How many calories do i need to eat to lose weight.

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24

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  • Lehk290
    Lehk290 Posts: 3 Member
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    So many folks on here say to eat at a deficit to lose weight. It's better to each large quantities of healthier SANE food so you don't have room for the bad stuff.

    I loved see the SANE food comment! I love Bailor.. he makes so much sense and has been very helpful in picking and chosing what I eat and how to exercise!

    I am at a level of 1200 calories a day. A pound is 3000/calories, so you need a deficient obviously to loose weight. Just make sure your calories are not junk, its high nutrient value and you will tell your energy will increase, you can eat more so your not hungry because your food is actually lower in calories than processed junk and less sodium that retains water.

    I have cut out all junk food, processed food and anything not natural. All Whole grains (limited), fresh fruits and veggies and good lean proteins and nuts, etc. I also began drinking lemon water at work (about 6-8 cups) and in the first 2 days I could tell an improvement on my fluid levels and my tummy is not so bloated.
    I am only in the beginning.. but this is just my opinion of what is working for me.
  • skssks2
    skssks2 Posts: 38 Member
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    hahaha no I didn't mean people would fill out my journal (impossible)...I simply meant I thought it would be time consuming for them to review my diary entries. I only use the calories on the machines I work on and never tried MFP ones so thanks for the heads up! =)
  • skssks2
    skssks2 Posts: 38 Member
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    I don't eat processed or junk food. I am 100% vegan. I eat unprocessed quality organic legumes, fresh greens, vegies, fruit and a reasonable amount of nuts. I also try to hit a decent amount of protein, sometimes using a complete pea protein powder. So my mystery lies elsewhere as I eat extremely clean and balanced. I think with all the input from everyone I will eventually figure it out. In the meantime, I will continue journaling and exercising ..and yeah crossing my fingers.
  • skssks2
    skssks2 Posts: 38 Member
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    This is why I am sooooooooooooooo confused! I eat so sooooo clean and healthy. filtered water, glass jars, organic vegies and fruit...so clean! My bloodwork is amazing too. That is why I am so confounded. I wish wish wish I ate doughnuts and pizza etc etc because that would be an easy fix! So I will try 1500 and give it a couple of weeks. I have been journaling since mid December and I am so freaked out with no weight loss. But thanks for all the good info. =)
  • skssks2
    skssks2 Posts: 38 Member
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    and I only drink water and/or lemon water and lots of it.
  • deboraheaton2012
    deboraheaton2012 Posts: 1
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    Hi, it works it out for you on here with your height and weight. It does work but for me 1500 seems to be doing the trick.
  • BokBagok
    BokBagok Posts: 345
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    I input my age and weight on the elliptical machine. for strength training I input the reps and sets...and somehow magically MFP comes up with extra food calories?

    Haven't seen this addressed yet - you may want to look into picking up a decent HRM (the polar ft4 is a great beginner hrm), it will allow you to more accurately calculate the cals that you burn. I wouldn't be surprised if mfp and the machines were overestimating your workout calories.
  • Dan_Druff
    Dan_Druff Posts: 104
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    1400 - 72 and add you exercise calories.
  • KetosisTina
    KetosisTina Posts: 197 Member
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    I look at folks diaries all the time. if they are posting every day it really only takes a few days to see trends.. good and bad.
  • Vailara
    Vailara Posts: 2,452 Member
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    I input my age and weight on the elliptical machine. for strength training I input the reps and sets...and somehow magically MFP comes up with extra food calories?

    You do need to enter your exercise under "cardiovascular" (even if it's strength training) for MFP to calculate the calories, but yes, it should do that and change your total for the day.
  • skssks2
    skssks2 Posts: 38 Member
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    I don't know how to start a "new thread" .... I have been working out really really good and diet journaling and eating clean..it has been 25 long days and no weight loss...maybe a pound! How disappointing!!!!!! =( I know the positives are increased health but gosh how longggggg does it take to start losing weight? I have made such great improvements it just seems I would look different or at least lose some weight! I can see why people get discouraged. I am shocked.
  • tedsmama
    tedsmama Posts: 178 Member
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    Do you feel better? Maybe try to focus on that and not the scale. I'm 5'3 and eat 1600 avg. per day and am losing (slowly, very very slowly). Doing C25K and strength training and I'm kinda feeling like a badass right now and that badass feeling is what is getting me through the "scale hardly moving" part of it. Just a thought!! Good luck!!!
  • skssks2
    skssks2 Posts: 38 Member
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    Yes, I do feel better and I am getting stronger. I just don't look different and the scale isn't budging and my clothes don't fit different. I am so darn determined and accurate about honestly reporting and weighing food and inputting exercise. I just expected more. My biggest fear is the weight will never come off and that would be so awful! On the 15th it will be exactly one month. But yah I am feeling like a badass now too. I am sometimes walking/running up to 8 miles a day and am considering doing a 1/2 marathon or something....which I never would have thought possible. I also do strength/weight training at least 3 times a week. What is C25K? Thanks for the encouragement.
  • hdelamore
    hdelamore Posts: 206 Member
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    Looking at your diary you need to eat your exercise calories back. You're netting quite low- the 1440 target set by MFP is for your net calories (Eaten minus exercise). Seeing as you're burning 900 odd calories you should be eating around 2300 calories a day. Try and at least stay over 1200 net. That might help budge the weight.
  • skssks2
    skssks2 Posts: 38 Member
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    Really???? Okay I will listen to that suggestion as I feel like something is wrong! Thank you so much!
  • ShakeOff84
    ShakeOff84 Posts: 15 Member
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    that was helpful
  • sarahorange55
    sarahorange55 Posts: 75
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    worth googling "eat more 2 weigh less" for you - and then look at doing TDEE-15% - your TDEE should be based on your actual activity therefore you don't eat you cals back - but don't underestimate how much exercise you do - as suggest one of the higher brackets

    since upping my cals from the usual 1200 to 1800 I have lost more weight this year and my exercise is almost nil!!

    google it and suggest you start looking at eating more not less - and MFP you can enter in goals/cals manually - but don't forget TDEE takes your exercise cals into account so don't eat them again
  • skssks2
    skssks2 Posts: 38 Member
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    uh oh then I shouldn't have just eaten what I did because another person told to eat my exercise calories today...so confused....ANYWAY..my tdee is 1937,,,i calculated that awhile ago...can't remember what or how it was calculated tho...but I am basically the same weight although I am walking and running more and trying to do more weights...hmmm I have increased from 1200 calories to 1500 to 1600...and just had this hunch I was not eating enough. I still have a mindset of less is more ... even though science seems to say otherwise as well as the other members on this site...
  • sarahorange55
    sarahorange55 Posts: 75
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    stick with 1500-1600 which is actually your TDEE-20% anyways :) and unless you really go over board on exercise don't eat those cals

    and yes it feels like you are going against everything

    but your BMR (1397) is the cals you burn if you were sleeping 24/7 therefore eating less than that .... well doesn't make much sense - I know though I have been doing it for 10 years and still not winning :)

    give that a whirl for at least a week and see how you feel!
  • skssks2
    skssks2 Posts: 38 Member
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    there are several different threads that populate when I google "eat more to weigh less" and then a lot to go thru...any particular one you suggest?

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