How many calories are you eating?

2

Replies

  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Over the last 30 days I've averaged about 1400 net calories per day (lowest = 1100, highest = 2600). I am 5' 5", weight 153.6 and I'm 50 yo. I have lost 25 lbs. I lost the original 20 at about 1 lb per week, then it began tapering off and I am now losing very slowly (about 1 lb per month).
  • amanda07425
    amanda07425 Posts: 105 Member
    H: 5'2
    W: 153 lbs
    Age: 27
    Calories: 1490 + exercise calories
    Goal: 1/2 per week
    Weight loss rate: 1/2 to 3/4 lbs per week.

    looks like around 1490 is working for you.. have you always been eating this amount??
  • kcmartian
    kcmartian Posts: 18
    H: 5'6"
    W: 169
    Age: 27
    Calories: 1600-1800 average
    Goal: 0.5-1 lbs per week

    I don't believe in really restrictive diets mainly because I ALWAYS end up binging at some point. It's just been my experience from the last 5+ years of dieting and exercising. MFP told me I should be eating 1200 calories...ummmm I don't think so. I'm trying to think long-term. I can definitely eat 1200 calories a day and for a long period of time, but forever? Definitely not. So my goal / strategy is to find a eating and exercising plan that I can definitely keep up for years. I work out really hard (5-6 times a week) so that I can eat some of the things I like. It's been working for me. I know I can lose the weight faster if I don't eat back my exercise calories, but again, my concern is I won't be able to keep it up in the very long term. There's nothing more frustrating than losing a bunch of weight and then gaining it all back and then some (again, from experience). Following my plan, I've been consistently losing 1-2 lbs a week for the last 5 months now. I don't feel deprived at all because I still eat things I like on a regular basis and I don't kill myself exercising, so I feel good that I can do this for years to come. My next course of action is to incorporate more strength training to tone up.
  • msshiraz
    msshiraz Posts: 327 Member
    Age: 26
    Height: 5'10"
    Weight: 188

    Calories: Usually eat between 1900-2400, burn 250-600 depending on the day (strength training I eat 2200-2400), and I am only eating exercise calories if my net ends up being less than 1750 (this is the lowest I should really be going). Yep, I'm a woman and I eat a ****load. I also lift heavy weights.

    Really, my suggestion is stop being afraid to eat. Keep increasing your calories and see what happens. A wonderful MFP friend gave me some great advice: If you're not losing anything now, what's the harm in increasing your calories? You might gain a pound, but at least something is happening, and you'll have a starting point to scale back your calories from.
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    I eat 1400 net (which means that most days are over 2000/day). I'm supposed to be in maintenance but am still sometimes finding I'm down. I only let the scale get down to 123, then I eat it back up to 127.

    5'4"
    33
    123 - 127
    size 0-2
  • hottottie11
    hottottie11 Posts: 907 Member
    H: 5'2
    W: 153 lbs
    Age: 27
    Calories: 1490 + exercise calories
    Goal: 1/2 per week
    Weight loss rate: 1/2 to 3/4 lbs per week.

    looks like around 1490 is working for you.. have you always been eating this amount??

    At first I was at 1200 net calories. I went on maintenance last spring and picked up strength training. I gained some muscle and now I'm focusing on cutting the fat. 0.5 lb per week is a good rate if you are less than 15 lb towards your goal. You minimize muscle loss while cutting the fat. That's why I eat back my exercise calories. I'm not going by weight anymore. I'm a size 6-8 trying to get into a solid 4
  • fabi8081
    fabi8081 Posts: 232 Member
    height: 5'3"
    weight 194
    age: 30
    cals: 1300 This works great for me!!!
  • amanda07425
    amanda07425 Posts: 105 Member
    Weight: 174.6
    Height: 5'9"
    Age: 24
    Calories:1440
    And I don't eat back my exercise calories :)

    have you always been eating that many?! I know were friends on MFP so i know you have been very successful :)
  • rockstarginaa
    rockstarginaa Posts: 1,529 Member
    Age: 26
    Height: 4'11''
    Weight: 111
    Calories: 1100 - 1200*
    Weight lost: 36lbs

    I don't eat my exercise calories.

