Calorie help, how many should I eat?

Cindysunshine

I just joined MFP 4 days ago and so far I love it. My question is , MFP says I can eat 1,860 calories a day. I burn 425 calories a day through walking. I tend to eat around 1,200-1,300 calories a day. I have a lot of weight to lose. Around 150 pounds. Do you think eating 1,200 calories a day is enough or should I shoot for what MFP says? I can not imagine that many calories of healthy food a day. Cindy

Cindysunshine

I just joined MFP 4 days ago and so far I love it. My question is , MFP says I can eat 1,860 calories a day. I burn 425 calories a day through walking. I tend to eat around 1,200-1,300 calories a day. I have a lot of weight to lose. Around 150 pounds. Do you think eating 1,200 calories a day is enough or should I shoot for what MFP says? I can not imagine that many calories of healthy food a day. Cindy

MissResa

It's definitely a good idea to try to shoot for more calories... And you can eat healthy food and up those calories by adding a couple of things into your diet. I love to eat sliced apple with some peanut butter... you can get around 300 calories just from that alone!!! It really does help out by keeping your body from feeling like you're starving it.

arewethereyet

Welcome Cindy. I thoroughly advise using the numbers MFP gives you. You can under eat as well as over eat to gain weight.

I know the other times I have dieted and drastically reduced my intake my family all goes:noway: :grumble: when I say diet. I am a raging lunatic and very nasty to be around. I was light headed and even passed out once.

The idea here on MFP is to reduce enough to lose 2 pounds a week. When you start to eat well, and exercise more, you begin to change the REST of your life, not just a few months.

I find this is the 1st time in 47 yrs I have stuck to a good eating plan, and this is because I have never been hungry.

Good luck to you in your new lifestyle!!

:flowerforyou: Jeannie

nwfamilygal

I would at least eat your excercise calories for awhile then listen to your body. You need to eat to feed your body. Only you know what works. But you have to feed your body when you excercise or you will going into starvaion mode. You don't want that. :noway: Drink your water also that does help :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

MissResa

You should really check out this thread... It helped me out a bunch, and it's kinda an ongoing joke for the people who have been here for a really long time. It will answer a lot of questions that I think almost everyone has asked or thought of asking. :drinker:

Newbies Please READ ME (2nd edition)

mrsyac2

Its all about tweaking your calories to what you need to hit your goal.

So try doing what MFP says for a couple of weeks and eat your calories. If you lose weight then great keep it up- If you gain weight stop eating your calories. There isn't no real science to calories because everyone is different- Like if you are eating 1200-1300 calories a day (for a couple of weeks) and you haven't loss any weight then try increasing your calories or just eating your exercise calories.

What works for some may not work for others. Good luck and remember the weight didn't come on over night or just over days it took months and possibly years so don't get discouraged it takes time.


Keep up with your workouts.

kerrilucko

hi cindy,

I think you should at least be eat 1200 cals a day PLUS your exercise cals. That's the minimum you need to consume to keep your body functioning properly. So if you burn away 400 cals through exercise today, you should eat a total of 1600 cals. I have been doing this for 11 months now and have had great success and I am one of many. MFP really works if you let it :drinker: Welcome and good luck!

mrsyac2

hi cindy,

I think you should at least be eat 1200 cals a day PLUS your exercise cals. That's the minimum you need to consume to keep your body functioning properly. So if you burn away 400 cals through exercise today, you should eat a total of 1600 cals. I have been doing this for 11 months now and have had great success and I am one of many. MFP really works if you let it :drinker: Welcome and good luck!

I know your just trying to help but eating ALL your exercise calories doesn't work for all I actually didn't lose anyway eating my workout calories. Thats why I said she needs to tweak it to her needs because everyone is different. There are plenty of people on MFP that don't eat ALL they exercise calories, and some that don't eat any and they are losing and even some that do eat them and are losing- There is no one size fits all in weight loss. It varies by person.

MFP is a great helpful guide but you have to find whats best for you.

MissResa

MFP says that she needed to consume 1800 calories, AND she was burning 450+ calories by exercising. If she eats 1200 cals plus her exercise cals, she'd still be eating less than what is suggested by MFP...

mrsyac2

The heavier you are- you are able to make more drastic changes to your calories but nobody should try and go from eating ALOT of calories then dropping them overnight to 1200-1300 calories.

Changing your calories should be gradual- not instantly.

Like I said before she should try what MFP suggests for a couple of weeks and if that doesn't work maybe she should just try and tweak it to what she needs whether thats increasing or decreasing her calories. Its all about trial and error

eurestemari

Welcome to the program, Just remember that it is going to time to lose the weight. Remember that this is a lifestyle change. Only you will know your body. So get some advise from all of us and try it. You will slowly learn. Remember you have to challenge your body so working out along with healthier meals. If your not losing the weight or come to a stop that when you will need to change your routine. Walking faster, or longer, and another day, then try the jogging,
Keep it up

mrsyac2

Welcome to the program, Just remember that it is going to time to lose the weight. Remember that this is a lifestyle change. Only you will know your body. So get some advise from all of us and try it. You will slowly learn. Remember you have to challenge your body so working out along with healthier meals. If your not losing the weight or come to a stop that when you will need to change your routine. Walking faster, or longer, and another day, then try the jogging,
Keep it up

I agree

MissResa

Good point about switching up her routine, and MRSYAC2 had a really good post earlier about cardio and weight training. You should check into it for some good tips...