How many calories do you eat?

2

Replies

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,207 Member
    For those of you that are trying to lose weight not just maintain how have you determined how many calories to eat? Do you just use the default 1200 cals? Or have you used some other way to come up with a number? I personally have calculated my BMR and TDEE. From there I subtracted about 750 cals which should yield a 2 lb loss per week. It just seems that eating over 1800 cals is too much. Any thoughts?
    I just recorded what I ate when I was maintaining my weight for 2 or 3 weeks then created a deficit....I know, I know not very scientific.:wink: I'm now trying to shed 30 lbs after a bulk and consuming around 2700 calories.
  • Codilee87
    Codilee87 Posts: 509 Member
    My base recommendation is 1600, then I burn approx. 500 cal thru exercise each day, which bumps up my total significantly - but I try not to eat more than 1800 regardless.
  • Saramelie
    Saramelie Posts: 308 Member
    Well.... I am supposed to eat in the range of 2000-1800 calories net to lose from 0.5 to 1 pound a week (I prefer to take it slow) but right now I eat way more than this so I can`t say what my ``perfect`` range is. When I started on December 1st, I was eating 1800 cal/day and not eating my exercice calories back and was losing great.
  • keayanaminus
    keayanaminus Posts: 1
    what do you eat when you have so many calories to eat
  • FatAssBecky
    FatAssBecky Posts: 58 Member
    I am happiest when I eat 2000 calories a day. I try to make these cals be more "whole foods" - cheese, eggs, veggies, fruits, etc. In order to lose or maintain, I have to burn 500-1000 a day with this consumption.

    I'd much rather eat more and be more active than to restrict my diet and have little/no activity.
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
    what do you eat when you have so many calories to eat

    I eat around 2345 calories a day, although I can easily eat more. You are welcome to take a look at my diary to see where those calories are coming from. My diary is completely open so have fun.
  • dixoncrew
    dixoncrew Posts: 186 Member
    My goal is no more than 2000 and no less than 1700.
  • fastforlife1
    fastforlife1 Posts: 459 Member
    I've decided to go with the amount of calories I am supposed to eat at my goal weight - given no activity. I would rather take the time to learn what it is like to eat that amount of food, and not have to keep adjusting every time I lose a substantial amount of weight. I do eat back most of my exercise calories each day. It has to be what I consider exercise - no house cleaning, raking, etc. calories are recorded. There's no research or anything to base this on, just my own experiment.
    This is the philosophy of http://www.fat2fitradio.com/ which I think you would enjoy.
  • GingerLolita
    GingerLolita Posts: 738 Member
    For a weight loss of 1 lb/week, MFP set my calorie goal at 1580. I'm losing weight slowly at this point (sometimes eating at a slower loss or maintenance) because I've reached a healthy weight, although it isn't my original goal weight. Also, this number is close to my BMR, and when I below this I feel unhealthy and tired.
  • janetpam
    janetpam Posts: 13 Member
    Question here: Does myfitnesspal adjust calories and give an accurate number for weight loss? The more I exercise, the more calories I can eat, but it seems like I am not losing. Do you eat the calories or not? Are you trying to create your own 500 calorie per day deficit to lose weight or is the number given by myfitnesspal set for weight loss. I have been on this site for a year and never seem to lose. When I used a different site, I was losing. Any thoughts or advice?
  • mungowungo
    mungowungo Posts: 327 Member
    I've decided to go with the amount of calories I am supposed to eat at my goal weight - given no activity. I would rather take the time to learn what it is like to eat that amount of food, and not have to keep adjusting every time I lose a substantial amount of weight. I do eat back most of my exercise calories each day. It has to be what I consider exercise - no house cleaning, raking, etc. calories are recorded. There's no research or anything to base this on, just my own experiment.

    This is exactly what I am doing. So far it's working well.
  • emmaemz1985
    emmaemz1985 Posts: 140 Member
    what do you eat when you have so many calories to eat

    Exactly I can barely make it 1000 and that's me really trying
  • emmaemz1985
    emmaemz1985 Posts: 140 Member
    Question here: Does myfitnesspal adjust calories and give an accurate number for weight loss? The more I exercise, the more calories I can eat, but it seems like I am not losing. Do you eat the calories or not? Are you trying to create your own 500 calorie per day deficit to lose weight or is the number given by myfitnesspal set for weight loss. I have been on this site for a year and never seem to lose. When I used a different site, I was losing. Any thoughts or advice?

