What should my calorie limit be?

What should my calorie limit be ? Age: 19, Weight: 220. My goal is to lose 10 pounds a month. I probably do about 30+ minutes of walking per day, and I'm going to start doing cardio for 30-40 minutes everyday. Also, is it unhealthy to be going below a certain amount of calories? and if so what would that be? Thanks.

Replies

  • miamouse3
    miamouse3 Posts: 73 Member
    MFP has the ability to calculate what your calorie goal should be based on your height, weight, age, gender, activity level, and how much weight you are looking to lose. You should see what number it throws out to you :). There are also a lot of sites that can calculate it for you. The basics of it is that based on your BMR, a calorie deficit is calculated. Don't eat less than that, its a goal for a reason, but you shouldn't exceed it. Don't count exercise as a part of how active of a lifestyle you have, but on days you exercise input your exercise on your diary because you need to eat whatever you burn. It sounds counter productive, but your calorie deficit is already going to help you drop weight. Exercise just aids in your overall health and fitness.

    Anything in the lower than 1,200 would be unhealthy. 1,100 and under will push your body into starvation mode, and rather than lose weight your body will start storing everything you eat out of survival instincts. Your body will think that you are starving, and prepares for the worst case of not having sustenance.

    If you want a healthy weight, you have to have healthy practices. Don't go for a dangerously low calorie amount, or think you need to drop anything more than 2 pounds a week. Losing more through healthy habits is great and all, but you shouldn't expect more than that each week.
  • 1princesswarrior
    1princesswarrior Posts: 1,242 Member
    How tall are you? Your ticker says you want to lose 75lbs, is that correct?

    Also, 10lbs a month is about 2.5 lbs a week and depending on your current size and goals may not be healthy. Healthy and sustainable weight loss is typically 1-2 lbs a week. If you go into goals, select guided, enter your current information and honest activity level plus what you want to lose each week and MFP will give you a daily calorie goal. Then track your food and exercise and eat your exercise calories back. You should start losing as long as you are accurate in you food and exercise tracking.
  • You can use MFP to calculate your calories, or you can also check out this great web site that i really like. It has a great calculator and lots of helpful information too.

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

    Good luck on you journey. :flowerforyou:
  • dethh
    dethh Posts: 9
    Okay thanks everyone. I'm just coming back to this site after a while and forgot about the features of it.
  • 1,100 and under will push your body into starvation mode, and rather than lose weight your body will start storing everything you eat out of survival instincts. Your body will think that you are starving, and prepares for the worst case of not having sustenance.

    I get the idea of giving sustainable advice and offering healthy options, but what you're saying here is a misconception amongst the weight-loss community and frankly incorrect.
    There is a true phenomenon known as the starvation response and it is well documented in the Minnesota Starvation experiments and the Hunger Fasts that have been studied. However, it only happens in humans when they lose enough body fat that they fall below the level of essential fat. In a man, this would be below around 5% fat and in women just above that.

    http://www.healthscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=512:are-you-in-the-starvation-mode-or-starving-for-truth&catid=102:jeff-novicks-blog&Itemid=267
    So, what did the results of the study find? First, all participants lost weight. Starvation mode does not result in your body hanging onto extra fat or calories in an effort to “preserve” your body. But, it’s more complicated than just losing weight. All of the participants also experienced a drop in their metabolic rates – approximately 40% below baseline. Now, you will see many posters here that will argue that you will start losing muscle and not fat within a few days of going into so-called “starvation mode.” Yet, the research shows that participants lost both. In fact, at no point did they stop losing fat until they hit a rate of approximately 5% body fat near the end of the study.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/761810-the-starvation-mode-myth-again

    Overall, the loss of weight will lower the TDEE calculations, so constant recalculation is required as the scale rolls back, and diet adjustments will need to be made. However, until you are at the point of literal near-death starvation, worrying about the body holding onto calories to stay alive is incorrect and bad science.

    Research your facts, spread information and knowledge, not misconceptions.
  • My_Own_Worst_Enemy
    My_Own_Worst_Enemy Posts: 218 Member
    1,100 and under will push your body into starvation mode, and rather than lose weight your body will start storing everything you eat out of survival instincts. Your body will think that you are starving, and prepares for the worst case of not having sustenance.

    I get the idea of giving sustainable advice and offering healthy options, but what you're saying here is a misconception amongst the weight-loss community and frankly incorrect.
    There is a true phenomenon known as the starvation response and it is well documented in the Minnesota Starvation experiments and the Hunger Fasts that have been studied. However, it only happens in humans when they lose enough body fat that they fall below the level of essential fat. In a man, this would be below around 5% fat and in women just above that.

    http://www.healthscience.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=512:are-you-in-the-starvation-mode-or-starving-for-truth&catid=102:jeff-novicks-blog&Itemid=267
    So, what did the results of the study find? First, all participants lost weight. Starvation mode does not result in your body hanging onto extra fat or calories in an effort to “preserve” your body. But, it’s more complicated than just losing weight. All of the participants also experienced a drop in their metabolic rates – approximately 40% below baseline. Now, you will see many posters here that will argue that you will start losing muscle and not fat within a few days of going into so-called “starvation mode.” Yet, the research shows that participants lost both. In fact, at no point did they stop losing fat until they hit a rate of approximately 5% body fat near the end of the study.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/761810-the-starvation-mode-myth-again

    Overall, the loss of weight will lower the TDEE calculations, so constant recalculation is required as the scale rolls back, and diet adjustments will need to be made. However, until you are at the point of literal near-death starvation, worrying about the body holding onto calories to stay alive is incorrect and bad science.

