What is everyones daily calorie goal?

sleepytexan

BMR ~ 1750
Daily goal 2000

Have I been reading many of the threads wrong? I thought the goal was to NEVER eat below BMR? I recently increased my calories so I could stay above this and still below maintenance. Either way, I guess I'll stick with it for at least a month and see what happens. I workout, I eat healthier than I used to so I figure what I'm doing now is better than what I was doing before.

You're doing it right. Welcome to the winning team

sleepytexan

I think many on here are confusing BMR and TDEE.

BMR (basal metabolic rate): the amount of calories your body needs to stay alive while in a coma or in bed all day. This is a deficit from the amount of calories you would burn as soon as you get out of the bed and go about living (without even exercising). So . . . if you eat at BMR you are eating at a deficit. This is a great place to eat to lose weight. You would also want to consume exercise calories on top of BMR, because the deficit is already included -- you would eat the exercise calories to refuel and maintain or build muscle mass. If you don't eat them back, you won't lose faster, and actually, eventually you won't lose at all, but instead you will become weaker and bodily functions suffer.

TDEE (total daily energy expenditure): the amount of calories you burn INCLUDING your daily activity level PLUS exercise. This is how much to eat in order to maintain your current weight. You would not eat exercise calories on top because this calculation already includes exercise (UNLESS--you use "sedentary" as your activity level when calculating. If that is the case and you start exercising, you WOULD eat back the exercise calories.

Many people like to find out the TDEE (maintenance calories) for their ideal weight and eat at that level. It works very well.

So . . . a few ladies have posted really high numbers on here that they listed as BMR -- it's probably not the case; that's probably their TDEE.

Anyway . . . eating above your BMR and below your TDEE will keep you losing FAT instead of muscle mass.

blessings.

sleepytexan

#1 source of confusion on MFP: "Why not eat less than my BMR? Won't that make me lose faster?"

No. Did you know that eating less than your BMR will help keep you from ever reaching and maintaining your goal (that's rhetorical, I know you didn't know that or you wouldn't be eating less than your BMR). ha.

Anyway, here's why fat people stay fat, and why people with the "last 10 lbs to lose" can't ever get there by restricting calories too low:

From one of my old posts from a similar topic:

OK. I'm gonna give this a shot. I am an avid lifelong athlete. I have never been overweight, however, I used to eat too few calories (without knowing it), and a couple years ago, I actually GAINED weight bc of having slowed my metabolism to the point that every little extra treat I ate caused a weight gain, even though overall my calories were too low. THIS DOES HAPPEN.

It is also the reason so many fat people stay fat. They restrict their calories so low, slow their metabolisms, binge (even a little), gain weight, restrict more . . . . and so on and so on. But they are still fat.

It is also the reason most people can't lose that last 10-20 lbs. For real.

1. MFP has a deficit built in. Let's say you're trying to lose 1 lb/ week. That is a 500/day deficit from your BMR (the amount of calories your body needs to complete basic functions.

2. You exercise and burn 500 calories. Now you are at a 1000 deficit. If you eat back those 500 exercise calories, you refuel your body and you still have a 500 deficit for that 1 lb loss. If you DON'T eat back those calories, you have too little fuel. This is bad. This is too much of a deficit for basic functions. If you do this for a long time, you will STOP LOSING WEIGHT. Why? bc your metabolism will slow down -- it's like a brownout--not quite enough electricity to make the whole city (your body) run, so it has to slow down some things. You will probably start being tired a lot, your skin and hair might start to look worse, and you might even gain weight. But you might NOT be hungry -- your body is getting used to fewer calories. That's bad.


That's when you start to gain weight. Let's say you're running along, eating 1200 calories a day, and exercising 400 calories a day, so net is 800. You're losing, you think this is great. You keep doing it, but after a while you stop losing. hmmmmm. One weekend you go out to a special event and have a slice of pizza and a beer. 1 slice of pizza and 1 beer. So you ate maybe 2000 calories that day and exercised off 400, so net 1600. BOOM! You gain 3 lbs! What?!

