How many calories should I be consuming?

amandanilo

Hi there!

I was wondering how many calories I should be consuming in order to lose weight.

I am 5ft 4, currently weigh 194lbs. I am 27. I work out 5 times a week for an hour each. I am going to be switching up my routine to 2-3 days of total body sculpting and 3 days of cardio for an hour.

Is there a way to determine how many calories I should be consuming in order to lose weight based on my heigh, weight, age, and activity level? I've seen calculators about this online but they are all telling me something different. My weight hasn't been moving for a couple weeks so I'm wondering if I need to up my calories or if this is fine.

When I did Jenny Craig last year, I was put on 1200 a day. I thought I should stay with that considering I'm not much lighter now than I was then.

Thanks!

sleibo87

1200 is way to low in my opinion. Try your TDEE - 20%. So for you, if you sit and do nothing (desk job) and no exercise you should eat about 2000 a day so minus 20% is 1600 a day, plus whatever you exercise off.
I am 4'11 and 121 pounds and I eat more than 1200 calories, but I workout hard. I eat about 1200-1300 on no workout days, but I'm shorter. The less you eat now the harder it will be to lose in the future cause your metabolism will slow down plus you don't want to lose muscle and if eat at too large deficit you won't JUST be losing fat. Been there done that. I tried the super low cal thing for the first few months and yes I lose weight but still have a high % of body fat

amandanilo

1200 is way to low in my opinion. Try your TDEE - 20%. So for you, if you sit and do nothing (desk job) and no exercise you should eat about 2000 a day so minus 20% is 1600 a day, plus whatever you exercise off.
I am 4'11 and 121 pounds and I eat more than 1200 calories, but I workout hard. I eat about 1200-1300 on no workout days, but I'm shorter. The less you eat now the harder it will be to lose in the future cause your metabolism will slow down plus you don't want to lose muscle and if eat at too large deficit you won't JUST be losing fat. Been there done that. I tried the super low cal thing for the first few months and yes I lose weight but still have a high % of body fat

Thank you! That is helpful!

I checked my TDEE. It said 2500...minus 20% is 2000. That seems like a lot still. What do you think?

sleibo87

Yah well if you exercise 2000 isnt that bad. You can try to cycle it and eat like one day 1600 one day 1800 and one day 2200, just see what works for you. I just wouldn't fall below the 1600 mark and then as you lose weight you can reevaluate your calories. I think honestly the fact that weight watchers and jenny craig has pretty much everyone on a 1200 calorie diet and thats probably why people (at least some that I know) who stopped those programs gained their weight back. I love when my friends who do certain programs give me advice when they haven't lose as much as me, and all I did was use this site and its freeeeee

emaurelli

QUOTE:

1200 is way to low in my opinion. Try your TDEE - 20%. So for you, if you sit and do nothing (desk job) and no exercise you should eat about 2000 a day so minus 20% is 1600 a day, plus whatever you exercise off.
I am 4'11 and 121 pounds and I eat more than 1200 calories, but I workout hard. I eat about 1200-1300 on no workout days, but I'm shorter. The less you eat now the harder it will be to lose in the future cause your metabolism will slow down plus you don't want to lose muscle and if eat at too large deficit you won't JUST be losing fat. Been there done that. I tried the super low cal thing for the first few months and yes I lose weight but still have a high % of body fat



I have a question for you...I'm not hungry at night. I work out after I get off work and by the time I get home I don't want to eat. So I'm only getting maybe 1000 calories a day. It's not by choice that's just the way it seems to work itself out. Any suggestions?

sleibo87

Eat a BIGGER breakfast! As Americans we tend to do the small breakfast, medium lunch, larger dinner( since we are usually home and can cook) BUT that is the opposite of what we should be doing (Although I am guilty of it too). So make a larger breakfast and get your calories in there. You will probably feel better all day long too since you fueled your body for the day!

amandanilo

Eat a BIGGER breakfast! As Americans we tend to do the small breakfast, medium lunch, larger dinner( since we are usually home and can cook) BUT that is the opposite of what we should be doing (Although I am guilty of it too). So make a larger breakfast and get your calories in there. You will probably feel better all day long too since you fueled your body for the day!

Great tip!

Do you mind me asking how long it took to take of the 41lbs? That is so great! I would love to lose 40lbs

2aycocks

I'm new. What is TDEE?

emaurelli

I'm new. What is TDEE?

I'm glad I'm not the only one wondering the same thing.

sleibo87

About 6-7 months, and I have been having trouble losing the last 10-15 but slow and steady wins the race. I basically took the holiday season off tho, Still workout daily, even thanksgiving morning lol BUT didn't want to deprive myself so I was just working on maintaining. Now with the longer days and nice weather I am kicking it into gear and just working on eating healthy. Back when i was losing regularly I only cheated like ONCE a month and made sure it was in my calories for the day. Once I got to a healthy weight I kinda became lazy, at least with eating. I didn't gain as long as I exercised so it became too easy to just cheat more often and I am working on that because even tho I am looking better I am not where I want to be!...YET

Admiral_Derp

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/952996-level-obstacles-lose-weight-target-fat-easy?page=1

cwolfman13

I'm new. What is TDEE?

I'm glad I'm not the only one wondering the same thing.

TDEE - Total Daily Energy Expenditure. This is the amount of calories your body burns in a day based on your activity level, including exercise. You do not eat back exercise calories using the TDEE method.

Not to be confused with NEAT (Non Exercise Energy Thermogenesis). The NEAT method is the method MFP uses in determining your calorie goal. It is often easier for beginners who are new to exercise and may not have a routine down...inconsistent, etc because using the NEAT method allows you to add back exercise calories to eat more...so your calorie goal using NEAT might be 1,300 calories to lose 1 Lb per week...but you workout and burn 500...now you're at 800 net calories (bad...too low)...so you eat 500 more calories. Conversely, you can do nothing at all but stay within your calorie goal and lose.

They come out pretty much 6 of 1...MFP gives me a calorie goal of 1,750 to lose 1 Lb per week...on average I burn off about 300 calories per day...so I gross around 2050. My TDEE is 2,550...so TDEE - 20% is 2040...as you can see, both methods result in me grossing about the same calories to lose 1 Lb per week on average.

cwolfman13

I have a question for you...I'm not hungry at night. I work out after I get off work and by the time I get home I don't want to eat. So I'm only getting maybe 1000 calories a day. It's not by choice that's just the way it seems to work itself out. Any suggestions?

Make sure you're getting your healthy fats. When people diet, they tend to cut a lot of fat out because they are so focused of veggies and the like...and the perception that fat is "bad." Don't get me wrong, veggies rock...but there are a lot of healthy, nutrient dense foods that are high in heart healthy fats that your body needs. Look to things like nuts, avocado, olive oil, etc. A little of these goes a long way...a handful of nuts (about 1 Oz) has 160-200 calories...a mere tablespoon of olive oil has around 120...half an avocado is pushing 120 calories. These are nutrient dense whole foods that offer a lot of bang for their big caloric buck.