Not sure if this is the correct calorie intake for me

Reppn
Reppn Posts: 3
edited January 17 in Food and Nutrition
I've been using myfitnesspal app for almost a week now, and it gave me a goal of 1200 calories a day. However, I didn't realize this was pretty much for people 21 and older, and now I feel like I've missed a meal each day, and I'm never really full. I used multiple websites and found one specifically for people under 21, and it says I should be consuming 1645 calories a day... So I'm not really sure which to follow.
Also before you read my info, let me explain because this might not make sense- I'm reaaaaally tiny for my age due to a bone condition, and so I guess my weight now is considered "normal" for my height but my goal is to reach about 90lbs. Just wanted to clarify that first. :)
Here's my info of age, weight, etc

Age- 18
Weight- 97.4lb
Height 4"8

I exercise 20 minutes to the Jillian Michaels Day Shred each day, and 30 minute walks 3-5 times a week so I'm pretty active, and I've always eaten healthy. I'm vegetarian so I eat a lot of pasta, beans, veggies, nuts, fruits...
But yeah, if anyone can help me figure out the number of calories I should be eating, please let me know. Thanks :)

Replies

  • diabloben68
    diabloben68 Posts: 64
    Given that your height/weight is fairly unique, it might not be a bad idea to seek advice from a professional. The upper limits and Recommended Daily Intakes are averages of a very large aggregate. You may very well sit outside of the normal distribution.
  • Reppn
    Reppn Posts: 3
    Okay, I may call my doctor then and see what she recommends... I must not be eating enough because my stomach feels completely empty and I already went slightly over 1200 calories today (well, yesterday)...
  • monicalosesweight
    monicalosesweight Posts: 1,173 Member
    Are you entering your exercises into the system? If yes, are you eating back your calories? If you're already set super low and you exercise and you don't eat extra calories...that might be why you're not feeling energized and are thinking the calorie amount is wrong for you. I would try eating your exercise calories and seeing how your body feels.

    Also, be sure to select the right category on how active you are as that makes a difference. You could get a pedometer and see how active you really are during the day to get an idea of whether you set the system to the right amount.

    Um. At that weight - you definitely may want to talk to a doctor to make sure you're eating right.

    http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/ideal-healthy-weight

    I ran this calculator and you're not overweight at all based on your height - in fact - I would say that your goals maybe should be to maintain and just tone. You're pretty much at what they consider normal for that height. I bet if you just focus on eating right, discovering the correct calories for your activity level...the muscle tone will kick in and you'll be fine. I don't think you have to worry about losing weight though. Nutrition is definitely the way to go. You could talk to a nutrition specialist who could help you get the most bang for your food.
  • Reppn
    Reppn Posts: 3
    Are you entering your exercises into the system? If yes, are you eating back your calories? If you're already set super low and you exercise and you don't eat extra calories...that might be why you're not feeling energized and are thinking the calorie amount is wrong for you. I would try eating your exercise calories and seeing how your body feels.

    Also, be sure to select the right category on how active you are as that makes a difference. You could get a pedometer and see how active you really are during the day to get an idea of whether you set the system to the right amount.

    Um. At that weight - you definitely may want to talk to a doctor to make sure you're eating right.

    http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/ideal-healthy-weight

    I ran this calculator and you're not overweight at all based on your height - in fact - I would say that your goals maybe should be to maintain and just tone. You're pretty much at what they consider normal for that height. I bet if you just focus on eating right, discovering the correct calories for your activity level...the muscle tone will kick in and you'll be fine. I don't think you have to worry about losing weight though. Nutrition is definitely the way to go. You could talk to a nutrition specialist who could help you get the most bang for your food.

    I actually haven't been eating back the calories... I tend to workout late (I'm a night owl) so I try not to eat anything 2-3 hours before I sleep, and I never ate more than 1200 calories during the day. I think I'm not eating enough all together because at this moment, my stomach is a mixture of sick feeling/empty. I think I'll set my calorie intake to 1500 and see what happens in the next week or two.
    And you're right, I'm a healthy weight but it's mostly for like toning around the waist and thighs. My body itself is smaller (due to spine problems) so it gives off the appearance that I'm "overweight" around the waist area but really it's just my body structure. Sorry, I think I should have probably gone with toning rather than weight lose, and I'm not looking to lose a ton of weight. Just as of now, I'm not sure if losing weight will help my waist area or if it's all about toning.
    Thank you for your help :) I'll try to contact a doc soon~
  • 1ConcreteGirl
    1ConcreteGirl Posts: 3,677 Member
    To maintan your current weight, as a moderately active person, you need to eat about 1900 calories per day, GROSS (not net). From what you said, you do not need to lose weight, just tighten up. Heavy weight lifting will do that for you.

    I recommend you go with that and talk to your doctor about begining strength training/heavy weight lifting, which is proven to significantly improve bone density and overall health.

    Read New Rules of Lifting for Women, for all the information you'd need.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories