Need help with calorie count..please

Options
JC98
JC98 Posts: 21
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, I feel stupid....but I'm at a loss as to how many calories I really should be eating. MFP has me set at 1280, but I hear so often that it is too few calories. I honestly don't care if I lose weight really fast, just want to get healthier and feel good, so I don't want to lose a bunch real quick and then stall out.
I'm 34 yrs old. 5'1 and 173 pounds.
I would appreciate any info anyone can give me.
«1

Replies

  • bsumbodee
    bsumbodee Posts: 1
    Options
    I too think 1300 cals is too low. Just google other websites so you can more accurately figure out how many calories you should be consuming.
  • deethinner
    deethinner Posts: 43 Member
    Options
    When I started this MFP also told me 1200 calories was all I should have too. It is very hard to do that. Maybe I will check and see what others say too.
  • GreekByMarriage
    GreekByMarriage Posts: 320 Member
    Options
    Someone posted this link yesterday... seems to make more sense to me!

    http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm
  • shovav91
    shovav91 Posts: 2,335 Member
    Options
    Find an online BMR calculator, try eating closer to that. :)
  • BFitzie
    BFitzie Posts: 14 Member
    Options
    My calorie count was too low, too. I think it was 1300 and I just couldn't maintain that so I put in to lose 1 lb every 10 days and that worked out better for me.
    Here's a tool for exercise calories, see if you like it:
    http://www.fatburn.com/free_tool_activity_burn.asp
    Good luck
  • linnettbenson
    linnettbenson Posts: 63 Member
    Options
    I put your stats in the Fat 2 Fit BMI calculator. ( A very good podcast with lots of good advice.) You didn't say whether your male or female and what your goal weight is. So I guessed you were a female and I just guessed your goal weight at 150 lb. That is a starting point at least.

    BMR = 1534 (that is coma level)
    Sedentary = 1721
    Lightly active= 1972
    Moderately active = 2223
    Very active= 2474
    Extremely Active= 2725

    Sedentary = desk job and no extra exercise
    Lightly Active = 1-3 work outs per week
    Moderately Active= 3-5 work outs per week
    Very Active= 6-7 work outs per week
    Extremely Active= hard daily exercise & physical job

    Hope this helped.
  • JC98
    JC98 Posts: 21
    Options
    Thank you so much for all the replies/advice! :)

    Oh, and yes I am female. Would like to get to around 130-135.
  • linnettbenson
    linnettbenson Posts: 63 Member
    Options
    With the real goal weight number, here is the adjusted calorie numbers:

    BMR = 1534 (that is coma level)
    Sedentary = 1643
    Lightly active= 1883
    Moderately active = 2122
    Very active= 2362
    Extremely Active= 2601
  • JC98
    JC98 Posts: 21
    Options
    Thanks, that helps! :)
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Options
    MFP is calculating a deficit for you so that you can lose weight.

    Yes, 1280 would be too low a level if you wanted to maintain weight, but that's not the position you're in.

    How many pounds a week did you tell it you wanted to lose?
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,404 MFP Moderator
    Options
    MFP is calculating a deficit for you so that you can lose weight.

    Yes, 1280 would be too low a level if you wanted to maintain weight, but that's not the position you're in.

    How many pounds a week did you tell it you wanted to lose?

    i am thinking she has it set at 2 lbs based on the math.


    I would look to up your deficit to 1 lb per week and eat back 50-75% of your exercise calories.
  • JC98
    JC98 Posts: 21
    Options
    I had it set at 1 lb a week.

    I'm female
    34 yrs old
    5'1
    current 173
    goal (for now) 140
  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,250 Member
    Options
    Ok, I feel stupid....but I'm at a loss as to how many calories I really should be eating. MFP has me set at 1280, but I hear so often that it is too few calories. I honestly don't care if I lose weight really fast, just want to get healthier and feel good, so I don't want to lose a bunch real quick and then stall out.
    I'm 34 yrs old. 5'1 and 173 pounds.
    I would appreciate any info anyone can give me.

    Who is it that is saying 1280 calories per day is too few calories? People like to bandy the "starvation mode" about all the time, 1200 calories will not put you into any such thing.

    1200 calories per day is fine, seriously. Stick to your calories, do your exercise, log both. Weigh and measure yourself once per week, stick the results into the "weigh-in" section on MFP and see what happens :flowerforyou: .
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
    Options
    Here is a guide for setting weekly weight loss goals:
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.
  • frugalmomsrock
    frugalmomsrock Posts: 1,123
    Options
    I like to use this calculator. I do the "little/no exercise" option, and then I use the "fat loss" column. Then I eat back exercise calories since they were not figured in to my loss to begin with (the same as MFP).

    http://www.shapefit.com/calorie-intake-calculator.html#
  • Dethea
    Dethea Posts: 247 Member
    Options
    Someone posted this link yesterday... seems to make more sense to me!

    http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

    Just looked at this site.. it's awesome!
  • devilwhiterose
    devilwhiterose Posts: 1,157 Member
    Options
    I'm at 1270. I'm 5'1" and started at 180. The first week was really REALLY hard but after I found certain things to keep me full, I find "some days" that I have a hard time even eating 1270. I did find that if I work out (there are debated out there about this...) I try to eat my exercise calories so that I have a net of at least 1200. It's on the days that I don't eat back my calories that I feel like hell.

    You can add me if you'd like and/or check out my diary for things I eat to keep full.
  • JC98
    JC98 Posts: 21
    Options
    thanks everyone...I really appreciate it. I was sticking to my 1280 cals a day, but was just worried after a lot of reading that it was too few and that it'd harm me in the long run. I don't mind losing slower if it means healthier and will last longer. About a week ago I set it closer to 1400, but not sure if I should have done that. I've gotta admit that figuring out how many calories I should eat is harder than eating right/exercising more.
  • Jess5825
    Jess5825 Posts: 228
    Options
    I like to use this calculator. I do the "little/no exercise" option, and then I use the "fat loss" column. Then I eat back exercise calories since they were not figured in to my loss to begin with (the same as MFP).

    http://www.shapefit.com/calorie-intake-calculator.html#

    That's pretty darn accurate. I have a BMF, so I just did it out of curiosity. I workout 6 days a week and have a physical job, so I put daily exercise and physical job, just to see what it would give me, and it said my maintenance is 3002 calories, which is basically what I burn on average daily (sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less) but pretty darn close. I'm trying a new thing, eating closer to a deficit of 1000 calories (I had been creating a bigger deficit and was plateaued, so I cut back on my exercise a little this week), I'm down a pound. I will have to see if it continues.
  • JC98
    JC98 Posts: 21
    Options
    according to that shapefit.com site I should eat around 1473 to lose weight. Maybe I should just manually set my calories at around 1400 and just stay within the 1200-1400.

Categories