Help with Calories

g_cabral

OK, when I input my weight and goals etc. It tells me that I need to consume 1670 calories a day. Now, already that sounds like a ton. Then when I workout, and I am very active, it keeps giving me MORE calories to consume. So come the end of the day, I did not meet my calorie goal!

I dont understand why on earth I would want to consume that many calores. A woman should only consumes between 1200 to 1500. maybe when I plateau I can understand consuming a higher count. But, my God, I dont want to eat myself to death???\

Can someone help me with this?
Have you changed what the system as given you?

Thanks,

Gina

luv2ash

Gina, you can manually change that to say whatever number you want it to say

Good luck!

erickirb

The amount MFP gives you depends on a bunch of factors. Go to your goals tab and on the top right you will see calories burned from normal daily activity. This is what you would have to consume each day to maintain your weight. To lose 1 lb would be 500 less and to lose 2 lbs 1000 less than that number.

foolismcgee

i think it also seems high because you should be losing at a slower pace, 1 pound a week is recommended. if you ate 1200-1500 a day you would lose more than that a week, but it's just not recommended by health professionals. also, lots of people don't eat back their exercise calories. you just want to make sure you don't eat any less than 1200 a day to ensure you don't put yourself into starvation mode.

hummzz

I'm so with you. I'm allowed 1970 calories a day to lose 1 lb a week. Then there are more with my exercise. I typically eat around 1500 a day and don't pay that much attention and just know I have the other calories if I want them. I know this isn't scientific, but it seems to be working for me.

grouch201

The 'average' woman may only need between 1200-1500 calories, but an overweight one actually needs more. It takes more energy to move that extra mass and that's the reason you get a higher calorie recommendation.

BigBoneSista

1670 isn't as hard as you might think. When I first started I thought no way can I do that. Now I can and not by adding alot of dense foods. My snacks & juices get me there. You can cook in virgin olive oil, add nuts, peanut butter, avocados, juices w/o added sugars, yogurts, cheese sticks, fruits & berries.

MomsDaily140

... actually most women can do 1600 calories and still lose 1-2 lbs a week - most of your diets are based on that amount, but they don't allow exercise cals, because that number is based on someone who is less active, the more active you are, the more you can eat, and the more you will find you need to eat.

I also agree I wouldn't worry about eating your exercise calories if you don't feel hungry, everyone's body is different, but they are there, on those days you do need them, and you will have days you can eat that. Most people that log their food, will honestly see a changes regardless of what the calories are, because it makes us more self aware, of what we are putting in our bodies. Way too much emphasis is placed on these "numbers" ......

Losing2Live69

This is what my trainer told me.....and some people on here have posted something totally different, so this is just what I have been told. The normal intake for a woman is 1200-1500 calories a day. When you add exercise and your daily allowed calories increases that is what you are allowed to eat to MAINTAIN your weight. She said in order to lose weight I have to stay within the 1200-1500 range. She told me my main goal was to eat less, exercise more. I feel the same way as you, if we eat all those calories that exercising adds back it would kind of defeat the purpose of dieting.

Jenni268

When it asks you how active you are during the day, did you choose that you're really active? If so, that would bump up your calories since you are burning more in a regular day than someone who just sits around all day. That might be one of the reasons your calories are so "high." Honestly, though, 1600 doesn't sound that high.
A well-balance healthy diet for a moderately active female is supposed to be around 2000, that's to maintain weight. A LOT of medical professionals will say to not dip below 1500.
Honestly, though, I usually track my exercising but don't take it off of my calories for the day. I just try to keep my intake of calories at what it was given me. When i exercise, I don't take that as an excuse to eat more.

jenbusick

I'm curious: where are you getting that a woman should only consume 1200 to 1500 calories? According to the best information I can find, my BMR -- the calories I'd burn if I just spent my day in bed, doing nothing else -- is around 1350, and as someone who is lightly active (I don't have a desk job; I'm not completely sedentary), I probably actually burn around 1850 calories/day. So, if I didn't want to lose any weight, I could eat about 1850 calories per day (and buddy let me tell you, I am looking forward to getting to THAT point!).

To lose a pound a week, I need to create a calorie deficit of 3500 calories, or 500 calories per day -- I need to eat 3500 calories less than I burn. For me, that's a daily intake right around my BMR of 1350. That's a NET intake, though -- if I increase the calories I'm burning through exercise, then I'd be creating a much larger calorie deficit. That's what I was doing before I started MFP -- eating about 1200 calories per day, and exercising 60-90 minutes per day, but not losing weight. I was creating such a huge calorie deficit that the bod was slowing down its metabolism to try not to burn up all its reserves. I wouldn't have believed that, except that I spent TWO YEARS unable to get below a plateau, and after one month on MFP, increasing my caloric intake to 1350 and eating my exercise calories, I'm below that plateau and losing steadily.

