How do I know how many calories I need?

nicolletteleroux
nicolletteleroux Posts: 12 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi ya’ll. I gained 6 lbs in the last 6 months due to lack of exercise and overeating. I drink a lot of wine and love food!
Recently, I started exercising again. I walk at least 8000 steps a day and do other gym and/or pilates. I’ve only been doing this for 3 weeks.
I realise it is going to take time and my body needs to adjust, but how many calories should I consume to lose 6 lbs?
I am 38 years old, currently weigh 113 and I’m 5’3. Thank you

Answers

  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 1,863 Member
    What was your calorie intake while you were gaining weight? If you were gaining 1 pound per month that suggests a daily surplus of 125 calories. So whatever you were taking in before, cut at least 125 from there. That plus the additional exercise should help.

    Also you can use this as a starting point estimate if for whatever reason you can't do the above. Whatever this estimate is, pick your MFP goals accordingly based on your goal.

    https://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/
  • sollyn23l2
    sollyn23l2 Posts: 1,778 Member
    You're already at the low end of normal weight for your height, so any loss will likely be slow and a challenge. MFP will give you an estimated calorie goal. Look at your diary section, go into settings, make sure you have all your stats set correctly and that you have it set for .25 pounds per week. At your size I REALLY don't recommend any faster loss than that. Also, at your size, you will have to be extremely strict. To get that low, there aren't really any cheat meals and you won't be able to regularly go over your calorie goal at all or you won't likely lose. Keep in mind, the calories they give you are an estimate, so if you don't lose, eat less, if you lose more than .25 per week eat a tiny bit more.
  • westrich20940
    westrich20940 Posts: 921 Member
    edited September 11
    Firstly, you are well within the healthy weight range for your height....nearer the lower end of it as well.

    But, you'd want to choose to lose .5lbs/week - even less than that potentially as you are quite close and with not much to lose.

    Theoretically, IF you were sedentary (which you might not be) you'd want to eat ~1400/day to maintain that weight. An estimate of your BMR is ~1150 so you want to eat more than that at least --- I'd say shoot to eat ~1300 give or take and see how it goes for you.

    Edit: limiting your alcohol consumption would certainly help those are just non-nutritive calories.
  • Hobartlemagne
    Hobartlemagne Posts: 603 Member
    A bottle of wine is over 600 calories.
  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 2,242 Member
    nicolletteleroux wrote: »
    Hi ya’ll. I gained 6 lbs in the last 6 months due to lack of exercise and overeating. I drink a lot of wine and love food!
    Recently, I started exercising again. I walk at least 8000 steps a day and do other gym and/or pilates. I’ve only been doing this for 3 weeks.
    I realise it is going to take time and my body needs to adjust, but how many calories should I consume to lose 6 lbs?
    I am 38 years old, currently weigh 113 and I’m 5’3. Thank you
    That’s a pound a month so you need to cut out about 300 calories a day which would be a daily calorie deficit of around 180 a day. You’re a small woman so a large daily deficit is difficult.

    You’re at about 120 cals per day over your maintenance with a gain of 6 lbs in 6 months.

    5-3 and 113 is already low so make sure losing is really the right direction for you.

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