How many calories are you guys eating?

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  • grogers511
    grogers511 Posts: 476 Member
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    I'm nowhere near your stats, but maybe this will help you.

    How much you need to eat to lose weight will depend on several factors: height, weight, age, gender, activity level, whether you want to lose, gain or maintain weight - and how much you want to lose or gain.

    There are many calculators available to help you figure this out. I went with the one provided through My Fitness Pal when I first set up my account. I tweaked it some to adjust carbs, sodium and fiber macros.

    Here's a great posting explaining more about it: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    Ultimately - you need to set an amount and try it for a while. Then tweak it until it works for you.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    Use this calculator to help you. Lots of folks on MFP, including me, use this instead of the MFP method.

    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

    If you are a 35 year old woman working out 3 days a week (at your current weight and height) your TDEE is 2619. Subtract 20% from that to figure out how many calories you need to lose 1 lb. per week. For this example, that would be 2095. Then you would just adjust for every ten pounds lost.

    I would just encourage you to lose slowly so that it becomes a true lifestyle change, not just another diet where you lose fast and then regain. Good luck!

    Just adding to this, IIFYM calculator is notorious for estimating low. so use the 10 or 15% deficit only that is on there if you want to use that calculator, and if your losses are too slow after a month, decrease another 100 and monitor.

    I would disagree. I feel like it estimates high.

    Most of the other websites I have come across that estimate even higher than IIFYM are ones that are recommended more as being fairly accurate. I'd guess that if someone doesn't weigh (or at least measure) all food, then a very low estimate might work better to allow for likely under-logging of calories/macros. Otherwise, most people I've spoken with agree that IIFYM calculator isn't ideal for getting an average estimate of caloric needs
  • Ratrap
    Ratrap Posts: 153
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    Use this calculator to help you. Lots of folks on MFP, including me, use this instead of the MFP method.

    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

    If you are a 35 year old woman working out 3 days a week (at your current weight and height) your TDEE is 2619. Subtract 20% from that to figure out how many calories you need to lose 1 lb. per week. For this example, that would be 2095. Then you would just adjust for every ten pounds lost.

    I would just encourage you to lose slowly so that it becomes a true lifestyle change, not just another diet where you lose fast and then regain. Good luck!

    Just adding to this, IIFYM calculator is notorious for estimating low. so use the 10 or 15% deficit only that is on there if you want to use that calculator, and if your losses are too slow after a month, decrease another 100 and monitor.

    I would disagree. I feel like it estimates high.

    Most of the other websites I have come across that estimate even higher than IIFYM are ones that are recommended more as being fairly accurate. I'd guess that if someone doesn't weigh (or at least measure) all food, then a very low estimate might work better to allow for likely under-logging of calories/macros. Otherwise, most people I've spoken with agree that IIFYM calculator isn't ideal for getting an average estimate of caloric needs

    I guess I would feel better if there was just one set way and I could feel in control of the situation and I don't feel in control of it. To many variables I guess and theories it frustrates me.:explode:
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    Use this calculator to help you. Lots of folks on MFP, including me, use this instead of the MFP method.

    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

    If you are a 35 year old woman working out 3 days a week (at your current weight and height) your TDEE is 2619. Subtract 20% from that to figure out how many calories you need to lose 1 lb. per week. For this example, that would be 2095. Then you would just adjust for every ten pounds lost.

    I would just encourage you to lose slowly so that it becomes a true lifestyle change, not just another diet where you lose fast and then regain. Good luck!

    Just adding to this, IIFYM calculator is notorious for estimating low. so use the 10 or 15% deficit only that is on there if you want to use that calculator, and if your losses are too slow after a month, decrease another 100 and monitor.

    I would disagree. I feel like it estimates high.

    Most of the other websites I have come across that estimate even higher than IIFYM are ones that are recommended more as being fairly accurate. I'd guess that if someone doesn't weigh (or at least measure) all food, then a very low estimate might work better to allow for likely under-logging of calories/macros. Otherwise, most people I've spoken with agree that IIFYM calculator isn't ideal for getting an average estimate of caloric needs

    I guess I would feel better if there was just one set way and I could feel in control of the situation and I don't feel in control of it. To many variables I guess and theories it frustrates me.:explode:

    For one thing, you're not going to get a tremendous amount of variation between calculators...some yes...but not much...they pretty much all use the same assumptions of average individuals of similar stats. Where most people get confused is in understanding the method being uses...as well as comparing apples to apples in RE to loss rate goals.

    For example, people constantly wonder why MfP's goal is so different from other calculators...a quick read of the stickes tells you why...it's because of the method being utilized. The vast majority of calculators will include some estimate of your exercise activity up front in your activity level...MFP does not...you account for that activity after the fact. But if you're doing it right, the methods should come out pretty much 6 of 1.

    For example, with MFP, my net goal was 1850...with exercise, on average i was eating around 2250 gross...this was to lose about 1 Lb per week. using the TDEE method with a 20% reduction from TDEE, my goal was 2,240 calories (those exercise estimates were already included in my TDEE of 2800)...as you can see, there's a mere 10 calorie difference here.

    Also, like I said before...it's all an estimate...these are just tools to help you get started...they aren't gospel...nobody has an exact caloric requirement of what one of these calculators states...these numbers are just to get you started.
  • MisterZ33
    MisterZ33 Posts: 567 Member
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    rattrap, i was in your exact shoes a few months ago and then i started doing my research and everything started making sense to me.

    add me as a friend and i will send you some info. im no expert, but i seem to be doing well with what i am doing...
  • Ratrap
    Ratrap Posts: 153
    Options
    Use this calculator to help you. Lots of folks on MFP, including me, use this instead of the MFP method.

