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MyFitnessPal Community

Calorie Goal??

jmb5311

Hi Ladies,

Since we are all in similar boats in terms of height, weight, and goal weights, what do you all have your calories set at? I am in a constant debate of the lowest possible calories of 1200/day or closer to my BMR of 1350/day. I have read some posts where people believe going too low in calories is counter productive, but last time I lost weight successfully I believe I was eating closer to 1200 calories a day. Any thoughts/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!!

Replies

PraewPriscilla

Hi!

It depends on your body, really.
Check back on your diary on calory and how's that affect on your weight.

It's true thst going too low will hurt your metabolism. It'd be in starvation mode, won't burn calory but instead save up everything it can!!

My AMR/TDEE is 1,900 calories.
The healthy choice of calories goal should be 1,400 but I set to 1,200 so I won't go crazy on carb. (My protein never met my goal, so if I set at 1,400, I'd likely to eat more carb to meet 1,400. That's why I set to 1,200 instead but I won't beat myself up if I slipped over.)

So in my opinion, just track your diary and how you feel, and try not to go lower than 1,200.

(Someday I wasn't hungry and my net calory was extremely low. I just couldn't eat but afraid it would damage my metabolism. Luckily the next day I was hungry, so I kinda try to eat more the next day.)

changsofa

Mine is 1200 since I work out only 3-4 times. Realistically though, I think I eat 1350 ish.

Soup, salad, fruits are eaten kinda without restrain. I love zuchini, brocoli, onion, iceberg lettuce, tomato, baked kale chips, mushrooms, bell peppers, asparagus,
For Proteins, chicken breaks, tilapia filet n tofu are my staples and beef, chicken thigh and pork belly are my treats.
For Carbs, I make my grocery choices as such: butternut squash or other squash > potatoes & yams > rice > bread n pasta. I don't buy bread but would eat some at an event or when I eat out which happens on average once per week.

jmb5311

Thanks guys!! This is all very helpful! I think I will keep mine at 1200 but not beat myself up if it creeps a little higher!

Another question, when you do exercise, do you allow yourself to consume those extra calories you burned?

For example, if you do the elliptical and burn 300 calories, and your goal is 1200, do you shoot for 1500 for the day? Or still stick to the 1200?

changsofa

I don't eat back. Shedding the lbs is the amount of calories eaten per day being LESS than the basal calories (how much calories one's body uses without doing anything for a whole day). Exercises help keeping that basal calories, otherwise, your basal calories will adjust and become lower if you eat less.

Exercises by itself won't necessarily help shedding off the lbs. Also, I think that the exercise caloric estimates vary way too much per person, and I don't want to spend time thinking about it. Running super hard for 30 minutes for someone who normally walks around college campus all day vs Running slowly for 30 minutes for someone who sits in a cubicle all day will have different calories expenditures.

TL;DR - I don't eat back the exercise calories so that they are my surprise bonus when I see my pounds drop

Allyson_SexierSummer

My goal is about 1600. It seems like a lot compared to other people my size, but I'm really struggling to keep it up. It isn't even a craving thing, it is true hunger (dizzy, light-headed, can't focus). The only thing keeping me at 1600 instead of going up is that I'm not losing a thing. It is very frustrating to be working so hard and being so miserable without any reward.

I'm going to focus more on protein and fat and hope that helps bring me back to life!

jmb5311

I don't eat back. Shedding the lbs is the amount of calories eaten per day being LESS than the basal calories (how much calories one's body uses without doing anything for a whole day). Exercises help keeping that basal calories, otherwise, your basal calories will adjust and become lower if you eat less.

Exercises by itself won't necessarily help shedding off the lbs. Also, I think that the exercise caloric estimates vary way too much per person, and I don't want to spend time thinking about it. Running super hard for 30 minutes for someone who normally walks around college campus all day vs Running slowly for 30 minutes for someone who sits in a cubicle all day will have different calories expenditures.

TL;DR - I don't eat back the exercise calories so that they are my surprise bonus when I see my pounds drop

That is the perfect answer!! Thank you. That is exactly what I was thinking. I have been eating back whatever I burn off and had a feeling it would only hurt me in the end. I wear a Fitbit, but a lot of times I feel like it is overestimating!

MinaValkyrie

I only eat back if it's a healthy meal and I'm starving; i.e. salad after a hard run. I also use RunKeeper for the runs and I think it estimates calories better than MFP because it's looking at pace and elevation. Just my 2 cents.

PraewPriscilla

I don't eat back either.
I know many threat and even MFP itself recommended to eat back. But I just don't get hungry. Besides, there's time when I got hungry and wanna try out this eat back theory, I gained weight!