    *Also, while it may say in my log under 1200 calories, chances are it is 1200 or higher because I leave room for miscalulations.
  • GreenGettingLean
    GreenGettingLean Posts: 252 Member
    Hi there, another Amanda here! :flowerforyou: You and I were in similar situations. I also started out on MFP eating 1200 net calories a day, plateaued, then upped it to 1390 calories a day by changing my goal to "lose .5 lbs a week." That was over a month ago, and since then, I have seen fairly steady results! As for exercise calories, I typically eat back 75% of them or so and I always make sure to net 1200. Which isn't too tough, I love to eat!

    It did take a week or so of eating at the higher level to start losing, so hang in there! I also struggled a LOT about upping my calories, as it seemed rather counter intuitive. Feel free to add me if you need any help/support in the future :)
  • Jess22542
    Jess22542 Posts: 66
    I'm 5'6", 128 lbs, and 25 years old. I am eating 1400-1500 calories/day. I exercise 6 days/week. I have lost 20 lbs (I was eating 1200-1300 calories/day then) and I'm basically maintaining now and working on getting more toned.
  • MikeSEA
    MikeSEA Posts: 1,074 Member
    5ft 11, 211lbs, 33, and I eat 2200/day. I'm also in the gym 6 days a week, but fairly sloth-like otherwise. I'm ok with the amount I'm losing.
  • azzledazzle
    azzledazzle Posts: 79
    230lbs, 5ft 9, 21 years old, "2200 Calories a day,

    I have a very active job, And i gym 6 days a week, Im also weight training at the same time so the calorie thing is important.

    I also dont eat back exercise calories, Unless its my cheat day..

    Losing 3.5lb a week :D
  • kjannan
    kjannan Posts: 248 Member
    142lbs, 5ft 4, 36 years old and 1420 calories a day.

    I have it set at active although some days my job isn't but it works for me. I exercise 6 days a week & struggle to eat the whole 1420, usually I leave about 300 uneaten.
    I'm losing 1lb a week so it works for me. Funny thing is, when I've eaten a lot & feel full until I go to bed I usually find the next day I've lost weight. Who would have thought eating this much would make the weight drop off?? :bigsmile:
  • sagetracey
    sagetracey Posts: 607 Member
    Weight - 105kg
    Height 172 cm
    Age - 47
    Calories - 1300 (plus my exercise calories)

    I've lost 44kg since April. My lifestyle is set at sedentary and I exercise six days a week.
  • nosugarcoating
    nosugarcoating Posts: 194 Member
    I eat 1600 cals + exercise calories. I don't always hit my goal but I don't think I ever eat less than 1500.

    I'm 28 years old, 5'7" and about 194 lbs right now. I've lost 21 pounds since I started on MFP 9 weeks ago (then my goal was 1630).

    I have my profile set to sedentary and a loss of 1lb / week but as you can see I've lost more than 2lb / week on average, so that setting isn't very accurate for me.
  • keiraev
    keiraev Posts: 695 Member
    I have been playing about with numbers for the last month or so.

    I was on 1200 for ages and lost about 17lb, then I upped it to 1300 and lost another couple of lbs but over a few weeks.

    I figured that being so near goal I should change it to 0.5 lb a week which was about 1400, but in my head I think this subconsciously gave me a licence to eat more than I should have and kept going over to about 1600 (my maintenance is currently 1680 and I didn't gain).

    I am determined to lose the last few lbs now so I have put my cals at 1255 which is my BMR. I think I am gonna do this for about 2 weeks and then try upping it to 1400 again but be sensible this time :)
  • crux
    crux Posts: 454 Member
    6 foot, 38 yr's... 182 ish pounds...

    Averaging 2850/day over the past month, losing consistent 1lb/week in that time.

    Quite a bit of running is helping notch up the numbers
  • yary317
    yary317 Posts: 32
    Weight 138
    Height. 5'6"
    Cal: 1,200
    I started a week ago and lost 2 pounds so far! I think it's working for me!
  • seal57
    seal57 Posts: 1,259 Member
    When I started: 8 August
    Weight: 125.7kg
    Height: 170cm
    Age: 53
    Calorie intake: 1890

    Now:
    Weight: 120.9kgs
    Height: 170cm
    Age: 54
    Calorie intake: 1800

    I have my normal activities set to sedentary as I'm a taxi driver...

    So far it's working for me.....
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
    Just curious as to how many calories people are eating that are making them lose weight..

    What's your weight, height, age, and calorie intake??

    I have calculated my BMR dozens of times but I'm just not sure if I'm eating the right amount.

    Im 164, 5'7 and 22. I started MFP eating 1200.. lost 13 lbs n the weightloss stopped.. I was told to increase so I am now eating 1400 but no change...


    just curious as to what everyone else is doing.

