I am CONFUSED!!! Could really use some help!

shebash

Hi everyone!!!!! I am really confused on how many calories I should consume in a day. I have my goals set on 1200, but when I do my BMR it says that I should have at least 1331 calories a day. I am also exercising 3 to 4 times per week and I have been told that when I exercise I need to add in calories for that too. I would like to lose about 15 pounds can someone please tell me the best way to do this! THanks so much!

MissFit0101

With as little as you have to lose, I think even eating the 1331 (your estimated BMR) is too low. If it were me I would probably be eating about 1400-1450 and seeing how that works out. You should absolutely be eating most of your exercise calories back as well.

MoooveOverFluffy

Well, it's setting you at 1200 because in order to lose weight, you need to be at a deficit. When you exercise, enter your exercises and it will guesstimate how many calories you burned... However many calories you burn will earn you extra calories to eat. And yes, you should eat back your exercise calories...

erickirb

Since you only have 15lbs to lose try setting your weekly weight loss goal for 0.5lbs/week, this should put you around your BMR intake, and remember to eat the calories back that you burn from exercise. Having too large of a deficit when you don't have much to lose can lead to a loss of lean muscle mass, not just the fat you are looking at losing.

tchrnmommy

Without knowing your exact stats, it's hard to help. But if I were you, I'd bump it up to at least 1400. I'm 5'1", 37 years old, and 136lbs. MFP recommends 1200 with "lightly active" but when I figure my BMR it has me much higher (I know BMR is to maintain) so to lose I want to have a 500 calorie deficit per day so that over a week it's a 3500cal deficit and I lose weight. I hear many complain that MFP seems to give all women a 1200 cal recommendation. My MIL, who recendly started MFP and weighs right at 200 is also recommended at 1200....not enough. I talked to her about adjusting it and she's a big loser again

MaximalLife

Hi everyone!!!!! I am really confused on how many calories I should consume in a day. I have my goals set on 1200, but when I do my BMR it says that I should have at least 1331 calories a day. I am also exercising 3 to 4 times per week and I have been told that when I exercise I need to add in calories for that too. I would like to lose about 15 pounds can someone please tell me the best way to do this! THanks so much!

Your BMR is around 1831 - 500 calories or so more than your daily goal of 1331.
If you tried to set your goals lower, that would put you below the minimum MFP default of 1200.
Not good! You might consider setting your goals to a half pound a week.

And yes, eat back your exercise calories.

Simply stated MFP has already figured out your total calories you need to eat per day to lose 1lb etc. a week. That's WITHOUT exercise. You'll notice that when you actually add exercise in, the calorie limit goes up. Why? Because it's telling you to eat your exercise calories. Large deficits aren't really good to do because while you will lose weight, what kind of weight will it be? In many cases you'll lose lean muscle tissue which LOWERS your metabolic rate even more. Then you have to eat even less to compensate for less of a calorie burn to continue to lose the same amount of weight each week.
Be efficient. Exercise hard and eat back the calories. The hard exercise will RAISE your metabolic rate and burn more fat at rest.

erickirb

Well, it's setting you at 1200 because in order to lose weight, you need to be at a deficit. When you exercise, enter your exercises and it will guesstimate how many calories you burned... However many calories you burn will earn you extra calories to eat. And yes, you should eat back your exercise calories...

She would be at a deficit eating BMR calories or even slightly above, as maintenance calories are higher than BMR. To see your maintenance calories go to goals and look at the top right, calories burned from normal daily activity, that is maintenance calories before you do any exercise.

cppeace

Yeah set your weight loss at .5-1lb a week no more than that and eat back atleast half your exercise calories.. If you cut your calories too low you simply won't lose well.

MaximalLife

Since you only have 15lbs to lose try setting your weekly weight loss goal for 0.5lbs/week, this should put you around your BMR intake, and remember to eat the calories back that you burn from exercise. Having too large of a deficit when you don't have much to lose can lead to a loss of lean muscle mass, not just the fat you are looking at losing.

^^^^^
And THIS!
Remember, the slower, the better.
It's not a race.

bcampbell54

Maybe you should adjust your weight loss to <2lbs/wk if you feel you need more calories. It depends on where you got your BMR calculation.
And you will get lots of opinions, but I think you shoud eat some or all of your exercise calories back, and not ever net less than 1200/ day.
Reminder: MFP figures in your calorie deficit..

MoooveOverFluffy

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6556-the-answers-to-the-questions

check out this link, maybe it will help!!

tangiesharp

Hi everyone!!!!! I am really confused on how many calories I should consume in a day. I have my goals set on 1200, but when I do my BMR it says that I should have at least 1331 calories a day. I am also exercising 3 to 4 times per week and I have been told that when I exercise I need to add in calories for that too. I would like to lose about 15 pounds can someone please tell me the best way to do this! THanks so much!

Did you set your calorie goals to 1200 or did MFP? Eating less than your BMR may stall your weight loss because your body goes into starvation mode. I learned that when I went down to 1200 that I was hungry and not losing weight - even after eating my exercise calories. If I were you, I would eat at least 1331 + some exercise calories and see out that works. Good luck.