conflicting research please help

Bex_Duffy

hi, my names rebecca, and this is my second time at mfp and have come back with more determination than ever! so heres my issue,
i have spent a lot of time reading the forums and doing research and i find it very conflicting, im overwhelmed with information. i am 170lbs 5ft 6, and looking to loose around 25lbs, so am i supposed to be eating 1200 calories or 1700 calories. i do understand that i need to eat back my workout calories, but where do i start
i will also say i have been eating 1200 this week and have felt ok, i would love a little more tho
please help

thanks

jlyoung913

You will be fine around the 1700 kcal number unless you want to lose more than 1lb per week. If you want to lose more than you will need to decrease the number of calories. This response comes with some evidence - I am a dietitian and so I figured out your calories to maintain current weight and subtracted 500 which would give you about a pound loss/week. Hope this helps you out. Where does MFP have your daily calories set?
Good luck!

nroseberry11

I am of the same height and weight as you, basically the same goals. I am set at 1200 and find it manageable because I make sure and eat at lot of protein, fish, chicket, etc. as well as fresh lettuce/greens with olive oil to get my fats in. As well, special K meal replacement bars have done great for me.

If you want to lose 1.5 to 2lbs a week I recommend staying at 1200 but adding some variations to your diet and see what foods specifically make you feel more full.

As well, I have noticed that through the day when I feel hungry, I drink a glass of water and take a walk or do a short session of cardio or exercise and that usually wards off the physical and mental desire for food when I am not scheduled to ear.

Good Luck!

vjsmith

HI there. I'm also a dietitian and it seems like MFP puts almost every woman at 1200 calories to start with. I tried it and lost about 15 pounds but when I told my MD she was not happy. She encouaged me to take in at least 1500 cals. I followed her advice, continued my worksouts and lost another 20 pounds. I was down for a while and gained some of the weight back, but I am back on track now, eating aroung 1500 calories and losing 1-2 pounds per week (depending on my workout routine for the week).

Keep in mind EVERY body is different. Pay attention to how you feel and whether or not your are losing like you want. You may need to adjust slightly up or down. (Never lower thant 1200 though). If I work out hard and am hungrier the next day, I eat a little more. If I'm not hungry (maybe my workout wasn't as strenuous) I migh have a little less. As you progress you will get to know your body better and it will become easier.

Good luck

Bex_Duffy

thank you very much for your advice guys, its helped a lot. I wish u all well on your journeys, we can do this together!!!