The only caveat I would offer about eating your exercise calories is to try to make sure you estimate them accurately. I see a lot of estimates of calories burned that make me do a doubletake, and think "that just can't be." For instance, I put in one day that I had done 3.5 hours of gardening, and MFP told me I had burned 900 calories. Based on other exercise I do that gives me much lower calorie estimates for the same level of exertion, I just didn't believe it. If I'd eaten an extra 900 calories I'd have far exceeded my net goals, I'm just sure of it. So watch what happens, and if you're eating your exercise calories and making your net calorie goal, but not losing weight, one thing to check is that you're estimating your exercise calories accurately, because if you're not, MFP could have you WAY overeating.

HTH!

columbiasmiles

The amount MFP gives you depends on a bunch of factors. Go to your goals tab and on the top right you will see calories burned from normal daily activity. This is what you would have to consume each day to maintain your weight. To lose 1 lb would be 500 less and to lose 2 lbs 1000 less than that number.

Yes, this is correct the calories is just to keep you going period. So you won't be tired and your body gets the adequate norishment to maintain your current weight. When you excercise you burn those calories even more so if you want to maintain then you have to eat more. If you want to lose, then don't eat those calores back because that is what will cause the deficit.

Now if you are excercising and eating less make sure you average the 1200 mininum in calories because if you don't have a net of 1200 calories in your body that is not good for women (from what I have read).

So for me my BMR is around 1620 but it says for me to loose I should eat around 1200 if I excerise to and I do somedays I burn 300. So this put my BMR at 1920 just to maintain cause now I have I need the energy back to sustain my body from the exercise. So instead of eating 1200 calories I eat 1500. Which is still the same.

w/o Exercise
BMR(To Maintain Wgt) -BMR (To Lose Wgt)
1620 - 1200 = 420

or

w/ Excercise
(BMR(To Maintain Wgt) + Exercises Burned) - (BMR(To Lose Wgt) + Excercise Burned)
(1620 + 300) - (1200 + 300)
1920 = 1500 = 420

or

Eating BMR and Excercising
BMR(To Maintain Wgt) - Exercises Burned (say I burn 420)
1620 - 420 = 1200

or

Eating Below BMR
BMR(To Maintain Wgt) - BMR(To Lose Wgt)
1620 - 1200 = 420 calories less a day I have to eat

I preferre the second because then I am excercising and this keeps me totally healthy

Then same net. They say it not healthy for women to go under 1200 so since my BMR is 1620 at resting, I should only burn 420 calories which put me at 1200.

jammyone

Actually, for most women eating 2000 calories while excercising is roughly the correct amount.

1600 really isn't that many calories.

jenbusick

Actually, for most women eating 2000 calories while excercising is roughly the correct amount.

1600 really isn't that many calories.

The correct amount for what? I am close to the average for an American woman -- 5'5", 154 pounds right now -- lightly active, with a BMR around 1350 and an actual daily calories burned around 1850. If I exercise for an hour a day, moderate intensity, I burn about 400 calories. So WITH exercise, to MAINTAIN my weight, 2250 calories. Without exercise, to maintain weight, 1850 calories. But once I get to my goal weight -- 130 pounds, or a BMI pretty much dead center of "healthy weight" for me, that maintenance level drops to 1700 calories/day for someone who is lightly active; if I put in an hour of exercise a day, it bumps it up to 2100 calories, but frankly, I don't put in an hour EVERY day now, and I don't see me doing it EVERY day when I don't need to lose anything!

For weight loss, to create a calorie deficit, most women will have to eat much less than 2000 calories/day, at least as NET calories. For maintenance, 2000 calories sounds about right for someone who works out a lot. But for a woman of average height at a healthy weight who is lightly active, 1600-1700 calories a day might be all she'd need.

MomsDaily140

Actually, for most women eating 2000 calories while excercising is roughly the correct amount.

1600 really isn't that many calories.

Agreed 1600 isn't much at all - but most of your commercial diets base it on 1600 calories for women and 1800 for men. Any variation in anyone's intake along with moderate exercise, will show results. That's why food logging in general, is great for everyone, regardless. It makes us self aware.

phinners

Where are all these numbers coming from about what women need? Every food packet in the UK gives around 2000 for the average womens required intake, which is no where near 1200.

Taken from another site: UK Department of Health Estimated Average Requirements (EAR) are a daily calorie intake of 1940 calories per day for women and 2550 for men.

erickirb

Where are all these numbers coming from about what women need? Every food packet in the UK gives around 2000 for the average womens required intake, which is no where near 1200.

