The right amount of calories intake

CherryOnionKiss
CherryOnionKiss Posts: 376 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've read tons of post on MFP about how to determine your calories intake but i'm still confused.
Do I:

Let MFP set my calories
Eat the same amount as my BMR
Eat my TDEE minus 20%

?

:sad:

Replies

  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    Eat my TDEE minus 20%

    This. MFP sets calories way too low in my opinion, and I don't like their macro ratios. I reset it to my own personal preferences.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Agree with eating based off TDEE, but if you're close to your goal 20% might be too much of a deficit. Both of these links explain why eating the right amount is important.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
  • CherryOnionKiss
    CherryOnionKiss Posts: 376 Member
    I am very far from being near my goal. Also i've already read the roadmap but it confuses me as hell.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    The Road Map is awesome! If it's confusing, read through it again, go step by step with the numbers, and if you need help, post in the thread or PM helloitsdan, the guy who created it.

    My daily goal is 1800 calories - my TDEE minus 15%. The only time I worry about eating exercise cals is if my net is below my BMR. Easy peasy. Eat between BMR and TDEE and you're good to go.

    I have lost more fat & inches and dropped another pants size following this plan, working out usually less than an hour a day, 5 or 6 days a week.
  • elisa123gal
    elisa123gal Posts: 4,324 Member
    I find, for me, mfp setting of losing one pound a week is within 100 calories of my tdee...so pretty on target. I trust mfp..but would never set my loss to 2 pounds a week..then you're stuck at 1200..and that doesn't work.
  • janetpam
    janetpam Posts: 13 Member
    TDEE- what is this and where do I find it? I don't see TDEE on my homepage
  • Tanja_CHH
    Tanja_CHH Posts: 216 Member
    Eat your TDEE minus whatever you want. Even minus 1% will result in weight loss, just very slowly, so whatever youre more happy at. With this method don't eat back workout calories
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    TDEE- what is this and where do I find it? I don't see TDEE on my homepage
    TDEE is total daily energy expenditure - the amount you burn all day long just living, breathing, working, exercising - it's based on your activity level. Not sure if MFP has that number anywhere - I calculated mine through the road map thread: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • CherryOnionKiss
    CherryOnionKiss Posts: 376 Member
    is there any good TDEE calculator that you know of?
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
    I started with the MFP 1200 sedentary (because believe me, I mostly am just about in a coma!) and then I ate back exercise calories. Lately I've adjusted to not always eating them or not eating them all due to my HRM not being the most reliable and my BMR being only 1300 (making it so if I ate 1200 and exercise calories back it would take me well over a year to lose a measly 20 pounds).

    So at this point I listen to my body. If I get fatigued, light headed, and cranky that means I screwed up and should have eaten more back. I'm slowly learning the magic zone for calories eaten versus calories burned. Which in the end is probably a good thing to strive toward.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    is there any good TDEE calculator that you know of?
    Nothing wrong with the one at Fat2fit, which is linked/used in Dan's "Roadmap" thread.
  • CherryOnionKiss
    CherryOnionKiss Posts: 376 Member
    Using the fat2fit tools and roadmap calculations, should I eat my exercise calories back?
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    Using the fat2fit tools and roadmap calculations, should I eat my exercise calories back?
    No, as long as you calculate your activity level correctly when establishing your TDEE. If you use the "Sedentary" TDEE setting but are working out 5 times a week for 2 hours a day, you're creating an overly large deficit, which is not the intent.

    If you select the appropriate activity level, calculate your TDEE accordingly and then take a 20% cut from that, your exercise calories are already factored in. That's why you'll see some people log their exercise as 1 calorie - they're already accounted for and they don't want MFP to add those calories to their daily intake.
  • CherryOnionKiss
    CherryOnionKiss Posts: 376 Member
    Well i've chosen sendentary because this is really what i am at the moment. But my doctor wants me to exercise. But i'm not active yet.

    So I guess I have to adjust the activity level when I become a bit active?
  • bearwith
    bearwith Posts: 525 Member
    if you want to lose weight do not eat your calories if you can help it.
  • healthywtb
    healthywtb Posts: 80 Member
    I aim for around 1200 calories and do not eat my exercise calories back. I am losing weight very slowly (probably 0.5 pounds per week average). That seems to be working for me.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    Well i've chosen sendentary because this is really what i am at the moment. But my doctor wants me to exercise. But i'm not active yet.

    So I guess I have to adjust the activity level when I become a bit active?
    It would be a good idea to do so, yes.

