Girls, how many calories are you eating?

LassoOfTruth

I'm 5'1, 167 lbs and was eating 1200 per day but plateaued and just upped my calories to 1400.. I'm so freaked out I'm going to end up gaining weight. How many calories are you guys eating and what are your stats?

I was eating 1300-1600 before I plateaud (for 3 months). I just got off my plateau by eating around 2000-2500 calories for a few weeks, and then for two weeks eating 1200. I did get over my plateau recently and now I'm eating 1200-1600 daily and free days on the weekends. (Free days go anywhere from 1500-4000 calories.)

That doesn't work for everyone, but I think it works for me because I keep my body guessing. On the high calorie days, I usually exercise much more than I should. This week (and for the next 3 more weeks), the goal is eat 1300 a day, and burn 1000 calories a day. After that's over, I'm going to stabilize it more... as in 1500 in and 600 out.

ObtainingBalance

I've calculated my TDEE but every calculator varies and every week I workout different times and intensity so it's never a for sure thing... one week I could workout 6 days and the next week only work out 3 days...

Anyhow. I just went back to logging my exercise calories and eating most of them back -- my MFP net goal is 1,370 but sometimes I net a bit lower (if I have some calories remaining... i usually eat most back though)
My daily totals are anywhere from 1,300 - 1,600 ish.


You shouldnt worry about raising it to 1,400. I consider that low lol and you're active.
Good luck!

Jonesie1984

i'm 5'7.5 eating 1900 calories a day (TDEE -20%) I workout about 4-5x's week.

oopsie.. edited for weight and specifics. I'm 159lbs and weight train about 4 days a week, HIIT for 30 minutes 3 days/week

criscollrj

I started tracking here on January 30 of this year, and decided to set my calories high so that I'd have a good chance of staying on it. I had no other reason to do that and had not read all the information that I have now about BMR, TDEE, that has been so enlightening now to me! So it was purely a personal reason that I didn't want to fail yet again! On my blog here I've been writing about all the weight loss plans I've been on since I was a kid in the 70's so I won't repeat all that but quick summary I've done it all - calorie counting, high good carbs, low good carbs, high protein, low protein (semi-vegetarian!), weigh down/thin within (just eat when hungry only), and probably more I've forgotten! I was tired of extremes and just figured I didn't care if I only lose 1/4 pound a month, as long as the scale goes down I'm going to stick with it!

So I started at 1690 which is what MFP placed me on to lose 1/2 pound a week. I eat whatever I want (including ice cream, coke, chips) and just try not to go too haywire on the percentages - if it says I'm over on the sugar by a lot - i.e., 70 or 80 over, I try to leave out sugar rest of the day.

I'm thrilled to say since January 30 I've lost six pounds and 2" around my waist and an inch around my hips. And I pretty much just walk -- been wanting to start my wii fit but haven't yet.

Oh and I do eat back my exercise calories - what little I get...

cleotherio

5'5" 145 lbs, age 41

I eat about 1600 a day. I eat back some if not all exercise calories. I'm switching over to more heavy strength training from mostly cardio and lighter weights, so I'm probably going to adjust my calories (eat more) over the next couple weeks depending on how I feel. I don't always log on weekends. I don't go crazy, but my schedule is much looser and I seem to eat one bigger meal and just graze the rest of the time. I don't think I go over my limit by too much.

I'm not really tracking my weight anymore. I'm pretty close to where I want to be; just want to keep working on getting stronger. I'll probably drop another size or two (I'm a size 8 in almost everything; probably go down to a 4/6) if I keep training.

serenapitala

I'm 5'4" and 175 lbs. I eat 1700+ depending on how much I've done that day. Some days I burn over 3000, so those days I try to eat over 2000. It sounds like a lot of food for weight loss, but since Christmas, when I increased my calories, I've averaged 1.89 pound loss per week. I burn over 2600 on average, so it works. I have the bodymedia armband, so I have a pretty accurate calorie count. I've found if my deficit is more than 1200 calories I get super crabby even if I'm not tired or hungry.

Edit: I didn't put in my exercise info. I am a nanny, so I burn a decent amount at work. I have two big gym days a week. Running, cardio, heavy weights then yoga on those days. Two days a week all I do after work is run for ten minutes because I have class and no free time. Tuesday is my rest day and my splurge day, my calories on Tuesday are generally really high because I go out with friends. Saturday and sunday I do things like 5ks, running the stairs up the cliff near me, or other outside activities.

NYCDutchess

can some one tell me how I figure out how many calories I should have?

Guinevere117

I am 23, 5'6" and weight 114-116 pounds. I recently upped by calories to 1500, because I am trying to maintain, lost fat, and gain muscle..... I am kinda a newbie at the whole strength training things, but I am learning.

DaniH826

I eat around 2000-2300 or so. I get hungry, especially on lifting days. I lift 3x/week.

These calories probably put me close to maintenance since the scale hasn't budged much since I started lifting nor have the inches, but I'm okay with that since I lost a few pounds before I started lifting, and am more interested in health and strength at this point in my life, and losing fat and gaining muscle rather than just "losing weight" (whatever that means anyway).

The weight will come off when it comes off and things will balance themselves out eventually as long as I keep making healthy choices and moving regularly.

Right now I'm more worried about learning what my body actually needs and getting a solid ballpark, along with adequate protein intake (my newest challenge) than getting too hung up on details and fretting going over by a few hundred calories or whatever.

Oh I'm 5'10" and around 200 lbs, age 45.

