Daily calorie goal?

Mummy2Corey

Hi, I'm probably going to come across as extremely dim but I'm getting so confused that I'd rather seem stupid & get help than stay confused lol!

Basically every time I do a BMR calculator from links on here or others online I'm getting a result of 1900+ calories (fair enough I'm overweight so I know it won't be a low number!) but surely I shouldn't use that as my daily calorie goal as seems so high?! I haven't used the TDEE number as again it varies from site to site that I'm getting so confused with what number would be most accurate.

I would class myself as sedentary on a tdee calc because as yet I haven't got a set exercise routine and I don't count running around after my toddler as exercise as it'd encourage me to eat even more lol.

I set myself a daily calorie goal of 1350 as I can stick with it but not sure if that's actually a good number as surely I'll have to decrease calories again when I plateau or what my maintenance cals would be once I've got to my GW.

CW - 183lbs
Height - 5ft 6 inches
Age - 26

Hoping to start 30DS when my little one is asleep or he thinks its a game to sit on mummy when doing the ab section or push-ups (is quite amusing but doesn't help my fitness lol)

I want this to be a change for life, not just to lose the weight but don't know if I'd be able to keep to 1350 a day for life lol - think I'm rambling but i'll blame that on not having breakfast yet!

Any advice you can give would be very much appreciated!! Thank you in advance xx

Mads1997

How many lbs per week did you tell MFP you wanted to lose and How many calories did MFP give you. Eat the baseline cals MFP set you and also eat back all your exercise calories. If you have yourself set to lose 2lb per week change it to the recommended setting.

elyelyse

i put your numbers into a couple of BMR calculators and get lower numbers 1500-1600 range, which sounds more appropriate. where did you get 1900 from?

Cait_Sidhe

Are you sure you don't mean your TDEE is 1900?

Mummy2Corey

I've had bmr results anything from 1500 to 1900 (1900 was online this morning) didn't think it was a tdee measurement as didn't ask for activity level, just weight/height/age/gender but thinking about it now it must have been.

So if I aimed for the BMR reading (obv the one between 1500-1600 lol) would that be sufficient to lose weight steadily or do I need to lower it to lose around 1lb a week? Sorry if I'm coming across as stupid I just can't seem to focus on the math today!

Mads - The recommended setting on mine is 1 1/2lbs per week which gives me 1290 cals a day. If I changed it to 2lbs a week it is 1200 cals a day. As nice as it'd be to lose 2lbs a week I'd struggle keeping to 1200 for a long period of time.

kindasortachewy

TDEE - 20% is for weight loss

http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html with your info is 1960


minus 20% is - 1568

Jullessi

I am a similar height and weight and I eat 1600 calories but dont eat my exercise points. This means I am losing fat without losing lean body mass.

kalamitykate83

I'm not an expert, but as you're just starting out, why don't you to start with just make little changes. I.e. if you have a mars bar every day, have 2 squares of dark choc and some raspberries instead, etc. That's how I personally did it to start with a few years back and through doing that and adding in exercise then slowly being more controlled with my calorie intake i lost 4 stone! it took me a while but I did it. And I've only gained back about a stone since, 7lbs of which I've lost in the last few weeks/months.

I think sometimes when you start out you need to make it as easy as possible so that you stick to it!

julyssas

I am not an expert but I think that you should never eat below your BMR. Personally, what I did was to set up MFP with my BMR (1,600) and I eat those calories. My TDEE minus 20% is around 1,900 but as I don't log some things, like ingredients (how would you know the ingredients used in a restaurant for example) so I know that at the end of the days my real calory intake is a bit higher than my BMR but it's for sure lower than 1,900, which I think it's fine.

Mummy2Corey

Thank you all so much will look at changing my daily goal to the TDEE figure without eating back any cals burnt through exercise. x

TavistockToad

I am a similar height and weight and I eat 1600 calories but dont eat my exercise points. This means I am losing fat without losing lean body mass.

you get points for exercising?! do you get a prize when you get a certain number of points?!

XXXMinnieXXX

I'd change to lose 1 lb a week with a 1540 goal and only eat exercise calories back if your hungry for them.

Zara.

XXXMinnieXXX

I am a similar height and weight and I eat 1600 calories but dont eat my exercise points. This means I am losing fat without losing lean body mass.

you get points for exercising?! do you get a prize when you get a certain number of points?!

Don't think there's any need for that sarcasm. Belittling people is not clever despite what you clearly think. If that's what you need to do to feel better about yourself then you need to take a look at yourself. Stuff like this in the forums drives me nuts.

khall86790

When I hit a plateau, I increased my calorie intake and continued to lose that way. Don't assume you have to lower your calories when you do, my advice when the time comes is to re-evaluate data put into MFP and consult TDEE calculators.
I would count your physical activity to "lightly active" if you are running around after a toddler, as you aren't sedentary if you are on your feet doing those kinds of things. And also, even if you are only exercising 1-2 times per week, thats still considered to be lightly active.

MrsSassyPants

woops...

TavistockToad

I am a similar height and weight and I eat 1600 calories but dont eat my exercise points. This means I am losing fat without losing lean body mass.

you get points for exercising?! do you get a prize when you get a certain number of points?!

Don't think there's any need for that sarcasm. Belittling people is not clever despite what you clearly think. If that's what you need to do to feel better about yourself then you need to take a look at yourself. Stuff like this in the forums drives me nuts.

actually it was a serious question, on fitocracy you do get points for exercising....

MrsSassyPants

TDEE - 20% is for weight loss

http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html with your info is 1960


minus 20% is - 1568

This. TDEE minus 15 to 20% I follow daily TDEE and that only. So I always eat about the same whether I exercise or not because TDEE includes everything.

charliehefferon

Hey,

I suggest reading this post - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet

Its really helpful in explaining TDEE/BRM etc... Comes out with near perfect calorie goals also! (You don't eat back any exercise cals with this method as they are already taken into account....)

Check it out and let me know what you think x

Mads1997

Honestly people make this process way harder than it needs to be. Eat what MFP says to plus eat ALL your exercise cals back and you will lose weight. It will end up being close enough as the TDEE method but a lot less complicated.

Rarity2013

I started at 181lbs, am 5' 7" and hilariously sedentary. MFP gave me a shade under 1500 calories, which seems to be suiting me quite well.

mazdauk

When MFP pushed me down to a shade over 1200 I consulted the IPORM. Because I know its only getting calories "back" keeps me excercising at THIS level I've set my MFP to 1400 and eat backmy exercise calories (unless I don't want them/want to save them for the weekend )

Weight hasn't moved yet since the change- but I blame that on TOM, we'll see what next weigh-in brings (I've only been on the higher amount a coupe of weeks). But today I put on the outfit I'd planned to wear and had to take it off - the top was SO big it looked like I'd borrowed one off my mum, and the skirt waistband just stuck out all round, so inches are going from somewhere!