should i up my daily calories?

loislane22

Hello,

I have been eating 1270 calories per day, but today I was absolutely starving and just kept eating and eating, going over by 125 calories. I was scared that maybe i was starving myself so i went and adjusted my goal and mfp reccomended 1350 daily calories in order to get to my goal weight at 1 pound per week.
My question is, how accurate is the calculator for this? Should i try 1350 per day?

SW: 143
CW: 137
GW: 125
Height: 5'4

jess_rose

I made mine 1350, I sometimes eat that much and sometimes don't. I tried to look on here and other sites to figure out what is best and it's all confusing to me! Seems that lots of people think 1500 is ok, or you look at your BMR and take 20% off or something like that. If you've just started, maybe just figure out what you usually ate, look at your BMR and pick an amount and test it? That way there is somewhere to go below that amount once you reach your goals. You do get used to eating smaller portions though. Are you eating wholegrains/protein (yoghurt/almonds) to make you full?

sleepytexan

You're starving, and it is counter-productive.

I'm 5'4, 44 yrs. old, 130 lbs. I work out 6 days a week and eat 1850-2250 cals per day.

Don't ever net less than your BMR.

Read my profile; you may be interested. PM me if you have questions.

blessings.

loislane22

I made mine 1350, I sometimes eat that much and sometimes don't. I tried to look on here and other sites to figure out what is best and it's all confusing to me! Seems that lots of people think 1500 is ok, or you look at your BMR and take 20% off or something like that. If you've just started, maybe just figure out what you usually ate, look at your BMR and pick an amount and test it? That way there is somewhere to go below that amount once you reach your goals. You do get used to eating smaller portions though. Are you eating wholegrains/protein (yoghurt/almonds) to make you full?

I havnt figured out my BMR yet, still trying to figure all of this out. Today was a bad day, which is no excuse, I just got back into tracking after a long break. I guess i havnt had any filling whole grains today and TOM also arrived, not sure if that has anything to do with the extra eating. I will look into the BMR thing, appreciate the feedback, nice to know others adjust their calories a bit too.

Joestotn

The calculator on this site isn't the best. Get your BMR and your TDEE calculated correctly. Then go from there. You'll need to really know your BMI to have it be accurate. And be truthful about your TDEE. Many folks claim a higher number and then over eat.

A 500 calorie a day deficit should be good for about a lbs a week. Once you get to lower bf% levels that will need to be more extreme.

Eat foods with plenty of fiber, that will help with you feeling hungry all the time, also so will drinking plenty of water.
Cut the carbs back to just complex carbs (I'm sure you already are) and then make them no more than 20% of your diet unless you have a heavy heavy training day. Then adjust accordingly. Also keep carbs before lunch at the latest for your day. Proteins and EFA's with tons of Veggies should make up the rest of your diet.

To change things up and shock your body, carb cycling works very well also to knock the weight down. I use it during cutting cycles frequently.

Hope that helps

Fitness_4_Jess

If I end up eating over one day I try to work out harder the next to make up for the calories. I would say it depends on your body. There was a few weeks there where I ate over my calories, but lost weight. It seems like something everyone needs to figure out.

loislane22

I dont want to be starving, i like food a lot. i just calculated my BMR and it says; 1426.7, does that mean i have to eat that many calories per day?

sleepytexan

I dont want to be starving, i like food a lot. i just calculated my BMR and it says; 1426.7, does that mean i have to eat that many calories per day?

NET that. So 1427 + exercise calories. That will be giving you a good deficit (BMR is how many calories you'd burn if you slept all day, so it already factors a deficit as soon as you get up).

You can manually set that as your goal. Choose GOALS, CHANGE GOALS, CUSTOMIZE GOALS, then enter 1427 as you daily calories.

If you have been underfeeding for some time you may experience an initial gain. DO NOT FREAK OUT. Weigh and measure tomorrow morning, get started eating properly, then weigh and measure again not sooner than 1 month. Thank me later

blessings.

Joestotn

To sustain your current weight, if it's correct yes.

If your working out frequently you can choose to not cut so hard on the diet. Or you can cut the diet back and work out and accelerate the progress... however it takes more of a load on your body and isn't something that is sustainable for long periods of time.

sleepytexan

To sustain your current weight, if it's correct yes.

If your working out frequently you can choose to not cut so hard on the diet. Or you can cut the diet back and work out and accelerate the progress... however it takes more of a load on your body and isn't something that is sustainable for long periods of time.

