Amount of calories I need to burn per day to lose weight?

hkneath
hkneath Posts: 4
edited March 2 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi

I've used my fitness pal a couple of times to try and lose weight. I've lost weight in the past but not the amount I want. I usually will lose half a stone and come to a stand still, then become demotivated to carry on. I always exercise and go to the gym about 4 times a week.

Just wanted some advice on how many calories people think I should burn per day to consistently lose weight. I usually eat about 1200-1300 calories per day, if that helps.

Hope someone can help me out! Thanks!

Replies

  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    In my opinion you're looking at the question backwards.

    Use your stats to figure out how much you burn per day, consider how much you want to lose to create a reasonable deficit, then combine those 2 details to create an intake goal.

    If you truly are eating 1200-1300 calories per day and not especially petite now, you should be losing weight.
  • mikevandewetering
    mikevandewetering Posts: 155 Member
    start by weighting your foods and log every thing, if you are not, you cannot be sure on how much you really eat. People tend to underestimate there callories by alot.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    In my opinion you're looking at the question backwards.

    Use your stats to figure out how much you burn per day, consider how much you want to lose to create a reasonable deficit, then combine those 2 details to create an intake goal.

    If you truly are eating 1200-1300 calories per day and not especially petite now, you should be losing weight.

    This...exercise isn't about losing weight it is about fitness...you can exercise all day long but if you eat at a surplus you won't lose weight.

    1200-1300 a day would mean weight loss but I suspect you are eating more than you think...do you use a food scale for solids? log everything? choosing the correct entries?
  • jasonmh630
    jasonmh630 Posts: 2,850 Member
    In my opinion you're looking at the question backwards.

    Use your stats to figure out how much you burn per day, consider how much you want to lose to create a reasonable deficit, then combine those 2 details to create an intake goal.

    If you truly are eating 1200-1300 calories per day and not especially petite now, you should be losing weight.

    This...exercise isn't about losing weight it is about fitness...you can exercise all day long but if you eat at a surplus you won't lose weight.

    1200-1300 a day would mean weight loss but I suspect you are eating more than you think...do you use a food scale for solids? log everything? choosing the correct entries?

    x2

    Plus, we can't accurately give any advice without knowing your stats. Current weight? Height? Activity level?
  • hkneath
    hkneath Posts: 4
    I usually eat the same amount each day and will log everything so I can imagine that its the food. I have lost weight, but after losing a certain amount I come to a stand still.

    I am 5ft 9 inches and weigh 12 stone 8lbs. I'm in an office job, so I usually dont exercise much in the day.

    Like I said I go to the gym 4 times a week for about 45mins to an hour. I initially lose weight, but then struggle to once I have lost half a stone.
  • hkneath
    hkneath Posts: 4
    In addition I also want to lose about a stone and a half
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  • hkneath
    hkneath Posts: 4
    You don't have to weigh everything or wear a fitbit or pedometer to lose weight. You can be as general as you want as long as you are looking at the data correctly. More importantly is to be consistent in your logging.

    The way you log, your lifestyle, the foods your eating, the exercise you are doing will all change over time. You need a system that gives you the right response regardless of all these things.

    In other words you if you are eating 1200-1300 calories per day and gaining weight and you are looking at this weight on an average not a day to day basis then you are not creating a deficit. Maybe you aren't logging your food correctly, maybe your exercise is not being logged right, maybe a lot of things. Bottom line is the way you are logging, foods you are eating, your lifestyle and the exercise you are doing is not producing weight loss. Lower your calories and you will lose weight.

    I for one do not want to have to measure every bite of food when it is not necessary for weight loss.

    I'm not gaining weight, I only gain when I have become demotivated when I hit a wall where I stop losing weight and I eat bad (yes, i know this is bad, but what ever)

    I'm more looking for in relation to my calorie intake how many calories should I burn per day?
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  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    I usually eat the same amount each day and will log everything so I can imagine that its the food. I have lost weight, but after losing a certain amount I come to a stand still.

    I am 5ft 9 inches and weigh 12 stone 8lbs. I'm in an office job, so I usually dont exercise much in the day.

    Like I said I go to the gym 4 times a week for about 45mins to an hour. I initially lose weight, but then struggle to once I have lost half a stone.

    Okay, plugging these numbers into a TDEE calculator (http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/) we get an approximate TDEE of 2250 calories (I used a 3x a week activity modifier to be safe). That means that at your current intake and routine you should be losing 2 pounds a week already. If you're not then there's something wrong on one side of the equation. Either you're eating more than you realize (I don't think you answered whether or not you're using a food scale?) or your body burns less than the average. You can either tighten up the accuracy of your logging, add an extra workout, or eat a little less to make up for any inaccuracies.

    A few things to watch out for: One, when you're stalling how long do your stalls last? It's very common to see the scale stand still for a week or two because of the normal water weight fluctuations in our bodies (exercise, hormones, stress, TOM, sodium, etc can all cause water retention). You can do everything perfectly and still hit these stalls. There's nothing to do but drink plenty of fluids and wait them out.

    Two, as others have mentioned most people underestimate their food intake unconsciously. We tend to be bad about measuring out portion sizes, even if you're using measuring cups/spoons. A lot of us use a food scale to get around this, but at the very least it's a good idea to double-check that you're logging as accurately as you can.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1290491-how-and-why-to-use-a-digital-food-scale

    Three, you are getting close to a normal weight for your height, which means that aiming for two pounds per week could be too aggressive a goal for you. I don't know what your overall goals are, but if you're looking to change your body shape some (most of us are) then it might be time to reassess. I happen to really like this link if you're looking for a flatter stomach: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1161603-so-you-want-a-nice-stomach

    And last, ff you haven't found these guides yet, I always suggest starting with these links:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1296011-calorie-counting-101
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1365345-getting-started-a-marine-s-perspective
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