Inconsistent Calorie Confusion...

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jan169
jan169 Posts: 38
in Food and Nutrition
5' 5" women! How many calories do you eat a day? It says a healthy weight for my height is between 111 and 150lbs, and if I want to lose about a pound a week, I should be eating 1710 calories!! That seems outrageous to me! Especially considering after excersing, it wants me to eat over 2000 cals! Usually, I try to eat less than 1500cals a day, sometimes 1600cals, sometimes 1200cals, just depends on how I feel that day. I want to start eating the same amount of cals a day (CONSISTENCY IS KEY), so I just want to know what is your calorie goal each day?

Replies

  • melizerd
    melizerd Posts: 870 Member
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    You'll actually find that eating the exact same amount of calories every day is NOT the best way to lose weight, your body enjoys the confusion.

    Also after working out (and yes I know this is highly debated around here) that you should be eating your calories back. So many of us have been brow beat into thinking we have to eat LESS to lose more that we just can't wrap our heads around the fact that if we are eating healthy options that we can eat MORE and still lose.

    I'm 5'7" but I've lost 74lbs in just over a year here (and it was all lost with MFP) and I find that for myself there is a point if I eat less than 1300-1400 calories a day even sitting on my butt I will NOT lose weight, my body NEEDS more fuel than that to believe it's okay to drop that extra weight. When I work out I need even more fuel, healthy proteins and proper carbs etc. to build muscle, lose fat and keep that fuel tank filled.

    Good fuel in equals good energy and weight loss!

    Edit: lifestyle setting will determine base calories too, so that matters too that you don't double dip on exercise if you are set to something like highly active.
  • Dabbles
    Dabbles Posts: 367
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    5'5 here. I'm on 1200 calories. My maintenance calories is around 1700 though I think. I'm in the healthy weight range now and I'm at losing 1.5lbs a week.
  • NancyAnne1960
    NancyAnne1960 Posts: 500 Member
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    Sounds like you are doing great!! 1200 as a low, and 1700 high. My thought is if I'm hungry when I work out, I eat, but I never go below 1200 as a low. Good job!! You should do great!!
  • echeindl
    echeindl Posts: 326 Member
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    I'm 5'2'', and I try to stay between 1200-1400 every day. I don't eat back my exercise calories, tried that for a few weeks and didn't see a difference
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    Consistency really isn't a key to anything. Really, weekly average calories is a better major than individual days.

    I'm 5'9" but 152. I NET 1750 and have my goals at a half pound a week and my activity level at lightly active. I also eat my exercise calories so yeah, I eat 2300 calories some days. Additionally I often go over. I've lost 7lbs in 2.5 months.
  • Teliooo
    Teliooo Posts: 725 Member
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    I am 5ft 6. I eat from about 1300-1700 but i probably should eat more after being very active. I hve lost 8 pounds averaging a pound a week. If I eat any less I get headaches and really really dizzy. My fat eating level is quite low though. I try to conentrate on that more as in the past I lost over 80 poundsin total by watching my fat intake and cycling a lot but that is just how I like to do it. It totally depends on how much I work out to. The stiller I am, the less cals I try to eat but I am not usually very hungry unless I work out a lot.

    I don't think the 1700 is excessive if you are active. It estimates I burn 1600 a day just by existing so you need to eat to live. Also you don't want your body to go into starvation mode. If you are hungry it means you need to eat!

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