How many calories are you eating?

LauraSrock18
LauraSrock18 Posts: 125 Member
edited December 19 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey all!

I’m curious, I am 5’6, active, and have 15lbs left to my personal goal of 165lbs. MFP suggests I eat 2,000 per day to lose one pound a week, another app suggested 1,700. Lately I have felt very hungry & lethargic and I’m struggling with eating more calories & potential slowly down losing in order to make this a slow process that LASTS or lowering my calories to get to goal faster. I have YO YOed so many times & I just want to find something that works and I can maintain! Please share any experiences you may have. 💕

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Net 1700 to lose 0.5lb per week.

    I'm 5ft5 and 132lbs

    Pick a number and try it for 4- 6 weeks. I'd start with the highest number
  • LauraSrock18
    LauraSrock18 Posts: 125 Member
    It sounded like a lot to me, but all of the TDEE calculators give me a similar number when I subtract 15%.
    My other option is to lose 1.5lbs at 1,700 calories & that just feels too low most days.
    :(
    nowine4me wrote: »
    I’m 5-7” and active and MFP ain’t never gave me 2000. Even to maintain. But roll with it and adjust accordingly

  • Fflpnari
    Fflpnari Posts: 975 Member
    Im heavier than all of you. I ate 2400 calories which was a pound a week loss. I lost almost 30 pounds and my weight loss slowed down a little. I just lowered my calories to 2200 to see how that works. If I go down to 2000 I start feeling really crappy, dizzy, tired, and it just leads to binge eating. Point of my story.... Try a number for a month and see what happens. See if you feel better and still lose.
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    LauraSrock18 wrote: »
    It sounded like a lot to me, but all of the TDEE calculators give me a similar number when I subtract 15%.
    My other option is to lose 1.5lbs at 1,700 calories & that just feels too low most days.
    :(
    nowine4me wrote: »
    I’m 5-7” and active and MFP ain’t never gave me 2000. Even to maintain. But roll with it and adjust accordingly

    But TDEE already has exercise built in, so a bit different formula. Try it for a few weeks, worst case you can cut by 100 or so until the scale moves
  • Phirrgus
    Phirrgus Posts: 1,894 Member
    I was losing @ 1780, .5lb a week but I was still hungry all the time. I changed my goals a bit and get ~2000 a day now, but it hasn't been long enough to really tell.

    Oh, only 6lbs to go, 180lb male, 59. I keep reading the last 15lbs are the toughest...
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    Depends on my activity, but I typically avg around 2000 total intake for weight loss. Currently 2000 calories is about 0.5lb per week loss for this 5’4.5” mom weighing 134.8lbs.

    Due to being unable to exercise at the moment (doctors orders), I am aiming to stay between 1500-2000 calories so that at the very least I maintain my weight for the next week or 2 until I am cleared to exercise again.
  • zeejane03
    zeejane03 Posts: 993 Member
    edited February 2019
    5ft, 6in, 40 years old, sedentary (no intentional exercise currently), current BMI 21.8 working on a few vanity pounds. Have my target set for .5lb a week, calorie intake at around 1,350 a day.
  • lalalacroix
    lalalacroix Posts: 834 Member
    5'7.5", 50 with almost 40 pounds left to go. Currently sedentary, but usually active. I'm eating at 1590 but kinda struggling with it since I haven't had exercise calories to eat lately.
  • Kalemeemily
    Kalemeemily Posts: 2 Member
    I'm 5'6 I weigh about 145 pounds. I have a pretty sedimentary job and I eat about 1500 calories a day. You should use a macro calculator like IIFYM or follow The Flexible Dieting Lifestyle on Instagram and he shows you how to calculate your macros.
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,099 Member
    3700... lean bulk...
  • Smacfit_
    Smacfit_ Posts: 101 Member
    I am 5'5 125lb lost 3lb since Jan 1st on av 1650 per week.
  • LauraSrock18
    LauraSrock18 Posts: 125 Member
    I love the instagram recommendation! His calculations have me at about 2,000 as well, I guess I should clarify I’m at 180lbs & 23% Body fat
    Kalemeemily wrote: »
    I'm 5'6 I weigh about 145 pounds. I have a pretty sedimentary job and I eat about 1500 calories a day. You should use a macro calculator like IIFYM or follow The Flexible Dieting Lifestyle on Instagram and he shows you how to calculate your macros.

  • Mslmesq
    Mslmesq Posts: 1,000 Member
    I’m very short and don’t have much to lose, relatively. So mfp always gives me 1200. If I’m being very active, I can eat 1500-1600 and still lose at a deficit. If I’m being very lazy, usually 1200-1400.
  • whatalazyidiot
    whatalazyidiot Posts: 343 Member
    I am given 1,250 a day for losing 2 lbs a week, and I try to eat about half my exercise calories. Most days I'm around 1400-1500. At the very least, my weekly calories even out.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    With 15 lbs to lose you should be aiming for 0.5 lb/week not 1 lb.

    Have you previously been losing weight with MFP or another method or is this a new start?

    One thing to keep in mind is that the calculators may all be using different assumptions and algorithms (some factor in exercise, others like MFP do not).

