Confused on how many calories to eat...please help!!!!

sabtha89

Hey guys,

I'm confused about the calorie intake. I would like to loose 15-20kg (roughly 35 pounds) in 3 months. I want to eat healthy. If I exercise everyday and loose 500-600 calories, how many calories should I eat?

If I eat 1,200 calories and burn 500 calories, is it healthy? Or would you recommend I eat about 1,400 calories and burn 500 calories?

Thank you for the help x

BeachIron

Losing over 10 pounds a month isn't healthy. You put stress on your body losing weight and you want to build a life-long habit, so it's best to take it slowly. Most recommendations I've seen are for about 1 pound a week. Try the MFP calorie counter to start with and dial in your information with a plan for 1 pound a week weight loss. Start there and give it at least a month or two. Make sure you do some strength training at least 3 days a week and some moderate cardio for your heart. Also, only weigh yourself once a week, at the same time each time, as water weight can easily vary by a few pounds during the day. Then be patient.

lauren3101

1. Your weight loss goal is not realistic or healthy.

2. We would need some stats to tell you how much to eat.

3. I can however tell you that both of the options you are giving yourself are too low.

jacksonpt

There's a zillion calculators out there for this very purpose, including MFP's. Use one of those.

beckymlong

There's a zillion calculators out there for this very purpose, including MFP's. Use one of those.

What kind of response is this? She needs advice, referring her to one of a zillion calculators isn't very useful... Edit: particularly when they contradict each other (own experience)

sabtha89

Thank you everyone for the replies, so let's say regardless of the final goal weight i wana achieve, would it be healthy to eat 1,400 calories and burn 500 calories? I'm 5'3 and weigh 195 pounds at the moment.

Suzannadanna

Here is a chart to help you set your goals.
http://www.chartsgraphsdiagrams.com/HealthCharts/calorie-requirement.html
Just assume the weight is your goal weight and estimate your activity level. If you eat the right amount of calories to maintain your goal weight, you should be safely losing towards your goal. It is also helpful to see what your calorie intake should be long-term. If you want to keep the weight off, this will be your goal intake even after you've lost the weight.

Hope this helps.

BeachIron

Thank you everyone for the replies, so let's say regardless of the final goal weight i wana achieve, would it be healthy to eat 1,400 calories and burn 500 calories? I'm 5'3 and weigh 195 pounds at the moment.

Slow down for a second. How did you get those numbers. Did you use the MFP calculator? What did it give you for a loss of 1 pound per week?

I can't recommend enough that you really go through this exercise yourself. YOU want to think your way through this a bit. Seriously, I'm willing to stay and help, but go through the exercise so you learn and aren't dependent on others. That goes for motivation too. Be a student of exercise and health!

kmcosgrove115

I posted this a while back - worth a read:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/931670-bmr-and-tdee-explained-for-those-needing-a-guide

jacksonpt

There's a zillion calculators out there for this very purpose, including MFP's. Use one of those.

What kind of response is this? She needs advice, referring her to one of a zillion calculators isn't very useful... Edit: particularly when they contradict each other (own experience)

But there's no way to know how many cals she should be eating. She can give us all her stats/info and we can make a recommendation, but how is that any different than taking the "recommendation" of a calculator? The calculators are doing the same thing we are...

At the end of the day she has to take a number (either one she gets from a calculator or one someone gives her, though who know where that number comes from) and try it for a month. There is no magic wand to wave to get the exact number on the first try... most people have to go through some degree of trial and error.

Oh and kudos to you for contributing such meaningful information to this thread.

violinkeri

Thank you everyone for the replies, so let's say regardless of the final goal weight i wana achieve, would it be healthy to eat 1,400 calories and burn 500 calories? I'm 5'3 and weigh 195 pounds at the moment.

If you are going through the MFP calculator and it gives you 1400 calories, you are meant to ALSO eat any additional calories you burn through exercise. So if you burn 500 through exercise one day, you should actually consume 1900 for that day.

BeachIron

There's a zillion calculators out there for this very purpose, including MFP's. Use one of those.

