I feel like my calories are too high?

Phoenyxlove
Phoenyxlove Posts: 150 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am 5 feet 3 inches tall and currently weigh 214 pounds. I found my TDEE and took of 20% and my daily calorie allowance is 1680. I just feel like that's a lot. Maybe it's because to loose weight I subconsciously think that I should feel deprived in some way...but realistically I kind of think that too. I just don't feel like the pounds are going to move unless I excercise often and do not eat back any calories.

Replies

  • Dnarules
    Dnarules Posts: 2,081 Member
    Try it for two to three weeks and see what happens (you need to go longer than a week!!). You will probably be pleasantly surprised.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,340 Member
    Assuming you figured out your TDEE including your intended exercise, you don't eat the exercise calories back. That is an MFP thing, not a TDEE-20% thing.
  • Phoenyxlove
    Phoenyxlove Posts: 150 Member
    I just calculated my tdee-20% from two different sites (the first two search results in google. One site gave me 1591 and the other gave me 1662???
  • Dnarules
    Dnarules Posts: 2,081 Member
    I just calculated my tdee-20% from two different sites (the first two search results in google. One site gave me 1591 and the other gave me 1662???

    That really isn't that much difference between the two. These numbers are estimates. Try it out for 3 weeks and go from there. And as long as you used your activity level to determine TDEE, you shouldn't eat back exercise calories with this method.
  • gigglesinthesun
    gigglesinthesun Posts: 860 Member
    if you want to be super accurate, figure out your body fat and calculate you TDEE with one of the formulas that take that into account.
  • toddis
    toddis Posts: 941 Member
    Set it as your target, try it for 2 to 3 weeks, and see if you are making the progress you'd like. After 3 weeks adjust it to be closer to your goals.
  • bajoyba
    bajoyba Posts: 1,153 Member
    As others have already mentioned, you shouldn't eat back your exercise calories on the TDEE method. When you calculate your TDEE, you're supposed to account for your overall activity level, which should include all the exercise you normally do.

    If you calculated your TDEE without including any exercise, then I suppose you could still eat them back. Or re-calculate your TDEE to include exercise.

    I lost all of my weight eating around 1600-1800 calories a day. :smile:
  • sweetnlow30
    sweetnlow30 Posts: 497 Member
    I understand how you feel but I think 1600 would be a great place for you to start. I am the same height as you and when I was 220 I was eating 1650 and losing more than a pound a week. I am a firm believer in eating as much as you can while still losing so you have lots of calories left to slowly reduce as you lose. I am 150 now and I still eat 1400-1500 to lose close to a pound a week. I don't even exercise much other than walking because I am partially disabled. Anyway, try the 1600 and see how you do. There is no point in starving if you don't have to :wink:
  • wordpainter09
    wordpainter09 Posts: 472 Member
    Yeah you'll need to drop it probably as you adjust to lower levels of calories and higher activity anyway, so try to eat as much as you can now. Also, weigh food if you're not already, JIC. Not sure if you said you are. I was blown away by how much extra food I ate without weighing it.
  • Phoenyxlove
    Phoenyxlove Posts: 150 Member
    Thanks so much everyone! So I will stay with 1600 and see how it does. It would be nice to not feeling hungry all the time and still lose weight! Just seems a little easy, but if it works then I'm all for it! ;)
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Well how much were you eating before? How fast did you gain weight? Once you compare the two you'll realize you don't have to starve yourself to lose weight.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    I am 5 feet 3 inches tall and currently weigh 214 pounds. I found my TDEE and took of 20% and my daily calorie allowance is 1680. I just feel like that's a lot. Maybe it's because to loose weight I subconsciously think that I should feel deprived in some way...but realistically I kind of think that too. I just don't feel like the pounds are going to move unless I excercise often and do not eat back any calories.

    that's really not that much. I'm 5'8" and 130 lbs, and my maintenance calories are 1660. With exercise (I use MFP's calcs, not TDEE) I eat back those calories so usually come in somewhere betwee 1600-1900 for the day. Because you weigh more than I do, it will take more energy for you to exercise, so it stands to reason you should have that many calories for weight loss.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    Yeah you'll need to drop it probably as you adjust to lower levels of calories and higher activity anyway, so try to eat as much as you can now. Also, weigh food if you're not already, JIC. Not sure if you said you are. I was blown away by how much extra food I ate without weighing it.

    Yep. OP, keep this in mind as you go. At your current weight, I would think you'd have no problem losing weight at 1600 calories or so. As your weight drops though, you will need to recalculate because your caloric needs will change. And definitely weigh your food.
  • chasetwins
    chasetwins Posts: 702 Member
    Close to the same height and check my ticker - I lost that eating between 1550 and 1700 daily :) (1500 were my lazy days BTW) - I started out weighing a little bit more than you... TDEE-% is amazing and will get you where you want to be...have trust in it!! Just make sure you keep it updated when you lose or change your exercise habits. :)
    Best of luck!
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Thanks so much everyone! So I will stay with 1600 and see how it does. It would be nice to not feeling hungry all the time and still lose weight! Just seems a little easy, but if it works then I'm all for it! ;)

    It seems easy because it is. Weight loss does not have to be difficult. In fact, if it's difficult you're unlikely to succeed. You WANT it to be as easy as possible, because easy is sustainable long-term. Wishing to suffer for your weight loss is simply self-punishment and counterproductive to your goals.

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