(Yesterday I ate 1,570 and burnt 555 cal, this morning I somehow gained weight. I got a bit frustrated but I took a quick measurement and I lost inches on abs and thight so I'm happy again

jpdanh

Personally, I eat back conservatively. I try to underestimate calories burned and overestimate foods without labels (or if I don't have my food scale). My daily calorie intake is 1200 and since I'm also trying to conserve/build as much muscle, I need dat protein. I'm finding success in this and can finally start to see abs without have to flex like my life depends on it.

Also, some of you sound like you weigh in every day - just want to say there's a bit of danger in that. Your body fluctuates, so when you see it go up a couple pounds (maybe water/poop), keep that in mind. I try to keep my weigh in's at once a week at most...I'll sometimes jump on the scale a couple days in a row just to see, but I won't pay it any heed. Just keep doing my thing and move on.

Charli_H

I will eat back only a portion of my calories if I'm hungry enough/my macros allow for it.

However, I have a heart rate monitor (Polar FT4) so I know exactly how many cals I burn and don't have to rely on the wild estimates of MFP or the elliptical.

jpdanh

I will eat back only a portion of my calories if I'm hungry enough/my macros allow for it.

However, I have a heart rate monitor (Polar FT4) so I know exactly how many cals I burn and don't have to rely on the wild estimates of MFP or the elliptical.

Oh, cool. Do you wear it for all of your fitness activities? Is it comfortable? My uncle has one and I've been thinking about getting it, but not sure.

thewaxlion

Oh, cool. Do you wear it for all of your fitness activities? Is it comfortable? My uncle has one and I've been thinking about getting it, but not sure.

I have a Polar FT4 too -- I love it. I don't really trust MFP/MapMyRun estimates. I'm also really lazy about working out in general, so seeing an actual number of calories burned helps motivate me. When I log the calories, I tend to log less though. I think that the HR monitors might be overcalculating my exertion level when I do activities like bicycling or HIIT where there are rest/recovery intervals.

jpdanh

I have a Polar FT4 too -- I love it. I don't really trust MFP/MapMyRun estimates. I'm also really lazy about working out in general, so seeing an actual number of calories burned helps motivate me. When I log the calories, I tend to log less though. I think that the HR monitors might be overcalculating my exertion level when I do activities like bicycling or HIIT where there are rest/recovery intervals.

Thanks - I think I'll look into getting one soon.

starofdawn

I keep my calorie goal at 1200, but I'm 5'1 and I do not exercise and lead a sedentary lifestyle. I regularly hit below 1200 but I think it's fine.

I'm starting graduate school in the fall and will not have a car. I will be doing a lot of walking/standing! I may increase my daily calorie limit once that happens to account for the extra moving around.

MetalTes

I don't really count calories anymore, as I just sort of know how much I can eat from having tracked in the past. I only pay attention to my carbs for the most part, and don't eat too many of those, and when I do eat more of them it's on days that I lift. I don't eat back, just eat a little differently those days.

maryneill

My calorie goal is 1400. I've found that anything lower than this and I'm just starving and miserable all day. I burn off around 400-500 per workout (5-6 days a week) and I usually dont "eat back" my exercise calories, but I will use the extra calories to have an extra snack after dinner or between lunch and dinner if I'm truly hungry.

I have also been doing one cheat day a week, but I've found that that one day will turn into a free-for-all and will spill into the next day (this weekend for example...ugh). So now I'm thinking just one cheat meal a week instead of a whole cheat day.

jpdanh

I have also been doing one cheat day a week, but I've found that that one day will turn into a free-for-all and will spill into the next day (this weekend for example...ugh). So now I'm thinking just one cheat meal a week instead of a whole cheat day.

In order to control myself, I normally plan out my cheat meals. It usually (not always) falls on a weekend and I know we're going out to the movies or dinner...so I make sure my morning/lunch is small and tight to make room for what I'll eat later. It's a bit controlling, but it helps.

MetalTes

I have also been doing one cheat day a week, but I've found that that one day will turn into a free-for-all and will spill into the next day (this weekend for example...ugh). So now I'm thinking just one cheat meal a week instead of a whole cheat day.

In order to control myself, I normally plan out my cheat meals. It usually (not always) falls on a weekend and I know we're going out to the movies or dinner...so I make sure my morning/lunch is small and tight to make room for what I'll eat later. It's a bit controlling, but it helps.

I do something like that too. We almost always end up going somewhere on the weekend, so we have all veggie thursdays - could have a big salad for lunch & a stir fry for dinner, fresh veggies & homemade hummus for snacking on, etc - sort of balances out whatever evils we may encounter on the weekend!

Also, I try to always keep fresh cut veggies in the door of the fridge, and the rule is, if you open the fridge you eat a carrot stick! This way there's always something fresh to snack on, and sometimes we'll grab a few of them on the way out the door, so we're munching on carrots & celery in the car. That means we'll pig out a little less, wherever we're going.

thewaxlion

My calorie goal is 1200, and I eat back my calories if I exercise. Lately though, I've been in a workout slump. I'll go for half hour brisk walks at lunch, but I don't really consider it meaningful exercise. In the last few weeks, I've struggled to find workout motivation. I just can't seem to get moving!

