Daily calorie goal?

Mummy2Corey
Mummy2Corey Posts: 23
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, I'm probably going to come across as extremely dim but I'm getting so confused that I'd rather seem stupid & get help than stay confused lol!

Basically every time I do a BMR calculator from links on here or others online I'm getting a result of 1900+ calories (fair enough I'm overweight so I know it won't be a low number!) but surely I shouldn't use that as my daily calorie goal as seems so high?! I haven't used the TDEE number as again it varies from site to site that I'm getting so confused with what number would be most accurate.

I would class myself as sedentary on a tdee calc because as yet I haven't got a set exercise routine and I don't count running around after my toddler as exercise as it'd encourage me to eat even more lol.

I set myself a daily calorie goal of 1350 as I can stick with it but not sure if that's actually a good number as surely I'll have to decrease calories again when I plateau or what my maintenance cals would be once I've got to my GW.

CW - 183lbs
Height - 5ft 6 inches
Age - 26

Hoping to start 30DS when my little one is asleep or he thinks its a game to sit on mummy when doing the ab section or push-ups (is quite amusing but doesn't help my fitness lol)

I want this to be a change for life, not just to lose the weight but don't know if I'd be able to keep to 1350 a day for life lol - think I'm rambling but i'll blame that on not having breakfast yet! :)

Any advice you can give would be very much appreciated!! Thank you in advance :) xx

Replies

  • Mads1997
    Mads1997 Posts: 1,494 Member
    How many lbs per week did you tell MFP you wanted to lose and How many calories did MFP give you. Eat the baseline cals MFP set you and also eat back all your exercise calories. If you have yourself set to lose 2lb per week change it to the recommended setting.
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
    i put your numbers into a couple of BMR calculators and get lower numbers 1500-1600 range, which sounds more appropriate. where did you get 1900 from?
  • Cait_Sidhe
    Cait_Sidhe Posts: 3,150 Member
    Are you sure you don't mean your TDEE is 1900?
  • Mummy2Corey
    Mummy2Corey Posts: 23
    I've had bmr results anything from 1500 to 1900 (1900 was online this morning) didn't think it was a tdee measurement as didn't ask for activity level, just weight/height/age/gender but thinking about it now it must have been.

    So if I aimed for the BMR reading (obv the one between 1500-1600 lol) would that be sufficient to lose weight steadily or do I need to lower it to lose around 1lb a week? Sorry if I'm coming across as stupid I just can't seem to focus on the math today!

    Mads - The recommended setting on mine is 1 1/2lbs per week which gives me 1290 cals a day. If I changed it to 2lbs a week it is 1200 cals a day. As nice as it'd be to lose 2lbs a week I'd struggle keeping to 1200 for a long period of time.
  • kindasortachewy
    kindasortachewy Posts: 1,084 Member
    TDEE - 20% is for weight loss

    http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html with your info is 1960


    minus 20% is - 1568
  • Jullessi
    Jullessi Posts: 38
    I am a similar height and weight and I eat 1600 calories but dont eat my exercise points. This means I am losing fat without losing lean body mass.
  • kalamitykate83
    kalamitykate83 Posts: 227 Member
    I'm not an expert, but as you're just starting out, why don't you to start with just make little changes. I.e. if you have a mars bar every day, have 2 squares of dark choc and some raspberries instead, etc. That's how I personally did it to start with a few years back and through doing that and adding in exercise then slowly being more controlled with my calorie intake i lost 4 stone! it took me a while but I did it. And I've only gained back about a stone since, 7lbs of which I've lost in the last few weeks/months.

    I think sometimes when you start out you need to make it as easy as possible so that you stick to it!
  • julyssas
    julyssas Posts: 22
    I am not an expert but I think that you should never eat below your BMR. Personally, what I did was to set up MFP with my BMR (1,600) and I eat those calories. My TDEE minus 20% is around 1,900 but as I don't log some things, like ingredients (how would you know the ingredients used in a restaurant for example) so I know that at the end of the days my real calory intake is a bit higher than my BMR but it's for sure lower than 1,900, which I think it's fine.
  • Mummy2Corey
    Mummy2Corey Posts: 23
    Thank you all so much :) will look at changing my daily goal to the TDEE figure without eating back any cals burnt through exercise. :) x
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I am a similar height and weight and I eat 1600 calories but dont eat my exercise points. This means I am losing fat without losing lean body mass.

    you get points for exercising?! do you get a prize when you get a certain number of points?!
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    I'd change to lose 1 lb a week with a 1540 goal and only eat exercise calories back if your hungry for them.

    Zara.
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    I am a similar height and weight and I eat 1600 calories but dont eat my exercise points. This means I am losing fat without losing lean body mass.

    you get points for exercising?! do you get a prize when you get a certain number of points?!

    Don't think there's any need for that sarcasm. Belittling people is not clever despite what you clearly think. If that's what you need to do to feel better about yourself then you need to take a look at yourself. Stuff like this in the forums drives me nuts.
  • khall86790
    khall86790 Posts: 1,100 Member
    When I hit a plateau, I increased my calorie intake and continued to lose that way. Don't assume you have to lower your calories when you do, my advice when the time comes is to re-evaluate data put into MFP and consult TDEE calculators.
    I would count your physical activity to "lightly active" if you are running around after a toddler, as you aren't sedentary if you are on your feet doing those kinds of things. And also, even if you are only exercising 1-2 times per week, thats still considered to be lightly active.
  • MrsSassyPants
    MrsSassyPants Posts: 223 Member
    woops...
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I am a similar height and weight and I eat 1600 calories but dont eat my exercise points. This means I am losing fat without losing lean body mass.

    you get points for exercising?! do you get a prize when you get a certain number of points?!