    The best thing is to pick a number and stick with it. If you’re concerned about the 300 cal difference between the two numbers you’ve gotten then split the difference. Set the target, aim to hit that consistently, logging as accurately as possible, for 4-6 weeks and then adjust after you have some of your own data points.
  • MeganReid1991
    MeganReid1991 Posts: 170 Member
    I eat around 1400-1600 calories.
    I’m 5’7 not super active but slowly trying to become more active.
    Technically I can eat up to 1800 and still lose half a pound a week. & sometimes I eat 1800 if I’m super active that day or just having a off day where I’m super hungry!
    I have about 30-45 pounds left to lose!
  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,111 Member
    I’m 5’7.5” 39 yr old female and mostly sedentary outside of my workouts (which are fairly intense 60-90 min a day). Currently 158 with an updated GW range of 145-150. If I want to lose weight I have to eat 1600-1800 calories and I lose an average of 0.5lb a week. I won’t go lower. I’d been maintaining 160-164 at around 2200
  • neugebauer52
    neugebauer52 Posts: 1,120 Member
    I trust MFP and their calculation: a total of a bout 80 kg - 175 pounds - to lose, 1740 calories a day.
  • LaurasaurusF
    LaurasaurusF Posts: 5 Member
    Hi!
    Hang in there! Sounds like your body has been through a lot if you've yo yoed a bunch of times. Try and have grace for yourself and give your body time to adjust. As I type this, I'm trying to do the same for myself! I'm curious if you've ruled out any medical stuff potentially with the lethargy? Just worth mentioning. Do you try to add more calories in on days you work out extra hard?
    I'm no nutritionist, but for me I find protein isn't always the thing to make me feel like I've eaten "enough." Are you making sure you have enough fat & carbs in your diet? It doesn't take much to get the satisfying taste of fat & a little bit of fat goes a long way to make you feel satiated. Plus, our brains need fat! I've been enjoying eating baked potato with a little (nondairy) butter with homemade veggie chili. Its delicious & hits the spot. Whatever you decide, I feel that choosing a meal plan that doesn't leave you feeling deprived will ultimately be one that you'll have the best chances to stick with. :)
  • HeliumIsNoble
    HeliumIsNoble Posts: 1,213 Member
    edited February 2019
    5 foot 2-ish.

    MFP has presently set me to 1820 calories plus exercise to lose 0.25kg because I've just adjusted my activity settings up to active. I found I was feeling really on edge and easily overwhelmed over the last week, so I reassessed my winter calorie needs and bumped myself up from lightly active (1550 cals + exercise calories to lose 0.25kg a week).

    OP, have you been consistently dieting for a while? It might be time to take a week off to eat at maintenance.

    Read this. Everyone should read it.
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p1
  • Anna022119
    Anna022119 Posts: 547 Member
    I'm 5'6 mid 40s and not that active during day hours but follow a progressive lifting program.
    I'm currently lean bulking at 2400 calories but shall have to start eating more as I have stopped gaining weight.
    My maintenance before the lifting program was 2000 calories.
  • Keto_Vampire
    Keto_Vampire Posts: 1,670 Member
    6'0 165lbs
    ~3,000kcal/day avg maintenance
    ~2,500kcal/day avg weight loss
  • stricklee11
    stricklee11 Posts: 218 Member
    edited February 2019
    I'm 5'9 with a very sedentary lifestyle. To lose a pound a week, I try to eat 1,550 calories as MFP calculated. So far so good, I started 12/21/18 at 195.2 and now I am 184.
  • endermako
    endermako Posts: 785 Member
    The last 15lbs are killer, it's like a switch went off and everything has slowed down. ugh
  • SRJ5820
    SRJ5820 Posts: 63 Member
    I'm 6', 300, 42, male and eat 1880 kcal a day to lose 2 #'s a week. I also get about 10000 steps in a day, but do not eat that back.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    LauraSrock18 wrote: »
    It sounded like a lot to me, but all of the TDEE calculators give me a similar number when I subtract 15%.
    My other option is to lose 1.5lbs at 1,700 calories & that just feels too low most days.
    :(
    nowine4me wrote: »
    I’m 5-7” and active and MFP ain’t never gave me 2000. Even to maintain. But roll with it and adjust accordingly

    -15% may not be a 1 Lb per week rate of loss. Does your -15% give you a 500 calorie deficit?
  • xxzenabxx
    xxzenabxx Posts: 946 Member
    Take a diet break. Sometimes we need a mental break and if you feel like you’ve been at it for so long you need a break! I’ve been through a crazy journey with my food and currently I’m 5’4”, aged 25 and weigh 150 lbs. I need to get down to 129lbs. I was eating around 1500-1600 calories last year not knowing that I was undereating by 900-1000 calories. My hair fell out and I felt terrible! I always had a fast heartbeat. Fast forward to now, I feel much better with more calories. Guess what?! I didn’t gain any weight despite eating 1000 more calories per day. Yes initially I gained a few pounds but it all went away after a few weeks. I’m waiting for my period to finish so then I can go into a deficit again. I’m currently maintaining on 2500-2700 calories on my exercise days (5 days) and 1800 on my rest days (2 days). TDEE is approximately 2480. To lose weight I would need to consume 2080 on average. Personally I’ve yo-yo dieted for like 10 years and slow and steady wins! Don’t rush fat loss. Even if the last 15 take a year, it will eventually come off. That’s what I tell myself.
  • LauraSrock18
    LauraSrock18 Posts: 125 Member
    Yes! It took off 500 calories
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    LauraSrock18 wrote: »
    It sounded like a lot to me, but all of the TDEE calculators give me a similar number when I subtract 15%.
    My other option is to lose 1.5lbs at 1,700 calories & that just feels too low most days.
    :(
    nowine4me wrote: »
    I’m 5-7” and active and MFP ain’t never gave me 2000. Even to maintain. But roll with it and adjust accordingly

    -15% may not be a 1 Lb per week rate of loss. Does your -15% give you a 500 calorie deficit?

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