Next, you freak out and restrict yourself down to 1000 calories a day and work out extra hard, burning 500 calories. Great, netting 500 now. You don't lose any weight, but you sure feel tired. Better get some red bull.

Are you getting the picture?

EDIT: When you work out, you need fuel. Food is fuel. If you don't eat back those exercise calories, you will not only have a big calorie deficit, you will have an ENERGY deficit. Remember, the calorie deficit for weight loss is built in when you use MFP. Exercising basically earns you more calories because you must refuel.
--

There are many people who will tell you not to eat exercise calories. Before you take their advice, you might want to see whether they are at goal, have EVER been at goal, or have ever been able to maintain at goal. If anyone says to you 'THE LAST TIME I LOST WEIGHT", just stop listening right there.

Ask some athletes whether or not they replenish their bodies with food equal to the calories they burn. Ask people who are fit and have achieved and maintained a healthy weight for some years. Don't ask people who count walking across a parking lot as exercise.

Here's an interesting case study about how to stay fat while consuming only 700 calories a day. Take a moment, you'll be glad you did:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

blessings.

luismolina88

my target is 2800


I actually eat about 3200 a day.


trying to pack on some weight to my 185-190 lbs goal.

JayBeeGo

Thank you for taking the time and effort sleepytexan - much appreciated.

LouiseRose92

BMR- 1739
Goal- 1350

UrbanRunner81

BMR: 1381

Eat daily: around 2217

fmbomzo

BMR: 1484
Net Goal: anywhere between BMR and 1944 (15% less than TDEE)

CoderGal

Just thought I'd share this weeks experience. my NET has been ABOVE my maintenance calories over the entire week and I've still lost weight. I've been trying to eat at about maintenance+exercise calories for months now, and managed to get to 121 pounds at 5'7, and I'm still going down. No need to starve!

121 lbs:


BMR: 1311 <-always net more then BMR
Maintenance: 1650

This weeks calorie intake at 5'7 and 121 pounds has looked like this:

Monday: 1561
Tuesday: 1787
Wednesday: 1556
Thursday: 2954
Friday: 1774
Saturday: 1917

LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo

Mine is 1860. According to MFP my maintenance should me 1,650 but when I set it on that number, I still continue losing weight & so I decided to up it, also my muscle mass have increased so which why I need to eat a little above my maintenance calories to feed my extra muscle. Usually it total above 2,000 when I workout & there are times that I go over but many times I can only manage to eat 1,700.

creature275

3600 - 4000 depending on the cycle

yarwell

I don't understand why anyone would be eating under their BMR. That's the basic level of calories you need in a coma!

Because you can get some of the calories from your fat reserves, if you have any. It really is that simple.

You don't drop dead if you don't eat anything for a day, or even a week.

Think about it.

andream1976

BMR: 1329
Calories: 1390/day
When I exercise, I up that to 1590-1600
My weight loss goal is 1lb per week.

Anything less than this and I'm HUNGRY and CRANKY!

It's taking some getting used to. I used to do WW and lost almost 25 lbs doing that and yes, at first I was hungry because I was eating so much less (strictly calorie wise) than I was used to, but eventually I did get that "hungry" feeling to go away. This is only my first week on MFP and I'm having a hard time staying within my calories. Seems like so little to me, but I just have to adjust.

kylesmommy89

1800 maintaining

creature275

I don't understand why anyone would be eating under their BMR. That's the basic level of calories you need in a coma!

Because you can get some of the calories from your fat reserves, if you have any. It really is that simple.

You don't drop dead if you don't eat anything for a day, or even a week.

Think about it.

just because something makes you lose weight doesnt mean its good for you

JeSuisPrest

#1 source of confusion on MFP: "Why not eat less than my BMR? Won't that make me lose faster?"

