My calories

NickiFlidMonkey
NickiFlidMonkey Posts: 12 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok a quick question for you guys

When I joined MFP and inputted my details, it gave me a daily allowance of 1200 calories..is this too low?
I checked elsewhere as to what my calories a day should be and it came back as 1680 daily..is that too much?

I'm a lil bit confused, do you all go with the allowance MFP gives you or have you guys changed it to something else?
I'm not very good with working out what my intake should be so any advise would be gratefully received xx

Replies

  • Pearsquared
    Pearsquared Posts: 1,656 Member
    What's your height and weight? What did you mark as your activity level (sedentary, lightly active, etc.)? What did you set as your weekly goal (1 lb., 2 lbs., etc.)? All of those determine what MFP sets as your calories - 1200 does seem low, as I eat 1300 even though I'm sedentary and 5'1''.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    It's probably lower than it needs to be, but probably not unsafely low.

    Are you eating back exercise cals?
  • NickiFlidMonkey
    NickiFlidMonkey Posts: 12 Member
    Yep I put in my height, weight, the exercise level I expected to achieve and that's what it gave me.
  • NickiFlidMonkey
    NickiFlidMonkey Posts: 12 Member
    It's probably lower than it needs to be, but probably not unsafely low.

    Are you eating back exercise cals?

    That's also where I'm getting confused..do I / can I / should I....eat those cals earned back?
    Jeez I'm useless lol
  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member
    It's probably lower than it needs to be, but probably not unsafely low.

    Are you eating back exercise cals?

    That's also where I'm getting confused..do I / can I / should I....eat those cals earned back?
    Jeez I'm useless lol

    I would set your weekly goal to 1.5lbs per week and eat your exercise calories back. Ensure your daily activity is set correctly as well.
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    If you use the MFP method, then you MUST eat back your exercise calories. That is what the people who set up MFP planned - which is why the goal is so much lower than a TDEE goal.

    If you choose the TDEE method (your higher number) then do not eat back exercise calories - either way it will work out to about the same calories every week. For example: I eat at TDEE -10%. I choose this method because I like to eat the same amount every day instead of eating a bunch more on workout days and a bunch less on non-workout days. My schedule looks like this:

    4 days per week: no workouts, 2000 calories
    3 days per week: workout burning 650-700 calories, still eat 2000 (net 1300 or so).

    So my total calories in an average week is 14000 calories.

    MFP sets me at 1490 per day and expects me to eat back my exercise calories so my week would look like this:

    4 days no workouts: 1490 each day
    3 days of workouts burning 650-700 calories: 2200 per day (approximately)

    So, using MFP's method, I would eat 12560 per week.

    See? really close numbers (less than the equivalent of a third of a pound).

    Edit: for typos and math errors - lol
  • WalkingMermaid_
    WalkingMermaid_ Posts: 205 Member
    Did you set your loss at 2 lbs a week? That will drop your calorie allowance drastically. You should set it at 1 lb or 1.5 lbs and it'll give you a higher allowance. I set mine at 1 lb a week and it gives me 1900 cals. I'm still losing 2 lbs a week though. 1200 does seem too low to sustain if you're not very short in height.
  • NickiFlidMonkey
    NickiFlidMonkey Posts: 12 Member
    If you use the MFP method, then you MUST eat back your exercise calories. That is what the people who set up MFP planned - which is why the goal is so much lower than a TDEE goal.

    If you choose the TDEE method (your higher number) then do not eat back exercise calories - either way it will work out to about the same calories every week. For example: I eat at TDEE -10%. I choose this method because I like to eat the same amount every day instead of eating a bunch more on workout days and a bunch less on non-workout days. My schedule looks like this:

    4 days per week: no workouts, 2000 calories
    3 days per week: workout burning 650-700 calories, still eat 2000 (net 1300 or so).

    So my total calories in an average week is 14000 calories.

    MFP sets me at 1490 per day and expects me to eat back my exercise calories so my week would look like this:

    4 days no workouts: 1490 each day
    3 days of workouts burning 650-700 calories: 2200 per day (approximately)

    So, using MFP's method, I would eat 12560 per week.

    See? really close numbers (less than the equivalent of a third of a pound).

    Edit: for typos and math errors - lol

    Thank you so much, that has just made it so much clearer for me. Just needed to understand the mechanics :)
  • NickiFlidMonkey
    NickiFlidMonkey Posts: 12 Member
    Thank you for the great responses, that's why I love this site :D
  • Ashleyxjamie
    Ashleyxjamie Posts: 223 Member
    It's probably lower than it needs to be, but probably not unsafely low.

    Are you eating back exercise cals?

    That's also where I'm getting confused..do I / can I / should I....eat those cals earned back?
    Jeez I'm useless lol

    I would set your weekly goal to 1.5lbs per week and eat your exercise calories back. Ensure your daily activity is set correctly as well.

    ^^^ this

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