Really confused - how many calories should I be eating?

skinnysushicat

So I've only been here 4 days, and already I can see there seems to be a bit of a divide.

Some people seem to think that MFP has it right, and if it tells you to eat 1200 calories (+ excercise calories) that is right, you will lose weight.

Other people seem to think this will slow down weightloss because your body will save everything it can because it is in 'starvation mode', and thrir theories suggest I should eat more like 1500 calories. I'm not sure if they think I should add excercise calories on top of that.

I have never done calorie counting before. I am confused. I do not want to be super fit or super thin. I want to lose 20lbs of baby weight and fit back in my size 8 jeans (I am 5ft1 so that is not that skinny for someone this short!). And I want to avoid the slow weight gain my mum struggled with after she had kids - she has been overweight for my whole life.

I eat healthy, sensible food (mainly unprocessed homecooked food, with the odd treat). I am happy with my vegetarian diet, and I think I get all the nutrients I need. I am stable with my weight at the moment, so if I can just lose the weight I think I will be able to maintain my new size (with the odd return to MFP if it starts creeping up again).

Can someone give me a calm, informed, and unbiased explanation of these 2 different approaches, and the pros / cons of each? I am not interested in a fight over it (each to their own). I am interested in a clear explanation of the evidence for each approach, so I can make up my own mind about what I should be eating. All I can find is lots of quite angry /aggressive threads about which is better, but not much hard evidence or proper research!

yarwell

If you set a smaller weight loss rate in MFP you get to the same place as using a smaller deficit from your TDEE, so there is less of a difference than at first appears.

If you want to eat the same each day then don't log exercise here and set your activity level higher and/or loss rate lower to get the calorie target you want.

MFP has this 1200 minimum which is implemented badly if you're "eating back" so I would probably favour the don't log option.

You'll find out over time if you're eating too much to lose, at which point you can revise the settings.

skinnysushicat

TDEE - what does it stand for?

I didn't really get the 'eat back' think - surely excercising won't really help you lkoose weight if you eat extra to compensate? I don't work out, I'm just generally active, so I think it's easier for me not to log excercise.

RllyGudTweetr

TDEE - what does it stand for?

I didn't really get the 'eat back' think - surely excercising won't really help you lkoose weight if you eat extra to compensate? I don't work out, I'm just generally active, so I think it's easier for me not to log excercise.

Total Daily Energy Expenditure.

If you used the calculators on MFP to set your calorie intake goals, their methodology (the NEAT method) already includes a deficit to lose - for the common example for the 1200 calorie setting - 2lb/week. Increasing the deficit beyond that point increases the chances that you'll shortchange your body of vital macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, proteins) and micronutrients (all the ones in a typical multivitamin, for example).

Assuming this is the methodology used to obtain your target intake, choosing not to eat back your exercise calories is akin to choosing to put the same amount of gas in your car every week, regardless of whether you're just driving it around town one week, or driving it across country. Don't be surprised if you run out of fuel in the latter case.

j6o4

You eat back your exercise calories because MFP already calculates a deficits for you to lose weight, if you dont eat it back you are creating a bigger deficit which can cause more harm than good for reaching your goal.

Dynamis600

It really depends on your weight to begin with and what your resting metabolic rate or RMR. You can find this out at other by googling RMR calculator. You should not go below your Resting Metabolic Rate other wise you are starving yourself and causing muscle loss. If you have a lot of weight on your resting metabilic rate is higher and you need more calories just to live, in other words lying down doing nothing. So when trying to lose wieght it is probably better to start on a higher calorie restricition that way as you lose weight, and if you reach a plateau you have something to play with. I am 268lbs and 5'2 for me to maintain my weight I would need to eat approx 2500 cals at my current activity level so eating 2000 cals a day would give me a 500cal deficit. I find that I cannot go under 1500 cals without feeling extremely hungry.

For a woman who is 5'4" and weighs 180 lbs and is lightly active would need around 2100 cals a day so a deficit for her of 500 cals would be 1600cals. As she loses more weight then she can lower her calories as her RMR will be lower.

hope this is Helpful.

Charlotte.

gsager

Just don't go under 1200 calories, if you are exercising too and burning 300 calories a day you will be eating 1500 calories. For your height that isn't bad. I'm 5'2".