2040 calories seems too much?

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blossomingbutterfly
blossomingbutterfly Posts: 743 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I keep seeing all these message board threats with people saying their intake is 1500-1600 a day... MFP set mine at 2040 and I sometimes have a hard time sticking to that!

I set it to lose 1lb a week, sedentary activity. I'm 288lbs atm, 5"6. Is 2040 daily accurate? I have been making better choices, based off of what I can do, I've been walking and weight training on my arms. I feel better. But I keep seeing these threads about people either the same size as me or more than me saying 1500 calories a day and I'm starting to get paranoid that maybe I'm eating wayyyyy too much.

I have lost 3lbs thus far, and that's over 2 weeks. I thought I was on the right track? I have lost 80lbs before, but then it all came back when I started anti depressants. That and even more. Now I have it all to loose again. I'm not in a hurry to lose it, more just want to do it well and keep it off. That's more important to me.

I don't know. Any sort of advice on if I'm doing okay or not would be appreciated!
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Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    If you're losing weight then why not eat as much as you can while doing so? But if you wanted to reduce your cals a bit to lose a bit quicker then you can.
  • BekaBooluvsu
    BekaBooluvsu Posts: 470 Member
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    I'm also 5'6" & weigh 268. My calorie goal is 1450. I also never eat back exercise calories.

    I think you're doing fine. If you don't want to lose faster, than 2000 calories is fine :). Remember you're doing this for you and your journey is different than everyone else. At the end of the day you have to do what's best for you. Good luck! Big hugs!
  • johnnylakis
    johnnylakis Posts: 812 Member
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    Yes, anything more than 2000 is too much (unless you are an athlete). Increase the weight loss to 2 lbs per week (this is the maximum safe weight you can lose per week). Your calories will drop to 1540 and you will drop 100 lbs in one year!!!

    PS I was doing 1200 calories and losing 2 lbs per week. Now I want to slow down weight loss, so I up'ed it to 1620 calories and losing 1 lb per week.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    I think that a lot of people with similar weight loss goals will set their weekly goal at 2lbs a week, which is fine (heavier people can handle bigger calorie deficits). The difference between 1lb and 2lbs is 500 calories a day. But if it were me, I'd rather lose weight slower so I can eat more, which would make me more likely to stick with in long run. Long term adherence is the key to reaching your goals.
  • blossomingbutterfly
    blossomingbutterfly Posts: 743 Member
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    I'm also 5'6" & weigh 268. My calorie goal is 1450. I also never eat back exercise calories.

    I think you're doing fine. If you don't want to lose faster, than 2000 calories is fine :). Remember you're doing this for you and your journey is different than everyone else. At the end of the day you have to do what's best for you. Good luck! Big hugs!

    A part of me would love to lose faster, but I'd be too afraid of it coming back. I also still find it hard to eat less than 2000 calories. Some days I'm at 1700, and others I struggle to stay under 2100.

    Thank you for this. :)
  • Manarelle
    Manarelle Posts: 33 Member
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    I'm 5'9" and started my journey at just under 200 lbs. I am in no rush- wanted to make this a permanent thing rather than a quick fad diet/ burnout thing. MFP has never had me go below 1900 calories, and I've found that I lose weight steadily (barring plateaus), and do not feel overly starved.

    Bottom line, as the ladies above me mentioned: if it's working for you, go with it. If you start plateau'ing, maybe recalculate to account for weight lost so far, but don't feel stressed or guilty about it if it's working. Everyone's different!
  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
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    You lost 3 lbs in 2 weeks while eating 2040 calories? Seems like it's working. Like you said, you're not in a hurry to lose weight... most of those people want to lose weight NOW. Don't worry about other people's calorie intake, do what is working for YOU. Besides, it's not too much because your exercising. Congrats on your weight loss! :flowerforyou:
  • chargraves
    chargraves Posts: 65 Member
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    If you are losing I would not over-analyze it. I am almost 2x your age, female, 5'5". My starting weight was 319 lbs and I lost a steady 2-3 lbs a week around 1950 calories a day. Over time the daily calorie target decreased and my weight loss leveled off but that's expected a you get closer to goal.
  • funchords
    funchords Posts: 413 Member
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    I keep seeing all these message board threats with people saying their intake is 1500-1600 a day... MFP set mine at 2040 and I sometimes have a hard time sticking to that!

    It's okay if this takes a long time. Your body is yours for your entire life, why rush it? If you're not enjoying this, you're not going to stick with it. So enjoy it and make it your own.

    It's a target, you should be in that neighborhood, not way over and not way under. It also works as an average spread over a few days. So if you're at 1800 one day, 2200 the next two days, and 1900 the fourth day -- that's fine and is the same as being slightly under all four days.
  • jennifer_a00
    jennifer_a00 Posts: 186 Member
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    It sounds right. I started at the same weight as you and that is about the same amount of calories I was given too. Over time as I have lost a bit of weight, my calorie allotment has gone down. Stick to it and you will lose! Slow and steady wins the race.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    If you're losing weight, then it must not be too much! The proof is in the pudding. :)

    Don't compare yourself to other people. Just compare yourself to you.