No. Did you know that eating less than your BMR will help keep you from ever reaching and maintaining your goal (that's rhetorical, I know you didn't know that or you wouldn't be eating less than your BMR). ha.

Anyway, here's why fat people stay fat, and why people with the "last 10 lbs to lose" can't ever get there by restricting calories too low:

From one of my old posts from a similar topic:

OK. I'm gonna give this a shot. I am an avid lifelong athlete. I have never been overweight, however, I used to eat too few calories (without knowing it), and a couple years ago, I actually GAINED weight bc of having slowed my metabolism to the point that every little extra treat I ate caused a weight gain, even though overall my calories were too low. THIS DOES HAPPEN.

It is also the reason so many fat people stay fat. They restrict their calories so low, slow their metabolisms, binge (even a little), gain weight, restrict more . . . . and so on and so on. But they are still fat.

It is also the reason most people can't lose that last 10-20 lbs. For real.

1. MFP has a deficit built in. Let's say you're trying to lose 1 lb/ week. That is a 500/day deficit from your BMR (the amount of calories your body needs to complete basic functions.

2. You exercise and burn 500 calories. Now you are at a 1000 deficit. If you eat back those 500 exercise calories, you refuel your body and you still have a 500 deficit for that 1 lb loss. If you DON'T eat back those calories, you have too little fuel. This is bad. This is too much of a deficit for basic functions. If you do this for a long time, you will STOP LOSING WEIGHT. Why? bc your metabolism will slow down -- it's like a brownout--not quite enough electricity to make the whole city (your body) run, so it has to slow down some things. You will probably start being tired a lot, your skin and hair might start to look worse, and you might even gain weight. But you might NOT be hungry -- your body is getting used to fewer calories. That's bad.


That's when you start to gain weight. Let's say you're running along, eating 1200 calories a day, and exercising 400 calories a day, so net is 800. You're losing, you think this is great. You keep doing it, but after a while you stop losing. hmmmmm. One weekend you go out to a special event and have a slice of pizza and a beer. 1 slice of pizza and 1 beer. So you ate maybe 2000 calories that day and exercised off 400, so net 1600. BOOM! You gain 3 lbs! What?!

Next, you freak out and restrict yourself down to 1000 calories a day and work out extra hard, burning 500 calories. Great, netting 500 now. You don't lose any weight, but you sure feel tired. Better get some red bull.

Are you getting the picture?

EDIT: When you work out, you need fuel. Food is fuel. If you don't eat back those exercise calories, you will not only have a big calorie deficit, you will have an ENERGY deficit. Remember, the calorie deficit for weight loss is built in when you use MFP. Exercising basically earns you more calories because you must refuel.
--

There are many people who will tell you not to eat exercise calories. Before you take their advice, you might want to see whether they are at goal, have EVER been at goal, or have ever been able to maintain at goal. If anyone says to you 'THE LAST TIME I LOST WEIGHT", just stop listening right there.

Ask some athletes whether or not they replenish their bodies with food equal to the calories they burn. Ask people who are fit and have achieved and maintained a healthy weight for some years. Don't ask people who count walking across a parking lot as exercise.

Here's an interesting case study about how to stay fat while consuming only 700 calories a day. Take a moment, you'll be glad you did:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

blessings.

Fabulous info worth repeating!!!

AmandaNicoleV

So far mine has been 1450 but I have been under since I have started.....

yarwell

just because something makes you lose weight doesnt mean its good for you

Very true, whatever definition of "good for you" you're working to.

Nothing magic about a food intake coinciding with BMR that is "good for you" either.

yarwell

I am an avid lifelong athlete. I have never been overweight

How widely applicable is that then ?

starcatcher1975

700 calories a day!

I've gotten less then it today, but I'm actually forcing myself to reach 700 calories.

700?! My head is starting to hurt just thinking of only eating 700 calories a day. I would not have the energy to do anything...This makes me very sad just thinking of someone only eating 700 cals a day. I thought the girl keeping at 900 was sad