what percent? Many people here suggest eating just 50% of them.

When I weigh my food on a digital food scale, eat the calories MFP gives me, eat some (but not all) of my exercise calories, I lose as expected over the course of a month.

Thank you, and if I take your suggested advice, my activity level would change to sedentary which could explain some things.