How many calories should I really eat?

mellypeters09
mellypeters09 Posts: 35 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello. I keep getting a bunch of different advice on how many calories I should be eating. MFP wanted me at 1,300. My BMR is 1770 and my TDEE is 3052. I exercise 6 times a week now with Jillian Michaels Body Revolution. Does anybody have any good suggestions for about how many I should eat to lose weight? I have been exercising and eating at the normal MFP amount but my weight stays exactly the same, no more no less.

Replies

  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    TDEE minus 20% has been very effective for me. I follow the info found in this topic: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937712-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0

    I don't know your stats - height/weight, etc, but your numbers seem really high - what calculator or formula did you use?
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    That's a big difference between your BMR and TDEE for just three hours' exercise a week. How did you calculate it?

    Try this to help with all your hard sums:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937712-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0?hl=road+map

    I do TDEE -15%.
  • ralphy101
    ralphy101 Posts: 9 Member
    Aim for your calorie / nutrients target... but spread over 4 / 5 meals a day.

    Keeps your metabolism firing all day. You wont experience spikes/slumps in your blood sugar levels.

    Im currently on a high protein diet (about 160g) ... swimming everyday. Taking in about 250g carbs a day.

    And ive never felt more energetic in my life.

    Protein keeps your muscles going, and wont turn to fat.

    Regarding overall calorie intake..... I would assume if your working out 6 times a week then your carb target would be up a bit?

    Could it be you've put in a unrealistic target of weight lose - as 1300 a day is really low?

    If you are losing weight - try doing it in stages and not all at once.
  • mellypeters09
    mellypeters09 Posts: 35 Member
    I did calculators online...maybe I should try to look for a different TDEE calculator. I felt like that was really high.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    MFP uses the NEAT method (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) to determine your calorie goal; with the NEAT method, exercise is not accounted for in your activity level...it is extra activity and you're supposed to eat those calories back...so you would net to 1300 but you would gross much more than that.

    Personally, I wouldn't net anything below my BMR...and considering you're not in a coma I'd net about 100-200 calories above my BMR. If you do the TDEE method...with 30ish Lbs to lose you could do TDEE - 20% (3052 x .80 = 2442). Are you sure your TDEE is that high?
  • tracymat
    tracymat Posts: 296 Member
    I agree that your TDEE is awfully high... I workout every day and mine is only about 2500.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I did calculators online...maybe I should try to look for a different TDEE calculator. I felt like that was really high.

    This one is pretty good...

    http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

    Note that when they say exercise xxx times per week, most calculators assume each time is about an hour. So 1-3 times per week would be 1-3 hours per week, etc.
  • mellypeters09
    mellypeters09 Posts: 35 Member
    My target weight loss is 2 lbs per week so I don't think it is too high of a goal.
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
    I really like this one: http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced. 2lbs a week might be a bit optimistic when you don't have that much weight to lose. Try TDEE - 500 cals for a 1lb a week loss.
  • DirtyTrickster
    DirtyTrickster Posts: 202 Member
    If you're staying the same weight now = you're maintaining. Try cutting 500 calories per day and see how that helps in 2 weeks. If nothing, take off 500 more etc.
  • bbuccam
    bbuccam Posts: 2 Member
    if you can get a hold of some testing. Find out your body fat %, lean body mass (hydrostatic weighing or bod pod, or even calipers), and that will tell you your lean body mass (everything in your body minus fat mass), and give you very accurate estimates on your BMR, caloric intake, and consult with a dietician about those numbers. Current academic literature quotes minimums at about 1500-1800 for men and 1200-1500 for women to lose weight without catabolizing a lot of muscle.

    My honest opinion is shoot for a certain number of net loss per day and see how you feel as well, and adjust on the fly. I expect to feel a little sluggish shooting for a 2lb/week loss as I still want to maintain muscle mass and workout do a decent degree (running, cycling, core, every day).

    Hope that might help but having actual testing is not that expensive and really gives you solid numbers to work with. I am so glad I had it done (through a university where students were training so it was cheap, and the bod pod is sooo cool!)
  • Shellbug75
    Shellbug75 Posts: 74 Member
    TDEE minus 20% has been very effective for me. I follow the info found in this topic: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937712-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0

    I don't know your stats - height/weight, etc, but your numbers seem really high - what calculator or formula did you use?

    ^^Agreed^^ Subtract 20-25% from your TDEE. There is a great calculator on Scooby website too.
  • bigdgeek
    bigdgeek Posts: 88
    I really like this one: http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced. 2lbs a week might be a bit optimistic when you don't have that much weight to lose. Try TDEE - 500 cals for a 1lb a week loss.

    I've seen that one; it's really cool but it says my total energy expenditure is 2339 and my BMR is 1328. I'm eating between 1400 and 1500 calories a day, have been for over a year, and have gained over 25 lbs...most of it fat. Clearly I'm doing something wrong.
  • smn76237
    smn76237 Posts: 318 Member
    I really like this one: http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced. 2lbs a week might be a bit optimistic when you don't have that much weight to lose. Try TDEE - 500 cals for a 1lb a week loss.