Maybe not so coincidentally, I've noticed a reduction in appetite. Before, I struggled to keep within my calorie limits (even eating back exercise calories). Now I easily stay under 1200, don't feel hungry and my energy level is fine. I'm trying to decide if this is a good thing or not. I know that some people believe in the "starvation mode" theory, which I also believed in for years, but increasingly it seems like a myth?

jpdanh

Starvation mode is a myth. You get to starvation mode when you're literally starving; i.e. wasting away. It was "popularized" after the Minnesota Starvation Experiment where the subjects were put at 50% of their normal calorie intake. You shouldn't worry about starvation mode.

MinaValkyrie

While "Starvation mode" does indeed seem like a myth, it is possible to put on weight when you're not eating for other reasons. I only know this from personal experience - when I was in my junior year of college, I had a job, and 5 classes, and tons of homework so I barely ate since there was hardly time and I couldn't really afford it (free pizza Thursdays saved me!). I was walking to college (30 mins one way) every day to and from to save on gas so I could get to work to pay for my living situation and college. In that one year, I gained 20 lbs from not eating and stressing and not sleeping and just in general bad health. The walking didn't save me at all.

Just sharing for others to be aware that even if you're not eating (or starving) you can still gain weight according to that theory if there are other factors. I've also been really sick and unable to eat and literally felt like I was starving, and I lost a ton of weight. I think it needs to be the stress/no sleep/no eating/crap combo that induces weight gain, not just not eating by itself. I caveat that everyone is different and this was just my experience so YMMV.

esthergrub

When I was actively losing weight, my calorie goal was 1330. Technically I'm at my goal weight, but I still don't feel all that secure in it yet. Also, my main goal is to reduce my body fat percentage, so that throws another monkey wrench into the mix. I'm working with a trainer/nutrition counselor, and he has me taking in 1700-1900 calories now. So far, still holding at 111....

dlcoaching

When I was actively losing weight, my calorie goal was 1330. Technically I'm at my goal weight, but I still don't feel all that secure in it yet. Also, my main goal is to reduce my body fat percentage, so that throws another monkey wrench into the mix. I'm working with a trainer/nutrition counselor, and he has me taking in 1700-1900 calories now. So far, still holding at 111....

If am intrigued by your increase in calories and succeeding in maintaining your weight loss. Could you tell me more about how you do this, please ?

Thanks.

5ksg

Hello! I'm new here. I don't exactly fit the "last 10 lbs" group since I'm 5' 2" at 165 lbs. My goal weight is 135 lbs with a lot of muscle. However, my calorie goal is 1200, like a lot of you. I go up to 1500 a few days a week, though, since I don't think it hurts and especially when I'm trying to up my protein intake and I'm working out everyday. Does anyone else here do SL5x5? How's it going for you (esp if you're doing it on a cut)?

jpdanh

Hello! I'm new here. I don't exactly fit the "last 10 lbs" group since I'm 5' 2" at 165 lbs. My goal weight is 135 lbs with a lot of muscle. However, my calorie goal is 1200, like a lot of you. I go up to 1500 a few days a week, though, since I don't think it hurts and especially when I'm trying to up my protein intake and I'm working out everyday. Does anyone else here do SL5x5? How's it going for you (esp if you're doing it on a cut)?

Welcome, welcome! I believe our very own changsofa does SL5x5. Personally, I do PPL with the big 3 lifts split over those three days. I eat at a deficit. In the beginning, I had great noob gains. Now it's just chugging along slowly. I'm sure it's because I'm not eating enough to give my muscles the energy it needs to grow, but I'm not too concerned at the moment.

aedreana

Cannot respond to this question, according to the MFP Terms Of Service. Sorry!

zavrrr

updating my goals today...I was at 1575, going down to 1350 + some extra on workout days.

I had my TDEE calculated to include working out, and not eating exercise calories back. But, i'm just not feeling consistent enough in the amount/quality of exercise i'm getting, so i decided to recalculate TDEE with a sedentary level, and then just use judgement on when/how much to eat back exercise calories.

I'm going to start lifting soon (paid for some sessions with a trainer, just waiting to get matched!) so I know I will definitely eat a bit more on those days, but I'd love feedback on how much. I was thinking 200-300?

For yoga, cardio or "staying active" type things, I'll probably try not to eat much of anything back unless it was particularly vigorous.

Thoughts? Thanks, ladies

aedreana

Looks like I can reply.to this thread after all, as it is in a group forum, not the main forums. I lost my 10 vanity pounds, from 121 to 111 (I am 5' 3 1/2") in 25 days by staying under 700 calories, with no exercise.