What Do You Think Your Calorie Intake Was Prior to MFP?

Atarahh

Being an on-campus college student, probably 2500-3500 day. And eating so much junk and take out and soda.

BeccaB1981

I was just saying the other day after a pretty heavy day of eating (Memorial Day) how easy it was to consume 3,000+ cals in a day. I could have eaten more even. I am sure that before MFP I was consuming between 3,000 and 3,500 maybe even more without any exercise. Before I got pregnant and had my baby I am sure it was even higher than that as I could drink a ton of alcohol and eat a whole pizza most nights like it was nothing. I still can do that I just try not to anymore.

ganbaranba

I started logging my calories a few weeks before I really started limiting my caloric intake and exercising regularly... On days that I thought I was 'holding back', I was eating 3,000-4,000 calories a day.

TylerJ76

4000-5000

Then 8000 or so on the weekends

MinnieInMaine

I'd also say somewhere between 3000 and 4000 calories on a typical day, more if we had something like pizza for dinner. Plus we used to drink coffee brandy with milk all the time - I shudder to think how many calories I took in on a day like that!!

SarahMorganP

3-5000 range. Yikes! I know that is crazy, but it's the truth!

RLDeShazo

Probably closer to 3000. Getting fries during lunch. Eating unhealthy snacks. High calorie dinners with tons of starch. It all adds up.

This is probably about right for me. I am eating about half that now, and working out several days a week for the past month. Unfortunately, the scale hasn't gotten the message yet. LOL

victoria4321

Around 3000ish. I did some days where I ate anything then wrote it on paper after that I logged it. I was surprised at how much I ate if I let myself go nuts. Almost all of it was take out too.

yoovie

5-600/day

yuliyax

Mine was probably anywhere from 3000-5000, on the night out - probably 6000.
I used to have a medium dominos pizza and then eat about 5 krispycremes. Bad times.

quie618

Like that rent guy in NYC, too damn high!.

:laugh:

wingednotes

I was having daily binges in the 4000-5000 range

shady81x

Probably about the same, 1300-1800 with exception of buffet days, maybe slightly lower on some days as i only recently started eating breakfast (which are generally about 200-300 cals) on the regular. I still eat the same type & amount of food each meal now. Exercise minutes have gone up though :laugh:

ironanimal

Between 3500-4000 I would guess. I was maintaining my highest weight for months.

jayjrf

900ish... my worst mistake

guby44

Probably 3000 on a good day. Crazy to think about it! I am so grateful for MFP!

cannonsky

I'm sure I was all over the place.. there's no way my calories were ever consistent

LovingLisa2012

I was averaging about 3,000 calories ( I used fitday software)
fast food 2- 3x a day plus snacks, adds up fast

ScatteredThoughts

Probably around 3500 or so.

sleepytexan

it was way too low.

I did WW for years, always keeping to minimum points (about 1200 cals/day) and never eating the extra "exercise" points. I had no idea this was bad for me.

As my workouts increased I got to the point where I was probably netting fewer than 800 calories a day most days without knowing it for probably a few years. Gradually I put on weight each time I had a special occasion, bc my metabolism had slowed down so much -- one special meal of 2500 calories and BOOM! 2 lbs. Then I'd immediately restrict again, but never lose it. It was a gradual stair-step of gaining 15 lbs. over about 18 months all while working out hard 6 days and starving.

Once I found MFP and a thread titled something like "For those who work out like crazy and aren't losing" and "Living with Obesity on 700 calories a day", a realized I needed to eat more.

I lost all the 15 lbs. in about 6 mos.

If any of this sounds like you, check out the group on here EAT MORE TO WEIGH LESS. It's the true key to not just losing weight, but to KEEPING it off forever.

In case you're curious, I lost weight, got to goal, and now maintain 130 -132 lbs. at around 2000 calories a day. (5'4, 44 yrs. old).

blessings.

foxyforce

probably 2000-3000

Dave198lbs

I'm sure I was all over the place.. there's no way my calories were ever consistent

ya...pretty much this. Looking back and remembering the crap I would eat...good god...blitzing through 4 pounds of M&M's while waiting for the pizza guy wasnt unheard of

TheVimFuego

Slightly higher before MFP (snacks and all), probably around 2300, then I started to watch everything and followed the standard "low fat, watch the calories, 1800 limit" deal and it dropped, but the weight didn't significantly.

So I discovered my kind of low-carb/sort of paleo/minimal sugar/no grains way of doing things and I've been steadily increasing my intake and still dropping. I need to find a new level for optimum maintenance without introducing a lot of processed food, too much protein or grainy things.

I think it should start with sorting the hormones and metabolism out before thinking about calories, carbs or whatever, the body will adjust to varying calories to a certain degree.

It seems faintly ridiculous to me now that my body needs XXXXX calories to survive and any relatively small daily variance from that (a couple of hundred calories, maybe more) means weight loss or gain.

I think the body is a bit smarter and more sophisticated than just running a simple maths problem every day and will find a way to use the extra (or a deficit) without compromising whatever my set point of fat percentage is. Historically speaking it must be this way, surely?

And again, I waffle on ... back to normal programming ...

TheVimFuego

it was way too low.

I did WW for years, always keeping to minimum points (about 1200 cals/day) and never eating the extra "exercise" points. I had no idea this was bad for me.

As my workouts increased I got to the point where I was probably netting fewer than 800 calories a day most days without knowing it for probably a few years. Gradually I put on weight each time I had a special occasion, bc my metabolism had slowed down so much -- one special meal of 2500 calories and BOOM! 2 lbs. Then I'd immediately restrict again, but never lose it. It was a gradual stair-step of gaining 15 lbs. over about 18 months all while working out hard 6 days and starving.

Once I found MFP and a thread titled something like "For those who work out like crazy and aren't losing" and "Living with Obesity on 700 calories a day", a realized I needed to eat more.

I lost all the 15 lbs. in about 6 mos.

If any of this sounds like you, check out the group on here EAT MORE TO WEIGH LESS. It's the true key to not just losing weight, but to KEEPING it off forever.

In case you're curious, I lost weight, got to goal, and now maintain 130 -132 lbs. at around 2000 calories a day. (5'4, 44 yrs. old).

blessings.

I'm glad you have found a decent diet, I would say EAT MORE GOOD, NUTRITIOUS, FOOD TO WEIGH LESS though ... adding 1200 calories of cheap easily digestible pseudo-food to your diet is not the way

Altarian

I figured it was between 3k and 5k depending on the day.

giggitygoo

.

prettytothinkso

I have no idea, but I was eating things like two 500 calorie cookies in a sitting, or a 700 calorie sandwich, or a 500 calorie shake. No wonder so much weight was gained.

fluffysexyme

ok... I'm backwards from the norm I guess. When I started I tracked my typically day for a week. I was eating 900 cals or less except on Sunday's when we would visit family and I would eat around 2000/2500.

Edit: No, I don't have and ED, I'm just never hungry even though I'm fluffy. I have to work very hard to stuff 2000 calories into my face a day and since I've been good about doing that the weight has been coming off. YAY!

jenaissance

most days way too low, between 700 and 900, with other days way too high, over 3000. I've found my balance now

MooMooooo

Great thread. Mine was always falling between 2000 and 3000 - terrible for someone as short as me.

It was VERY HARD to reduce this down - my bad habits were entrenched.