    Research your facts, spread information and knowledge, not misconceptions.

    Have you been researching this since August to make as your first post?

    Leptin
  • At 19 years old your body should tend to have a higher metabolic rate although it may just need to be jump started. If you are planning for 30-40min of cardio per day, suggesting that you maybe go two days on and one day off to start then increase, your body is still going to need enough calories to get you the energy needed to make it. I would suggest you start at 1500-1700 calories per day and monitor that for a couple weeks and then tweak from there. Good luck
  • At 19 years old your body should tend to have a higher metabolic rate although it may just need to be jump started. If you are planning for 30-40min of cardio per day, suggesting that you maybe go two days on and one day off to start then increase, your body is still going to need enough calories to get you the energy needed to make it. I would suggest you start at 1500-1700 calories per day and monitor that for a couple weeks and then tweak from there. Good luck

    OP is a 19yr old male he could probably cut weight eating 2,500 a day.

  • Have you been researching this since August to make as your first post?

    Leptin

    Poor attempt at a smarmy reply - some of us don't regularly use the forums.

    Self-control.
  • My_Own_Worst_Enemy
    My_Own_Worst_Enemy Posts: 218 Member

    Have you been researching this since August to make as your first post?

    Leptin

    Poor attempt at a smarmy reply - some of us don't regularly use the forums.

    Self-control.

    No a poor attempt is trying to rip apart a study by posting a link to a website with zero citations to backup its claims.

    So are you advocating an 1100 calorie a day diet? Or were you just here to give an opinion on a scientific experiment?

  • Have you been researching this since August to make as your first post?

    Leptin

    Poor attempt at a smarmy reply - some of us don't regularly use the forums.

    Self-control.

    No a poor attempt is trying to rip apart a study by posting a link to a website with zero citations to backup its claims.

    So are you advocating an 1100 calorie a day diet? Or were you just here to give an opinion on a scientific experiment?
    The science is there, and widely available to those who research their claims before offering advice.

    That being said, some pushing 40 who still makes 'your mom' jokes on the internet and tries to troll people about their post count can hardly be expected to do any real research.
  • db1178
    db1178 Posts: 25
    Starvation mode is pure nonsense.
  • db1178
    db1178 Posts: 25


    Anything in the lower than 1,200 would be unhealthy. 1,100 and under will push your body into starvation mode, and rather than lose weight your body will start storing everything you eat out of survival instincts. Your body will think that you are starving, and prepares for the worst case of not having sustenance.

    I've always wondered where this 1,200 number comes from for being the threshold for starvation mode.

    Just so I follow this "starvation mode" theory correctly, if I eat 1,100 calories a day, I will not lose any weight?
  • My_Own_Worst_Enemy
    My_Own_Worst_Enemy Posts: 218 Member

    Have you been researching this since August to make as your first post?

    Leptin

    Poor attempt at a smarmy reply - some of us don't regularly use the forums.

    Self-control.

    No a poor attempt is trying to rip apart a study by posting a link to a website with zero citations to backup its claims.

    So are you advocating an 1100 calorie a day diet? Or were you just here to give an opinion on a scientific experiment?
    The science is there, and widely available to those who research their claims before offering advice.

    That being said, some pushing 40 who still makes 'your mom' jokes on the internet and tries to troll people about their post count can hardly be expected to do any real research.

    The science is there? Then show me and everyone else here. Enlighten us all here with the vast knowledge youve accumulated at 23 years old.

    By not answering either question and ignoring the comment regarding Leptin youve revealed your ignorance about the subject at hand. So you did you'd know that hormones such as insulin and leptin play a major role in the human bodies ability to convert carbohydrates into energy for use by your muscles as well either break protein down for muscle repair and/or store both excesses as fat?? So theres a bit more to it than just self control there ya whipper snapper. Its a shame you have to resort to attacking my age and profile instead of backing up your claims with something other than an opinion. Lastly, its snarky reply not smarmy. And if I have to correct you again...

    severus_snape_fail_minus_ten_points_from_gryffindor.jpg
  • My_Own_Worst_Enemy
    My_Own_Worst_Enemy Posts: 218 Member
    The leptin theories never proved out clinically, and insulin has been given a bad rap.
    Cmon Steve. I expected more from you. What Leptin theories are you referring to specifically because there are several specific theories. There's one study which examines the relationship of leptin levels on menopausal women to see if hormone therapy (estrogen) had an impact on leptin levels/weight loss. That one didnt "pan out". You claim "the studies" haven't panned out clinically. What studies are you referring to? Heres one to get you started http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/12614978/
    Insulin simply reacts to blood glucose levels (and fats and amino acid levels).

    Yeah. Insulin has been given a bad rap. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/24377452/
    So bad in fact that bodybuilders have been injecting themselves with it for years and years now.


    In your other post you claim that age has nothing to do with metabolism. Then why does every BMR and TDEE calculator ask for this piece of data? Im sure they just wanna know how old you are for shts and grins right?

    Well heres an study that says your nonsense is nonsense. Age IS a factor.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/19478787/
    Make a claim and post scientific data to back the claim. What a concept huh? See how that works?

    This is the part where someone else locates a study that refutes or disproves the previous study. If so, thats great. It's called progress and how we actually learn. Not by throwing out generalizations, opinions and twisted misinformation based on your own individual perception or something you saw on Dr Oz.