Advice on where my calories should be please!

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I'm an 18 year old girl, 5'4" 240 lbs. I worked myself down slowly from 260ish. I've been averaging 1200-1500 cal/day. I don't eat exercise cals back though. Do you think I should be keeping it closer to 1200 or 1500? In the past I've been 180lbs but that was on 700-800 cals a day and it just wasn't sustainable/healthy.

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  • KaeChelle77
    KaeChelle77 Posts: 43
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    How many calories does MFP tell you to eat? That's what I go by and so far it works for me. If you're exercising, you should probably go with the 1500. 1200 would be too little in my opinion.
  • samlankford
    samlankford Posts: 334
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    i believe that you are eating too few calories... you run the risk of screwing up your hormone levels therefor slowing you metabolisim (sp).. I would find out your BMR and your TDEE, usually most people subrtact 20% from their TDEE, but do not reccomend eating less then your BMR....
  • sweetpea03b
    sweetpea03b Posts: 1,124 Member
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    http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

    Go here and get your TDEE calculator.... subtract 500 calories... that's how many cals you should be eating (regardless of what you burn).

    This will allow you a deficit of 1# per week.

    I was eating like 1200/day and not losing so i've upped it to 1800 (my TDEE minus 500 is 2000) and i've seen a big change. Good luck!
  • earsareweird
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    I just calculated my TDEE on that site and it said I burn over 2600 calories, I'm assuming because of my age. But eating 2100 seems like way too much...
  • meredithgomez
    meredithgomez Posts: 33 Member
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    So... if MFP said my net calories should be 1200, why does my TDEE - 500 = 1400 ? I'm confused, how much should I eat? 1200 calories worth of food leave me feeling *hungry* in the days that I don't work out...