Calorie Count

ivan2333
ivan2333 Posts: 5 Member
edited September 2024 in Motivation and Support
Hi Guys,

I'm 6'1" and 245 lbs, I'm trying to lose about 60 pounds and have my goal set at 1200 calories per day. So far it's been difficult and honestly have gone over the 1200 calorie goal. It's that a good goal or can I go up to 2000 calories per day and still be able to lose wait? thank you for your help.

Replies

  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    The minimum for a man is 1500 cals per day. You will damage your metabolism eating so little for someone of your size. you will lose weight eating under your maintenance calories.

    Go to the goal section an look at the far right. It shows you how many calories you burn from regular activity, eat under that number an lose weight. For you size that number should be pretty high (I'm guessing 2700 or so, so to lose 2 lbs per week you could eat 1700 plus your exercise calories)
  • aweigh2go
    aweigh2go Posts: 164 Member
    I'd say your gol is too low. I'm the same height and weight and MFP calculated about 1600 calories for me based on the fact that I am sedentarty. This will get me a loss of 2 lbs per week. Now I set my own goal at 1800 based on a metabolic test I had.
  • msandoval74
    msandoval74 Posts: 9
    First off that is too few calories for your size. Make your goals more realistic also if you are working out you can consume more calories. You should actually be eating 1700 to 1900 in order to lose weight.
  • luv2ash
    luv2ash Posts: 1,903 Member
    I am no expert, but 1200 seems kind of low for guy unless you are doing a restricted diet like MEdifast (which is what I do). However, if you choose to do 1200 and are having a hard time not going over that, reevaluate what you are eating and make better choices. Start reading your labels hard and stay away from Fast food. Those salads at fast foods restaurants are the worse. Watch your carbs, too. Make sure you are eating healthy carbs. Before I go out to eat, I never got to a fast food place (other than Subway--no bread), I look up their menu online and the nutritional information. I am not afraid to tell the server to skip the fries and give me some veggies instead -- something more people should be doing. Make sure you eat breakfast and eat every 3 hours in between. Try egg beaters - they are awesome and you can have a lot for nothing. Yogurt, nuts, 99% fat free ground turkey. No beef, just turkey and chicken, and egg beaters to help get you jump started. No starchy veggies---eats lots of healthy green veggies and make your own salads, but watch those dressings, they can add up fast. Use a food scale and measure everything. You'd be surpsied at what that food scale shows you. I measure out everything on my scale, put it on my plate, and the leftovers go in teh fridge until tomorrow! Good Luck!
  • ivan2333
    ivan2333 Posts: 5 Member
    Guys thank you so much for your help. I have set my goal to 1800 per day.
  • willhare
    willhare Posts: 44 Member
    Your calorie deficit is way too low. You'll often hear that a 500 calorie deficit is ideal, but everyone's body reacts differently. Remember, losing weight isn't a sprint, or even a race. It's a process that isn't easy. Take your time with it, and you'll have a better chance of keeping the weight off. Ease into your new eating habits, and increase your exercise.

    Plus, to exercise, you NEED calories. Depriving yourself of important nutrients will only hurt you more in the long run. Whatever the calorie goal is, you should be as close to it as possible at the end of the day, so if you burn 500 calories exercising, make sure you replace those calories to get back to your goal.

    Good luck!
  • ivan2333
    ivan2333 Posts: 5 Member
    willhare,

    thank you for this info, it will help me achieve my goal. thank you so much :smile:
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