What kind of response is this? She needs advice, referring her to one of a zillion calculators isn't very useful... Edit: particularly when they contradict each other (own experience)

But there's no way to know how many cals she should be eating. She can give us all her stats/info and we can make a recommendation, but how is that any different than taking the "recommendation" of a calculator? The calculators are doing the same thing we are...

At the end of the day she has to take a number (either one she gets from a calculator or one someone gives her, though who know where that number comes from) and try it for a month. There is no magic wand to wave to get the exact number on the first try... most people have to go through some degree of trial and error.

^^ I have to agree with this.

OP - again, become a student.

Perhaps starting here would be good: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

There is not "one right" calculator out there and they vary slightly because people vary slightly. If you want to learn what YOUR body burns, then you have to experiment. I'm not saying we are all completely different, but there is some minor variation due to ACTUAL activity (as opposed to the estimates of "sedentary," "lightly active," etc.) and ACTUAL lean body mass.

beckymlong

There's a zillion calculators out there for this very purpose, including MFP's. Use one of those.

What kind of response is this? She needs advice, referring her to one of a zillion calculators isn't very useful... Edit: particularly when they contradict each other (own experience)

But there's no way to know how many cals she should be eating. She can give us all her stats/info and we can make a recommendation, but how is that any different than taking the "recommendation" of a calculator? The calculators are doing the same thing we are...

At the end of the day she has to take a number (either one she gets from a calculator or one someone gives her, though who know where that number comes from) and try it for a month. There is no magic wand to wave to get the exact number on the first try... most people have to go through some degree of trial and error.

Oh and kudos to you for contributing such meaningful information to this thread.

I pm her my experience which advice from someone who is doing it or gone through the same thing is more relative or understandable, I myself have been trialling low cals it didn't do much so am now trying a higher cal more exercise, and better foods. I advised her to look at bmr and tdee as a rough guide. I know its all trial and everybody is different but my point was if someone needs help directing them to a zillion different calculators is just confusing, again personal experience.

cherio256

I am doing 1200 calories a day. I also eat back my exercise calories (usually 130-280) and I lost 17 pounds last month Also all I drink is water. You can get alot of calories from drinks alone.

beckymlong

When you're new to this, nutrients, calories eating high eating low eating back calories after exercising can all seem confusing and when you don't get results can be disappointing.... Helpful guidance and often experience helps, if given multiple options it is down to the person to try it out as I am doing myself, it seems like a minefield of info and when just starting out I don't understand why people can be condescending its not easy for everyone. I can read online how to do surgery, doesn't make me a surgeon. But talking to someone directly may answer questions give support and increase motivation

beckymlong

I am doing 1200 calories a day. I also eat back my exercise calories (usually 130-280) and I lost 17 pounds last month Also all I drink is water. You can get alot of calories from drinks alone.

That is a very good point, I didn't put drinks on my diary at first didn't really cross my mind, then I realised how many calories are in fruit Juice, alcohol etc really bumps up the total

bethanytowell

Google "TDEE Calculator" TDEE is the TOTAL number of calories you burn in a day based on your height, weight, age and activity level. It will ask how often you work out. It will give you a number, probably around 2000-2500. Subtract 20% from that number and make that your calorie goal. This will get you sustainable weightloss at a rate that is easily maintained and you dont have to add exercise calories and all that, they are already included in your daily calorie goal.

Hope this helps.

YogaNikki

There's a zillion calculators out there for this very purpose, including MFP's. Use one of those.

This is why we are friends

NutellaAddict

I use this http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
or http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

beckymlong

Google "TDEE Calculator" TDEE is the TOTAL number of calories you burn in a day based on your height, weight, age and activity level. It will ask how often you work out. It will give you a number, probably around 2000-2500. Subtract 20% from that number and make that your calorie goal. This will get you sustainable weightloss at a rate that is easily maintained and you dont have to add exercise calories and all that, they are already included in your daily calorie goal.

Hope this helps.

This is what I messaged the OP, just keep trying, I was advised to give it a few months, have sensible goals and don't be put off by negativity :-)

SkinnyForMinnie

Bump. Good info here.