Determining Calorie Intake, with exercise

kr381806
kr381806 Posts: 55 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello! I've been using MFP for a little over a year and I had lost about 9-10 pounds (very gradually!). When I first started, I know that I used some calorie calculator of some sort to figure out my daily intake and I've been using 1200 calories a day. After researching some more and talking to friends...I'm learning that it may be too low of a number. I have been stagnant at my current weight for several months and am wondering if I need to change my calorie intake number. I'm just afraid at this point if i INCREASE my calories I will gain weight back.

1.) Is there an accurate website/calculator that can help me? I've seen so many different ones and they are all giving me different numbers.

2.) If I increase my calorie intake from 1200 to say, 1400..will that in turn cause me to GAIN weight? Even with exercise?

3.) If and when I figure out my "ideal goal"...when I set my MFP goal, should it include my daily exercise calories too?


In case this info is helpful, I'm 23 years old; 5'2 feet; 130 pounds and would like to get to 125 lbs. I usually work out 3-4 times a week, including cardio and weights.



Any help is appreciated!

Replies

  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    You'll get a whole load of different answers, but myself and many friends have achieved result using MFP exactly as designed.

    Put your settings in to lose no more than 1lb a week (as you're light already and close to goal, try 0.5lb a week) and it will calculate your calories for you. Eat back your exercise calories NOW or at least a good proportion of them.

    MFP will recalculate your calorie intake automatically as you lose weight every 10lbs or so.

    You might have a minor upwards fluctuation for a week or so just from having more food in your system then the downward trend will kick off again, and you'll find it far more sustainable and you will transition into maintenance a lot easier.
  • neasy23
    neasy23 Posts: 47
    You are younger than me, but about the same weight wise. I am 5'2 and 127. Looking to get down to about 120. MFP gives me 1200 calories as well. I think b/c there isn't a lot to loose, the loss will be slow. Maybe increasing might help, or zigzagging a bit? There are people a lot more knowlegable than me that will chime in I'm sure. It sure would be great if you got to eat more and lose!!

    Good Luck!
  • muamontreal
    muamontreal Posts: 109 Member
    read this post : http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    MFP put me at 1360 calories and I was miserable and starving. I lost for 3 weeks until I plateaued for 3 weeks : starving and plateauing , not a good motivation, I can tell you :sad:

    I read the link and determined I was supposed to eat 1580 cal : woot woot :bigsmile: + I eat half of my exercise calories back

    Of course I was scared to death to put the weight back on but it didn't happen ( I read in some thred that some people struggled with it for a 2-3 weeks). Now the weight is coming down slowly but regularly and I don't snarl anymore because I am not famished :blushing:

    Hope this helps !
  • tccanzoni
    tccanzoni Posts: 33
    Good morning KR! Congrats on losing around 9 lbs thus far!

    It is important to recalculate your calorie needs, especially when you start losing weight! Your body need a new amount of calories. What you said is more then likely absolutely correct. You need more calories. And do NOT get worried, just because your adding more calories will not cause you to gain weight back. It is also possiblethat you will gain weight back if your not giving your body enough calories.

    Think of it this way..Obviously if you eating enough calories to accomodate both your daily needs as well as taking into consideration your workouts which require calores. Also you need to factor in your goals, so obviously you want a bit of a defecit. But not too much where you are going to leave your body in starvation mode. When you reach this point, your body is going to hold onto calories that is has, and use that for energy. If it does get to this point, it can possibly start using muscle for its energy needs.

    Another reason for not seeing weight loss could be that "plateau affect" Your body is accustom to the same movements that it has been doing over and over. Possibly look into switching your routine if you have not done so in a month or so..

    1. I personally use the Harris-Benedict equation:
    First u find your BMR or basal metabolic rate=amount of cals needed to just live, sleep, and breathe etc....

    Women: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) – ( 4.7 x age in years )
    Now once you get that number – use the Harris Benedict Formula to determine how many calories you need to function daily and maintain your current weight:

    To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor:

    If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : BMR x 1.2
    If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : BMR x 1.375
    If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : BMR x 1.55
    If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : BMR x 1.725
    If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : BMR x 1.9

    So lets say u want tolose 5 lbs? Well 1lb of fat = 3500 calories ......So to lose 1 lb, you need to create a 3500 calorie deficit.

    If you want to lose 1 lb a week, then you need to create a 500 calorie deficit everyday.

    So here is the formula with your stats..
    655 + ( 4.35 x130) + ( 4.7 x 62) – ( 4.7 x 23) = 1403.8 * Moderate activity (1.55) = """2175.89""" calories to mainain weight...So create a defecit of about 500 to lose weight at a rate of 1 lb per week..Make sense?

    Sorry for all the typing. But calories play a huge role in losing, gaining, or maintaing weight. Let me know if I can help with anything else, I promise not to scare you away like I did with this reply.

    -Tony
  • KKWilson
    KKWilson Posts: 68 Member
    read this post : http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    MFP put me at 1360 calories and I was miserable and starving. I lost for 3 weeks until I plateaued for 3 weeks : starving and plateauing , not a good motivation, I can tell you :sad:

    I read the link and determined I was supposed to eat 1580 cal : woot woot :bigsmile: + I eat half of my exercise calories back

    Of course I was scared to death to put the weight back on but it didn't happen ( I read in some thred that some people struggled with it for a 2-3 weeks). Now the weight is coming down slowly but regularly and I don't snarl anymore because I am not famished :blushing:

    Hope this helps !

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