Daily cals to consume so I lose 1.5-2lbs a week please?

TaraSpottyCat
TaraSpottyCat Posts: 42 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi

I've used a couple of online calculators, and the results differ quite a bit, so I thought I'd ask here :-)

I'm female, aged 46, my height is 5ft 5ins, and I currently weigh 185lbs (= 13st 3lb or 83.9 kilos) I have a sedentary job, and exercise 1 hour a week.

I know some will say 1lb a week loss is better for me, but I really want to lose 1.5 - 2lbs a week.
Can you help me work out how many cals a day I should be consuming please to lose this amount?

Many thanks
Tara

Replies

  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I would take the average of the online calculators and start with that. If you are not losing as expected after 2-3 weeks, adjust as necessary.
  • donyellemoniquex3
    donyellemoniquex3 Posts: 2,384 Member
    Hi
    I've used a couple of online calculators, and the results differ quite a bit, so I thought I'd ask here :-) I'm female, aged 46, my height is 5ft 5ins, and I currently weigh 185lbs (= 13st 3lb or 83.9 kilos) I have a sedentary job, and exercise 1 hour a week. I know some will say 1lb a week loss is better for me, but I really want to lose 1.5 - 2lbs a week. Can you help me work out how many cals a day I should be consuming please to lose this amount?

    Many thanks
    Tara

    http://myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974888-in-place-of-a-road-map-2k13
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    MFP will tell you the exact amount, enter you info in and voila, caloric intake to lose that amount of weight with no exercise, and if you exercise then eat more.
  • livelaughlove384
    livelaughlove384 Posts: 100
    MFP will tell you the exact amount, enter you info in and voila, caloric intake to lose that amount of weight with no exercise, and if you exercise then eat more.
    ^^this
  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
    You know slower loss is more sustainable but want to lose it fast?

    Use MFP's settings.. eat back at the very least half of your exercise calories.

    It may work great in the beginning (you'll lose weight - muscle included), but when you get stuck, it will not be wise to keep dropping the calories.

    Good luck.
  • TaraSpottyCat
    TaraSpottyCat Posts: 42 Member
    Thanks :-)

    Google is giving me odd results for 'MFP' - Can anyone pass on a good site please?
  • ChrisM8971
    ChrisM8971 Posts: 1,067 Member
    I would take the average of the online calculators and start with that. If you are not losing as expected after 2-3 weeks, adjust as necessary.

    This ^^ set for a loss of 1.5 lbs per week and then adjust accordingly. Personally I found that I am losing far quicker than MFP would suggest but everyone is different so see how it works for you
  • ChrisM8971
    ChrisM8971 Posts: 1,067 Member
    Thanks :-)

    Google is giving me odd results for 'MFP' - Can anyone pass on a good site please?

    This site is MFP (MyFitnessPal)
  • TaraSpottyCat
    TaraSpottyCat Posts: 42 Member
    Doh! MFP is this site! Sorry, I've been using calcs with different abbreviations and I've lost the plot!
  • PippiNe
    PippiNe Posts: 283 Member
    Hi! I'm 5' 4" and started at 154 lbs. MFP set my calories at 1200 because 2 lbs/week was also my goal. I stuck to the 1200 calorie limit plus I ate back half my exercise calories for the first two months. I worked out about 5x/ week for 25 minutes at a time. I pretty much lost at 2 lbs/week for the first 2 months (a total of 20 lbs). When I hit month 3, my weight loss slowed down and have lost 8 lbs in the last 6 weeks. I only have a few more pounds to go though, so that can be expected.

    I'd recommend trying the 1200 calories a day plus eating back at least half your exercise calories. Increasing your exercise amount each week will help make your soon-to-be skinnier body appear even better! If 1200 seems too low for you to stick with, increase it by 100 calories and try again. Always eat back a good portion of your exercise calories though, or your body will not have enough fuel.
  • Hildy_J
    Hildy_J Posts: 1,050 Member
    Hey Tara,

    I put your numbers into the TDEE calculator the magic 'road map' post recommends, turned the handle - and out popped 1,254 calories per day. But you'll be losing more like a pound a week than two. It's just a slow process, I'm afraid.

    If you don't want to log exercise, just use that. Or let MFP work it out for you.

    Good luck :-)
  • TaraSpottyCat
    TaraSpottyCat Posts: 42 Member
    Hi! I'm 5' 4" and started at 154 lbs. MFP set my calories at 1200 because 2 lbs/week was also my goal. I stuck to the 1200 calorie limit plus I ate back half my exercise calories for the first two months. I worked out about 5x/ week for 25 minutes at a time. I pretty much lost at 2 lbs/week for the first 2 months (a total of 20 lbs). When I hit month 3, my weight loss slowed down and have lost 8 lbs in the last 6 weeks. I only have a few more pounds to go though, so that can be expected.

