Calories?

calderst

I'm wondering if there's a realistic way to figure out how many calories is best for me in general.
When I first entered my info to set up my profile, it told me in order to lose half a pound a week I'd need to reduce my calories to around 1500. The BMR calculator on here,, says I'd burn 1322 just staying in bed-- and that's not taking muscle into consideration. I find it hard to believe that I only burn 200 calories throughout the day. I read a figure the other day that said someone of my size and general activity level needs about 2200 cal to maintain. I'm just not sure how to figure out what's accurate without going to the doctor. I'm active but I only add calories for moderate to intense exercise.
Any ideas?

Jorra

They've built in a caloric deficit based on your activity level. You most certainly burn more than 200 calories during the day, and MFP knows that. MFP is set up so you eat less than you burn so your body will burn the calories in your stores of fat.

colleenmac15

I'm wondering if there's a realistic way to figure out how many calories is best for me in general.
When I first entered my info to set up my profile, it told me in order to lose half a pound a week I'd need to reduce my calories to around 1500. The BMR calculator on here,, says I'd burn 1322 just staying in bed-- and that's not taking muscle into consideration. I find it hard to believe that I only burn 200 calories throughout the day. I read a figure the other day that said someone of my size and general activity level needs about 2200 cal to maintain. I'm just not sure how to figure out what's accurate without going to the doctor. I'm active but I only add calories for moderate to intense exercise.
Any ideas?

rileamoyer

That is also why your are requested to eat back your exercise calories so you don't 'starve' yourself.

colleenmac15

http://www.cordianet.com/calculator.htm

That is a great site to figure out your total daily energy expenditure. TDEE. A woman should never eat fewer than 1200 calories acday, or 1000 calories below the TDEE figure. Most do veery well eating 500 calories below TDEE. This site is confusing because it adjusts based on what exercise you log so the number always is changing. That is fine, but I prefer knowing my TDEE and working off that number. TDEEtakes your exercise level into account so you don't change your daily calorie limits based on what exercises you did.

calderst

They've built in a caloric deficit based on your activity level. You most certainly burn more than 200 calories during the day, and MFP knows that. MFP is set up so you eat less than you burn so your body will burn the calories in your stores of fat.

But that's what doesn't make sense to me. If they've built in activity, how could I get by on 1500 calories if my body is burning 1300 with no activity. Based on what it said when I first signed up, I tried to keep it at 1600 and added every little thing I could as cardio calories because I felt like I was hungry all the time. It's not realistic for me-- I'm just wondering what is. I have mine set at 1800 right now but it tells me I'll gain wait in 5 weeks if I eat like I did today and I still have over 100 cal left.

elliecolorado

What you need a day on this site is based on this formula

To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:

If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/

The deficit is taken from that, then you add in your exercise and this site has it set up so that you eat back the calories you burn from exercise (even though there is a lot of debate about that). Personally I set mine to moderately active and don't add in my exercise calories.

calderst

http://www.cordianet.com/calculator.htm

Thanks for the site! So I'm not as "off track" as I was worried about. It was also interesting to see the different breakdowns of how much I should weigh. That's a whole other confusing realm, esp bc it doesn't factor in muscle.

colleenmac15

http://www.cordianet.com/calculator.htm

Thanks for the site! So I'm not as "off track" as I was worried about. It was also interesting to see the different breakdowns of how much I should weigh. That's a whole other confusing realm, esp bc it doesn't factor in muscle.

Use the right hand side to get an ideal weight based on desired %body fat. That takes into account, your lean body mass.

colleenmac15

What you need a day on this site is based on this formula

To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:

If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/

The deficit is taken from that, then you add in your exercise and this site has it set up so that you eat back the calories you burn from exercise (even though there is a lot of debate about that). Personally I set mine to moderately active and don't add in my exercise calories.

I am not sure you are correct. They use the BMR, subtract 500, and use THAT as the base, which is why you have to add back the calories, because their number does not account for activity. It is also why the number seems so low if you are not exercising that day. It is a fine motivator to get yourself to exercise more to eat more, but otherwise silly. If you exercise 4 times a week it is not necessary to starve 3 days a week. You can average the weekly caloric needs so you are not required to feast or famine.