Weight loss calories help?

lroads55
lroads55 Posts: 22
edited January 31 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey there. i need some help figuring out how many calories I should eat to lose weight.
I'm about 150 lbs now and I hope to be about 125 by my 21st bday in mid-February.

I'm following the In Place of a Road Map plan because I did this in the past and lost some weight, but then when I started working full-time, and I wasn't as able to keep track if my calories and work out as often, my weight loss stalled and I haven't lost any in a few months.

I am able to work out more often now, and keep track of my calories easily so I'm really ready to get back at this. Unfortunately I have no idea how many calories I should eat.

I'll be working out 3 days a week, for 30 minutes, doing strength training. My job also keeps me really active, as I work in fast food. I'm on my feet all day long, for about 6 hours a day, running around, going up and down stairs, etc. Outside of work and my work outs though, I sit a lot, doing school, etc.

I used a calculator at Scoobysworkshop and put my activity level down as lightly active and it recommends I eat about 1700 - 1800 calories, but that sounds like how much I have probably been eating anyways, though on some days I'm sure I only ate about....1400 or so, to make up for eating too much the day beforehand.

So, any advice?

Replies

  • lroads55
    lroads55 Posts: 22
    Can anyone help me?
  • TigerBite
    TigerBite Posts: 611 Member
    "Seems like" and "for certain" are vastly diferent when it comes to this stuff ... get a food scale and log EVERYTHING ... Best of luck ...
  • seren7189
    seren7189 Posts: 24 Member
    I just put in all my info in mfp and it gave me how many calories I should be eating and that has worked for me. Another option for you is to just log your calories for a week or so and see exactly how much you normally eat and then take off a few hundred per day.
  • profosho
    profosho Posts: 17 Member
    What the people above said, track everything you eat including drinks,sauces,oil/butter. Find out what your BMR is http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ From there check out http://www.caloriesperhour.com/tutorial_pound.php

    Pretty much try to aim for a deficit according to how much you want to lose, 500 a day for 1 pound a week, 1000 for 2 pounds a week. Try to keep your carbs/fat/sodium/sugar levels low and eat protein according the how much you are exercising. Good luck.
  • Sjenny5891
    Sjenny5891 Posts: 717 Member
    In the begining... I put myself on Sedentary, bought a pedomoter and added the calories it said I burned as exercise.
  • lroads55
    lroads55 Posts: 22
    What the people above said, track everything you eat including drinks,sauces,oil/butter. Find out what your BMR is http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ From there check out http://www.caloriesperhour.com/tutorial_pound.php

    Pretty much try to aim for a deficit according to how much you want to lose, 500 a day for 1 pound a week, 1000 for 2 pounds a week. Try to keep your carbs/fat/sodium/sugar levels low and eat protein according the how much you are exercising. Good luck.

    I understand the deficit thing but I just can't figure out how many calories I need. :S
  • lroads55
    lroads55 Posts: 22
    I just put in all my info in mfp and it gave me how many calories I should be eating and that has worked for me. Another option for you is to just log your calories for a week or so and see exactly how much you normally eat and then take off a few hundred per day.

    MFP tells me to eat 1200 calories and I've done that before and it did me no good.
  • profosho
    profosho Posts: 17 Member
    Sorry for the late reply but can you look up your BMR or give me your height and I will do it for you :)
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