think my calorie allowance is too high!!

jue1
jue1 Posts: 38
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone,
I am 5'5 and currently 175.6 lbs and i put lightly active, but its given me an allowance of 1530 cals per day and with the exercise i do that brings it to 1830 cals each day (not that i eat them) but i jus think this sounds too high...anyone have any thoughts??
thanx guys.

p.s i've put in to lose 1lb per week :ohwell:

Replies

  • Nelski
    Nelski Posts: 1,607 Member
    I do not think it's too high. Give it a try for a few weeks and see how it goes.
  • jue1
    jue1 Posts: 38
    Thanx for the reply hun, do you think if i put in to lose 2lbs per week it would bring it down drastically?? x
  • mooz
    mooz Posts: 101
    I dont think it'll be drastically but why not try it and see what comes up as a suggested amount?

    I think it's interesting that the amount you were given is not too far off from what I was given @ 2lb loss per week, 330lbs, 56" tall female I was given 1760 calories.
  • MacMadame
    MacMadame Posts: 1,893 Member
    When I first started using an online food diary, they way overestimated the calories I needed to maintain. But now that I'm at maintenance, they are under-estimating it.

    IOW, it's just an estimate so you have to adjust it to reality.

    Also a lot of people end up putting their activity level too high. Most people should be using sedentary for their activity level. What activities do you that cause you to put lightly active? What kind of job do you do?
  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
    Doesnt sound abnormal, because of the activity its factoring in your burning off cals with your activity during the day.
  • smalltowncutie82
    smalltowncutie82 Posts: 13
    Mine was at 2200 for a pound a week, I went a few weeks of not losing anything then set it to 1.5 pounds a week and it reduced me to about 1700. If you can handle less calories and need better results try going down half a pound.
  • LotusF1ower
    LotusF1ower Posts: 1,259 Member
    Hi everyone,
    I am 5'5 and currently 175.6 lbs and i put lightly active, but its given me an allowance of 1530 cals per day and with the exercise i do that brings it to 1830 cals each day (not that i eat them) but i jus think this sounds too high...anyone have any thoughts??
    thanx guys.

    p.s i've put in to lose 1lb per week :ohwell:

    I can't speak for you as everybody is different, that would be way too many for me though, I have to admit, even with the exercise I do, I would gain on that x
  • Lizandrk
    Lizandrk Posts: 4
    I set my calorie amount myself. I'm 215 and put to lose 2 lb/wk and I think it said something like 1700 calories/day. But with the "plan" I follow I'm eating 1100-1300 a day (mostly) and I'm losing. So I just went in it manually changed the calorie alotment myself because I wanted my figures and totals to be right.
  • jue1
    jue1 Posts: 38
    hi thanx for all the replies,
    i have 4 children including twins who are 2. so i do a lot of running around after the kids school runs etc, thats why i put lightly active. i also do an exercise dvd most days. i think i will drop half a pound a week cos i can't eat all of these calories anyway.
    Thanx for all the advice :happy:
  • hill242
    hill242 Posts: 412 Member
    You should try the calories that MFP sets. In most cases, it is a working formula and you'll see results if you are consistent.
  • MacMadame
    MacMadame Posts: 1,893 Member
    hi thanx for all the replies,
    i also do an exercise dvd most days.
    If you include your exercise in your activity level, then you shouldn't also log it because then you are counting it twice.
  • Maxpriestley
    Maxpriestley Posts: 1
    If you don't consume sufficient calories your body will eat into lean muscle mass quicker than fat as fat is stored for famine periods such as when you diet!!!

    If you do not consume enough calories when you stop dieting or "cheat" your body will start storing your calories as fat as it believes you are in a state of famine.

    I would stick with the calories it says to and continue to exercise.
  • saligator
    saligator Posts: 96 Member
    i weigh 112lbs, 5 ft 1, and not trying to actually lose any weight (just tone up) and i was told 1460 a day.....how can that be right when it's pretty close to yours/??
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    Try this website, I believe it is a tad more accurate than MFP, then you can just adjust it manually.

    http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
    I am 5'5", 170 lbs and my RMR (rested metabolic rate) is 1800 (tested by a lab). Add to that my minimal daily exercise of 2 desk jobs and 3 children, and I'm at maintenance of 2300.

