Calorie Amount

Marcie9278
Marcie9278 Posts: 64 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I really just wish I understood how many calories I need to eat a day. I workout 5 to 6 times a week and burn 500 to 600 calories. I'm 5'6 and 140. I tried 1400 calories and didn't lose much and then switched to 1200 and lost some more.....but I keep binging which screws it all up. I didn't binge so much on 1400. Some people say 1200 or even 1400 is starving myself but then again some say that starvation mode isn't true. Someone said 1800 but now I think that's way too much. What the heck....I just want to pick one and stick with it. Maybe the 1400? What do you all think? I'm so frustrated.

Replies

  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    edited October 2017
    What recommendation does MFP give you to lose 0.5lbs a week?

    I can't imagine you have much, if any to lose, so a slow rate of loss is sensible. It'll also give you more calories to play with and lessen the likelihood of binging. Remember that the calorie goal you get is before exercise - be a bit cautious of calorie burns, they can be overestimated; the general consensus seems to be eat half back.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    Are you eating back the exercise calories (or some of them) you mention? If not they are there for you to eat back.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    Please say the length of time you attempted 1400, the length you attempted 1200, etc. Please also say if you actually logged your binges. That would help you to understand your response to the diet.

    Also, please say what your established "rate of weekly loss" is. Do you eat back any food for your exercise calories? All these things are factors in your question.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    Same stats as you, with calorie burns from exercise at that level, I'm generally eating 1600-1700 a day. Varies because my activity varies. Basically I just eat what my Fitbit tells me to. It's remarkably accurate.

    Binging is a clear sign you're under eating. Starvation mode in the way it's often used (ermahgad, you'll gain weight if you don't eat enough) isn't true, adaptive thermogenesis is. There are a couple of excellent threads linked in the "Most Helpful Posts" sticky at the top of this forum that you should have a read of. Also have a read of this (not saying this is what you're doing, but it will explain why it's a dumb idea): https://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html/
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    Oh, and since your stats, being the same as mine, tell me you don't have a lot to lose, you may want to have a read of this most excellent thread too: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p1
  • Marcie9278
    Marcie9278 Posts: 64 Member
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    What recommendation does MFP give you to lose 0.5lbs a week?

    I can't imagine you have much, if any to lose, so a slow rate of loss is sensible. It'll also give you more calories to play with and lessen the likelihood of binging. Remember that the calorie goal you get is before exercise - be a bit cautious of calorie burns, they can be overestimated; the general consensus seems to be eat half back.

    I think I'll take your advice and do half the calories burned so like 300. With that added to 1500, it may work. And yeah....I don't have much more to lose.
  • Marcie9278
    Marcie9278 Posts: 64 Member
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    Are you eating back the exercise calories (or some of them) you mention? If not they are there for you to eat back.

    I haven't been but I may start....
  • Marcie9278
    Marcie9278 Posts: 64 Member
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    Oh, and since your stats, being the same as mine, tell me you don't have a lot to lose, you may want to have a read of this most excellent thread too: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p1

    I don't...maybe 5 more pounds. How many calories do you eat?
  • riffraff2112
    riffraff2112 Posts: 1,756 Member
    edited October 2017
    We can't just throw a random number out there. You have to eat consistently at a determined amount and then see what happens. If 1400 was working, then it most likely was correct for modest loss. You can fine tune with eating back (or not) exercise calories, and making sure your activity level is set properly.
    Bottom line is you need consistent logging and eating. If your day to day fluctuations are too much, try ensuring that your weekly calories are in deficit.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    Marcie9278 wrote: »
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    Oh, and since your stats, being the same as mine, tell me you don't have a lot to lose, you may want to have a read of this most excellent thread too: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p1

    I don't...maybe 5 more pounds. How many calories do you eat?

    As I said above, it depends on my TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) as per my Fitbit. If I'm doing a 500 cal deficit and I know my TDEE will be, say 2200 (which for me is a little over 500 from exercise and general moving about), I'd eat 1700 cals. So basically, I eat all my exercise cals on top of what MFP gives me set at sedentary.
  • Marcie9278
    Marcie9278 Posts: 64 Member
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    Marcie9278 wrote: »
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    Oh, and since your stats, being the same as mine, tell me you don't have a lot to lose, you may want to have a read of this most excellent thread too: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p1

    I don't...maybe 5 more pounds. How many calories do you eat?

    As I said above, it depends on my TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) as per my Fitbit. If I'm doing a 500 cal deficit and I know my TDEE will be, say 2200 (which for me is a little over 500 from exercise and general moving about), I'd eat 1700 cals. So basically, I eat all my exercise cals on top of what MFP gives me set at sedentary.

    Got it.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    Marcie9278 wrote: »
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    Marcie9278 wrote: »
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    Oh, and since your stats, being the same as mine, tell me you don't have a lot to lose, you may want to have a read of this most excellent thread too: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p1

    I don't...maybe 5 more pounds. How many calories do you eat?

    As I said above, it depends on my TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) as per my Fitbit. If I'm doing a 500 cal deficit and I know my TDEE will be, say 2200 (which for me is a little over 500 from exercise and general moving about), I'd eat 1700 cals. So basically, I eat all my exercise cals on top of what MFP gives me set at sedentary.

    Got it.

    I will note, I used my weight loss/maintenance data to check that my Fitbit TDEE is accurate. Some people find it over estimates for them, others it underestimates. But plenty of us find ours to be pretty spot on.
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