How to decide right calorie intake?

TheOnyxStar

I'm having trouble figuring out what is the right number to stay at for weight loss. My trainer at the gym is helping me with nutrition (though after the other day I may stop that...) we calculated 2100 cals a day for around a 1lb weight loss per week. I did the calculation through MFP for a 2lb weight loss per week and it gave me 1720 cals. Would it be best to be between those numbers so I have wiggle room?

How did you all figure out your calorie intake?

psuLemon

Pick a number, track for 3 or 4 weeks, assess progress and modify from there. That is how I did it.

I also monitor how that number impacts my training. Too aggressive and I found I didn't perform well in the gym.

TavistockToad

TheOnyxStar wrote: »

I'm having trouble figuring out what is the right number to stay at for weight loss. My trainer at the gym is helping me with nutrition (though after the other day I may stop that...) we calculated 2100 cals a day for around a 1lb weight loss per week. I did the calculation through MFP for a 2lb weight loss per week and it gave me 1720 cals. Would it be best to be between those numbers so I have wiggle room?

How did you all figure out your calorie intake?

How much weight do you have to lose?

ShayCarver89

One thing that I have noticed about MFP over other weightloss websites and apps, is that it gives you MUCH less calories. Like, they can be aggressive about it. There are 2 things for me to pick from here, either I eat 1400 a day (yeah right) or 1950. I chose the 1950, even tho its a much slower process. In the past when I lost 70 pounds, I found that really restricting my calories caused me to binge. I was so miserable I had 10,000 "I'd rather be fat than do this" moments a day when I was eating less than 1900 a day.

NovusDies

TheOnyxStar wrote: »

I'm having trouble figuring out what is the right number to stay at for weight loss. My trainer at the gym is helping me with nutrition (though after the other day I may stop that...) we calculated 2100 cals a day for around a 1lb weight loss per week. I did the calculation through MFP for a 2lb weight loss per week and it gave me 1720 cals. Would it be best to be between those numbers so I have wiggle room?

How did you all figure out your calorie intake?

The difference between the 2 estimates is 120 calories. MFP would have you at 2220 to lose 1 lb per week compared to the trainer at 2100. Your trainer would have you at 1600 to lose 2 lbs per week compared to the 1720 on MFP.

To lose 1.5 lbs (or in between) would be 1970 on MFP and 1850 from your trainer.

This is not a recommendation because I have no idea how much you have to lose but I would stick to the MFP numbers initially.

psuLemon

FutureMrsCarver89 wrote: »

One thing that I have noticed about MFP over other weightloss websites and apps, is that it gives you MUCH less calories. Like, they can be aggressive about it. There are 2 things for me to pick from here, either I eat 1400 a day (yeah right) or 1950. I chose the 1950, even tho its a much slower process. In the past when I lost 70 pounds, I found that really restricting my calories caused me to binge. I was so miserable I had 10,000 "I'd rather be fat than do this" moments a day when I was eating less than 1900 a day.

The main difference between this site and others, is that MFP does not include exercise in the calculation while others do. So once you exercise and eat back calories, irs about the same.

AnvilHead

FutureMrsCarver89 wrote: »

One thing that I have noticed about MFP over other weightloss websites and apps, is that it gives you MUCH less calories. Like, they can be aggressive about it. There are 2 things for me to pick from here, either I eat 1400 a day (yeah right) or 1950. I chose the 1950, even tho its a much slower process. In the past when I lost 70 pounds, I found that really restricting my calories caused me to binge. I was so miserable I had 10,000 "I'd rather be fat than do this" moments a day when I was eating less than 1900 a day.

MFP bases their calorie goals on BMR+NEAT, while most other sites base their goals on TDEE. There's a difference, and it can be quite significant.

TheOnyxStar

TavistockToad wrote: »

TheOnyxStar wrote: »

I'm having trouble figuring out what is the right number to stay at for weight loss. My trainer at the gym is helping me with nutrition (though after the other day I may stop that...) we calculated 2100 cals a day for around a 1lb weight loss per week. I did the calculation through MFP for a 2lb weight loss per week and it gave me 1720 cals. Would it be best to be between those numbers so I have wiggle room?

How did you all figure out your calorie intake?

How much weight do you have to lose?

Between 70-85 lbs.

hipari

TheOnyxStar wrote: »

I'm having trouble figuring out what is the right number to stay at for weight loss. My trainer at the gym is helping me with nutrition (though after the other day I may stop that...) we calculated 2100 cals a day for around a 1lb weight loss per week. I did the calculation through MFP for a 2lb weight loss per week and it gave me 1720 cals. Would it be best to be between those numbers so I have wiggle room?

