CALORIES NEEDED

jeaniebear54
jeaniebear54 Posts: 20 Member
in Food and Nutrition
With my height and weight it says I need 1,530 calories. Is that to maintain weight or lose weight? Just wondering because when I exercise it adds more calories on to it. I am 5'8 218 pounds and 58 years old. I want to get down to 165 pounds so I want to know how many calories I need to eat. I know they say not below 1,200 but is that good?

Replies

  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    When you signed up there would have been an option to choose how many lbs you want to lose per week. Assuming you didn't click the maintain option, then the calories it gave you are to lose weight. It creates a deficit for you. This means that the way MFP works is that you will lose weight EVEN if you don't exercise. It tells you to eat back your exercise calories because having too large a deficit can be harmful in the long run.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    To lose
  • EatClean_WashUrNuts
    EatClean_WashUrNuts Posts: 1,590 Member
    1650 is your calculated BMR - what you need to maintain. go into your settings and set it for a 1 pound weight loss. It will take time, but you can succeed
  • jeaniebear54
    jeaniebear54 Posts: 20 Member
    So my daily goal is 1530, if I eat that do I need to exercise to get down to 1200 or is 1530 and no exercise I would still lose weight?
  • jnn0409
    jnn0409 Posts: 171 Member
    When you put in your height and weight and other information it has towards the bottom options to pick (maintain, lose 1/2 pound per week, lose 1 pound per week, etc). You can check to see what option you choose at the top of your screen by clicking on goals and choosing the guided option. It does add calories on when you exercise, some people choose to eat them and some don't eat their exercise calories back.
  • jnn0409
    jnn0409 Posts: 171 Member
    Eat 1530 or as close to it as possible without going over to lose weight. If you exercise you can eat the calorie amount it gives you to eat if you want and still lose weight. As you lose weight redo your goals and it your calorie goal may go lower as you lose depending on your weight, activity level and everything.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    So my daily goal is 1530, if I eat that do I need to exercise to get down to 1200 or is 1530 and no exercise I would still lose weight?
    1530 before exercise. If you work out and burn extra calories, you get to eat that many calories + your original 1530.

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