    Enjoy it while it lasts, too. The more you lose, the harder it gets. Soon, enough, you'll be cutting back on what you eat. :)
  • DevilsFan1
    DevilsFan1 Posts: 342 Member
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    2040 seems too high for you. I'm a 182-pound, 44-year old male and my net daily intake is set at 2000. I've consistently lost just about one pound per week for the last eight weeks at this level. I suspect you need to reassess.

    At 288 pounds, a three-pound loss in two weeks could just be water weight or simple error. Even at my size, my weight can fluctuate a couple of pounds in the same day depending on the time of day and what I've eaten. Are you weighing yourself on the same scale at the same time of day using an accurate scale? Even if you are, I don't think you have enough data in two weeks to make an accurate assessment about whether what you're doing is working.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
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    If you are happy with losing 1lb a week, then good on you! If you entered 2lb/week, MFP would give you 1540 calories each day. That's the difference. Personally, I make that decision on how I'm feeling. When I set for 2 lb/week, I get 1200 because I am short and older. 1200 is miserable for me. So I go for a slower loss and enjoy myself. Not everyone is miserable at lower cals and it works for them.

    In summary, if you are happy and it's working, don't try to fix it :flowerforyou:
  • funchords
    funchords Posts: 413 Member
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    A part of me would love to lose faster, but I'd be too afraid of it coming back.

    I plan on doing this for the next several years. One day I'll be able to click that "Lose 2 lbs. a week" to "Maintain my current weight", but I'll be logging every day and walking at least 3x a week like I'm doing today. It takes a very long time to undo a lifetime of poor eating and exercise habits. It's also not a straight and easy road -- there will be twists and turns and even a few switchbacks -- but if you stay on course and endure these challenges, the scale has no choice but to eventually obey.

    I'm so glad you're here. You're going to do wonderfully!
  • DevilsFan1
    DevilsFan1 Posts: 342 Member
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    Start exercising and you can eat more. A one-mile walk is about 100 calories.
  • jhisson
    jhisson Posts: 5
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    When I first started, I had my goal set for 1.5 lbs per week, and it gave me 2030 calories daily. A few weeks later, after losing a few pounds, I fiddled with the goals, just to see what it would give me for 1 lb/week and 2 lbs/week. I decided to put it back at 1.5, and this time, it gave me 1990 calories/day. Just now (I have lost 12 lbs overall in the last two months), I fiddled with it, and at 1.5 lbs/week, it's giving me 1970 calories/day. So it seems to me that as you lose weight, you should change the goals so that it will adjust your calorie intake.

    Based on my own experience, and what I've been reading here and at other websites, it seems like a person's calorie goal is based on their weight, age, and lifestyle. And it should be adjusted as a person loses weight. I've had a few days where I've been way below my calorie goal (like in the 1400-1500 range), and I was miserable on those days (tired, headaches, etc). So I've been trying to plan ahead better and stay no more than about 200 calories under my goal. If I work out during the day, I consume extra calories so that my net intake is always fairly close to my goal.

    What I'm saying is, this has been working for me. My method may not work for everyone. If you're losing, and you're happy with your progress, don't worry about what anyone else is doing. Their journey isn't yours, and vice versa. Good luck!
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    If you're losing, its working. If you want to go quicker, set it for 1.5 pounds loss a week, for a couple of weeks and see how you feel.
  • RHachicho
    RHachicho Posts: 1,115 Member
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    Things can vary a lot depending on what life you live. I am transitioning to maintenance eating 3000 calories. No sign of weight gain so far. may even still be losing very very slowly.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
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    When I first started, I had my goal set for 1.5 lbs per week, and it gave me 2030 calories daily. A few weeks later, after losing a few pounds, I fiddled with the goals, just to see what it would give me for 1 lb/week and 2 lbs/week. I decided to put it back at 1.5, and this time, it gave me 1990 calories/day. Just now (I have lost 12 lbs overall in the last two months), I fiddled with it, and at 1.5 lbs/week, it's giving me 1970 calories/day. So it seems to me that as you lose weight, you should change the goals so that it will adjust your calorie intake.

    Based on my own experience, and what I've been reading here and at other websites, it seems like a person's calorie goal is based on their weight, age, and lifestyle. And it should be adjusted as a person loses weight. I've had a few days where I've been way below my calorie goal (like in the 1400-1500 range), and I was miserable on those days (tired, headaches, etc). So I've been trying to plan ahead better and stay no more than about 200 calories under my goal. If I work out during the day, I consume extra calories so that my net intake is always fairly close to my goal.

    What I'm saying is, this has been working for me. My method may not work for everyone. If you're losing, and you're happy with your progress, don't worry about what anyone else is doing. Their journey isn't yours, and vice versa. Good luck!

    FYI the tool will automatically prompt you to update stats and target food calories every ten lbs. No issues with constantly fiddling with the goals because I do that too and personally I've never seen the auto prompt. Just wanted to mention the site feature for anyone who was not aware :smile:
  • jhisson
    jhisson Posts: 5
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    Thanks! I didn't know about that feature!

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