How many calories should I eat?

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Voca_Star
Voca_Star Posts: 140
in Health and Weight Loss
How many calories should I eat to lose weight? I'm a girl, 18 years old. I'm 5'3" and 143 pounds. MFP recommends 1500 as the basic amount, without exercise.

My exercise is 20 minutes of pilates, and 30 minutes of weights followed by 30 - 45 minutes of walking about about 3.5 mph, 3 times a week. The other days of the week I usually walk for about 75 - 90 minutes or do other activities.

I want to lose 1 pound a week. So any help would be appreciated.

Replies

  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    Easy. If MFP recommends 1500 cals, then you eat 1500 cals on days you don't exercise.
    If you exercise you add that to your diary and eat some or all of those calories.

    There isn't a "perfect" number for everyone, it's really trial and erro - try this out for a month or two and change it up or down if you are losing to slowly or too fast.
  • Voca_Star
    Voca_Star Posts: 140
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    Bump :)) Is following exactly what MFP suggests the best way to go?
  • Voca_Star
    Voca_Star Posts: 140
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    BUMP :(
  • invisibubble
    invisibubble Posts: 662 Member
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    Personally, I put all my stats into the Scooby Calculator. http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ just plug in your data and pick a deficit, you'll see what you should eat/lose/etc.
    MFP is not ever so accurate, but all of these resources are guesswork at best, it's a bit of trial and error and finding what suits you best really.
  • thephysiquemechanic
    thephysiquemechanic Posts: 44 Member
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    Its a good place to start. Wiegh yourself on a sunday at around the same time every 2 weeks and see how your progress is going...
    I prefer calculating my own Bmr and Tdee and imputing all my numbers using the macro ratios i use...but mfps numbers are a good start especially if youve never counted calories and what you intake before. Get used to the eating and looking at labels and see what progress u make doing so.
  • Voca_Star
    Voca_Star Posts: 140
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    Personally, I put all my stats into the Scooby Calculator. http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ just plug in your data and pick a deficit, you'll see what you should eat/lose/etc.
    MFP is not ever so accurate, but all of these resources are guesswork at best, it's a bit of trial and error and finding what suits you best really.

    Have you lost weight following the stats on Scooby?
  • BetterCrazyThanLazy
    BetterCrazyThanLazy Posts: 336
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    It's not a clean cut formula. Start with what MFP recommended and see if it works for you. If not, then tweak it to increase or to reduce but don't do it too soon. Stay on one program for some time - you might not see results right away.

    I have been pocking around here for over a year and I still haven't figured it out....
  • thephysiquemechanic
    thephysiquemechanic Posts: 44 Member
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    Its definitly all about trial and error and logging on here and seeing how different things work for you, as everyones body is different.
  • Voca_Star
    Voca_Star Posts: 140
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    So since after I add exercise MFP suggests I eat 1800, is that what I should eat?
  • Voca_Star
    Voca_Star Posts: 140
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    :(
  • vsetter
    vsetter Posts: 558 Member
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    Do you have a heart rate monitor? It might be worth getting one so that you know EXACTLY (or close to) what you are burning.

    For now, eat the 1500 calories. On days you exercise, you may want to eat back a few (or all of) the calories that you burned. But that is really personal choice, some people eat extra on exercise days, some people don't.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    So since after I add exercise MFP suggests I eat 1800, is that what I should eat?

    Yes!

    There is no "right" answer. 1500 - 1800 sounds like a healthy amount for an adult woman to eat (providing you aren't super active).
    Try this for a month, don't chop and change.
    At the end of the month - see how your body reacts.

    Don't overthink it. There are so many different ways you can calculate your calories, but you won't know what is right for YOU until you try it.
  • Voca_Star
    Voca_Star Posts: 140
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    So since after I add exercise MFP suggests I eat 1800, is that what I should eat?

    Yes!

    There is no "right" answer. 1500 - 1800 sounds like a healthy amount for an adult woman to eat (providing you aren't super active).
    Try this for a month, don't chop and change.
    At the end of the month - see how your body reacts.

    Don't overthink it. There are so many different ways you can calculate your calories, but you won't know what is right for YOU until you try it.

    Well I typically walk for another hour or two, not just the 30 - 45 minutes I track on MFP. I just don't count it as exercise. I think I'm burning too many calories maybe?
  • invisibubble
    invisibubble Posts: 662 Member
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    I'm having results with Scooby. But it's personal, and you have to put your data in correctly. Estimate your activity right, etc.

    If you think you're burning more, try eating more for a month and see what happens.
    Whatever you do, make sure you take measurements regularly. It's more important and more accurate than weight alone.
  • zaph0d
    zaph0d Posts: 1,172 Member
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    Same as everyone else. TDEE-20% or so.
  • NebraskaBBW
    NebraskaBBW Posts: 29 Member
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    I rarely eat back my exercise calories
  • MemphisKitten
    MemphisKitten Posts: 878 Member
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    I would stick with the 1500 like it says. This is slightly higher than your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) and lower than your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) so you will lose weight on this amount of calories.
  • onyxgirl17
    onyxgirl17 Posts: 1,721 Member
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    Personally, I put all my stats into the Scooby Calculator. http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ just plug in your data and pick a deficit, you'll see what you should eat/lose/etc.
    MFP is not ever so accurate, but all of these resources are guesswork at best, it's a bit of trial and error and finding what suits you best really.

    cheers, this is good!
  • juanabrego160
    juanabrego160 Posts: 3
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    You should find out your macros. I recommend a 40-40-20 ratio. 40% protein, 40% carbs, 20% fat. Get your goal weight times that by 15. Thats your calorie goal for each day. Times your calories by .40, and lets say it comes out to be 800. Then you divide 800 by 4. And whatever number you get....thats what you need to aim for everyday in carbs and protein. Do the same with the fats, but just multiply your calories by .20 and then divide by 9. And thats what your fats should be around each day. DON'T listen to the fitness pals way of doing it. Fitness pal just helps you track your food.

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