Am i consuming enough calories?

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haleema93
haleema93 Posts: 70
in Introduce Yourself
Hi,

i'm going off the target MFP has set for me which is a 1200 daily calorie intake. Is this right?

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  • sadrithmora
    sadrithmora Posts: 121
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    1200 cals is the minimum amount of calories a typical woman would need to consume to achieve a healthy weight loss without losing muscle mass (as long as you're keeping close to the protein requirement set for you). Don't forget to eat some of the calories back if you exercise though! Good luck :)
  • haleema93
    haleema93 Posts: 70
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    ah okay :) yeah i do try to exercise nearly every day and get about 400 - 500 calories back that way..
    i'll see how i go until my next weigh in.. x
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    Hi,

    i'm going off the target MFP has set for me which is a 1200 daily calorie intake. Is this right?

    We cannot answer without knowing what you selected. MFP is simply a calculator that relies on you to pick the appropriate entries.

    What did you choose for activity level? How active are you daily? keep in mind for MFP's calculations this does not include exercise. Most people choose sedentary, however, that tends to be pretty low, even for people with desk jobs.

    What did you choose for a weight loss per week goal? With less than 25lbs it should not be more than 1lbs per week. If you chose too, you are likely set too low.

    Also, as mentioned, MFP expects you to log exercise and eat those calories back, so even at 1200 if you are active, you will be eating more on days you exercise.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
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    That depends on your stats. How much do you have to lose? What do you weigh now?

    For many,1200 is very low.
  • haleema93
    haleema93 Posts: 70
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    i chose the not very active option as i sit at a computer all day at work. the only physical activity i get is when i go down to the gym before or after work and sometimes sauna and swim.
    my initial target is around 25lbs, and i'm trying to lose 1lb a week.
  • haleema93
    haleema93 Posts: 70
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    I want to initially lose 25lbs.. i currently weight 11st 11lbs and want to get down to 10.
    I thought i'd set myself a realistic target first and then see where i want to go from there..
  • jennau1
    jennau1 Posts: 9 Member
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    It depends on your activity levels, but if I were you, I would try to figure out about how many calories you were consuming before attempting weight loss. Start by cutting back by 500 calories each day. See how this affects your body- are you still gaining? Staying the same? Losing? This will give you more feedback about what your body needs. Then you can decide if 1200 is realistic to your weight loss goals.
    Also, listen to your body! If you feel like you are starving, having less energy, etc. you need a few more calories. A healthy diet should give you more energy, not make you feel weak!

    Best of luck!
  • SymphonynSonata
    SymphonynSonata Posts: 533 Member
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    How tall are you, how old are you and how much do you currently weigh? Kudos for going for the 1 pound a week option. You don't look like you have very much to lose, so 2 pounds would have been far too aggressive. However, I'm not sure if 1 pound is too much. At this point, you're already good physically (from what I can see and the fact that you only need to lose about 20 pounds), so there's no need to under-eat when you could lose a good, healthy amount of weight with more food. If you provide your stats I'm sure someone would be more than happy to provide a more accurate number to you.
  • haleema93
    haleema93 Posts: 70
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    i'm not actually sure how many calories i were having before. To be honest i wasnt bothering counting. just used to eat what suited me.. :O sounds so bad writing this. haha..
    it's only my 2nd day so i'm going to see how i do for about 2 weeks and see if its working for me..
    i'm 5ft 2, 20years old and currently weight 11st 11lbs
  • sadrithmora
    sadrithmora Posts: 121
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    Not very active 5'2, sounds a lot like me, heh :) Then what mfp calculated does sound roughly right. Give it a go and adjust if necessary based on what you're feeling and how much you're losing. Don't forget your proteins! :)
  • haleema93
    haleema93 Posts: 70
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    yeah just going to see how i get on, then amend it if i need to.
    Thanks for all ur replies guys :)
    feel free to add, i need all the motivation i can get!! :D

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