NO, BMR has a deficit. TDEE is what she would eat to maintain.

Eating under TDEE and over BMR will result in weight loss.

loislane22

If I end up eating over one day I try to work out harder the next to make up for the calories. I would say it depends on your body. There was a few weeks there where I ate over my calories, but lost weight. It seems like something everyone needs to figure out.

I have lost some weight by doing just that, but the more and more i spend on here reading the more people say that 1200 is bad for your body and you are starving youself, I dont know, all of this calculating and body fat stuff is just extremly confusing. Thanks for the advice.

sleepytexan

Here's 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.

loislane22

I dont work out a lot, I run around a lot at work for 8 hours a day and then 30 min of light exercise per day, yoga or rollerblading.

loislane22

Here's 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.

Thank you, I will look into that, the artice explains everything very well. Might have to start fresh this week and do some research before I set any extreme daily goals.

Joestotn

Most BMR calculators have the TDEE configured into them. That is why I said yes. Most online and the apps all figure in the TDEE calculations.

Caloric deficits will result in weight loss as long as your macro nutrients are in line. That is typically where most people get it wrong. Considering a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. Which couldn't be further from the truth.

loislane22

Hello,

I have been eating 1270 calories per day, but today I was absolutely starving and just kept eating and eating, going over by 125 calories. I was scared that maybe i was starving myself so i went and adjusted my goal and mfp reccomended 1350 daily calories in order to get to my goal weight at 1 pound per week.
My question is, how accurate is the calculator for this? Should i try 1350 per day?

SW: 143
CW: 137
GW: 125
Height: 5'4

I just opened my diary, if that helps.

Thank you all who responded, appreciate all the great feedback!

loislane22

Most BMR calculators have the TDEE configured into them. That is why I said yes. Most online and the apps all figure in the TDEE calculations.

Caloric deficits will result in weight loss as long as your macro nutrients are in line. That is typically where most people get it wrong. Considering a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. Which couldn't be further from the truth.

Thank you, also looking into TDEE. Life would be awful without google

Lift_hard_eat_big

Hello,

I have been eating 1270 calories per day, but today I was absolutely starving and just kept eating and eating, going over by 125 calories. I was scared that maybe i was starving myself so i went and adjusted my goal and mfp reccomended 1350 daily calories in order to get to my goal weight at 1 pound per week.
My question is, how accurate is the calculator for this? Should i try 1350 per day?

SW: 143
CW: 137
GW: 125
Height: 5'4

I just opened my diary, if that helps.

According to you height and weight, you should be eating more than 1350, specially if you are training. I know women shorter and lighter than you, eating double than you are and they are losing weight perfectly fine and lifting heavy weights.

Lift_hard_eat_big

Most BMR calculators have the TDEE configured into them. That is why I said yes. Most online and the apps all figure in the TDEE calculations.

Caloric deficits will result in weight loss as long as your macro nutrients are in line. That is typically where most people get it wrong. Considering a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. Which couldn't be further from the truth.

Umm, no, BMR does not have TDEE configured into it. And having macros in line is not a requirement to lose weight. Do you mean to tell me if someone ate nothing but carbs but had a consistent deficit, that person would not lose weight because their macros weren't in line?

loislane22

^^

I am scared to up it because I dont still understand all of this, I have a nice tropical trip coming up in 5 weeks and the last thing I need is an extra few pounds.

Joestotn

Most BMR calculators have the TDEE configured into them. That is why I said yes. Most online and the apps all figure in the TDEE calculations.

Caloric deficits will result in weight loss as long as your macro nutrients are in line. That is typically where most people get it wrong. Considering a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. Which couldn't be further from the truth.

Umm, no, BMR does not have TDEE configured into it. And having macros in line is not a requirement to lose weight. Do you mean to tell me if someone ate nothing but carbs but had a consistent deficit, that person would not lose weight because their macros weren't in line?

BMR does not have TDEE in it. But MOST apps and websites that "calculate" it for you DO!! THIS APP does! The Livestrong APP DOES! All 3 of the BMR apps on my phone Include the TDEE calculation as well. So when someone just googles that, more times than not it will ask for their activity level as the multiplier also. If you read my first post I mentioned she needed to have them both worked out. I didn't say they were the same. Read!

If you ate nothing but carbs you would have more of a problem than just weight loss. Having your macros inline isn't a requirement. Your really taking things out of context here. But having them INLINE will definitely help. If you read the previous post it was in response to another persons comments about deficits being effective or not. Not just saying it's a one way to do things.