How many calories are you guys eating in a day?

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  • Lyssa62
    Lyssa62 Posts: 930 Member
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    right around 1200 and this includes my exercise...i'm not a big fan of eating back the exercise calories. Just haven't been able to grasp that whole starvation mode thing.
  • rlmadrid
    rlmadrid Posts: 694 Member
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    Well, I'm slightly anorexic... I mean... I don't eat much during the day. I try and MyFitnessPal has been helping me do that. I put inn my data, 325lbs-goal 110lbs- sedetary exercise- 5'3- 18 y\o- goal to loose 2 lbs a week, and it says I can eat 1780 calories, which is very surprising to me. I don't doubt that MyFitnessPal is incorrect, my anorexic mind just can't concieve how much that is! lol. Well, yesterday was my first offical day of using the app and I seriously tried to eat so much; I was SO full at the end of the day. I ended up eating a total of 777 calories - 184 exercise = 593 calories. And the app was STILL telling me that I wasn't eating enough! Oh well. Maybe I'll end up loosing more than I expected? Check out my food diary and give me some tips if I really am not eating enough, please! :)
    If you really want to consume more calories (which is definitely recommended), but can't stomach more food at the moment, try eating more calorie-dense foods such as seeds, nuts, nut butters, oils (cook with or add to salads), avocados, cheese etc. Stop eating reduced calories and reduced fat food, switch to full fat dairy for example. You can also drink your calories in milk, nut milks, protein shakes, smoothies etc.

    If you really think you have an eating disorder, my main "tip" would be to seek treatment for it now. :flowerforyou:

    ^^^ What she said. Even though you have lots to lose, you can still become malnourished and ill if you're not eating right. Yes, there are people, like those who've had weight loss surgery, who eat that low while they're losing, but it's temporary, medically supervised and they're meticulous about nutrition.

    All of this was well said. It's hard to switch to eating fatty foods after feeling like you got nowhere being super careful. You may not have an ED though, it could also just be a mild orthorexia. Basically by that I mean that you are so careful about not eating anything even slightly high calorie or high fat that you find yourself full on a very low level of calories. I suggest adding some of the options given above. An avocado is anywhere between 250-400 cals depending on the size, peanut butter is 100 cals a tbsp. It's physically easy to eat a spoonful of peanut butter, you just have to accept that it won't negate your progress.

    Many meats are relatively high in calories even if lean. That can be a little scary at first but getting your protein is very important. You should aim to meet or exceed your daily protein goal as set by MFP or increase it. Protein shakes help to do that by adding about 25g of protein to your day in only 130 calories. Just remember that they act as a supplement, not a replacement.

    Finally, go read the Road Map thread! I eat (net) 2040 calories a day for maintenance at 150 lbs 5'9". I have my MFP set to maintenance so that any calories under is loss and any over is gain. That's what works for me. If you go and figure out your numbers, you can find a system that you are comfortable with. Feel free to add me if you would like to chat or see my food diary.
  • katevarner
    katevarner Posts: 884 Member
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    Well, I'm slightly anorexic... I mean... I don't eat much during the day. I try and MyFitnessPal has been helping me do that. I put inn my data, 325lbs-goal 110lbs- sedetary exercise- 5'3- 18 y\o- goal to loose 2 lbs a week, and it says I can eat 1780 calories, which is very surprising to me. I don't doubt that MyFitnessPal is incorrect, my anorexic mind just can't concieve how much that is! lol. Well, yesterday was my first offical day of using the app and I seriously tried to eat so much; I was SO full at the end of the day. I ended up eating a total of 777 calories - 184 exercise = 593 calories. And the app was STILL telling me that I wasn't eating enough! Oh well. Maybe I'll end up loosing more than I expected? Check out my food diary and give me some tips if I really am not eating enough, please! :)

    You will definitely lose more, and if you are at 325, there is plenty of your body to cannibalize if you aren't getting sufficient calories, but you should try to eat more. Much more. You should also see a therapist about anorexia. Try to add 100 calories per day. Then when you are comfortable eating that much, add another 100 per day, and so on. If you eat too little while you lose the weight, you will have to eat too little to maintain once you are done, and that won't be healthy.
  • rlmadrid
    rlmadrid Posts: 694 Member
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    well I'm like dying at 1200 calories...
    I set the thing for losing 1 1/2 lbs a week. I find these calories kind of light and it leaves me hungry midday and at night. I'm never really "FULL", only temporarily satisfied. I guess that's how it ought to be though.

    NO! Don't speak such blasphemy!

    Go here and calculate your numbers. If you are tired, lethargic, and hungry at 1200 calories than it is likely far from enough to sustain your daily activity, not to mention exercise. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • lamilli09
    lamilli09 Posts: 354 Member
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    Nowadays, I eat about 1,200 - 1,400 calories in a day for a day when I'm getting 30 minutes or less of low impact exercise (i.e. walking, using my weighted hoop, etc.)