    If you read through the forums and look for threads with titles like "HELP!!1!", "Stalled, not losing!", etc., you'll find a common denominator...many of them are, or have been on, 1200 calorie (or less) diets. While it's not truly "starvation mode" (which is probably the most abused/misused concept on MFP), there is definitely a metabolic slowdown that comes with eating too little - especially if you're doing a lot of exercise as well (read this article for an excellent explanation of it: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html).

    Establish a reasonable, sane deficit - however you like doing it. If it's MFP's method, eat back at least some of your exercise calories. If it's TDEE-20%, establish your correct TDEE when doing the calculations. Then stick with it and make adjustments as necessary, keeping in mind that weight loss is not a linear process and you will experience daily (maybe even weekly) fluctuations due to hormones, water retention, etc. If the scale shows a one pound increase, don't drop your calories to 800 a day and start running for three hours a day while screaming "OMGZZZZ, it's not working!".

    Most of all, have patience. You didn't gain it overnight and it's not going away overnight no matter what you do. Sometimes the harder you try, the worse the results will be. Don't shoot for an unreasonable goal - stay the course and don't resort to diet fads and gimmicks in an effort to "jump start" or "rev up" the results.
  • binknbaby
    binknbaby Posts: 207 Member
    Eat my TDEE minus 20%

    This. MFP sets calories way too low in my opinion, and I don't like their macro ratios. I reset it to my own personal preferences.

    How do you do that?? I have had past personal trainers tell me I eat too little (at my *heaviest*, I was only taking in 1100 cals/day!), that I should get more protein, etc. But the pre-set amounts in the MFP counter don't seem to line up with that assessment.

    Also, to add on to what AnvilHead was saying, that same former trainer explained it to me like this: If you have a fire burning and you're only using kindling, it won't get very warm and will burn out quickly. On the other hand, if you only have embers and throw on a big log, it's not going to burn. But if you keep adding on both kindling and logs, the fire will burn hotter and longer, and will be able to consume the larger logs with ease. (Obviously the "fire" is your metabolism and the "logs/kindling" is your caloric intake.)
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    How do you do that?? I have had past personal trainers tell me I eat too little (at my *heaviest*, I was only taking in 1100 cals/day!), that I should get more protein, etc. But the pre-set amounts in the MFP counter don't seem to line up with that assessment...
    To change the MFP settings go to My Home -> Goals-> Change Goals-> click Customize and update the macros. Here's a thread worth reading to assist you in setting up optimal macronutrient intake:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
  • sz8soon
    sz8soon Posts: 816 Member
    if you want to lose weight do not eat your calories if you can help it.

    :huh:
  • msbunnie68
    msbunnie68 Posts: 1,894 Member
    Google BMR calculator. Google TDEE calculator. Get the two numbers.


    BMR <
    eat in here somewhere
    > TDEE


    Eat at a calorie level that is MORE than your BMR calories and LESS than your TDEE calories.
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
    if you want to lose weight do not eat your calories if you can help it.

    PicardDoubleFacepalm-1.jpg

    Please eat your calories. Bad things happen if you don't.
  • darbobo
    darbobo Posts: 53
    This helped me a lot, hopefully mod dosnt remove the link

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    if you want to lose weight do not eat your calories if you can help it.

    No, this is wrong.


    Eat as close to your calorie goal as possible.

    Follow the roadmap thread. Or just eat between your BMR and your TDEE.
  • foleyshirley
    foleyshirley Posts: 1,043 Member
    if you want to lose weight do not eat your calories if you can help it.

    Do not listen to this person.
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    Do what works for you. It is that simple.

    And the "if you want to lose weight do not eat your calories" is wrong. I have been eating my calories back from working out and I have losing. The website automatically sets a deficit for you...and a lot of people fail time and time again to understand this.

    But do what works for you...that simple. If the TDEE method works, do that. If the way MFP does it automatically for you works, then do that.
  • CherryOnionKiss
    CherryOnionKiss Posts: 376 Member
    I'm going to try to eat between my BMR and TDEE for a while and see how that goes. I've tried the MFP method when I first started here and nothing budged.
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    why do people make it so hard?? If you are confused with all the alternative methods, why not just use the guided goals setup on MFP and just do what it says? You don't have to think or calculate anything - just answer the questions and when your "calories remaining" gets to zero, stop eating.
  • CherryOnionKiss
    CherryOnionKiss Posts: 376 Member
    MFP sets me to 1300 cals a day. I'm sooo hungry all the time with that amount of cals.

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