    I tend to just eat my calories and then any calories burned is a bonus
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    Around 1850, but sometimes more. Rarely much less.

    26, 5'3", female (duh) for reference.
  • jardin12
    jardin12 Posts: 62 Member
    I eat 1200 to around 1800 a day, lift heavy two or three times a week, personal training weekly, two yoga sessions, maybe six or more hours of gardening, four kids and I'm painting the house and I can't lose a kilogram!! Just saying...missed the running - run at least 10k a week
  • ChrisM8971
    ChrisM8971 Posts: 1,067 Member
    what do you eat when you have so many calories to eat

    Exactly I can barely make it 1000 and that's me really trying

    Just wondering if you struggle to eat 1,000 calories per day then exactly how did you gain weight to be in a position where you need to lose?
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    what do you eat when you have so many calories to eat

    I eat around 2345 calories a day, although I can easily eat more. You are welcome to take a look at my diary to see where those calories are coming from. My diary is completely open so have fun.

    i'm eating in a range of 2100-2500 to lose fat at the moment. I could easily eat more too....before this mini cut I was growing on about 2500-2900. and I could quite happily eat more than that :)
  • ChrisM8971
    ChrisM8971 Posts: 1,067 Member
    I tend to just eat my calories and then any calories burned is a bonus

    Does that mean you eat back the calories you burn, if not I would read the guides on how to use MFP
  • Ainar
    Ainar Posts: 858 Member
    2500 a day plus exercises calories, so it's above 3000 usually. 2800 is my maintenance so I am in 300 cal deficit so far.

    At first when I started this thing I did use different calculators and stuff, and I ate around 1700. Then I went back to maintenance which was about 2200, when I felt good with weight I had lost. And then I started to try to build muscle so I went in 1000 cal surplus, lol. Pretty stupid from me. I was on 3300+ cals, plus exercise cals I ate back, a day for a long time. I did gain a lot of fat and not too much muscle. But by eating so much I speed up my metabolism by quite a lot so now I lose weighty on 2500 just as good as I used to on 1700. ^^

    To think about It, I should have not even used calculators when I started. Cos back then I used to ate a lot of cals too. And prolly would have lost weight not 2500 as well. But MFP and other websites told me that to lose weight I should go to 1700. Which now that I think about it was more like 1000 cal deficit, not 500. So what I suggest you to do, if you just start, is to stay away from calculators and just decrease your cals by 300 - 500 and see do you have any results after two weeks or so. If you don't or weight loss is not fast enough decrease by some more. Just learn your body not rely on MFP or other calorie calculators.
  • meghanner
    meghanner Posts: 180 Member
    My net is usually around 900-1100 and I usually eat around 1250-1400. I'm pretty short however and maintain on this level.
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
    To lose, I eat 1,700 calories and my macros are set to 35 carb, 30 fat, 35 protein. I will maintain on 1,900 - 2,500. Which, 2,500 seems high but I have two really active jobs.

    ETA: I eat ALL the cardio calories. Something has to motivate me to actually do it.
  • _SABOTEUR_
    _SABOTEUR_ Posts: 6,833 Member
    I've approached it as a mini science experiment. I've determined that if I eat a nutritious diet I can feel satisfied eating as low as 1300 calories a day. If I go below that number I can sense my body moving towards that "Starving" zone.

    This does not, in any way, represent science.
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
    I am following a program called Eat to Perform now, and am doing a lot of things the same as I had been doing except upping my protein by about 40 grams per day and re-adjusting when I eat my carbs during the day to provide fuel for my workouts. It's based on eating for performance in one's athletic activities, not for strictly weight loss.

    I have been eating about 2000-2200 calories per day, and I have been losing a half a pound or pound per week. My TDEE is 2600-2700. Some months none, sometimes randomly 5 pounds falls off here or there with little fluctuation in calorie intake. December was a little slower loss but I was not as active as usual and obviously had some high cal days in there with the holidays. I'm working on body recompositioning (fat loss without losing lean mass) so I'm trying to go very slowly. For 8 months I was mostly maintaining and working on my eating disorder issues. Though I've only lost a few pounds in the last year, I've lost 3 pants sizes by losing fat/gaining muscle. I want to lose about 15 more pounds of fat but am more eating for maximum performance right now. I've lost 60 in the last 2 and gone from a size 20 to a loose 10.

