Need Some Help!!!!

harby74

Hi Guys

I will be approaching my 40th Birthday in 3 months and would love to lose some weight. My current weight is 166lbs and my goal weight is 133lbs. I am 5ft 6ins tall and I workout 30mins (moderate) a day 5 times a week.

My BMI is 26.8
My BMR is 1445
My TDEE is 2239

What I'm struggling with is how many calories do I need to eat in a day in order to lose 2 lbs per week?

I appreciate any help and advise anyone can give me.

Thank You:flowerforyou:

bwogilvie

First, do you know that those are your BMR and TDEE (through testing and keeping an accurate food diary), or are they estimates from an online calculator?

If you know that your TDEE is 2239, it's easy: you need to eat 1000 calories under TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) to get a 7,000 calorie/week deficit, which equals 2 lbs. of body fat.

MFP will also calculate for you. Go to My Home > Goals > Change Goals > Guided, enter your weight, age, activity level, and 2 lbs./week goal, and MFP will tell you how many calories to eat. MFP's goals have your deficit built in. If you use MFP's calculation, then you should log exercise that is not included in your activity level, but beware of overestimating it. (A lot of people eat back only 50% of MFP's exercise calorie estimates.)

whitebalance

If you only have 30-something pounds to lose, I wouldn't try to lose 2 pounds a week. I see too many diaries with highly restrictive calorie goals that result in deprived feelings, weekend binges, and discouragement. A slower and steadier pace (e.g., 1 pound a week, meaning a 500-calorie/day deficit) will still get you there, and the adjustment to maintenance won't be as difficult. Just a suggestion.

harby74

Thanks Guys for coming back to me...much appreciated!!!
bwogilvie - I got my stats from on-line calculator....I'll use ur suggestion and look into MFP goals.

mamacoates

Remember that weight loss is based on calorie deficit. Calorie deficit is created by decreasing the number of calories we eat each day OR increasing the number of calories we burn through exercise. It takes 3500 calories to make a lb. - gained or lost. So that equals a 500 calorie deficit per day, created by less food consumed OR more exercise minutes completed.

I agree with WhiteBalance. 500 calorie deficit per day through diet is reasonable.... and will help you stay on track through the long haul. Even at 2 lb loss per week, you are looking at 4+ months of intense commitment to lose 33 lbs - which is more than a lot of people can withstand. Set up a healthy eating plan that you can be happy with and maintain long term. Increase the deficit, if desired, through exercise and don't eat back the exercise calories.

P.S. You may want to start doing a lot of reading on this site, join a challenge group or two and make some friends to help keep you motivated through your journey. Feel free to add me if you want.

Good luck!

hallene

Go to MFP to calculate your recommended calorie intake. Please note, it did not take 3 months to gain your unwanted weight. The recommendation from weight loss gurus is to loose weight slowly if you want to keep it off.

harby74

Thanks Guys...will definately take on board your advice!!!