Guys, do my calories look right to you?

AwfulWaffl3

Hey everyone

I'm pretty new and I just wanted opinions about how my calories look for someone my size/weight/age. I'm 26, 5'11, and 250 pounds. I have a pretty sedentary job (IT support) and MFP set me at 1,680 calories a day in order to lose 2 pounds a week. I want to get down to 200 so I have 50 pounds to lose. I know that on the days I exercise, I need to eat at least some of the calories I burn back in order to not go too far off of my deficit. Does this look about right to anyone around my size?

Thanks!

mrb218

Seems about right to me. My advice: make sure you're getting enough protein. That will really help with hunger issues. And don't "save" up calories. That always turns out bad! Good luck.

Ballybabe1

I have a sedentary job too, I am 37, 255 lbs and only 5 ft 3 inches and they set me at 1830 cals per day, perhaps the smaller height means I have a higher BMI so can have more cals which makes sense, the more you weigh for your height the more calories you can have, kinda sounds the wrong way round but its true. I'd say its pretty accurate for you as you are tall.

ladyhawk00

For 50 lbs to lose, may do better with a lower deficit, either 1.5 or 1 lb per week. Too large of a deficit can backfire. May help to read these threads:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

Mrs_TrimWaistFatWallet

FYI My BodyMedia FIT (worn 24/7) tells me that I burn 2200 calories just sitting around. I'm 5' 8", 155lb..

Lleldiranne

My husband is 6'1" and 250, trying to get to 200 (like you). I don't know if he put in 1 or 2 lbs a week as his goal. But his calories are at 1660 before exercise. When he stays close to that, he is losing weight. So, sounds about right.
But I have heard that MFP underestimates calories.

Maybe start at the recommended, eat back most of your exercise calories, and see how it goes. If you're genuinely hungry a lot (rather than bored or wanting to snack out of habit, which is common!) you'll want to up calories. If you aren't losing, you'll want to play with them a bit too.

NiallWallace

183cm (6'), now 83kg (~183lbs) sedentary.
for 0.5kg (1lb ish) loss a week I'm on 1800 now (480kcal defict)

Started at 95kg (~210lbs)

Although I seem to go down a kilo a week I am doing a decent amount of cycling a week for that.

Hodar

2 lbs a week is a bit much - not so bad if you only have ~20 lbs to lose; but with a weight loss of 50 lbs - I'm going to go out on a limb and think that you might not want a bunch of excess skin hanging around your tummy. That's what happens if you drop weight too quickly - you have shrunk faster than your skin can contract.

Some of the best motivators are the ladies who lost 100 lbs. They lost it SLOWLY and all you have to do is look at thier skin; smooth, tight - you'd never guess that they were once a 'big girl'. You didn't get big over-night; so don't try to drop everything in a few months. Let your skin contract with your waist-line.

The first week, you will lose a lot; but after that - think of this as a permanent lifestyle change; listen to the good folks who have lost well more than what we have to lose. There is wisdom there.

AwfulWaffl3

Thanks for the information. You all have been helpful.