How many calories do I need?

frankie671

I'm a 24yr old woman, 4ft 11in tall, current weight about 120lbs. I'm not bothered about losing weight, but I'd like to lose fat, gain muscle and look lean! (If a few pounds comes off, that's a bonus). I walk for about 40 minutes every day and weight train 4x a week at the gym. I've been doing this for about a month now. I've increased my protein to be about a gram for every pound I weigh and eat about 1,200 calories a day. Is this too low? Usually this is how much I eat when I'm dieting but this year I decided to get fit properly which is why I've been hitting the gym so much. Am I eating too little to see any muscle gain eventually or do you think it's a fine amount of calories considering my small stature? Concerned that if I'm eating too few calories I might end up losing muscle as well as fat. Thanks!

TeaBea

Maintenance @ sedentary http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ is 1602

MFP would give you a similar estimate if you chose maintenance. MFP's number is without exercise (you log it) and Scooby's number will increase if you change the setting to include exercise.

You very likely won't gain muscle at a deficit.

You are specifically looking for recomposition.....http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/the-basics-of-body-recomposition-how-to-lose-fat-gain-muscle-at-the-same-time/

J72FIT

It sounds like you want to do a slow re-comp, build muscle slowly with minimal fat gain. At your activity level you could try a range of 14 - 16 calories per pound of bodyweight. That would put you at around 1680 - 1920 calories per day.

frankie671

Thanks TeaBea! My body fat percentage is quite high. I think it's like, 27% or something like that. I am a typical 'skinny fat' person. So in order to lose this fat and gain muscle, you're saying I should eat around 1,600 Cals a day? Even if I want to lose the fat? (I'm so used to yoyo dieting over the years it's a hard concept to get used to. But I am trying

TeaBea

frankie671 wrote: »

Thanks TeaBea! My body fat percentage is quite high. I think it's like, 27% or something like that. I am a typical 'skinny fat' person. So in order to lose this fat and gain muscle, you're saying I should eat around 1,600 Cals a day? Even if I want to lose the fat? (I'm so used to yoyo dieting over the years it's a hard concept to get used to. But I am trying

1600 is the starting point.....I used sedentary. So likely you would be eating more.

frankie671

Ok thanks TeaBea. Also thanks J72Fit. I guess it's because I'm so short I'm literally always advised to eat no more than about 1,300. Hard to get used to. I will start increasing

J72FIT

frankie671 wrote: »

Ok thanks TeaBea. Also thanks J72Fit. I guess it's because I'm so short I'm literally always advised to eat no more than about 1,300. Hard to get used to. I will start increasing

Increase slowly and prepare to have to make adjustments along the way. This is a results based endeavor and you make your adjustments accordingly...

Good Luck!

MKEgal

Here's a calculator that takes into account age, height, weight (either goal or current), and activity.
https://www.bcm.edu/cnrc-apps/healthyeatingcalculator/eatingCal.cfm
It will also tell you how many servings of the food groups you should be eating.

frankie671

Thanks so much for all your input. Today I increased my calories to 1400 on here and on my Fitbit, I know I'm going to struggle to eat that much but I'm going to try! I already feel so full and it's only lunch, haha!

J72FIT

frankie671 wrote: »

Thanks so much for all your input. Today I increased my calories to 1400 on here and on my Fitbit, I know I'm going to struggle to eat that much but I'm going to try! I already feel so full and it's only lunch, haha!

Be brave, have faith and most of all patience...

frankie671

J72FIT wrote: »

frankie671 wrote: »

Thanks so much for all your input. Today I increased my calories to 1400 on here and on my Fitbit, I know I'm going to struggle to eat that much but I'm going to try! I already feel so full and it's only lunch, haha!

Be brave, have faith and most of all patience...

I'll try! It's leg day today, so hopefully that'll work me up some more of an appetite.

cross2bear

MKEgal wrote: »

Here's a calculator that takes into account age, height, weight (either goal or current), and activity.
https://www.bcm.edu/cnrc-apps/healthyeatingcalculator/eatingCal.cfm
It will also tell you how many servings of the food groups you should be eating.

That guide says specifically it is for people between the ages of 2 and 20 years of age.

frankie671

cross2bear wrote: »

MKEgal wrote: »

Here's a calculator that takes into account age, height, weight (either goal or current), and activity.
https://www.bcm.edu/cnrc-apps/healthyeatingcalculator/eatingCal.cfm
It will also tell you how many servings of the food groups you should be eating.

That guide says specifically it is for people between the ages of 2 and 20 years of age.

Yeah I saw that lol... I used the scooby one instead

jolive7

Before you know it you will wonder how you ever ate 1200.. I have been there, I now eat 2000 and am 23%, dropping about 1% per month with a goal of 18%