    I'd recommend trying the 1200 calories a day plus eating back at least half your exercise calories. Increasing your exercise amount each week will help make your soon-to-be skinnier body appear even better! If 1200 seems too low for you to stick with, increase it by 100 calories and try again. Always eat back a good portion of your exercise calories though, or your body will not have enough fuel.


    Thanks :-)

    I just adjusted my weight loss on here to 2lbs a week, and MFP said I would need to consume 800 cals per day - I would be dead on just that amount a day! This does not tally at all with working out your TDEE and removing 30% for the 2lb a week loss :-0

    I'll stick with my 1150 - 1200 cals per day and see how I go.

    Tara
  • donyellemoniquex3
    donyellemoniquex3 Posts: 2,384 Member
    Hi! I'm 5' 4" and started at 154 lbs. MFP set my calories at 1200 because 2 lbs/week was also my goal. I stuck to the 1200 calorie limit plus I ate back half my exercise calories for the first two months. I worked out about 5x/ week for 25 minutes at a time. I pretty much lost at 2 lbs/week for the first 2 months (a total of 20 lbs). When I hit month 3, my weight loss slowed down and have lost 8 lbs in the last 6 weeks. I only have a few more pounds to go though, so that can be expected.

    I'd recommend trying the 1200 calories a day plus eating back at least half your exercise calories. Increasing your exercise amount each week will help make your soon-to-be skinnier body appear even better! If 1200 seems too low for you to stick with, increase it by 100 calories and try again. Always eat back a good portion of your exercise calories though, or your body will not have enough fuel.
    Thanks :-)

    I just adjusted my weight loss on here to 2lbs a week, and MFP said I would need to consume 800 cals per day - I would be dead on just that amount a day! This does not tally at all with working out your TDEE and removing 30% for the 2lb a week loss :-0

    I'll stick with my 1150 - 1200 cals per day and see how I go.

    Tara

    Subtract 20% instead
  • Hildy_J
    Hildy_J Posts: 1,050 Member

    Subtract 20% instead

    Yes - it's only -30% if you're obese.
  • TaraSpottyCat
    TaraSpottyCat Posts: 42 Member

    Subtract 20% instead

    Yes - it's only -30% if you're obese.

    I am obese!
  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
    30% is for someone with over 100 pounds to lose. You're 5'5" and, I believe you wrote, 185 lbs. What's your goal weight?
  • TaraSpottyCat
    TaraSpottyCat Posts: 42 Member
    30% is for someone with over 100 pounds to lose. You're 5'5" and, I believe you wrote, 185 lbs. What's your goal weight?


    I now weigh 182.5lbs (UK size 16-18) and want to get back to how I used to be = 126lbs (UK size 10-12)

    I want to lose 1.5 - 2lb a week.
  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
    30% is for someone with over 100 pounds to lose. You're 5'5" and, I believe you wrote, 185 lbs. What's your goal weight?


    I now weigh 182.5lbs (UK size 16-18) and want to get back to how I used to be = 126lbs (UK size 10-12)

    I want to lose 1.5 - 2lb a week.

    Okay, good luck.
  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
    30% is for someone with over 100 pounds to lose. You're 5'5" and, I believe you wrote, 185 lbs. What's your goal weight?


    I now weigh 182.5lbs (UK size 16-18) and want to get back to how I used to be = 126lbs (UK size 10-12)

    I want to lose 1.5 - 2lb a week.

    Just wondering, but is there a specific reason you want to drop the weight so fast?

    (I started at 220, and the pounds flew off in the beginning and it was great, I was eating around 1200-1300 calories a day, and I didn't care what I was doing to my body/metabolism/lean muscle.. After a while, things slowed down, almost to a stop. I could have decreased my calories even more, but at this point, I was cranky, cold and always hungry. I then started researching what low-calorie diets do to the body. That led to me researching the TDEE method and slowly, SLOWLY upped my calories. I've never felt better. I'm not losing much by the scale, but the inches are practically falling off - I work out almost every day - clothes fit and people are commenting more than ever about my loss! Fast isn't always better!!)
  • hamminit
    hamminit Posts: 184 Member
    I recently upped my calories because I hit a brick wall- I was tired and miserable. I feel much better and have starting losing again- and I am obese for sure. I re-did my goal to lose 1.5 lbs a week instead of two- the calorie boost made a big difference. I have energy to stay motivated and cook my food :) lost 4 lbs this week ( nothing last week)
  • biturner
    biturner Posts: 5 Member
    Hey guys,

    What is the purpose of eating back half of your exercise calories? I'm confused about that one.
  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
    Hey guys,

    What is the purpose of eating back half of your exercise calories? I'm confused about that one.

    If you are using MFP's settings, it gives you a goal with a deficit built in already, so you'll lose weight even if you do not exercise. By not eating the exercise calories, you are creating too large of a deficit and risk losing lean muscle.

    MFP tends to overestimate burns, so that's why I suggest at least half. If you use a HRM, then you eat all exercise calories back!
  • biturner
    biturner Posts: 5 Member
    Awesome, thanks for that! Makes total sense now.

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