How many calories should I be eating a day?

AshPolette717
AshPolette717 Posts: 24
edited September 21 in Food and Nutrition
Hello MFP friends,

I have been on MFP a little more then a month now and I think I am doing very well, for being me. I wanted to ask you guys how many calories should I be eating a day at min. When I first started it suggested I should eat 1200 and usually when I work out I do pretty well. Last week I moved it down to 1100 a day but I wasn't sure if that was healthy or not. So friends how much do I need to eat to be healthy?

Thanks, Ash

Replies

  • Cassandra1219
    Cassandra1219 Posts: 114
    My dr told me to eat atleast 1200 calories... He said otherwise my body would go into starve mode....
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    1200 is the min amount that MFP will let you go unless you override it. So I would go back to 1200 as many suggest this is the minimum amount of calories that anyone should consume.
  • balfonso
    balfonso Posts: 370 Member
    I do my best to eat 1200 everyday or at least eat some of my exercise calories on top. I do have the odd day when I eat just a little under 1200 because I'm not particularly that hungry that day, but I make sure I don't do it all the time. 99% of the time I am eating 1200 + 20-50% of my exercise calories.
  • sweetbn
    sweetbn Posts: 318
    You need to eat at least your BMR, for some people it is 1200, for some it is less. So, 1100 may or may not be healthy. I would lean toward it being not. I would speak to a doctor who might be able to give you some insight.
  • iamdesiderata
    iamdesiderata Posts: 95 Member
    1200 calories is a generalization. your body might require more or less, but the only way to really know for sure is to see a nutritionist.
  • skinnytayy
    skinnytayy Posts: 459
    So i'm totally lost here ... I've done quite a bit of research and found that i should put out more calories than I take in to lose weight? Sooo .. Do I need to be eating 1200 and burning off the 1200 and then some?
  • sabrinafaith
    sabrinafaith Posts: 607 Member
    I set my base to 1000 calories, so that if I miss calculate calories burned it won't matter. Then I eat some of my exercise calories, leaving about 425-485 remaining a day. I also do a lot of physical activity, so I need to eat some of those calories. If I only burned 350-450 every day, then I would only eat 1200 calories.
  • jamie1888
    jamie1888 Posts: 1,704 Member
    So i'm totally lost here ... I've done quite a bit of research and found that i should put out more calories than I take in to lose weight? Sooo .. Do I need to be eating 1200 and burning off the 1200 and then some?

    If you are asking if you need to exercise and burn 1200 calories per day, the answer is "no". Set your goals to lose 1 - 2 lbs per week. If you have a desk job and/or sit most of the day, your lifestyle should be set to "sedentary". MFP will tell you how many calories you need to eat everyday to lose thos 1 - 2lbs per week. Eat ALL those calories every single day (plus or minus 50 or so calories is fine).

    So, you could hypothecially lose weight without exercising. Any calories you burn through excercise will only accelerate your weight loss/fat burn. Many people look at exercise calories as extra calories that they can eat in a day. Some eat all their exercise calories, some eat half, some none at all. You will have to play around with that and find what works best for you. But, allow a couple of weeks when you make any changes to your caloric intake; give your body time to adjust and then see what kind of results you have.

    Hope that helps.
  • johnphays
    johnphays Posts: 26
    Okay, so here's how to get a good basic number:

    Google a "base metabolic rate" calculator (not to be confused with BMI). This will tell you what your body burns per day just at rest.

    Now track how many calories you burn while exercising.

    Add these two together, that's your total daily burn.

    Take 15-20% of that and subtract it from the total. This number you get will be how many calories you should aim for. So obviously, it's completely different for every person. This formula is for LOSING weight, so once you hit your weight, add more calories to maintain.
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