New To Food Logging

Where_Have_You_Been37

Hey guys! I just joined this site as i'm trying to get fitter and healthier! I have a question though. This is my first time trying to monitor my eating habits and the idea of eating 1200 calories a day scares me lol How do you guys do it? Or how did you guys dive into this as a noob to this all?

leebesstoad

Hey guys! I just joined this site as i'm trying to get fitter and healthier! I have a question though. This is my first time trying to monitor my eating habits and the idea of eating 1200 calories a day scares me lol How do you guys do it? Or how did you guys dive into this as a noob to this all?

Is that picture of you current and accurate? Because if it is, there is no way in the world you should be at 1200 calories. Mind if I ask your stats? Height, weight, how much are you trying to lose? What's your activity/exercise level now or planned? Because all of that will determine what your intake should be.

Where_Have_You_Been37

Yea that is me. I'm 5'7 and 140lbs. I used to be active but now I'm sedentary but even so I figured 1200 was too low. For some reason I thought I could at least consume at least 1500! My goal was to just go back to my original weight which is 130 in a healthy manner and use this site as an aid but I think that 1200 is just restricting too much.

marcy_76

Go back through your settings and see if you can get it to re-figure your calorie count. Being as small as you are, you should be eating at LEAST 1400-1600 calories a day.

leebesstoad

Thanks, that's what I needed. Using the stats you provided, 22 years of age, female, 5'7", 140, trying to lose 10 pounds, I plugged that into the calorie calculator over at Scooby's workshop to figure out your TDEE (total Daily energy expenditure). Assuming a completely sedentary lifestyle with no exercise at all, it puts it at 1762 calories/day. Given the small amount you want to lose (yes 10 pounds is a small amount), I wouldn't recommend trying to lose more than 0.5 pounds a week. If you add exercise this will increase anyway. But to lose 1/2 pound a week you would need a daily calorie deficit of 250 calories. So you should be eating somewhere in the vicinity of 1500 calories. That should get you on a nice slow slope to losing the weight that is sustainable and manageable.

Any more questions, let me know.

Where_Have_You_Been37

Thanks you guys I was freaking out for a minute because I didn't want my body to go into starvation mode or anything! You guys are awesome