Netting too little calories but don't know what to eat!!!

isazzzz

I'm 19, female, 5"1 and 103 lbs. MFP says that I should have 1200 calories a day. I work out 5-6 days a week for about an hour each time. Here's what I have on my caloric counter today:

Goal: 1200
Food: 914
Exercise: 498 (MFP may over-estimate so let's just say it's 398)
Net: 416
Remaining: 786

I read somewhere that I should NET at least 1200?? I'm so confused!!!

Spanaval

You need to figure out your BMR and TDEE. Your goal should be to eat about 20% less than your TDEE, IF weight loss is your goal. If I were to guess (I'm around your height), I'd say that you need to eat WAY more than 1200 cals, especially if you're trying to add muscle/tighten/tone, since you appear to be at a fairly skinny weight already.

Your diary is not public, so it's hard to tell what you may or may not be eating, but try to eat more calorie dense foods. Like nuts and nut butter, avocado, etc.

isazzzz

You need to figure out your BMR and TDEE. Your goal should be to eat about 20% less than your TDEE, IF weight loss is your goal. If I were to guess (I'm around your height), I'd say that you need to eat WAY more than 1200 cals, especially if you're trying to add muscle/tighten/tone, since you appear to be at a fairly skinny weight already.

Your diary is not public, so it's hard to tell what you may or may not be eating, but try to eat more calorie dense foods. Like nuts and nut butter, avocado, etc.

According to the Katch Mcardle formula on fat2fit.com, my bmr is 1155 calories.

Since I workout 5-6 times a week, my TDEE would be 1920. So how many calories should I NET on top of burning 400 cals a day on exercise?

Spanaval

IF you're looking for weight loss, you should be eating (NET), 20% less than your TDEE, which is 1536 cals/day. TDEE already takes into account your activity level, including exercise, so you don't need to eat anything back. Your daily calorie deficit would be 381 (with a BMR of 1155), and should lead to a weight loss of greater than 1 lb. a week. Assuming weight loss is your goal. If it's not, you'll have to change things around to accomplish it.

aehartley

Mine always look really low... let be honest. Food companys only have to have a +/- of 5 or 10 calories so you could be eating more than you relize. Most poeple overestimate there exercise ( even with HRM) and understimate the food that they eat.

isazzzz

Mine always look really low... let be honest. Food companys only have to have a +/- of 5 or 10 calories so you could be eating more than you relize. Most poeple overestimate there exercise ( even with HRM) and understimate the food that they eat.

I completely understand about the over-estimating part. I take into account the errors that MFP might make when clocking in my calorie burn. I read on forums that they subtract 10-15% of what MFP tells them that they had burned and use that number as a gauge instead.

As for food, I quick add calories here and there to add the salt and sauces that are sometimes fried with my vegetables (something I don't have a control over)

Spanaval

Remember though that you're NETting something like 600 cals below an already low BMR. You need to worry a little less about the few extra calories that might be in salt and spices, and more about how to a)eat more calories/calorie dense foods and b)gain more muscle.