Calorie limit advice?

jeschepp
jeschepp Posts: 307 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've been struggling with my food planning and looking for advice. For those of you working on losing weight-do you have a calorie limit you're trying to stay under? I have been using the Mayo Clinic Diet, which set this at 1200, but I'm wondering if this is too low for me right now. I've had some days I've felt pretty hungry or run down and no amount of extra fruit or veggies will boost me. I recognize part of this is likely my body adjusting to a sedentary, fast food life to one where I'm eating actually very healthy and exercising daily. I'm going between sticking it out, or aiming closer to 1400. Ideas?

Replies

  • rj0150684
    rj0150684 Posts: 227 Member
    What’s your age/weight/gender? What’s your goal? How active are you? Are you eating back exercise calories?

    If you’re even lightly active, 1400 is probably fine, but hard to be sure without more info.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Your calorie goal should be determined by your height, weight, age, gender and activity level (there is none of that information in your post). Another factor is going to be your weekly rate of weight loss......(hint choose no more than 1% of your current weight).

    Try a TDEE (total daily energy expenditure ) calculator: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
  • erinpatsy
    erinpatsy Posts: 25 Member
    I struggled with 1200 as well, on top of exercising every day. It wasn’t working for me. My sanity was being tested daily as I was ALWAYS hungry and ALWAYS felt tired. I switched from 2 pounds a week to 1 pound a week based on others advice here, and it upped my caloric intake to 1500, and even though my weight loss will slow, that doesn’t mean I’m not losing, and my body thanks me for it. I don’t feel like I’m starving and I’m sleeping better. I also get to have that second helping if I so choose. Usually I top off the day at 1400 but I don’t feel bad if I eat the whole 1500.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    1200 calories per day is typically for a sedentary female...if you're exercising regularly, you're not sedentary. You need to account for your exercise activity as well as your general activity.

    Your calorie needs are going to be based on your stats (height, weight, gender) and you overall activity level, including exercise and your day to day. Someone else's number is completely arbitrary.

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