Help.. calorie intake????

brittanycoppock9
brittanycoppock9 Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I have been doing research and I am completely lost with how many calories I need to be eating to lose weight. I have heard that MFP is not always accurate and I don't want my body to be starving. MFP is saying 1200 a day and then I found another website that says I should be eating 2000 to maintain and then 1500 to loose weight if I want to lose 1 lb a week. I am 25 years old, I weigh 170 lbs. I have a job that I sit at a computer all day but chase after my kids at night when I get home as well as pick-up around the house. Now I know exercising is a factor but how many calories should I try and stick to on a daily basis to lose weight. I want to do this the healthy way and not go crazy. Any help or formulas would be amazing. I try and work out 3-4 days a week for about 45 minutes to hour and then when I get home at night I try and just do random stuff in between taking care of my kids. If anyone has advice on this I would greatly appreciate it!

Replies

  • Cheekies_
    Cheekies_ Posts: 319 Member
    Was the site that gave you 1500 calories calculating your TDEE? With the TDEE method, you would not eat back your exercise calories. MFP is designed to put you on a deficit and if you exercise you would eat back those calories (although, I think most people are eating back about 50% of their exercise calories).
  • cdwatkins
    cdwatkins Posts: 8 Member
    We have about the same stats (i'm 8 pounds heavier) and I am getting the help of a doctor plus using this site. Both the doctor and this site say 1200 a day with at least 5 days of exercise. I think thats a good start! Whats been easiest for me is to "reverse" my eating habits....My biggest meal of the day is now breakfast, moderate lunch, and a light supper. Before I always had a heavy supper and then went to bed which is not good at all. Yes I'm still in the hungry phase because its only been a week but it won't last forever. Your body will adjust.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    1500 a day sounds about right given you are lightly active with children.

    Different websites will have different suggestions due to the way they calculate the intended program.

    If you truly are active watching children, your activity level for MFP should be lightly active. This means actually up and about moving around. If not, sedentary is your thing.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    MFP is prob giving you 1200 because you chose 2lb/week, change that to one per week and eat back exercise cals and you will be close to 1500*7 by the end of the week. 6 of one half a dozen of the other.

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