We are pleased to announce that on March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor will be introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the upcoming changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

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 :)
This discussion has been closed.

Categories