Calories seem low?

lyuro57

I entered all my stats and it says just target is 1200 calories per day but that honestly just seems very low to me and unhealthy. Does anyone feel like their calories are calculated low?

Panini911

it is based on the info you put in. if you are short, female and selected sendentary as well as a fast rate of loss (2lb/week) and have little to lose then you end up below 1200.

Remember MFP gives you calories to eat with no purposeful exercise.

What are your stats? current weight, goal weight, height and gender?

lyuro57

Female, 143, 5'1, goal weight 130. Workout 5 days a week for 45-60 mins.

cmriverside

With your stats, choose, "Lose 1/2 pound per week." That's really the most you can lose in a healthy manner.

Be honest in your Activity Level. I would suggest to not ever choose "Sedentary." If you have any kind of job, go to school or care for a home or kid, you aren't Sedentary, so the lowest choice is Lightly Active.

Then when you exercise, enter the exercise into the Exercise tab at the top of the page. You will be given more calories to help fuel that exercise (PURPOSEFUL exercise, like those workouts.)


From Help at the top of every page: How does MyFitnessPal calculate my initial goals?

Panini911

with 13pds to go you should select a rate of loss of 0.5lbs and make sure to eat those exercise calories. both of these will get you up beyond 1200 calories a day. also consider what your actual activity level is (any idea how many steps you take in a day on average? beside the workouts?)

for the record, i am also 5'1. I started at 176 ish and am now around 115. I went down to a rate of loss of 0.5lb/week at around where you are. (my goal was also 130 but i sorta just kept going).

I eat 1400 and lose at around 0.5lb/week. a bit more on days i exercise but i'm not doing a ton at the moment.

lyuro57

I get anywhere between 8-15k per day depending. And I never eat my exercise calories, so maybe that's why I'm always hangry? Some days with exercise calories I'll have 500-600 remaining and I never eat them, I thought I read somewhere not to. UGH.

Panini911

you are under eating big time. that many steps is at minimum very active (did you select sedentary?) plus you need to eat at least some if not ALL of your exercise calories.

lyuro57

I chose sedentary which apparently is wrong lol. Ok, I'll choose active and I'll eat at least some of it exercise calories!

Panini911

you can test lightly active and a portion of exercise calories to start and adjust based on how your rate of loss goes. but it shouldn't be over 1lb/week max, ideally a bit less.

lyuro57

I had my goal to lose 2 lbs a week too, so maybe I need to change that also!

promisesstandin

please help with caloric intake on IF - intermittent fasting. usually take 2 meals at about 1,100-1,200. one meal a day would be tough to get much in. whats the min. i can intake, 5'7", light active, 59yrs., female, 168lbs. thx!!!

promisesstandin

ps = hiit maybe 2x week, 30 mins. max on elyptical,...not very hard, also some resistance 15 min/1-2x week

promisesstandin

down 99lbs! yahooooo!

promisesstandin

want to drop another 30lbs then go maintenance

Panini911

promisesstandin wrote: »

please help with caloric intake on IF - intermittent fasting. usually take 2 meals at about 1,100-1,200. one meal a day would be tough to get much in. whats the min. i can intake, 5'7", light active, 59yrs., female, 168lbs. thx!!!

1 - start a new thread so we can better help you specifically (vs confuse the original post and yours)
2 - put your stats in MFP. be honest, select a reasonable rate of loss. eat back your exercise calories.
3 - if one meal is too hard, then do more meals. when you eat doesn't impact weight loss. people chose IF as it fits their natural eating habits or it helps them stick to their calorie goals. eat in a way that helps you stick to your goals.
4 - the minimum calorie recomendation for an adult women, and for a very SHORT, very sedentary women is 1200. You need much more being taller and close to normal weight range and being active.