Figuring out how many calories I need to lose

DamienRiceFan
DamienRiceFan Posts: 30
edited September 20 in Food and Nutrition
Ok - I know this subject has been addressed many times on here before but I'm still very confused on exactly how many food calories I need to eat a day to lose weight. I feel pretty knowledgeable about nutrition but I'd like some more help. I think I have figured out that if I weigh between 200-180 I can eat 1600 calories a day & lose. I'm not taking into consideration the calories from exercise, I should lose either way with or without it. Then if I weigh between 180-170 1550 calories, 170-160 1500 calories, 160-150 1450 calories and so on .... is this correct? I have been consuming about 1200-1400 calories a day and think it is too little - I'm starting to become depressed & I think this is why.

Replies

  • HulaCherry
    HulaCherry Posts: 45
    The easiest way to think about it is that 3500 calories = 1 pound. So either by calories burned, or eliminated calories, that's how you can calculate your daily goal.

    For example, if I can maintain my body weight with 2000 calories, and I want to lose 1 pound a week, each day I can choose to either burn 500 calories at the gym or eliminate 500 calories from my food intake. Or any other combination of food and exercise.

    500 x 7 = 3500 calories

    I hope that makes sense.
  • mossmommy
    mossmommy Posts: 63
    I don't know anything about how many cals (MFP does that for me!) but I had to reply cuz I like Damien Rice too.
  • DamienRiceFan
    DamienRiceFan Posts: 30
    Makes sense. I hope you don't mind but I took a look at you diaries and I saw that you eat a nice amount of calories & you're losing. I workout 4 days a week 1 hour each day & am eating 1200-1400 calories and the weight is barely coming off, to me that sounds like my body is either in or on the fringe of starvation mode. Any thoughts?
  • HulaCherry
    HulaCherry Posts: 45
    I think your body might actually be on the border of starvation mode. You probably should try bumping it up to about 1600 calories a day and see what happens. Try it for a week, and let me know. You should still enjoy eating. You don't want to have a life of steamed broccoli and grilled chicken.

    And I keep my journal open so my friends can hold me accountable for my choices, so go ahead and look! :-)

    Good luck! You can do it.
  • DamienRiceFan
    DamienRiceFan Posts: 30
    Finally someone who's understanding what I'm saying :happy: I think to stop my own confusion I'm taking my exercise off MFP and just going to log in my food. I'm consistent with my workouts anyway. Thanks so much for your input.
  • DamienRiceFan
    DamienRiceFan Posts: 30
    I don't know anything about how many cals (MFP does that for me!) but I had to reply cuz I like Damien Rice too.
    Ahhhhhhh Damien Rice ♥
  • HulaCherry
    HulaCherry Posts: 45
    Yeah, and you can still log your workouts to keep track. Good luck and no problem! MFP has been the better than any trainer, diet or other plan I have attempted to be on. :-)
  • mom020305
    mom020305 Posts: 33
    I went through this too. 1200 was too little for me, I changed it to 1750 and that first week I lost 3.4 but this week I lost nothing. Buts that okay, I guess it is all trial and error, better losing nothing than gaining :)
    What sites do you find the best to calculate how many cals you need to maintain your weight?
    There are so many out there!
  • DamienRiceFan
    DamienRiceFan Posts: 30
    I went through this too. 1200 was too little for me, I changed it to 1750 and that first week I lost 3.4 but this week I lost nothing. Buts that okay, I guess it is all trial and error, better losing nothing than gaining :)
    What sites do you find the best to calculate how many cals you need to maintain your weight?
    There are so many out there!
    I can not find the original calculator that I used, but freedieting.com has one very similar.
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