Calorie confusion

fairyfootseps39

Hi all.
So I have entered all my information and have my calorie allowance, half a lb loss a week, my activity and it is coming up at 1280 calories.
Yesterday however I watched a tv programme and a woman my sort of age and weight was given a calorie allowance of 2000 calories a day, to be fair though she was eating over 3000 calories a day before but after 12 weeks she had lost 14lb, over a lb a week so how can my calorie allowance be so low? I just want to say also no exercise was ever mentioned like she had to do x amount of activities or burn x amount of calories from that allowance. Slightly confused and just wondering if there was anyone who upped their allowance because it seemed so low and got better results or should I stick to what I have been given?

serindipte

What is your height, weight, age and activity level?

fairyfootseps39

I am 38, 168lb, 5" 3 and I put my activity level as sedentary because it can be different everyday so I enter it manually according to what I have done.

serindipte

Height? -- Never mind, missed it lol

serindipte

Based on your stats, this is your approximate calorie burn per day:

Basal Metabolic Rate -1,411 calories per day (This is what your body burns just to live without moving at all)
Sedentary - TDEE 1,693 calories per day (If you have a desk job & sit the majority of the day)
Light Exercise - TDEE 1,940 calories per day (If you're on your feet quite often, moving and doing)

Do you happen to have an approximate average step count? That is useful in determining activity level. Sedentary is under 5,000 steps per day. If you're over that, then you may want to bump your activity level to lightly active.

Based on these numbers, to lose a half pound per week, subtract 250/day from the TDEE above. Using MFP to figure exercise calories, eat back 50-75% of those each day. After you have 4-6 weeks of info, you'll be able to adjust from there, but give it time.

If you're just starting, I'd also point out that a food scale will be your best investment in this. Especially with as little wiggle room as you have to play with.

serindipte

As far as the one you saw that was given a much higher goal, she is likely taller than you. Unfortunately, height works against us when we're short. I'm 5'4", I feel your pain.

fairyfootseps39

serindipte wrote: »

Based on your stats, this is your approximate calorie burn per day:

Basal Metabolic Rate -1,411 calories per day (This is what your body burns just to live without moving at all)
Sedentary - 1,693 calories per day (If you have a desk job & sit the majority of the day)
Light Exercise -1,940 calories per day (If you're on your feet quite often, moving and doing)

Do you happen to have an approximate average step count? That is useful in determining activity level. Sedentary is under 5,000 steps per day. If you're over that, then you may want to bump your activity level to lightly active.

Based on these numbers, to lose a pound a week, I would keep it at what MFP has suggested and add in exercise calories. Using MFP to figure exercise calories, eat back 50-75% of those each day. After you have 4-6 weeks of info, you'll be able to adjust from there, but give it time.

If you're just starting, I'd also point out that a food scale will be your best investment in this. Especially with as little wiggle room as you have to play with.

Thank you for all that information.
I have a 2 year old so running around quite a but but I don't know approximately how many steps I do I only have a pedometer on my phone and I do not always take my phone every where with me.
I weigh everything on a set of scale and it isn't like I feel I am starving all the time I just thought well if I can get similar results eating a little more I would like to.
Thank you again and I will keep to what I have been given and go from there.

fairyfootseps39

serindipte wrote: »

As far as the one you saw that was given a much higher goal, she is likely taller than you. Unfortunately, height works against us when we're short. I'm 5'4", I feel your pain.

It didn't say anything about her height but yes it is a big bummer, the only thing I get from my mother but it could be worse I could be 4"10 like her, bless her.

serindipte

The goal is to eat as much as you can while still losing weight, so you have that part right!! You'll be able to up it some and, maybe, for a day or two, make a point to keep your phone on you, in a pocket or whatever, to get a step count. You may be able to kick it up another notch with a kiddo to chase.

fairyfootseps39

serindipte wrote: »

The goal is to eat as much as you can while still losing weight, so you have that part right!! You'll be able to up it some and, maybe, for a day or two, make a point to keep your phone on you, in a pocket or whatever, to get a step count. You may be able to kick it up another notch with a kiddo to chase.

I will defiantly have to make more of a conscious effort to carry it, some days it says over 11,000 steps because i have remembered it and other days when i have forgotten it 200 steps so I just can not make even an educated guess sometimes.
Oh he defiantly keeps me on my toes.

serindipte

fairyfootseps39 wrote: »

serindipte wrote: »

The goal is to eat as much as you can while still losing weight, so you have that part right!! You'll be able to up it some and, maybe, for a day or two, make a point to keep your phone on you, in a pocket or whatever, to get a step count. You may be able to kick it up another notch with a kiddo to chase.

I will defiantly have to make more of a conscious effort to carry it, some days it says over 11,000 steps because i have remembered it and other days when i have forgotten it 200 steps so I just can not make even an educated guess sometimes.
Oh he defiantly keeps me on my toes.

If you find that you're hitting over 10k steps most days, then you should up your activity level to active.