    I've seen that one; it's really cool but it says my total energy expenditure is 2339 and my BMR is 1328. I'm eating between 1400 and 1500 calories a day, have been for over a year, and have gained over 25 lbs...most of it fat. Clearly I'm doing something wrong.

    Unless you have a food scale and never eat out at restaurants and have been tracking every single thing that passes your lips, you're probably eating more than 1400 to 1500 calories a day.
  • TheCaren
    TheCaren Posts: 894 Member
    I did calculators online...maybe I should try to look for a different TDEE calculator. I felt like that was really high.

    If you only have 28 pounds to lose, I'd be willing to guarantee that TDEE is way over the top high.
  • bigdgeek
    bigdgeek Posts: 88
    Unless you have a food scale and never eat out at restaurants and have been tracking every single thing that passes your lips, you're probably eating more than 1400 to 1500 calories a day.

    I do have a food scale, I never eat out, and I track everything I eat.
  • krhn
    krhn Posts: 781 Member
    Okay this BMR AND TDEE can get very confusing very fast for many... All you need to know (assuming your wanting to lose weight) is to calculate the values and find out what your real calories are to maintain your weight - remember these are only calculators for the average jack and Jill so it maybe different for you depending on your activity level and metabolism .
    After you found your maintenance - eat below it to lose weight (this includes the exercise you did to burn off the calories, eat them back too!)... That is your calories you should eat but remember that to lose weight healthily and steadily , you only need to be a maximum of 500 kcals from your maintenance nothing more otherwise you ll never hit the macro/micro nutrients count
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
    Here's what I did that worked for me:

    Plug in my info to MFP and made my activity level "sedentary" and set my goal to 1lb loss per week.

    I didn't use any of the MFP exercise calorie burns. I used a HRM and created all my own exercises.

    I tended to eat less during the week so that I could eat more on the weekends (hello ice cream). I kept track of my numbers in excel so that I could keep my weekly average right at my target.

    When I was 10lbs away from my goal I changed my MFP goal to .5lb loss per week.

    It took me about 9 months to lose 32lbs and reach my goal. Please note that I messed up many times. If I was perfect every single day I'm sure the weight would've come off faster, but I would've been a miserable beast without some chinese food or ice cream every now and then. But it's ok. I got right back on the horse and all is well.
  • smn76237
    smn76237 Posts: 318 Member
    Unless you have a food scale and never eat out at restaurants and have been tracking every single thing that passes your lips, you're probably eating more than 1400 to 1500 calories a day.

    I do have a food scale, I never eat out, and I track everything I eat.
    I looked at some of your other posts in the forums (probably not all). Beyond hypothyroidism, have you looked into PCOS? And actually, if you are really being honest with yourself and us, accelerated weight gain while eating at a deficit and exercising could be indicative of a serious medical condition (again, beyond hypothyroidism).
  • bigdgeek
    bigdgeek Posts: 88
    I looked at some of your other posts in the forums (probably not all). Beyond hypothyroidism, have you looked into PCOS? And actually, if you are really being honest with yourself and us, accelerated weight gain while eating at a deficit and exercising could be indicative of a serious medical condition (again, beyond hypothyroidism).

    Sent you a private message.
  • csheltra26
    csheltra26 Posts: 272 Member
    I've seen that one; it's really cool but it says my total energy expenditure is 2339 and my BMR is 1328. I'm eating between 1400 and 1500 calories a day, have been for over a year, and have gained over 25 lbs...most of it fat. Clearly I'm doing something wrong.


    You may be eating too little - too much of a deficit. I lost a ton of weight netting too few calories a day so when I did eat more, my body held on to every single calorie I ate and turned it to fat. I gained back a lot of the weight I lost eating 1500 -1600 calories a day and burning 2800 calories on average at the gym. Try cutting just 500 calories a day from your TDEE and see if that helps. I did a metabolism reset, have been eating more and the scale has finally started moving again. Just my 2 cents :)
  • bigdgeek
    bigdgeek Posts: 88
    I've seen that one; it's really cool but it says my total energy expenditure is 2339 and my BMR is 1328. I'm eating between 1400 and 1500 calories a day, have been for over a year, and have gained over 25 lbs...most of it fat. Clearly I'm doing something wrong.


    You may be eating too little - too much of a deficit. I lost a ton of weight netting too few calories a day so when I did eat more, my body held on to every single calorie I ate and turned it to fat. I gained back a lot of the weight I lost eating 1500 -1600 calories a day and burning 2800 calories on average at the gym. Try cutting just 500 calories a day from your TDEE and see if that helps. I did a metabolism reset, have been eating more and the scale has finally started moving again. Just my 2 cents :)

    That seems to be the general consensus on these threads; we'll see what the RMR results are. I think intellectually I do need to eat more to increase my metabolism, it's just hard to actually do it because I'm afraid of the initial weight gain.
  • krhn
    krhn Posts: 781 Member
    It took me about 9 months to lose 32lbs and reach my goal. Please note that I messed up many times. If I was perfect every single day I'm sure the weight would've come off faster, but I would've been a miserable beast without some CHINESE FOOD or ice cream every now and then. But it's ok. I got right back on the horse and all is well.

    I lose weight but eat Chinese food daily :laugh:

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