How did you all figure out your calorie intake?

Based on the info you have given: you go to the gym and have 70 lbs, so I’m guessing you aren’t super tiny or super sedentary. I’d go with somewhere in the middle, but start on the upper end of that scale, like at 2000, including exercise calories that are eaten back. Like others said, stick with a number for a few weeks and see how it goes. It’s better to go slow, steady and motivated instead of getting hangry, binging, quitting or being miserable. Find a balance that works for you.

May I ask, what did your trainer do the other day to make you consider stopping getting nutrition advice from them? The other week, I told my trainer off pretty harsh, telling him I do not accept any pill-related advice from anyone who is not a trained doctor or pharmacist and he’s trained in training and physiotherapy, neither of which I trust in pills. The pills we were discussing were supplements for different vitamins, minerals etc so nothing crazy about weight loss supplements or ”magic tricks”, but still. His other nutrition advice has been pretty solid and reasonable, like how to add more protein and fiber. He’s a big believer in animal proteins though, and I’m consciously trying to eat less meat

As for figuring out my calorie intake, I have a Fitbit with all-day heart rate, and I get a pretty accurate* reading for my calorie burning. I’m aiming for an average burn of 2500, and average intake of 2000.

*accurate enough as in it ”matches” how I guesstimate my intake mostly without a food scale, so even if the numbers themselves are inaccurate, they are inaccurate by about the same amount my intake is.

TheOnyxStar

hipari wrote: »

TheOnyxStar wrote: »

I'm having trouble figuring out what is the right number to stay at for weight loss. My trainer at the gym is helping me with nutrition (though after the other day I may stop that...) we calculated 2100 cals a day for around a 1lb weight loss per week. I did the calculation through MFP for a 2lb weight loss per week and it gave me 1720 cals. Would it be best to be between those numbers so I have wiggle room?

How did you all figure out your calorie intake?

Based on the info you have given: you go to the gym and have 70 lbs, so I’m guessing you aren’t super tiny or super sedentary. I’d go with somewhere in the middle, but start on the upper end of that scale, like at 2000, including exercise calories that are eaten back. Like others said, stick with a number for a few weeks and see how it goes. It’s better to go slow, steady and motivated instead of getting hangry, binging, quitting or being miserable. Find a balance that works for you.

May I ask, what did your trainer do the other day to make you consider stopping getting nutrition advice from them?

My normal day is very sedentary, the only time I do dedicated exercise is with my trainer. I am in no way tiny either

TavistockToad

TheOnyxStar wrote: »

TavistockToad wrote: »

TheOnyxStar wrote: »

I'm having trouble figuring out what is the right number to stay at for weight loss. My trainer at the gym is helping me with nutrition (though after the other day I may stop that...) we calculated 2100 cals a day for around a 1lb weight loss per week. I did the calculation through MFP for a 2lb weight loss per week and it gave me 1720 cals. Would it be best to be between those numbers so I have wiggle room?

How did you all figure out your calorie intake?

How much weight do you have to lose?

Between 70-85 lbs.

So you can stand to go for 2lbs a week initially if you want.

Semele0

I did it this way: first I tracked all I was eating for a couple of weeks before starting to cut them, to understand how it worked and to see how much I was consuming daily. Then I put MFP on maintenace and saw that the number it gave me was pretty similar to the calories I was actually consuming normally. Then I choose all the rate of weight loss, from the smaller to the higher to see how the calories changed, and choose one that seemed ok. Then based on results and the level of hunger, adjust. In my case there is not much wiggle room because I need to lose little and I'm short, in your case there is more.
More or less you did something similar. You already know that you need to eat in the range 1720-2100. Which one to select I think also depends on how your mind works: would you prefer to see a high number of calories available for the day and maybe if you can you eat less then better? Then put 2100 and if you eat 1900, for example, you is still in your range. Or would your prefer a smaller number so you are motivated but then you know that if you go over you are still losing and are not bothered by the red numbers? Then put 1720 but you'll know that if you eat for example 1900, then you are still good. Or you can put a number in the middle so you are more balanced and can go a little over or a little under, no stress... With time you'll know better and adjust

Francl27

I never even picked the 'lose 2 lbs a week' setting. It said that 1 lb was recommended and that way I was sure I wouldn't burn out.

serindipte

Here's how I picked my calorie goal:
I used the https://tdeecalculator.net to determine what my maintenance calories will be at my goal weight. Then I set my goal for 100 under that. When I get to my goal, I'll already be eating at the right calorie count and my weight loss will automatically slow down as I get nearer to that and my deficit decreases (as a result of weighing less which will bring my actual TDEE down nearer to my calorie goal)