How many calories a day

nicolemontagna22

Ok based my bmr is coming out to be 1394 based off jillian michaels formula in her book. (655+(4.3xweight)+(4.7xheight)-(4.7xage).
Age 31 height 63 inches weight 138

If I multiply that by 1.2 activity level(what jillian suggest for slightly active) I get 1672. That's regular activity before exercise. SO...to create a deficit of say 500 a day to lose a pound a week that would be 1172. Naturally too low as its user 1200.

Now on MFP if I put sedentary it tells me 1200. If I put lightly active I get 1320. So I'm confused. I think at my weight MFP is deciding for me I have to lose under a full pound a week. Which I'm ok with.just trying to figure out if I should do 1200 or 1320 a day. I'm doing 30 day shred do I log 20 mins circuit training which MFP tells me is worth 165 cals . And I know MFP overestimates that. I've been going 1270 right inbetween two goals and not eating cals back. So I net about 1105 at end if day. But if I should only really deduct half of workout calories if be netting 1187. Still too little ?

RaeLB

Instead of BMR, I would calculate your TDEE - you can find calculators online
Then eat a 15-20% deficit
MFP tends to overestimate burned calories so I would eat back 50-75% of your exercise calories

DrJenO

The 1.2 multiplier is for sedentary people, which you are not if you are doing the 30 day shred.

If you don't want to eat back your exercise calories, and you know that you are going to be exercising the same number of times each week, go to a site that calculates TDEE and find out what that is. I got 1923 for lightly active (exercise 1-3 days per week) and 2168 for moderately active (exercise 3-5 days per week). Those numbers represent the amount of calories you would need to maintain your current weight at those activity levels.

To lose weight, subtract 20% from that and eat that every day, regardless of whether you exercised on THAT particular day.

DrJenO

Some helpful links:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/931670-bmr-and-tdee-explained-for-those-needing-a-guide
and
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants