ladies- what is your calorie goal?

imgr8stmom

i have been on MFP for about a month, and still cannot figure out what my calorie goal should be?
Do you go off what MFP gives you? do you go based on your TDEE?

I'm 48/f
current weight: 202
Height- 5'5"
i have a desk job, but average 8-10k steps per day. I also workout 4 days per week

I currently have my goal set at 1800- this is using my TDEE as sedentary, and adding in/eating 1/2 back my activity..

What is working for you??????????

bizgirl26

I use TDEE . I would starve with the calories MFP gives me. I have a desk job as well.

janjunie

I go with what MFP gives me and eat back all my exercise calories. I'm in maintenance now, but did this while I was losing too.

jbirdgreen

I had it set to 1200 per day (5'7", 177 lbs, Sedentary), and I was eating my exercise calories. I changed my goal and it gives me 1400 now. 1200 was not enough for me.

TavistockToad

I use mfp, but am currently on 1700 as I am half marathon training and can't hold a deficit of more than 100 cals!

I'm 5ft5 and 135lbs

inertiastrength

That seems reasonable with that activity and your stats. I have a desk job but I take about 10-13K steps daily and my TDEE is average 2100-2200. I cut easily on 1460 with room for error

kgirlhart

The goal mfp gives you plus exercise will be about the same as your TDEE. If you use mfp's goal you should be eating back at least a portion (if not all) of your exercise calories. The best thing to do is just pick one formula and use that. If you have inconsistent exercise then mfp's Neat formula is often a good way to go. But if your exercise is consistent then TDEE may work best for you. I used mfp's method and ate back most of my exercise calories and lost weight with no problems and I was rarely hungry. I probably would have been hungry if I neglected to eat back the exercise calories.

JessicaMcB

I'm able to cut below 3500 because whenever I am not running I am chasing the kids while my husband is gone. I choose to set MFP to sedentary and allow Fitbit to make adjustments above what my sedentary TDEE would hypothetically be (1710 or something similar I believe?)

ETA: 5'10", 130lbs

DamieBird

I use TDEE with a goal of 1850. I have a desk job, but I work out 4ish times a week, plus lots of walks in the evenings. I'm between 15k-18k steps a day except Sundays, when I deliberately try to stay below 5k steps. I lose about 1.5/wk. I would starve on the MFP kcals on non-exercise days, lol!
36/F
5'7"
SW 217
CW 205
GW 155

quiksylver296

TDEE - 2015 calories per day. Between 10-12000 steps per day and heavy weight lifting 5X week.

5'9
SW 192
CW 171
GW - not sure.

dotwilldoit

I would gain weight at anything over 2000 calories. What works for me is what mfp sets for maintenance with 1/2 pound loss a week, set for sedentary and I eat at least 1/2 of my calories back. Looking at 1700 calories a day maximum.

But the real question is.. are you losing at the desired rate given what your calorie intake?

lokihen

MFP gives me 1310 currently, but I also eat all my exercise calories normally. I've got a lot to lose yet so have an aggressive goal of 2 lbs.

crazyycatlady1

I'm several years into maintenance but in a short weight loss phase to trim off my winter 'fluff' lol. Loosely aiming for .5lb loss a week and calories are between 1,200-1,500 a day. Today I'll clock in at 1,330. Current stats are-female/38yrs old/5ft, 6in/current weight 126lbs, working down to 123lbs (summer maintenance range will be 123lbs-125lbs).

MrsPinterest34

I'm 5'2" 159.5lb. MFP gives me 1490. My Garmin gives me 1560. I usually stay between 1490 or less and 1560. When I go out I can eat as high as 1700. But the most important thing for me regardless of how much I eat is to try and maintain a caloric deficit of -500 or more. My weekly deficit on average is 4000 calories burned per week. My goal is to lose 0.5-1lb per week.

fitmom4lifemfp

imgr8stmom wrote: »

i have been on MFP for about a month, and still cannot figure out what my calorie goal should be?
Do you go off what MFP gives you? do you go based on your TDEE?

I'm 48/f
current weight: 202
Height- 5'5"
i have a desk job, but average 8-10k steps per day. I also workout 4 days per week

I currently have my goal set at 1800- this is using my TDEE as sedentary, and adding in/eating 1/2 back my activity..

What is working for you??????????

I've lost weight before (got lazy with my tracking so I gained a few back in the last 2 years) so I start with what I already know from last time.

happysherri

I have my weight loss goal set to losing 0.5 lbs per week, sedentary (desk job and don't walk a lot) - MFP has my calories set to about 1550 calories. I workout strength training and cardio about 5 days a week and I don't normally eat back my calories since my weight loss goal is set so low.

5'7
41 yrs
165 lb

Have not lost any weight the last couple of weeks because of "fun" weekends

seccotine

I am 60/f, 5'7", currently at 165 lbs. I lost 25 pounds last year (and gained back a few over the winter that I am currently shedding).

You do say that your goal is 1800 cal/day but you do not indicate if you are trying to maintain or if you want to loose a lb./week, or more, or less. Logically, you have to have a 500 cal DAILY deficit to loose a pound per week, which would bring your goal at 1300 cal/day for a TDEE of 1800 cal.