    Thanks!

    I have probably told you this already, but...

    5'7" started MFP at 175 pounds and eating 1200 calories. Plateaued for 2 months, upped calories to 1400 for 2 weeks with no change. I then changed my MFP activity level to "moderate" even though I am a desk worker in order to account for the daily brisk walking/cardio I do. I also changed my MFP setting to lose 0.5 pounds/week. This gave me 1600+ calories/day and I started losing again. The only exercise I enter now is strength training, which eliminates the whole "exercise calories" debacle for me. I just had to keep tweaking MFP until it started working for me again.
  • amanda07425
    amanda07425 Posts: 105 Member
    Just curious as to how many calories people are eating that are making them lose weight..

    What's your weight, height, age, and calorie intake??

    I have calculated my BMR dozens of times but I'm just not sure if I'm eating the right amount.

    Im 164, 5'7 and 22. I started MFP eating 1200.. lost 13 lbs n the weightloss stopped.. I was told to increase so I am now eating 1400 but no change...


    just curious as to what everyone else is doing.

    Thanks!

    I have probably told you this already, but...

    5'7" started MFP at 175 pounds and eating 1200 calories. Plateaued for 2 months, upped calories to 1400 for 2 weeks with no change. I then changed my MFP activity level to "moderate" even though I am a desk worker in order to account for the daily brisk walking/cardio I do. I also changed my MFP setting to lose 0.5 pounds/week. This gave me 1600+ calories/day and I started losing again. The only exercise I enter now is strength training, which eliminates the whole "exercise calories" debacle for me. I just had to keep tweaking MFP until it started working for me again.


    I think I might up again.. I'm just afraid cuz my BMR is 1576 so if I go around 1600 won't i gain?
  • baisleac
    baisleac Posts: 2,019 Member
    I think I might up again.. I'm just afraid cuz my BMR is 1576 so if I go around 1600 won't i gain?

    Your BMR is what you would burn in a coma... the minute you get out of bed you burn more calories than your BMR. Your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is your BMR + your daily activity.

    If you eat at your BMR + your exercise calories, you will LOSE weight.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    Trying for 2000 plus exercise calories. Was losing a half pound a week with that. The last month has been bad all around however.
  • choconuts
    choconuts Posts: 208 Member
    WEIGHT 164
    HEIGHT 5'5"
    AGE 34
    CALORIES 1200

    Eating back all of my exercise calories.
  • anitam1987
    anitam1987 Posts: 38 Member
    WEIGHT 167
    HEIGHT 5'11"
    AGE 24
    CALORIES 1450-1600

    When I used the online calculators for base metabolic rate I got around 1605. When I went in to see a dietician yesterday, the test showed that I only burn 1430 kcal. Therefore, I commit to 500 kcal cardio burn 3-5 days a week and the above calories.
  • Angelic_Butterfly
    Angelic_Butterfly Posts: 1 Member
    5'4" ; 17 years old
    98 lbs
    I ate between 150 and 500 kcal a day for months..
    I am a recovering anorexic and now I try to eat 1200 a day..
    I am a football player so I run for 30 minutes and do 30 minutes of leg lifts every day...
  • sarah_ep
    sarah_ep Posts: 580 Member
    5'7" 27 years old and 146 lb

    I am netting around 1500 - MFP has me set to 1430.

    I was losing 2 pounds a week then started a new exercise regiment and stopped losing, but am still losing inches.
  • fromaquasar
    fromaquasar Posts: 811 Member
    Hey - I'm 5"4, weigh 120. I had a similar thing, started on 1200 cals, lost weight then had a looooooong plateau so I decided to do my calculation myself which you can see the results of here http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/fromaquasar/view/going-geek-140951 (and actually in the following post I adjust slightly a week later.

    This was about a month ago. First two weeks I just maintained, the next two weeks I have lost about a pound each week :)
  • amanda07425
    amanda07425 Posts: 105 Member
    I think I might up again.. I'm just afraid cuz my BMR is 1576 so if I go around 1600 won't i gain?

    Your BMR is what you would burn in a coma... the minute you get out of bed you burn more calories than your BMR. Your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is your BMR + your daily activity.

    If you eat at your BMR + your exercise calories, you will LOSE weight.

    then why do I say if I want to lose a lb a week, MFP sets me at 1420? Should I eat around 1600? i just NEED to kick this damn plateau!
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