I don't think there is one calorie solution that fits everyone. You have to figure out what's right for you.

footiechick82

I eat like a pig... I was at 1,200 plus my exercise calories, so average 1,600... I increased to between 1,800 and 2,000 and in a month by cutting out sugar and as well, I lost 7lbs.

my typing skills stink!

rainydaze613

I'm 5'2 and 107 pounds. I started using MFP about a year ago and ate 1200-1400 calories each day for about five months, then I went through a weird period of depression/binge eating blues. Now I'm eating 1600-1700 cal a day and maintaining with exercise.

SarahBeth0625

I eat like a pig... I was at 1,200 plus my exercise calories, so average 1,600... I increased to between 1,800 and 2,000 and in a month by cutting out sugar and as well, I lost 7lbs.

my typing skills stink!

Not a pig at all!! I was dying on the 1200 calorie default when I first joined. You are right where you should be, expecially if you exercise!

Cre8veLifeR

I eat 1400 on non-exercise days, and I eat my calories back on workout days.

starsonlyhope

I'm 5'5" 290 and I eat about 1800. I work out 2-4 times a week

Azexas

5'6

I eat 1700 on Gym days and 1500ish on rest days- BMR is around 1450. I've lost about 12 pounds so far using this method.

savithny

I'm 5'10" and MFP wants me at 1640 net.
Scooby gave me a BMR of 1700, which is pretty close.
I shoot for my MFP goal, but don't worry if I overshoot and land closer to that BMR, or a bit higher. It works out across the week.
I eat back a conservative estimate of exercise calories -- up to 180 more a day.
So far I've lost more than a pound a week but less than 1.5.

Jonesie1984

can some one tell me how I figure out how many calories I should have?

theres a link on my page to calculate your TDEE feel free to use it

ThisGirl2013

5' 6"
I am eating 1220 calories (give or take) per day
The scale read 140 this morning
It was 137 on Sun
However, I am working out again and I swear that I see more definition, so as long as I can keep/get more of that - I am golden!

footiechick82

I eat like a pig... I was at 1,200 plus my exercise calories, so average 1,600... I increased to between 1,800 and 2,000 and in a month by cutting out sugar and as well, I lost 7lbs.

my typing skills stink!

Not a pig at all!! I was dying on the 1200 calorie default when I first joined. You are right where you should be, expecially if you exercise!

I'm saying I eat like a pig now - before I was always watching what I should be eating and it drove me nuts! I need to recalculate my TDEE and stuff

CMorning99

5'5"
138lbs

I use the BodyMedia and using the "Road Map" theory of a 20% deficit of TDEE which has me at 1350 a day + eating back exercise...so usually around 1500-1600 as I try walk on the treadmill each day for 30 min. I am losing just under a pound a week...if I don't blow my weekends. I am happy with that as my bodyfat is reaching the low end of the "normal" spectrum.

TheNavet

5"4, 117lbs / 53.2kg, around 1450-1500 calories a day but I'm on my upping them slowly as I'm barely eating over my BMR and burning around 350 calories from exercice on a daily basis P:

EDIT: And you shouldn't worry too much about weight gain if you up your calories, it's mainly water retention . Just remember if you gain one lbs when eating +200 calories : 1lbs = 3500 calories. Just watch your sodium!

treenuh_x

MFP set mine to 1480, so I usually eat between 1200 and 1400.

megalin9

I eat every bit of my 1800 calories. 27yo, 5'7", 199#, strength training 3X/week, cardio 2X/week+. Steadily losing weight, not starving, heavier than I was when I graduated high school but SMALLER. :drinker:

Herbastar

I am 5'8" roughly about 127 lbs... I take in about 1500 calories a day with about 100 grams of protein with the help of my Herbalife... I work out 5 days a week and feel amazing! What you want to do is check to see what your resting metabolic rate is. Then you have a starting point of where your personal caloric intake should be. In order to loose about 1 pound a week you will go 500 calories lower than your resting metabolic rate. You DO NOT want to go below 1200 calories a day. If you do then your body thinks it is starving or will go into what some call a hibernation mode. This is when your body starts to STORE what you put into it because it thinks it will not receive food again for awhile. Example if your resting metabolic rate is 2400 than you can safely go down to 1400 calories a day and loose about 2 pounds a week! When you exercise and eat (even just a little something like 1/2 c. cottage cheese) every 3-4 hours than your metabolism will raise. This will cause your calorie burning to increase = more weight loss. I hope this helps!

Gwyn1969

No longer a girl, but ... 5'9", 160, started logging on MFP at 1700. At that time I was rehabbing a back injury, so my training was curtailed by that. I stayed heavy on bench and press, added HIIT, and curtailed my martial arts training to very light but kept it at three or four times a week. Then when I started linear progression on squat and deadlift, I cut out cardio, and started training harder on the mat. Had to up my calories to 1850. I'm still hungry a lot and eat over that every couple of days, by around 300 extra. I may up it again. Lost 8-ish pounds, rather quickly, want to keep cutting but need to slow it down if I'm going to keep training hard and get my squat and deadlift back up to where they were before I hurt my back (220 and 305).

LadyMustard

227lbs, 5' 6", 1750 calories. Most days I eat about 200 or so less. I eat closer to 1750 on my work out days, MWF. Lost 6 - 8 pounds since starting, and I'm still losing.

JustJennie1

Depends.

My diary is set to 1530 but I go over it more often than not, especially on the weekends. With workouts I aim for my 1530 period and don't consciously eat back my exercise calories however lately I've been hitting close to 1800 on my workout days.

I'm 5'3 and 117lbs

sarahhlove

i'm currently 178. 5'7 and i consume about 1500-1600 calories a day, typically. i've lost about 6 lbs in the last 3 weeks alone. exciting stuff!

Lifting_Knitter

Maintenance at 2100. Have done it for over a month and not gained a lb. :drinker:

AncientLullaby_

700 cals -1500 cals zigg zag