daily calories, please explain!

Want2BHealthyy
Want2BHealthyy Posts: 68
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm trying to lose 4 kilos, and my recommended daily calories is 1,230. but i've been trying to eat 1,230 cals & i feel so hungry at the end of the day. should i stick to the 1,230 or should i feed my body when its hungry? i don't want to put on weight though! will eating more calories stop me from losing weight? i don't get it, please explain :)

Replies

  • LosingWeight64
    LosingWeight64 Posts: 33
    are you exercising? that will make a diff in how many you should eat. if you are burning 500 cals per day, then 1200 would be too low imo... a lil more info pls:)
  • Rayman79
    Rayman79 Posts: 2,009 Member
    I just had a look at your profile, and it sounds like a classic case of being obsessed with 'the number'. You are much better to go by how your clothes are fitting, and if you are happy with how you look than the number on the scale.

    1260 cals sounds ok if you don't have a lot of weight to lose, but eat back whatever calories you earn through exercise. If you want to 'tighten' up your body and get a better shape, you should incorporate some resistance training (weights) into your exercise routine too.
  • AbsoluteNG
    AbsoluteNG Posts: 1,079 Member
    If that is you in your profile picture, you don't need to lose anymore weight. You should be working on bodyfat percentage by eating at maintenance and lifting weights.
  • CATindeeHAT
    CATindeeHAT Posts: 332 Member
    I'm trying to lose 4 kilos, and my recommended daily calories is 1,230. but i've been trying to eat 1,230 cals & i feel so hungry at the end of the day. should i stick to the 1,230 or should i feed my body when its hungry? i don't want to put on weight though! will eating more calories stop me from losing weight? i don't get it, please explain :)

    This is your daily NET calories - not the calories you're supposed to eat daily. So if you eat 1700 calories a day, but burn 800 calories doing some sort of exercise you will come in under your goal.

    If your set your net calorie goal to your BMR and exercise regularly to maintain a deficit (I.e. complete your food diary under your daily calorie goal) you WILL lose weight. Your diary automatically recalibrates (your macros and total needs) when you enter cardiovascular exercise.

    I hope this helps.
  • Want2BHealthyy
    Want2BHealthyy Posts: 68
    are you exercising? that will make a diff in how many you should eat. if you are burning 500 cals per day, then 1200 would be too low imo... a lil more info pls:)

    i usually do exercise, but on days that i don't exercise my calorie consumption is 1,200 but its hard for me to stick to that! sometimes i can do it, but i go to bed feeling really hungry. if i don't exercise i usually end up eating about 1,300 - 1,400 calories but on days that i do exercise, i usually eat 1,200 but my net calories add up to 800 calories. does that make sense? sorry about the lack of info aswell :smile:
  • Want2BHealthyy
    Want2BHealthyy Posts: 68
    I'm trying to lose 4 kilos, and my recommended daily calories is 1,230. but i've been trying to eat 1,230 cals & i feel so hungry at the end of the day. should i stick to the 1,230 or should i feed my body when its hungry? i don't want to put on weight though! will eating more calories stop me from losing weight? i don't get it, please explain :)

    This is your daily NET calories - not the calories you're supposed to eat daily. So if you eat 1700 calories a day, but burn 800 calories doing some sort of exercise you will come in under your goal.

    If your set your net calorie goal to your BMR and exercise regularly to maintain a deficit (I.e. complete your food diary under your daily calorie goal) you WILL lose weight. Your diary automatically recalibrates (your macros and total needs) when you enter cardiovascular exercise.

    I hope this helps.

    okay so i just looked up my BMR and it is 1,371 calories. so if i eat 1,200 calories, PLUS burn 400 calories (which means i consume 800 calories) 1. does that mean i will lose weight? and 2. is 800 calories too low?
  • nikilis
    nikilis Posts: 2,305 Member
    If your set your net calorie goal to your BMR and exercise regularly to maintain a deficit (I.e. complete your food diary under your daily calorie goal) you WILL lose weight. Your diary automatically recalibrates (your macros and total needs) when you enter cardiovascular exercise.
    okay so i just looked up my BMR and it is 1,371 calories. so if i eat 1,200 calories, PLUS burn 400 calories (which means i consume 800 calories) 1. does that mean i will lose weight? and 2. is 800 calories too low?

    you could set your goal daily goal to 1400-1500 and eat back your exercise calories as much as you want, loose weight slowly and sustainably and be happy rather than feeling hungry all the time. you're not supposed to feel like that.

