Am I eating enough calories? Please help!

ohheytoned
ohheytoned Posts: 34 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone. I've been with MFP for a while but recently started logging again. I'm trying to figure out if MFP's recommended calorie intake for my body is "good". I'm 23, female, 5"2, 130lb. Goal weight is 115lb. I'm moderately active, I go to the gym 2-3 per week but I walk a lot other days. MFP is giving 1470 for net calories. However, other sources all over the Internet are giving me different numbers - anywhere from 1600-1800 calories per day to 2000 calories per day. The Jillian Michaels website is telling me 1150 calories a day (!)..at which point I think I'd starve. On the days when I don't work out, I really struggle to stay under 1470 and often go over (usually starving an hour after dinner). The days that I do workout are easier on my body calorie-wise. So my question is...is 1470 a good calorie intake goal per day? Too low, too high? I've been working out/eating healthy for 2 months now and have not shed a single pound. Before that I was inactive for about a year, but before THAT I worked out regularly and ate fairly healthily.

I just feel kind of lost on this whole journey. Weight has never been a huge issue for me before but as I age I have noticed my body is having a much harder time staying thin. After spending two months in Europe this past summer, I gained most of the excess weight I currently hold and it really hurt my self-esteem. Before, I used to be able to eat whatever I wanted and not gain a pound. Those days are clearly over!

Any knowledgeable advice greatly appreciated! :)

Replies

  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    They're all guesses. Pick one that feels comfortable, stick with it for 4 weeks, and adjust as appropriate.
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    I'd go with TDEE - a percentage if I were you. In that, you don't eat back your exercise calories because they are built into the formula. You eat the same amount every day, rest or not.

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

    I usually write down the results from the different research monitors and average them, or you could take the lowest if it sounds reasonable (it'll get the quickest results even if wrong). See if the highest sounds reasonable as far as what you normally eat when not restricting. Look at the plain TDEE for that with all of them.

    That TDEE number should be what you eat to maintain your weight, so it's possible you know how much you eat in a non-diet day. Pick the one at your current weight that sounds closest to what you normally eat (if you weren't gaining) to try to guess the most accurate one for you. It should be your maintenance number, in other words. Then subtract the percentage to get the loss you want :)
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
    Agree..its all an estimate. The number MFP gave you sounds reasonable and healthy to me, if you're making good food choices. Try it for a while and see how it goes. It isn't a life sentence...you can always change it.
  • ohheytoned
    ohheytoned Posts: 34 Member
    I'd go with TDEE - a percentage if I were you. In that, you don't eat back your exercise calories because they are built into the formula. You eat the same amount every day, rest or not.

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

    I usually write down the results from the different research monitors and average them, or you could take the lowest if it sounds reasonable (it'll get the quickest results even if wrong). See if the highest sounds reasonable as far as what you normally eat when not restricting. Look at the plain TDEE for that with all of them.

    That TDEE number should be what you eat to maintain your weight, so it's possible you know how much you eat in a non-diet day. Pick the one at your current weight that sounds closest to what you normally eat (if you weren't gaining) to try to guess the most accurate one for you. It should be your maintenance number, in other words. Then subtract the percentage to get the loss you want :)

    Thanks for the info. I went to that website before and didn't really understand it. I put in my information and under "your results" it says: BMR 395, TDEE 613, and "Daily calories based on goal in step 6" 490. I have no idea what any of these numbers mean or what percentage to subtract from what number. Is there anyway you could help me figure this out? Sorry, clearly I'm new at this stuff!

    I am planning on sticking with 1470 net calories per day for now even if I'm hungry most days. I think what happened is that my body got so used to OVER-eating (like, over 2000 per day for almost a year would be my guess) that scaling it down to under 1500 has been immensely difficult for my body to adjust to.

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