Daily calories

django_girl
django_girl Posts: 45 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am 5ft7 and currently weigh 146lbs - this is after using MFP for about 2 weeks and losing 3.7lbs. I wan to lose a little bit more, my ideal weight is about 140lbs.

Someone said my BMR does not equal my daily calories allowance. I used two different website to calculate BMR, which gave me 1277cal and 1388cal respectively. However in MFP my daily goal is 1200cal. I don't remember setting it myself - is that the default? I have been adhering to this in the last two weeks.

How do I calculate the correct daily calories? I have no intention to starve myself or lose weight dramatically.

Thanks for your advice.

Replies

  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    You can calculate your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) which is the total calories you burn daily including exercise, and subract 15%-20% to give yourself a deficit for weight loss. The most accurate way to calculate this involves using your body fat percentage. Do you happen to know your body fat percentage or have a good guess of what it is?
  • skittlesnhoney
    skittlesnhoney Posts: 651 Member
    It may be as simple as changing your goals from wanting to lose 2 lbs. a week to .5 lb or 1 lb. 1200 is the lowest MFP goes and so it automatically springs to that for a lot of us that put that 2 lb. a week goal. I made the same mistake when I first joined too. It takes a little bit of tweaking but it's worth it!
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    For that little to lose, just keeping using MFP correctly.

    Correctly. Set your weight loss goal to 1/2 lb weekly.

    Be honest with your non-exercise activity level - truly sedentary with 45 hr a week desk job and nothing besides exercise for movement barely?
    Or really Lightly Active outside exercise and for work?

    Then exercise, log it and eat those calories back.

    That setup will take care of the concern of BMR.

    Your 1200 is a result of your selection of weight loss goal, MFP starts with the Mifflin BMR the better other sites started with.
    MFP also includes no exercise in maintenance before subtracting a deficit. You eat exercise back when actually done.
    That way same deficit exercise or not.

    Those other sites you include exercise in your planned level, then deficit is taken. Eat the same daily.

    If honest on MFP and those sites, you end up with the same results - if the exercise is done.
  • django_girl
    django_girl Posts: 45 Member
    Tape measure method says my body fat percentage is 10.92% - is that good or bad?
    You can calculate your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) which is the total calories you burn daily including exercise, and subract 15%-20% to give yourself a deficit for weight loss. The most accurate way to calculate this involves using your body fat percentage. Do you happen to know your body fat percentage or have a good guess of what it is?
  • django_girl
    django_girl Posts: 45 Member
    Strange, the goal is set as 0.5kg a week....
    It may be as simple as changing your goals from wanting to lose 2 lbs. a week to .5 lb or 1 lb. 1200 is the lowest MFP goes and so it automatically springs to that for a lot of us that put that 2 lb. a week goal. I made the same mistake when I first joined too. It takes a little bit of tweaking but it's worth it!
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Tape measure method says my body fat percentage is 10.92% - is that good or bad?
    You can calculate your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) which is the total calories you burn daily including exercise, and subract 15%-20% to give yourself a deficit for weight loss. The most accurate way to calculate this involves using your body fat percentage. Do you happen to know your body fat percentage or have a good guess of what it is?

    You did some math wrong on that, I doubt greatly you are 11% as a woman.
    http://www.gymgoal.com/dtool_fat.html
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Strange, the goal is set as 0.5kg a week....
    It may be as simple as changing your goals from wanting to lose 2 lbs. a week to .5 lb or 1 lb. 1200 is the lowest MFP goes and so it automatically springs to that for a lot of us that put that 2 lb. a week goal. I made the same mistake when I first joined too. It takes a little bit of tweaking but it's worth it!

    Not really, you are small, your BMR is small, therefore your maintenance is small. Doesn't take much to knock you down to minimum 1200 for sedentary woman.

    But - if you followed MFP, you would only eat that on non-exercise days.

    Also, that is over 1 lb, so there is another option that is less weight loss - which is correct for as little as you have left to lose.

    Use the spreadsheet on my profile page, Simple Setup tab, for those 2 bodyfat calcs, and better activity calc, if interested in the TDEE method.
  • django_girl
    django_girl Posts: 45 Member
    I exercise 3 times a week, swimming 40 minutes once and running twice, about 22km /13 miles in total. I also walk 40 minutes a day, to go to work and come home.

    The problem is that I could not always eat back all the calories. Last Sunday I ran 10 miles and ended up with over 500cal deficit.

    The goal is set to 0.5kg 1lb a week. May be I should reduce that to 1/2lb as your suggested.
    For that little to lose, just keeping using MFP correctly.

    Correctly. Set your weight loss goal to 1/2 lb weekly.

    Be honest with your non-exercise activity level - truly sedentary with 45 hr a week desk job and nothing besides exercise for movement barely?
    Or really Lightly Active outside exercise and for work?

    Then exercise, log it and eat those calories back.

    That setup will take care of the concern of BMR.

    Your 1200 is a result of your selection of weight loss goal, MFP starts with the Mifflin BMR the better other sites started with.
    MFP also includes no exercise in maintenance before subtracting a deficit. You eat exercise back when actually done.
    That way same deficit exercise or not.

    Those other sites you include exercise in your planned level, then deficit is taken. Eat the same daily.