For me 1800 cal/day is my TDEE, i.e. maintenance not weight loss. I used a very simple formula, indicating sedentary and a goal of loosing 1 lb./week, and MFP gave me a goal of 1200 cal/day (this is the absolute minimum and you should not go below).

Now that is pretty low so I exercised for 500 cal/day/7 days a week and SOMETIMES ate part of those to upgrade my menus. As I am impatient, I added two days a week where I did a modified fast of a 300 cal breakfast + a protein shake of 100 cal for lunch and one for dinner, or a grand total of 500 cal for the day. With the exercise this meant that my net intake was 0 cal. This allowed me to shed the weight in about 3 months. I then moved to maintenance by just stopping the fasting and slowly starting to eat all of my exercise calories.

Now I would not advise you to do the fasting without your doctor's OK. It is hard, specially at the beginning, and concentrating is difficult. I chose to do it but made sure first that I did not risk anything. As I have very low blood pressure, it was tricky at times.

Hope this helps.

shadow2soul

I average around 1800-2000 when cutting. It's actually what I averaged for most of my weight loss. 2300 -2400 to maintain currently.

I'm 5'4.5" and currently have a trend weight of 133.4 lbs.

camilapenias

my calorie goal is 700kcal per day, but I still eating like 1.000kcal for now

shadow2soul

camilapenias wrote: »

my calorie goal is 700kcal per day, but I still eating like 1.000kcal for now

That is extremely unhealthy. You will end up malnourished eating so little.

yellingkimber

My goal is under 1400 a day. I think MyFitnessPal actually gave me a lower number, but it looked too low, so I upped it arbitrarily. Down 7.3 lbs in 37 days, so it seems to work just fine for me

FreyasRebirth

I use MFP + Garmin VivoSmart. Today, that has been 1610 + 247 for maintenance. I'm 15 calories shy of meeting that but I pampered myself with a grilled egg and cheese sandwich for breakfast. Mmmmm, cheese....

Leah_62803

I manually set mine to 1600 based on some averages of online calorie estimators. I'm thinking about raising it though.... I'm losing good but feeling pretty hungry towards the evening.

I'm 5'4
SW- 195 lbs
CW- 177 lbs
GW- 140 lbs
I'm also still nursing my 17 month old baby.

juliehmaui2016

MFP gives me 1270. I have a desk job so I'm sedentary. I try and do at least one work out video on Saturdays (the actual workout varies as I rent the CD's from the library). I do my best to try and stick to those caleries but I seem to end up closer to 1400 most days...sigh.
I'm 39 Y/O Female
SW-160
CW-156
GW - (145, I think - this could change)

cozytimes

i work at a desk, so i'm pretty sedentary.
MFP gives me 1400 calories for a 0.5 pound loss per week. i usually eat 1200-1500 calories though, i'm generally happy if i'm below my TDEE.

lilolilo920

shadow2soul wrote: »

I average around 1800-2000 when cutting. It's actually what I averaged for most of my weight loss. 2300 -2400 to maintain currently.

I'm 5'4.5" and currently have a trend weight of 133.4 lbs.

I'm jealous!! 5'4" and I maintain on 2000-how do you maintain on so much??

faby_1221

I stick to 1000kcal week days and up it to 2000kcal on weekends. I find it fits in better with my lifestyle and I am seeing good results. I work at a desk, walk 30 minutes every day and do strength training 3 x a week.
5'6/26/F
SW 185
CW 159
GW 150

deannalfisher

5'3"/35/F
SW - 158
CW - 148
GW - 144 (although more BF reduction focused that weight focused specifically)

I cycle through 4 different calorie goals in a week - low of 2180 and a high of 2490

deputy_randolph

I'm 5'3, 135, 37 y/o. I maintain around 2200. I bulked twice...worked up to 2600 cals. a day (only put on 10 lbs in a year). I've been on a cut for 2 months...worked down from 2300 to 2100. I'm down 3-4ish lbs.

I lift 5 days a week and am fairly active on rest days (volunteer at an animal shelter and do heavy duty clean a few hours a week). I heart food.

shadow2soul

lilolilo920 wrote: »

shadow2soul wrote: »

I average around 1800-2000 when cutting. It's actually what I averaged for most of my weight loss. 2300 -2400 to maintain currently.

I'm 5'4.5" and currently have a trend weight of 133.4 lbs.

I'm jealous!! 5'4" and I maintain on 2000-how do you maintain on so much??

I'm pretty active. When I was a stay at home mom I would walk a lot of places (grocery store, park, ect) and then I worked out 7-8 hrs a week.
Currently (as of Feb) I work as a server in the restaurant of a retirement community. I typically have 10k steps by 2 pm from work. Then I workout about 5-6 hrs a week (mostly strength, but there is a little cardio in there).

WinoGelato

I think your plan sounds reasonable OP, the best thing to do is pick a number, stick with it, and monitor results for 6 or so weeks. If you are losing faster then desired, eat a little more of the exercise cals. If not as fast as you'd like and is reasonable for your total weight loss goal, cut back 100 or 200 cals.

I'm 5'2, 42, and also have a desk job. I lost ~ 30 lbs when I started on MFP while eating 1600-1800 cals/day and am maintaining at 120 now with a TDEE of 2200 measured by my FitBit and actual results.