Need advice - still unsure about calories

petunia
petunia Posts: 336 Member
edited September 19 in Food and Nutrition
OK folks.. I know I should be able to figure this out for myself (I've read all of Banks posts on the topic, etc).. but I'm still slightly unsure (within a few hundred calories) of how many calories I should allow myself each day....

Here's the scoop... I'm 5' 7", currently 181 lbs... I'd like to get to about 158, which puts me in a 'healthy' BMI... I've lost 13 pounds, with 23 to go

According to this side, my BMR is 1590... I know I've read from Banks and others that I should eat AT LEAST this many calories...

HOWEVER... this is where I get confused... I have a desk job, so if I put in 'Sedentary' as my lifestyle, MFP only gives me 1440 calories per day :grumble: I don't know if I can go that low!!!!!!!!

I justified to myself putting my lifestyle on the 'lightly active' because I only 'sit' at my desk for the 8 hours a day I'm there (sometimes more) but when I'm not I'm usually doing stuff around my house and chasing after 3 kids....

Also, I wore my HRM for 24 hours on a day I didn't exercise (it actually fell off somewhere in the middle of the night, but I think it was close to a 24 hour day) and it logged 2200 calories for the day. If I followed the advice of this site and used sedentary as my lifestyle, and I'm really burning 2200 calories a day, that puts my deficit at 800 calories... which is too high, right?

I'm thinking I should stick with the light lifestyle which gives me about 1580 calories a day... (and is also more in line with the advice I've read on here about eating AT LEAST your BMR calories every day)

so, it took me forever to get to this question, but HOW MANY CALORIES SHOULD I EAT A DAY???

Thanks in advance for all of your fantastic advice.... O wise ones...

Replies

  • petunia
    petunia Posts: 336 Member
    OK folks.. I know I should be able to figure this out for myself (I've read all of Banks posts on the topic, etc).. but I'm still slightly unsure (within a few hundred calories) of how many calories I should allow myself each day....

    Here's the scoop... I'm 5' 7", currently 181 lbs... I'd like to get to about 158, which puts me in a 'healthy' BMI... I've lost 13 pounds, with 23 to go

    According to this side, my BMR is 1590... I know I've read from Banks and others that I should eat AT LEAST this many calories...

    HOWEVER... this is where I get confused... I have a desk job, so if I put in 'Sedentary' as my lifestyle, MFP only gives me 1440 calories per day :grumble: I don't know if I can go that low!!!!!!!!

    I justified to myself putting my lifestyle on the 'lightly active' because I only 'sit' at my desk for the 8 hours a day I'm there (sometimes more) but when I'm not I'm usually doing stuff around my house and chasing after 3 kids....

    Also, I wore my HRM for 24 hours on a day I didn't exercise (it actually fell off somewhere in the middle of the night, but I think it was close to a 24 hour day) and it logged 2200 calories for the day. If I followed the advice of this site and used sedentary as my lifestyle, and I'm really burning 2200 calories a day, that puts my deficit at 800 calories... which is too high, right?

    I'm thinking I should stick with the light lifestyle which gives me about 1580 calories a day... (and is also more in line with the advice I've read on here about eating AT LEAST your BMR calories every day)

    so, it took me forever to get to this question, but HOW MANY CALORIES SHOULD I EAT A DAY???

    Thanks in advance for all of your fantastic advice.... O wise ones...
  • BNevins1
    BNevins1 Posts: 21
    Hi-

    I wish I knew what to give you for an answer. My gut says to go with the 1590 and see if you continue to lose weight. If you don't, you can move down. I think you are better off that way than kicking your body into starvation mode.

    Hopefully someone else will give you a good answer based on something other than gut. I just felt bad that you had lots of views, but no replies :0)
  • 2day4ever
    2day4ever Posts: 178
    I think that 1580 sounds "right". Whatever you've been doing has taken you in the direction of weight loss. I'm thinking the HRM is a good guide but all tech can be influenced by different factors (like whether it stays on your wrist or not -- LOL!:laugh: )

    Like you, my lifestyle is relatively sedentary so, for me, I really have to crank up the exercise quotient. It sounds like a lot of users of this site say that they get their metabolism to crank up when they eat sufficient calories but also when they consistently build muscle. So, I think what I'm trying to say is that the calorie numbers are good to know but then work on the exercise part of the equation, too?

    Many wiser than me are likely to "weigh" in so I will be watching to see what is said b/c I'm curious, too.
  • yoginimary
    yoginimary Posts: 6,788 Member
    I can't help you much, but this is what I know.

    When I wore my HRM all day - it was something like 2500 calories - without exercise. My BMR is higher than what MFP has me at and I put "lightly active" (I'm fairly active even without exercise). MFP vs BMR calculator is close like yours - about 100 calories off.

    My HRM also will not let my burn that many calories. I work out at 75-90% MHR and can't seem to get to that magical 500 calories an hour.

    So you have to experiment and find out what works for you. I'm still working on me!
  • shorerider
    shorerider Posts: 3,817 Member
    You don't have that much to lose--go with the higher number.
  • petunia
    petunia Posts: 336 Member
    I think that 1580 sounds "right". Whatever you've been doing has taken you in the direction of weight loss. I'm thinking the HRM is a good guide but all tech can be influenced by different factors (like whether it stays on your wrist or not -- LOL!:laugh: )

    Like you, my lifestyle is relatively sedentary so, for me, I really have to crank up the exercise quotient. It sounds like a lot of users of this site say that they get their metabolism to crank up when they eat sufficient calories but also when they consistently build muscle. So, I think what I'm trying to say is that the calorie numbers are good to know but then work on the exercise part of the equation, too?

    Many wiser than me are likely to "weigh" in so I will be watching to see what is said b/c I'm curious, too.

    thanks for your input.. I think the 1580 number sounds right too (not to mention I want to be able to eat those calories)...

    I am definitely cranking up the exercise piece.. I work out about 5 or 6 times a week - ZUMBA, walking, step, etc... I just need to get my baseline right... my weight loss has slowed down A LOT (and I know this is bound to happen) I just want to make sure it's not because I'm using the wrong numbers....

    Thanks!
  • shorerider
    shorerider Posts: 3,817 Member
    Are you eating your exercise calories?

    Also, the last ten or so pounds is the hardest to lose from what I hear.
  • petunia
    petunia Posts: 336 Member
    Are you eating your exercise calories?

    Also, the last ten or so pounds is the hardest to lose from what I hear.

    oh yeah baby... for sure eating those exercise calories.. :drinker: I LOVE those babies... :laugh:

    I still have about 20 pounds to go, so I'm hoping the first 10 of those won't be as hard as I'm sure the last 10 will be... thanks for your help! :bigsmile:
  • shorerider
    shorerider Posts: 3,817 Member
    If the increase doesn't work, then try dropping it by a hundred and see what happens. But at least you're leaving yourself room to drop if need be.
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