Reasonable calorie goal?

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hampsterblade
hampsterblade Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I weigh 225 and am a mailman. I've started a workout routine and a healthy diet to go with it. I've set my calorie goal at about 1800 a day, but seem to find myself netting closer to 2000. Would it be better to aim for 2000 or keep trying for 1800. I don't want to be discouraged not being able to meet my goal. My diary is public for any diet advice.

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  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    Based on things I have read 1800 is minimum for a man...and as a mailman you have quite an active job...and with less than 50lbs to lose 1lb a week would be a good rate.

    So your goals should reflect that...

    Set activity level to active, don't log your job as exercise, set your weekly weight loss goal to 1lb a week and you will probably have even more than 2000 a day...

    I as a 41 year old woman who has an office job + exercise 5x a week eat 1800 and lose about 1/2lb a week..

    So basically I am suggesting that 2000 would be better but see what MFP gives you based on the above you might be pleasantly surprised...

    Remember the goal here is to eat as much as you can and still lose at a reasonable rate...not starve and lose fast only to rebound later...
  • ottermotorcycle
    ottermotorcycle Posts: 654 Member
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    Set activity level to active, don't log your job as exercise, set your weekly weight loss goal to 1lb a week and you will probably have even more than 2000 a day...

    This. Sounds like you have an active job and should be eating more than 1800 calories. I think if you do this, you'll find you've been undereating quite a lot.
  • hampsterblade
    hampsterblade Posts: 6 Member
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    Okay, maybe 2000 calories is a good goal then. MFP had suggested 2300, but that didn't seem much different than what I was eating before, and I wasn't losing any weight like that. I was stuck at 225 for the last 3 months. So I guess 2000 with exercise should put me at my desired 2 lbs per week loss.
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
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    It really depends on your bodyfat percentage. A person with a higher percentage can stand to have a larger deficit than a person with a very low bodyfat percentage. A 500 calorie deficit below TDEE may be reasonable if you have 30lbs+ to lose.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    Okay, maybe 2000 calories is a good goal then. MFP had suggested 2300, but that didn't seem much different than what I was eating before, and I wasn't losing any weight like that. I was stuck at 225 for the last 3 months. So I guess 2000 with exercise should put me at my desired 2 lbs per week loss.

    Do you use a food scale? often times we under estimate our intake without one.
  • hampsterblade
    hampsterblade Posts: 6 Member
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    I don't but I know when I'm cooking I overestimate my rice on purpose and same goes for most of what I'm cooking. Better to record more than less.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    I don't but I know when I'm cooking I overestimate my rice on purpose and same goes for most of what I'm cooking. Better to record more than less.

    How can you over estimate if you don't know what 150g looks like?????

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