    If honest on MFP and those sites, you end up with the same results - if the exercise is done.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    I exercise 3 times a week, swimming 40 minutes once and running twice, about 22km /13 miles in total. I also walk 40 minutes a day, to go to work and come home.

    The problem is that I could not always eat back all the calories. Last Sunday I ran 10 miles and ended up with over 500cal deficit.

    The goal is set to 0.5kg 1lb a week. May be I should reduce that to 1/2lb as your suggested.
    For that little to lose, just keeping using MFP correctly.

    Correctly. Set your weight loss goal to 1/2 lb weekly.

    Be honest with your non-exercise activity level - truly sedentary with 45 hr a week desk job and nothing besides exercise for movement barely?
    Or really Lightly Active outside exercise and for work?

    Then exercise, log it and eat those calories back.

    That setup will take care of the concern of BMR.

    Your 1200 is a result of your selection of weight loss goal, MFP starts with the Mifflin BMR the better other sites started with.
    MFP also includes no exercise in maintenance before subtracting a deficit. You eat exercise back when actually done.
    That way same deficit exercise or not.

    Those other sites you include exercise in your planned level, then deficit is taken. Eat the same daily.

    If honest on MFP and those sites, you end up with the same results - if the exercise is done.

    Also - were you honest about your selection of activity level for your non-exercise day?
    I sure hope you didn't select sedentary when you walk to work 40 min x 5 days a week.
    That is Lightly Active minimum.

    Also, you didn't gain weight eating this little, you know how to eat more. You probably think you shouldn't eat fat, very wrong.
    You can eat back those exercise calories, at least 80% of them.

    And your comment about running 10 miles and got 500 cal deficit. Just in case you aren't aware - there is already a deficit at your eating goal - exercise is just making it bigger and likely worse for you.
  • django_girl
    django_girl Posts: 45 Member
    This is more like it - 24.2% (average)
    Tape measure method says my body fat percentage is 10.92% - is that good or bad?
    You can calculate your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) which is the total calories you burn daily including exercise, and subract 15%-20% to give yourself a deficit for weight loss. The most accurate way to calculate this involves using your body fat percentage. Do you happen to know your body fat percentage or have a good guess of what it is?

    You did some math wrong on that, I doubt greatly you are 11% as a woman.
    http://www.gymgoal.com/dtool_fat.html
  • django_girl
    django_girl Posts: 45 Member
    Spot on! I did select sedentary because I thought that's what you are supposed to do if you work in an office:-) I will change my activity level.

    Looks like I need to eat more.

    I exercise 3 times a week, swimming 40 minutes once and running twice, about 22km /13 miles in total. I also walk 40 minutes a day, to go to work and come home.

    The problem is that I could not always eat back all the calories. Last Sunday I ran 10 miles and ended up with over 500cal deficit.

    The goal is set to 0.5kg 1lb a week. May be I should reduce that to 1/2lb as your suggested.
    For that little to lose, just keeping using MFP correctly.

    Correctly. Set your weight loss goal to 1/2 lb weekly.

    Be honest with your non-exercise activity level - truly sedentary with 45 hr a week desk job and nothing besides exercise for movement barely?
    Or really Lightly Active outside exercise and for work?

    Then exercise, log it and eat those calories back.

    That setup will take care of the concern of BMR.

    Your 1200 is a result of your selection of weight loss goal, MFP starts with the Mifflin BMR the better other sites started with.
    MFP also includes no exercise in maintenance before subtracting a deficit. You eat exercise back when actually done.
    That way same deficit exercise or not.

    Those other sites you include exercise in your planned level, then deficit is taken. Eat the same daily.

    If honest on MFP and those sites, you end up with the same results - if the exercise is done.

    Also - were you honest about your selection of activity level for your non-exercise day?
    I sure hope you didn't select sedentary when you walk to work 40 min x 5 days a week.
    That is Lightly Active minimum.

    Also, you didn't gain weight eating this little, you know how to eat more. You probably think you shouldn't eat fat, very wrong.
    You can eat back those exercise calories, at least 80% of them.

    And your comment about running 10 miles and got 500 cal deficit. Just in case you aren't aware - there is already a deficit at your eating goal - exercise is just making it bigger and likely worse for you.
  • EpsilonGamma
    EpsilonGamma Posts: 96
    0.5kg (1lb) is realistic and a healthy way to lose weight.

    I would say your weight loss goal would be around 1300 calories. Any exercise that you do, you should eat back at least half of it (unless it is like a 10 minute run).

    Remember, you'll lose weight at this rate, but if you want to look toned, you should be lifting heavy weights.

    Oh and no way are you 11%. For a woman that would mean you are shredded, you would have super defined abs. You are probably around 22-24%.
  • django_girl
    django_girl Posts: 45 Member
    You are right. My body fat is 24%.

    Changed activity level in MFP to lightly active, daily calories jumped to 1320.
    0.5kg (1lb) is realistic and a healthy way to lose weight.

    I would say your weight loss goal would be around 1300 calories. Any exercise that you do, you should eat back at least half of it (unless it is like a 10 minute run).

    Remember, you'll lose weight at this rate, but if you want to look toned, you should be lifting heavy weights.

    Oh and no way are you 11%. For a woman that would mean you are shredded, you would have super defined abs. You are probably around 22-24%.

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