    Now I will be eating that on my rest or light workout days and a little more on the days I work out hard for a couple of hours.
  • janicelo1971
    janicelo1971 Posts: 823 Member
    Holy Smokes...so after reading all this...seems most smaller women NET under 1000 calories...then I see comments about not being able to eat more food as your just not hungry.....I must admit I haven't lost much weight at all...like one pound a month, but Im HUNGRY netting 1300 a day! I work out so just I can eat the exercise calories back....maybe that is why im not losing though.....

    interesting thread..clearly I need to stick with 1300 and not eat back my exercise:(:sad:
  • Bssh
    Bssh Posts: 123
    I calculated my TDEE then deducted 10-15% from it and ate that daily. I'm 5ft 4, female, 43 yo, but was still able to lose weight eating a healthy amount of food (1800/1900 cals). I would have stopped dieting if I'd limited myself to 1200 cals!
  • ClementineGeorg
    ClementineGeorg Posts: 505 Member
    What default? There is no default. The calories are given according with your setting of expected weight loss and height and age.

    I started here with a goal to lose 1 lbs a week, so I was eating almost 1850 calories. Now I dropped to 1740 (not the MFP setting anymore, it's the calorie count that gives me stable weightloos right now). I'm just ajusting in function of my body, how I loss (I try to not get influenced by the normal 2-3 weeks plateaus I have from time to time).
    I'm 5'7'' and I have a desk job, but I am very active at home/in my free time. And also workout 2 and a half hours a week, and I try to do intensive workouts.

    I had really good results. It is slower. But I totally don't think I could get to this point with more aggresive goals (like 2 lbs per week). And I can't workout like others 4-5 hours a week. It's just my way.
    I have built up a lifestyle, it is easy for me, I don't binge, I don't feel guilty, I don't have loose skin, I can do this forever and most of all... I look and I feel great.
    I still have to lose, but it seems so achievable now.
  • dmt4641
    dmt4641 Posts: 409 Member
    I am set at only losing .5 lb a week so MFP gave me 1750 and I eat back 1/2 of my exercise calories. I am still hungry even with this amount and I knew from experience that I personally can't go much lower than that. I have about 10 lbs to lose though.
  • Saramelie
    Saramelie Posts: 308 Member
    Holy Smokes...so after reading all this...seems most smaller women NET under 1000 calories...then I see comments about not being able to eat more food as your just not hungry.....I must admit I haven't lost much weight at all...like one pound a month, but Im HUNGRY netting 1300 a day! I work out so just I can eat the exercise calories back....maybe that is why im not losing though.....

    interesting thread..clearly I need to stick with 1300 and not eat back my exercise:(:sad:

    Interesting how two people can have an entirely different perpective. As I was reading the answers I thought : ``Wow, everyone eats so much more than I thought, this is great!! All the posts about 1800 cal, 2000 cal....`` and feeling reassured that I can, too, eat that much and lose. Just a thought.
  • andreahanlon
    andreahanlon Posts: 263 Member
    I aim for 1200 and then adjust for hunger or eating out, so I end up eating 1600-2000 about 3 times a week (and eat 1200 the other days). This works for me. I'm 5 foot 5, currently mostly sedentary, steadily losing 1 pound a week.
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
    To the poster who thinks she needs to net under 1000: I guess it also depends on how small you want to be. I'm where I want to be but bigger than a lot of women want these days. I personally don't want to go below a size 8 because I've been there and I feel like I look older and am hungry all the time. I have 125 pounds of LEAN MASS and then add my fat to that...and I am 5'5." Obviously, I don't want to lose my lean mass so I can't get as small as many want to be without getting rid of muscle, too. I mean, supposedly my optimal weight is 125 but if I personally weighed 125, I would be dead because I would have 0 percent body fat. If you want lean mass, feed your muscles.

    If you just want to be thin, don't eat and your body will eat your muscles, too. I mean, looking good is more important than being strong and healthy, right?:noway:

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