Question about Calorie needs for fat loss! Please help

lanntis
lanntis Posts: 2 Member
edited February 23 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi,

I'm new on this site and I have a question about what calorie intake I really should be consuming. I'm getting very confused the more I research and use different calculators... MFP tells me I should be eating 1560 calories/day to lose 1.5 lbs/ week. Prior to a few days ago I was eating around 1800 calories but now I've lowered it to the MFP number.

I began exercising (cardio - elliptical machine) about 20-30 minutes 3-5 days/ week May 13th, 2014. So almost a month ago. I am a 30 year old male with a height of 5' 8.5" ish. I tend to carry fat more like a woman in the hips before it goes to my stomach.

My starting weight was ~205 lbs. My goal is to be down in the 150's ASAP.

I only yesterday created a profile on MFP, so there really isn't much to look at in regards to my food logs and stuff, but I have been eating a deficit and exercising for almost a month.


Today on 6/6/14 - I weighed in at 199.8 and although my hips and waist have gone down slightly they also go up a bit and have not done much in the past 2 weeks. Today I gained some weight, and otherwise it hasn't gone down in a week really.

TLDR; How many calories should I be eating?? It's causing me anxiety because I can't just be sure how much to eat. (Before starting my diet I had very sporadic eating times where sometimes there was very little food and sometimes I would binge out but i'm not sure what my average daily calorie consumption was)

FitnessFrog calculator says my TDEE is ~2710 and my BMR ~1971

So, am I making no progress because my 30 minute cardio/ day is way too much for only 1560 calories? I feel like I shouldn't trust the MFP #'s but what do I know.. I am very careful and measure out every macro (carb, protein, fat) throughout the day between 3-5 meals. I don't feel starving on 1560 or anything. But my tape measurements and scale measurements are definitely not budging very much at all.

Someone please assist! My recent blood work had all normal numbers for thyroid function and all that so I would hope it's not something wrong with my metabolism being destroyed or something. :(

Thanks for any help on nailing down what my calorie intake should be, it's ruining my motivation!

Replies

  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

    I really like this website - was super easy to calculate calories.

    It looks like you're losing a pound a week? That's right on target - nothing to be worried about there. ASAP doesn't really have a place in weight loss if you want to be healthy.
  • Rogiefreida
    Rogiefreida Posts: 567 Member
    You're losing at about a pound a month. It's not a race. You're doing fine.

    The scale will fluctuate depending on a lot of things: sodium intake, hydration, etc. Weighing a pound or two more isn't a big deal and could be gone in a couple days.

    Keep weighing your food and doing what you're doing. You'll lose the weight. Just be patient.
  • lanntis
    lanntis Posts: 2 Member
    Thanks for the replies!

    Ready2Rock , I love that link. EXTREMELY useful, thank you!

    Rogiefrieda, I'm doing my best to be patient. It's harder this time because in the past I've always seemed to drop weight at a faster pace when I diet/exercise and watch my macros. Maybe after hitting 30 this year, and my hospital stay a few years ago my metabolism is a bit messed up.

    So it would seem based on the IIFYM website, I should be eating at LEAST 1779 calories and thus not following the MFP numbers suggested to me. I think I agree, 1500 seems a bit low for a guy?
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