How do I determine how many cals i should have a day?

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soldiergrl_101
soldiergrl_101 Posts: 2,205 Member
edited February 8 in Getting Started
I know MFP does it for me, but I am trying to understand where the numbers come from. How do they determine how many calories I should eat a day to loose weight.

Is the ratio

3500 * AMT of lbs a week / 7

Replies

  • missylectro
    missylectro Posts: 448 Member
    Hey! Have you heard of Basal Metabolic Rate? It's the number of calories you'd burn if you stayed in bed all day. To lose weight you'd have to have a deficit but I don't remember how much.
    There are calculators online that calculate BMR...
  • _Calypso_
    _Calypso_ Posts: 1,074 Member
    MFP usually is too low depending on what you have your goals set. Unless you have a lot to lose, you want to eat (NET) at least your BMR
    http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/bmr-calculator.html

    And aim to lose .5-1.5lbs per week (smaller loss if you have less to lose)

    1lb = 3500 calories.

    So if you have a deficit of 500 cal a day x 7 days a week you should lose about a 1lb per week. However keep in mind different workouts will cause your muscles to retain water to heal. Being a female your weight will fluctuate daily. So that 1lb is not a solid number....its a guesstimate of what you *could* lose. Also note that measurements are far more accurate than the scale.
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