How many calories should I be eating?

gail200186

So I just started. I'm 27 years old, 5ft 3 and 197lbs. My goal weight is 120lbs.

I've kinda been following WW, trying to stick to 24 points a day, but I've also been using MFP to track calories etc. I'm just wondering if anyone can give me some direction as to how many calories I should be consuming to get a 2lb a week loss. I would like to exercise 3-5 times a week, but I'm scared I'm not taking in enough calories and putting my body into starvation mode :S

HELP!

gail200186

Oh....and I'd like to get started doing the 30-day-shred, so if anyone has any experience with it...let me know.

shayleac

Hi Gail. You set this in your setting, fitness profile.
Put your current weight, and goal, and choose one of the following fitness profiles.
In MFP, you do not count the exercise as part of the "sedentary" etc. If you have a desk job, choose sedentary.
When you workout, you will add it as a cardiovascular exercise and it will allot you more calories to eat. etc.
So if it sets you at 1200, and you work out 300. You can eat 1500.

Others might sell you to use the TDEE-20% method... which you can google. It will give you an amount of calories. With this method, you woud include the 3-5x working out in your activity level. Scooby's workshop has a good calculator.

I just stick to MFP, it's easier. And if I have a bad eating day, I can just work out more to balance it out.
As you lose weight, make sure to adjust the calculations. Maybe every 5-10lbs.

Good luck.

gail200186

Thanks Shayleac. But I wonder that if I was to use the calories I gain from exercise, won't I just maintain my weight??

itsscottwilder

If you really work out 3-5 times a week. Then I think somewhere 1800-2000 calories a day is a good place to be.

http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

shayleac

No. Because the calories they give you is at a deficet already. The amount they give you is to lose the 2lbs a week.
You want to net the calories they give you.
So if you workout, and add the calories, and eat them back, you are still meeting that 2lb a week deficit.

So if you eat for example 1200 calories, then work out 300, you can eat 1500.
Because you are still eating the 1500-300 calories burned = 1200. (which is the goal they gave you to lose 2lbs a week.)

shayleac

If you go with the other method. You would not add your exercise calories. You would just eat at that constant number everyday as exercise is already accounted for.

gail200186

Ah!!! Gotcha! Awesome! Thanks so much!