**Guidance - which method for calories? Thoughts?

Hi all
Im looking for some guidance please. Any thoughts are much appreciated. i am 3 weeks in and 3.5lb down however admittedly im now starting to find it a little tough on 1200 some days....

There are many methods of getting totals for calorie targets and would like advice on which people rate?

stats are female, 23, 127lb, 5.4ft (approx 8- 10lb to lose target)

Do i :

Eat 1200 cals and eat back exercise cals (running is main exercise which the calories burnt seem pretty accurate on MFP compared to my HRM and Endomondo app) (net 1200 however since starting i have been 1250-1300 net for avg for the week)

eat my BRM = 1400 cals and eat exercise calories back (net 1400)

Eat my TDEE - 20% which is 1530cals a day. (or make 1530 the avergage day intake for the week) (potentially i will net 900 cals on the day i do a longer run)

FYI i usually run 3-4 times a week
2 x 2-3 miles
1 x 3-4 miles
1 x 6 miles (working to increase each week)

I like the idea i need to run to burn cals to justify any higher calorie days however i will run any way as i enjoy it and its the weekly average that matters so either way. its just a fair difference in the total calorie consumption between methods i guess

It would be great to get your thoughts.

Thank you

Replies

  • toshie333
    toshie333 Posts: 295 Member
    hi
    thank you
    i saw this post before i posted but didnt think it compared or gave me the views on all 3 methods.
    was interested to see peoples thoughts on pros and cons.
  • helenrosemay
    helenrosemay Posts: 375 Member
    I remember when everyone was saying you had to eat at least 1000 calories, now it's gone up to 1200 calories.
    My BMR is 1600 cals with exercise that can go up to 1900cals, so that wouldn't make much of a deficit, in fact I wasn't eating much more than that before I started my diet and I was maintaining.

    There is so much conflicting information and yes it's good to be informed, but sometimes you can be too informed.

    All I know is eating around 1200-1300 cals gives me a deficit and has worked for me.
  • Alta2000
    Alta2000 Posts: 655 Member
    Eat my TDEE - 20% which is 1530cals a day. (or make 1530 the avergage day intake for the week) (potentially i will net 900 cals on the day i do a longer run)

    FYI i usually run 3-4 times a week
    2 x 2-3 miles
    1 x 3-4 miles
    1 x 6 miles (working to increase each week)

    Eat your TDEE-15% because you only have 10lbs to lose and you are 24y. Do not net less than your BMR.
  • RosyBest
    RosyBest Posts: 303 Member
    It seems like you may be burning off just as much as you eat which will send your body into starvation mode. Your body might be storing fat, which defeats the whole purpose of trying to lose weight. Eat more.
  • ncmedic201
    ncmedic201 Posts: 540 Member
    I think it really comes down to preference. Some enjoy using the MFP model of eating back your calories. I personally find it easier to have a set calorie amount. I agree with the other poster not to eat at a 20% deficit since you are close to goal. I'm slowly trying toincrease to TDEE-10%.

    ETA recalculate your TDEE. Fitness frog has you at 2153 based on exercising 4 days per week.
  • toshie333
    toshie333 Posts: 295 Member
    Hi
    Thank you for replies so far.
    I went for 1-3 days exercise as the 2x2-3 miles are only
    Short ones so Thought would play safe and
    Count as 3 total Instead of 4.

    Hmmm dont know what to do. :-)
    Maybe will do some calculations. Feeling I'm defo over thinking things but only 7 weeks till holiday so not much time for error
    Thank u
  • Alta2000
    Alta2000 Posts: 655 Member
    Hi
    Thank you for replies so far.
    I went for 1-3 days exercise as the 2x2-3 miles are only
    Short ones so Thought would play safe and
    Count as 3 total Instead of 4.

    Hmmm dont know what to do. :-)
    Maybe will do some calculations. Feeling I'm defo over thinking things but only 7 weeks till holiday so not much time for error
    Thank u

    If you want to get ready for holidays, I would add daily bootcamps or total body workouts, as well as spot specific for the problem areas that you have workouts from fitnessblender.com, or from blogilates.com I think what interests you is toning, right?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Eat my TDEE - 20% which is 1530cals a day. (or make 1530 the avergage day intake for the week) (potentially i will net 900 cals on the day i do a longer run)

    FYI i usually run 3-4 times a week
    2 x 2-3 miles
    1 x 3-4 miles
    1 x 6 miles (working to increase each week)

    Eat your TDEE-15% because you only have 10lbs to lose and you are 24y. Do not net less than your BMR.

    I agree, TDEE minus 10 or 15% as you don't have lots to lose. Not sure how you get such a low tdee with all the running?
  • toshie333
    toshie333 Posts: 295 Member
    I think after a lot of number crunching I'm going to
    Eat 1200-1400 and eat back running calories.
    This gives me between 0.5-1 lb loss a week.

    1916 is my tdee in answer to a post above.
    That is with 3 workouts a week.
    My sedentary tdee is 1650
    Bmr 1400

    So if I aim for an avg daily intake of 1300-1400 net this sounds to avg out about right weekly I'm
    Assuming. I think it works out the same calories just making sure I don't eat too much x not run enough etc.