    I am eating 1500 calories right now and it feels comfortable. I go back to the gym on Aug 1st after several months off to reset my adrenal glands.

    I would go with what MFP suggests for at least a month. If it's not working after that, then adjust up or down depending on your results.
  • PJilly
    PJilly Posts: 22,249 Member
    Hi everyone,
    I am 5'5 and currently 175.6 lbs and i put lightly active, but its given me an allowance of 1530 cals per day and with the exercise i do that brings it to 1830 cals each day (not that i eat them) but i jus think this sounds too high...anyone have any thoughts??
    thanx guys.

    p.s i've put in to lose 1lb per week :ohwell:
    I don't think it sounds high at all. I would give it a try for three or four weeks to see what happens. I think the most important things to remember when you're trying to fine-tune what your calories should be are to: (1) weigh, measure, and track every morsel you eat or drink so that you are accurately tracking your calories; and (2) eat that target number of calories consistently every day. This way, you'll really be able to judge if you need to some tweaking, either up or down.
  • PJilly
    PJilly Posts: 22,249 Member
    This way, you'll really be able to judge if you need to some tweaking, either up or down.
    This way, you'll really be able to judge if you need to DO some tweaking, either up or down. :embarassed:
  • MacMadame
    MacMadame Posts: 1,893 Member
    If you don't consume sufficient calories your body will eat into lean muscle mass quicker than fat as fat is stored for famine periods such as when you diet!!!

    If you do not consume enough calories when you stop dieting or "cheat" your body will start storing your calories as fat as it believes you are in a state of famine.
    You realize that makes no sense, don't you?

    In the first statement you say: if you diet your body will eat the lean muscle because it's saving the fat for when you diet. In your second statement you essentially say the same thing.

    If it's true that our fat is there to get us through famines -- and it is -- and it's true that our bodies interpret going on a diet as being in a famine -- and it is -- then our bodies will respond to this situation by burning our fat. That's what it's there for. It will do that until we get down to an essential level of fat (around 10-12% for a woman).

    Now, if you don't use your muscles, it will burn them too. But it's not going to burn muscles it needs preferentially over fat that it does not and that exists to get it through a famine.
  • LotusF1ower
    LotusF1ower Posts: 1,259 Member
    If you don't consume sufficient calories your body will eat into lean muscle mass quicker than fat as fat is stored for famine periods such as when you diet!!!

    If you do not consume enough calories when you stop dieting or "cheat" your body will start storing your calories as fat as it believes you are in a state of famine.
    You realize that makes no sense, don't you?

    In the first statement you say: if you diet your body will eat the lean muscle because it's saving the fat for when you diet. In your second statement you essentially say the same thing.

    If it's true that our fat is there to get us through famines -- and it is -- and it's true that our bodies interpret going on a diet as being in a famine -- and it is -- then our bodies will respond to this situation by burning our fat. That's what it's there for. It will do that until we get down to an essential level of fat (around 10-12% for a woman).

    Now, if you don't use your muscles, it will burn them too. But it's not going to burn muscles it needs preferentially over fat that it does not and that exists to get it through a famine.

    Totall agree with MacMadame.

    To the poster who stated: "If you don't consume sufficient calories your body will eat into lean muscle mass quicker than fat as fat is stored for famine periods such as when you diet!!!"

    By NOT consuming sufficient calories, your body IS already in a "dietary" state, therefore it will burn off the fat.

    Regarding lean muscle, think of when somebody breaks their leg and it is in a plaster cast. For weeks on end, that broken leg's muscles are not being exercised and when the plaster is eventually taken off, the muscles will be withered and the ex-broken leg will be quite a lot smaller than the unbroken leg. The muscles withered because the muscles were not used. It does not take long for this to happen either, any more than they are quite quick to build up again once the plaster is taken off and the leg resumes its normal duties.

    MacMadame is completely correct regarding if you don't use your muscles they will shrink and get "used" up by the body. However, many of us on this site, exercise regularly, using our muscles, they will be building up rather than shrinking down - this includes the heart. The stored energy our bodies has in these cases is fat and this is what will get used up.

    If the fat were to go below 5%, starvation mode would indeed be a real threat. Personally, I have a hell of a lot more than 5% and so do 99% of the people on this site.
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