Taken from another site: UK Department of Health Estimated Average Requirements (EAR) are a daily calorie intake of 1940 calories per day for women and 2550 for men.

I am a man and my maintenance is right around 2000 much lower than the suggested 2550, as I am smaller than the "man" they used to make that calculation.

Those number are averages to maintain weight, to lose 1 lb you have to average 500 below those numbers. Just stick with MFP as it uses your age, weight, height, gender and activity level to calculate caloric needs, and gives you a calorie goal to meet your weight loss goal based on those numbers.

columbiasmiles

I am sorry if I started such controversy. I was taking my BMR for MFP when I began. It said for ME to main the 155 lbs I needed to eat 1620 calories a day. If I wanted to lose weight I should eat 1200 calories to stay with in a healthy weight loss routine. I have been eating around 1200 - 1300 calories if I don't excercise but if I do excerices, I eat back every calorie I burned through excercises.

I have been feeling great doing this and so far in 3 weeks I have lost 8lbs. Which I think is great.

g_cabral

... actually most women can do 1600 calories and still lose 1-2 lbs a week - most of your diets are based on that amount, but they don't allow exercise cals, because that number is based on someone who is less active, the more active you are, the more you can eat, and the more you will find you need to eat.

I also agree I wouldn't worry about eating your exercise calories if you don't feel hungry, everyone's body is different, but they are there, on those days you do need them, and you will have days you can eat that. Most people that log their food, will honestly see a changes regardless of what the calories are, because it makes us more self aware, of what we are putting in our bodies. Way too much emphasis is placed on these "numbers" ......

I think if I look at it from a "exercise calories" vs "food calories" that might help a little bit.

g_cabral

I'm curious: where are you getting that a woman should only consume 1200 to 1500 calories? According to the best information I can find, my BMR -- the calories I'd burn if I just spent my day in bed, doing nothing else -- is around 1350, and as someone who is lightly active (I don't have a desk job; I'm not completely sedentary), I probably actually burn around 1850 calories/day. So, if I didn't want to lose any weight, I could eat about 1850 calories per day (and buddy let me tell you, I am looking forward to getting to THAT point!).

To lose a pound a week, I need to create a calorie deficit of 3500 calories, or 500 calories per day -- I need to eat 3500 calories less than I burn. For me, that's a daily intake right around my BMR of 1350. That's a NET intake, though -- if I increase the calories I'm burning through exercise, then I'd be creating a much larger calorie deficit. That's what I was doing before I started MFP -- eating about 1200 calories per day, and exercising 60-90 minutes per day, but not losing weight. I was creating such a huge calorie deficit that the bod was slowing down its metabolism to try not to burn up all its reserves. I wouldn't have believed that, except that I spent TWO YEARS unable to get below a plateau, and after one month on MFP, increasing my caloric intake to 1350 and eating my exercise calories, I'm below that plateau and losing steadily.

The only caveat I would offer about eating your exercise calories is to try to make sure you estimate them accurately. I see a lot of estimates of calories burned that make me do a doubletake, and think "that just can't be." For instance, I put in one day that I had done 3.5 hours of gardening, and MFP told me I had burned 900 calories. Based on other exercise I do that gives me much lower calorie estimates for the same level of exertion, I just didn't believe it. If I'd eaten an extra 900 calories I'd have far exceeded my net goals, I'm just sure of it. So watch what happens, and if you're eating your exercise calories and making your net calorie goal, but not losing weight, one thing to check is that you're estimating your exercise calories accurately, because if you're not, MFP could have you WAY overeating.

HTH!

The "diet" I am doing is the Curves 30 Day Diet. It goes on the notion that you can have permant results without permant dieting. Its 3 phases. Phase 1 you stay on for 7 days, its 1200 Calories. Phase 2 is 23 days and you increase your calories to protect muscle tissue etc. that is 1500. Then you go to Phase 3 for about 2 to 4 weeks and you bring your calorie count up to boost your metabolism, I like to call it tricking my body. then you go back to phase 2, and so forth until you are at your goal weight and stay on phase 3 basically.

g_cabral

I am sorry if I started such controversy. I was taking my BMR for MFP when I began. It said for ME to main the 155 lbs I needed to eat 1620 calories a day. If I wanted to lose weight I should eat 1200 calories to stay with in a healthy weight loss routine. I have been eating around 1200 - 1300 calories if I don't excercise but if I do excerices, I eat back every calorie I burned through excercises.

I have been feeling great doing this and so far in 3 weeks I have lost 8lbs. Which I think is great.

I dont think you started it, lol, I guess theres just alot of differences out there about it.

jenjomal

oh good i thought i was crazy! after adding the workout stuff i always have at least 500 calories left over!