    :P
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    With a BMR of 1300-1400 (remember these measures are estimates) gives you a TDEE of at least 1725 is you are sedentary. A 10-20% calorie restriction from that means you should allow for about 1400 to 1500 net. Add in exercise (some of it if you like). So yes, 800 net is too low, well below your BMR which is what you body needs if you were in a coma.

    No wonder you are hungry all the time.
  • VelociMama
    VelociMama Posts: 3,119 Member
    With a BMR of 1300-1400 (remember these measures are estimates) gives you a TDEE of at least 1725 is you are sedentary. A 10-20% calorie restriction from that means you should allow for about 1400 to 1500 net. Add in exercise (some of it if you like). So yes, 800 net is too low, well below your BMR which is what you body needs if you were in a coma.

    No wonder you are hungry all the time.

    This. Don't be afraid to eat a little more. You should not be feeling hungry, deprived, or starving. Also, I highly suggest setting some fitness goals for yourself. The closer you are to your goal size, the slower you lose, and it's important to have non-scale goals to keep you going.
  • nikilis
    nikilis Posts: 2,305 Member
    With a BMR of 1300-1400 (remember these measures are estimates) gives you a TDEE of at least 1725 is you are sedentary. A 10-20% calorie restriction from that means you should allow for about 1400 to 1500 net. Add in exercise (some of it if you like). So yes, 800 net is too low, well below your BMR which is what you body needs if you were in a coma.

    No wonder you are hungry all the time.

    good answer. I concur.
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
    With a BMR of 1300-1400 (remember these measures are estimates) gives you a TDEE of at least 1725 is you are sedentary. A 10-20% calorie restriction from that means you should allow for about 1400 to 1500 net. Add in exercise (some of it if you like). So yes, 800 net is too low, well below your BMR which is what you body needs if you were in a coma.

    No wonder you are hungry all the time.

    good answer. I concur.
    Yes. BMR is the number of calories you need just for your normal body functions (breathing, heart pumping, digestion, etc.). TDEE is how many calories you actually use each day on average. You want to eat somewhere between those two numbers to lose weight. The 10-20% below TDEE being recommended is good for sustained, but comfortable weight loss.
  • ElizaDnl
    ElizaDnl Posts: 46
    I agree, I think you should eat more. You'll still lose weight, it just will be slow. Which should be fine with that little to lose. Our numbers (BMR, TDEE) are very similar, and I have about 8 kg left to lose. I aim to eat a flat number of roughly 1700 every day (=TDEE at sedentary) independent of exercise. Then I exercise 5x/week to create a deficit. My weight loss is slow (half a pound per week), but I couldn't really eat less without feeling miserable and hungry.
  • kage5678
    kage5678 Posts: 29 Member
    Look at WHAT you are eating rather than only how much. If you clean up your diet you will find you can eat HEAPS and be under your calories and will not be hungry. Losing those last few kg is really hard :)
  • nikilis
    nikilis Posts: 2,305 Member
    Look at WHAT you are eating rather than only how much. If you clean up your diet you will find you can eat HEAPS and be under your calories and will not be hungry. Losing those last few kg is really hard :)

    I concur.

    more protein and 5-7 serves of vegetables (or fruit... but i dont like the sugar) has helped me alot.



    :D
  • wahmx3
    wahmx3 Posts: 633 Member
    This exactly, you need to eat more to lose weight, your body is hanging onto your calories.
    With a BMR of 1300-1400 (remember these measures are estimates) gives you a TDEE of at least 1725 is you are sedentary. A 10-20% calorie restriction from that means you should allow for about 1400 to 1500 net. Add in exercise (some of it if you like). So yes, 800 net is too low, well below your BMR which is what you body needs if you were in a coma.

    No wonder you are hungry all the time.

    good answer. I concur.
    Yes. BMR is the number of calories you need just for your normal body functions (breathing, heart pumping, digestion, etc.). TDEE is how many calories you actually use each day on average. You want to eat somewhere between those two numbers to lose weight. The 10-20% below TDEE being recommended is good for sustained, but comfortable weight loss.

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