    When I was hitting the gym like a fiend (60-80 minutes of weights or circuit training), I would eat about 1,800 calories in a day without blinking twice.

    Also, I don't stick to a structured x amount of calories... my daily caloric intake is based on how hungry I am -- some days that means 1,100 calories and some days that means 2,000.
  • katevarner
    katevarner Posts: 884 Member
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    well I'm like dying at 1200 calories...
    I set the thing for losing 1 1/2 lbs a week. I find these calories kind of light and it leaves me hungry midday and at night. I'm never really "FULL", only temporarily satisfied. I guess that's how it ought to be though.

    How much do you have to lose? 1 1/2 per week is high. Try 1 lb instead, then you can eat more. If you are starving while you lose the weight, you won't be able to start eating normally when you are done. Either recalculate with MFP or try adding 100 calories per day until you aren't starving.
  • nellyett
    nellyett Posts: 436 Member
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    I had a several month's long plateau when I was eating 1200 or under so I've revamped my numbers to TDEE at Sedentary less 10%-15%. Then I eat back ALL of my exercise calories which I track with a HRM.

    Since doing this I've dropped 2.5 lbs in a week and feel so much better. My BMR is 1368 and I've reset MFP to 1400.

    I NET anywhere between 1400-1500 per day, so with exercise I'm eating around 1700-1800 per day. However, I went way over yesterday so going to try and eat under today to balance out the week a bit. :)
  • SlinkyPinkyBunsOfSteel
    SlinkyPinkyBunsOfSteel Posts: 661 Member
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    At least 1350 (which is my BMR) but usually about 1500. Occasionaly I eat 1600-2000 cals when I have a high calorie burn at the gym. :)
  • rjwant
    rjwant Posts: 8 Member
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    I try to stick to under 1200 a day but it depends of what I have "earned" with exercise. But I normally can stay within the 1200 limit set for me. I seem to be staying steady on weight but that's normal for me.....
  • WalkingGirl1985
    WalkingGirl1985 Posts: 2,047 Member
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    1600-1900 per day NET..I'm 5"6 196.
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
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    Just set to 1900 this week and not logging exercise cals (just logging it for time). Maintenance is somewhere around 1750 net so it should be a slight deficit. I tried the calorie numbers from NROLW for a little while (1930 on a rest day, 2170 on a lifting day) but that was a little too much for me.
  • MinMin97
    MinMin97 Posts: 2,676 Member
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    5'7" 160lbs medium frame, I lift mostly.
    Main goal is to get fit, with bodyfat% reduction as a side effect of that.
    Not attached to scale losses/gains.
    Want the mirror and clothing and strength gains to be my measures as well as feeling awesome and having fantastic habits.

    I eat 1800-2000cals per day.
    Goal is to keep it under TDEE.

    I eat for health, strength in workouts, and for enjoyment:)
  • DexterDarko
    DexterDarko Posts: 235
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    I set my goal to 1,600 calories. I tried it at 2,000, felt over stuffed, tried 1,800, couldn't get it that high without feeling stuffed still, and now 1,600 seems perfect. I'm a big guy so it might be odd I'm eating this little, but I trust my body so I eat whenever I'm hungry and everything has gone swell so far.
  • daisymomx3
    daisymomx3 Posts: 4
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    1200-1600 has worked for me. It's not super fast weight loss but I've lost 23 lbs and it keeps me from totally giving up since I can still have my favorite foods.
  • awestbrook89
    awestbrook89 Posts: 5 Member
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    I eat 1500 cals and that's still allowing me to eat low fat ice cream and with exercise I'm still really full.
  • tomich54
    tomich54 Posts: 99 Member
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    Right now 1670 a day is what I'm given - I usually don't eat any of my "extra work out calories". I readjust it through settings every 10 pounds that I lose so that it can readjust my daily totals, that way it will adjust to the amount that I want to lose.

    BTW - It took me a LOOOONNNNGGGGG time to realize that I had to keep adjusting the settings, I assumed it was going to do it on it's own! :blushing:
  • shelbyfrootcake
    shelbyfrootcake Posts: 965 Member
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    I aim to average 1300 per day net over the week. Some days I eat 500 (fast day), others I'm netting 2100.
  • gabbymom2
    gabbymom2 Posts: 175 Member
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    Hi,

    Eat what makes you feel comfortable.
  • _TastySnoBalls_
    _TastySnoBalls_ Posts: 1,298 Member
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    1800-1900.........follow the roadmap! It's the only way :smokin:
  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
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    It varies, but I eat enough to fuel my workouts. I judge it based on energy levels, mood, and hunger, and cravings.

    This ^^

    Usually that lands me somewhere in the 2800-3500 category. But I train 4 times a week, have a physically demanding job, and walk everywhere. I tried doing all this on 2500 calories because I was uninformed and ended up doing a lot of damage to my body. Now I know to eat when I'm hungry and track my macros.

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