What's your daily calorie budget?

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  • m1zk0
    m1zk0 Posts: 9
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    It's supposed to be 1200, and if I don't workout then I usually go over. I always eat back my exercise calories, which makes me WANT to exercise so I can eat more haha!
  • sauerkrautpolka
    sauerkrautpolka Posts: 266 Member
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    I try not to go over 1500... but am very rarely over 1200. I am trying my best to up my calories.. have started snacking on pepitas and almonds throughout the day.
  • Nikkiairforcewife
    Nikkiairforcewife Posts: 164 Member
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    1760. And I'm nursing exclusively, so that adds 500. I eat within 200 calories of that 2260. Although tempting as it is to drop my calories by several hundred to boost weight-loss, I'm not going to do it because I want to lose fat, not my muscle. And losing more than 1% a week usually means it's muscle loss. No thanks. Slow and steady wins the race. For me this is a lifestyle change.
  • Nikkiairforcewife
    Nikkiairforcewife Posts: 164 Member
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    Mine was set to 1200, but I upped it to 1600 and I am still losing (:

    Good for you! You've got it right.
  • tameko2
    tameko2 Posts: 31,634 Member
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    Mine *was* 1600 (for 1lb a week) but I'm down to 1500 calories (Yay.... I guess?) - that's before exercise. I generally do not eat back my exercise calories unless I'm hungry or if I'm sore (muscles) I try to make sure I'm getting enough protein and phosphorous which so far as not resulted in me going over but it COULD - although skim milk is great for those things and its low cal too.

    I figure since I'm set to 1lb a week if I go under then no big deal, I'm just eating the 1.5lb/week amount or whatever (actually I tried setting it to 1.5lb/week and it wanted me to eat 1250 - NOOOO THANK YOU).

    So far I basically eat all the same stuff I did before, with some minor swap outs to try and a) keep my calories low and b) to incorporate more veggies. Like today I went to a seafood place, and right before I started dieting I ordered the paella there (ooohhh my god so good) but that has a fair bit of oil involved and chorizo and the next two times I ate there (after I started MFP) I got the salmon with spinach and broccoli (all still good but healthier choices - before I might have gotten the spinach and mashed potatoes) and today I had this amazing chopped shrimp salad with quinoa and corn.

    Then for dinner we used to get a lot of takeout - we still do but when we get chipotle I always get a bowl (I usually did anyway) and I don't get cheese-sour cream-guac -- I just pick one of those 3 things and have it.

    I feel good about my calorie budget, its letting me eat more or less normally (with small reductions - if I order something less healthy I cut it in quarters and eat half or 3/4 of it, whichever gets me to happy). The only things I basically gave up were the snacks - I used to get a boba tea or a cookie after lunch every so often (say 2x a week?) and get a beer or cocktail if I went out to dinner. Also I'm much more likely to pick a seafood or chicken option if there is one that sounds good (but if there isnt' I don't force myself, I just eat less).
  • mikonei
    mikonei Posts: 291 Member
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    Mine is at 1720. On days that I exercise I usually need to add 800. A little difficult to reach on those days, but I'm working on it.
  • SaddyPants
    SaddyPants Posts: 152 Member
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    Mine is set to 1460 but I'm usually below that because I get really scared of going over.
  • nsimportant
    nsimportant Posts: 170 Member
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    I am trying to eat 1300 in a day and I doing p90x with some Insanity cardio. Gonna try 3 days 1300 1 day 1900 for a month and then up it up to around 1600 cal.
    I have been on ~1300 last 3 months and lost 12kg and still keep dropping but just decided to do some kind of a change.
    But I eat a lot of protein.
  • maggiedcs
    maggiedcs Posts: 22 Member
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    Mine is 1400 net, I'm always over and am not losing weight. Too many sweets...
    :ohwell:
  • aims78
    aims78 Posts: 75 Member
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    Hi! I am set @ 1750 a day but I try to stay between 1200 to 1500 without exercise but with it I usually go up to 1800. I don't like to eat back most of my calories is burned from exercise. Good luck!
  • chic_mama_25
    chic_mama_25 Posts: 90
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    Mine is 1200 for 1lb a week. I find it really hard to stay under if I don't exercise. But it is hard to fit a workout in *every* day. I always eat back all my exercise calories because I am always SO hungry after exercise. But I might start trying to not eat ALL of them back as I'm a bit fed up with the slow progress.

    My activity level is set to sedentary because I like logging all walks, cleaning etc.
  • Jade_Butterfly
    Jade_Butterfly Posts: 2,963 Member
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    Mine is 950, I try not to make it though. However yesterday I only got to 127calories. So I've implemented a minimum too which is now 500 :)

    No offense hon, but that is truly scary!
  • FatGirlSlim89
    FatGirlSlim89 Posts: 53
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    Mine is 1200 but I usually go over that by like, 100. I'll go over it by about 300 if i'm working out that night, so I've eaten the calories back again. I don't eat all my calories back, but I'm trying hard to. I love the fact when I think I've had a 'bad' day, I've actually only eaten like 1600 calories or something lol!
  • berchen82
    berchen82 Posts: 59
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    Mine is 1240 and I eat all my excercise calories back. At the moment I'm not really loosing weight. But I will wait another month before I change my caloriegoal...
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Mine is 950, I try not to make it though. However yesterday I only got to 127calories. So I've implemented a minimum too which is now 500 :)

    127? is that a joke?!
  • westcoastSW
    westcoastSW Posts: 320 Member
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    1420 here, and I generally eat back 50-100% of exercise calories (based on how accurate I believe them to be)
  • Tankplanker
    Tankplanker Posts: 365 Member
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    Mine is set to 1410 and I recalculate it everytime I lose more than a couple of lbs so its always moving down. That is meant to give me a 2lb a week weight loss but I haven't been hitting that last two weeks. :(

    With exercise it can climb to 3000 on my harder days but I struggle to eat that much healthy food, if I allowed myself unhealthy food I could eat double that without any problems.
  • jellybaby84
    jellybaby84 Posts: 583 Member
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    Between 950- 999.

    I don't freak out if I go up to 1200, as long as I've done a lot of exercise. But I prefer to stay in 3 digits, it calms my mind a bit and reassures me that I can't be overeating.

    I hate eating exercise calories but, if I'm burning 800+ in a day I'll let myself have something extra if I feel ill.


    Question for the people who say they are eating 2000-2500 before exercise - I'm confused. Obviously it's working well for you looking at weight counters and stuff but ... that's an ordinary diet for a non dieting person (2000 for a woman and 2500 for a man). So how does it work that you lose weight on it? Do you work out like crazy but not eat back the exercise calories or something?
  • Vhovell
    Vhovell Posts: 286
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    1690 is mine...i tend not to eat my exercise calories as i exercise before tea on most days so that fills me up. How do you guys manage to eat 3-digit figure i'll never know...i can only do that if i work out and then i'm usually still in 4-digit!

    2nd weigh-in tomorrow, first time using same scales so i guess i'll see if it's working :o)
  • CARNAT22
    CARNAT22 Posts: 764 Member
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    1200 which isn't really enough these days (I am close to goal weight!) so I make sure I exercise and earn a few 100 extra calories!

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