    Don't think there's any need for that sarcasm. Belittling people is not clever despite what you clearly think. If that's what you need to do to feel better about yourself then you need to take a look at yourself. Stuff like this in the forums drives me nuts.

    actually it was a serious question, on fitocracy you do get points for exercising....
  • MrsSassyPants
    MrsSassyPants Posts: 223 Member
    TDEE - 20% is for weight loss

    http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html with your info is 1960


    minus 20% is - 1568

    This. TDEE minus 15 to 20% I follow daily TDEE and that only. So I always eat about the same whether I exercise or not because TDEE includes everything.
  • charliehefferon
    charliehefferon Posts: 223 Member
    Hey,

    I suggest reading this post - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet

    Its really helpful in explaining TDEE/BRM etc... Comes out with near perfect calorie goals also! (You don't eat back any exercise cals with this method as they are already taken into account....)

    Check it out and let me know what you think x
  • Mads1997
    Mads1997 Posts: 1,494 Member
    Honestly people make this process way harder than it needs to be. Eat what MFP says to plus eat ALL your exercise cals back and you will lose weight. It will end up being close enough as the TDEE method but a lot less complicated.
  • Rarity2013
    Rarity2013 Posts: 196 Member
    I started at 181lbs, am 5' 7" and hilariously sedentary. MFP gave me a shade under 1500 calories, which seems to be suiting me quite well.
  • mazdauk
    mazdauk Posts: 1,380 Member
    When MFP pushed me down to a shade over 1200 I consulted the IPORM. Because I know its only getting calories "back" keeps me excercising at THIS level I've set my MFP to 1400 and eat backmy exercise calories (unless I don't want them/want to save them for the weekend :wink: )

    Weight hasn't moved yet since the change- but I blame that on TOM, we'll see what next weigh-in brings (I've only been on the higher amount a coupe of weeks). But today I put on the outfit I'd planned to wear and had to take it off - the top was SO big it looked like I'd borrowed one off my mum, and the skirt waistband just stuck out all round, so inches are going from somewhere!
  • 257_Lag
    257_Lag Posts: 1,249 Member
    I like about 1600 from what you have told us but I would eat exercise calories back since you stated that your have no set exercise plan to calculate into your TDEE.
  • Jullessi
    Jullessi Posts: 38
    I am a similar height and weight and I eat 1600 calories but dont eat my exercise points. This means I am losing fat without losing lean body mass.

    you get points for exercising?! do you get a prize when you get a certain number of points?!

    Yeah, a reduction in my body fat !
  • samlankford
    samlankford Posts: 334
    I just put my calorie intake up to 2000, I am burning between 700-1000 calories with just my exercise a day... I had my calories set to 1500 but was not seeing the results i should have been...
  • SundayGirl1989
    SundayGirl1989 Posts: 94
    I'm so confused by this TDEE thing.
    My BMR is 1622 and my TDEE is 2231.
    So should i be eating nearer 1700 calories (TDE minus 20%) or should i stick to the 1200 MFP allocated me for 2lbs a week loss. I've seen 2lb a week almost every week so far but now i'm starting to get frustrated when i don't hit it.
    Would upping my calories to 1700 increase my weightloss?
    I know this is a lifestyle NOT a diet so i should be happy with my progress (and i really am!!) i just want to make sure i'm going about this the right way.
    thanks :)
  • Mummy2Corey
    Mummy2Corey Posts: 23
    I'm so confused by this TDEE thing.
    My BMR is 1622 and my TDEE is 2231.
    So should i be eating nearer 1700 calories (TDE minus 20%) or should i stick to the 1200 MFP allocated me for 2lbs a week loss. I've seen 2lb a week almost every week so far but now i'm starting to get frustrated when i don't hit it.
    Would upping my calories to 1700 increase my weightloss?
    I know this is a lifestyle NOT a diet so i should be happy with my progress (and i really am!!) i just want to make sure i'm going about this the right way.
    thanks :)


    This is exactly why I was confused too as MFP sets the 2lb loss a week to 1200 cals a day but as I can't seem myself staying on 1200 a day for life I've upped my intake a little and will be weighing in on Monday.
    From what I gather (thank you to all that responded :) ) tdee - 20% is for weight loss but you don't eat back any cals burnt through exercise as they are already incorporated in the figure given :)
  • SundayGirl1989
    SundayGirl1989 Posts: 94
    Thanks for replying, i may give increasing my cals a go depending on how my weightloss goes this week.
    i think for now i'll aim for just eating healthy options and not panic if i go over the 1200 mark
  • TimeForMe99
    TimeForMe99 Posts: 309
    I'm so confused by this TDEE thing.
    My BMR is 1622 and my TDEE is 2231.
    So should i be eating nearer 1700 calories (TDE minus 20%) or should i stick to the 1200 MFP allocated me for 2lbs a week loss. I've seen 2lb a week almost every week so far but now i'm starting to get frustrated when i don't hit it.
    Would upping my calories to 1700 increase my weightloss?
    I know this is a lifestyle NOT a diet so i should be happy with my progress (and i really am!!) i just want to make sure i'm going about this the right way.
    thanks :)

    TDEE -20% is a 425 calorie per day reduction. 500 calories per day is one pound per week. (3500 calories divided by 7 days). The slower weight loss is healthier and easier to maintain. If you want a lifestyle and not a diet then slow and steady is the way to go. Recalculate your TDEE every 5 pounds or when your activity changes. When you get to the last 10 pounds drop to TDEE - 10% and coast into maintenance (some will tell you to drop to -15% now, but it's your choice).

    Done correctly TDEE and MFP with added exercise calories will give you the same calorie allotment for the week. Both are simply calculating your maintenance level and then reducing the calories so you can lose weight.

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