    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

    If you are a 35 year old woman working out 3 days a week (at your current weight and height) your TDEE is 2619. Subtract 20% from that to figure out how many calories you need to lose 1 lb. per week. For this example, that would be 2095. Then you would just adjust for every ten pounds lost.

    I would just encourage you to lose slowly so that it becomes a true lifestyle change, not just another diet where you lose fast and then regain. Good luck!

    Just adding to this, IIFYM calculator is notorious for estimating low. so use the 10 or 15% deficit only that is on there if you want to use that calculator, and if your losses are too slow after a month, decrease another 100 and monitor.

    I would disagree. I feel like it estimates high.

    Most of the other websites I have come across that estimate even higher than IIFYM are ones that are recommended more as being fairly accurate. I'd guess that if someone doesn't weigh (or at least measure) all food, then a very low estimate might work better to allow for likely under-logging of calories/macros. Otherwise, most people I've spoken with agree that IIFYM calculator isn't ideal for getting an average estimate of caloric needs

    I guess I would feel better if there was just one set way and I could feel in control of the situation and I don't feel in control of it. To many variables I guess and theories it frustrates me.:explode:

    For one thing, you're not going to get a tremendous amount of variation between calculators...some yes...but not much...they pretty much all use the same assumptions of average individuals of similar stats. Where most people get confused is in understanding the method being uses...as well as comparing apples to apples in RE to loss rate goals.

    For example, people constantly wonder why MfP's goal is so different from other calculators...a quick read of the stickes tells you why...it's because of the method being utilized. The vast majority of calculators will include some estimate of your exercise activity up front in your activity level...MFP does not...you account for that activity after the fact. But if you're doing it right, the methods should come out pretty much 6 of 1.

    For example, with MFP, my net goal was 1850...with exercise, on average i was eating around 2250 gross...this was to lose about 1 Lb per week. using the TDEE method with a 20% reduction from TDEE, my goal was 2,240 calories (those exercise estimates were already included in my TDEE of 2800)...as you can see, there's a mere 10 calorie difference here.

    Also, like I said before...it's all an estimate...these are just tools to help you get started...they aren't gospel...nobody has an exact caloric requirement of what one of these calculators states...these numbers are just to get you started.


    I just redid my MFP settings and it says I should only be eating 1890 calories. That seems like an awful low numbers compared to IIFYM.com, Scooby workshop and others. I guess im confused on your explanation

    For example, with MFP, my net goal was 1850...with exercise, on average i was eating around 2250 gross...this was to lose about 1 Lb per week. using the TDEE method with a 20% reduction from TDEE, my goal was 2,240 calories (those exercise estimates were already included in my TDEE of 2800)...as you can see, there's a mere 10 calorie difference here.

    Are you saying you ate 2240 cals a day and burned enough to hit 1850?
  • queenb39
    queenb39 Posts: 54 Member
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    I am 5'6 and 222. I am eating 1400.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    I just redid my MFP settings and it says I should only be eating 1890 calories. That seems like an awful low numbers compared to IIFYM.com, Scooby workshop and others. I guess im confused on your explanation

    Because MFP doesn't give you credit for your exercise until you actually do it and log it...then you get calories to "eat back"

    IIFYM calculator includes some estimate of those exercise calories up front in the equation in your activity level.

    With MFP, if you ate 1890 calories per day, you would theoretically lose at whatever rate you chose without any deliberate exercise...exercise then becomes an additional activity that you log after the fact...then you get to eat those calories back.

    In my example of 1850...that was my net to lose 1 Lb per week...that means that MFP was calculating my NON EXERCISE theoretical maintenance at 2,350 calories (1,850 + 500)...so then I would exercise and (adjusted for estimation error) burn 400 or so calories...i would log that and MFP would give me 2250 calories then to eat. But I maintained that same 500 calorie deficit because now my NON EXERCISE maintenance number includes exercise of 400 calories, giving me a new maintenance number of 2,750 calories and 2,750 - 2,250 = 500 calorie deficit still.

    With IIFYM, all of that exercise estimate is included in your overall goal...you don't eat back exercise calories with that method.
  • Ratrap
    Ratrap Posts: 153
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    I just redid my MFP settings and it says I should only be eating 1890 calories. That seems like an awful low numbers compared to IIFYM.com, Scooby workshop and others. I guess im confused on your explanation

    Because MFP doesn't give you credit for your exercise until you actually do it and log it...then you get calories to "eat back"

    IIFYM calculator includes some estimate of those exercise calories up front in the equation in your activity level.

    With MFP, if you ate 1890 calories per day, you would theoretically lose at whatever rate you chose without any deliberate exercise...exercise then becomes an additional activity that you log after the fact...then you get to eat those calories back.

    In my example of 1850...that was my net to lose 1 Lb per week...that means that MFP was calculating my NON EXERCISE theoretical maintenance at 2,350 calories (1,850 + 500)...so then I would exercise and (adjusted for estimation error) burn 400 or so calories...i would log that and MFP would give me 2250 calories then to eat. But I maintained that same 500 calorie deficit because now my NON EXERCISE maintenance number includes exercise of 400 calories, giving me a new maintenance number of 2,750 calories and 2,750 - 2,250 = 500 calorie deficit still.

    With IIFYM, all of that exercise estimate is included in your overall goal...you don't eat back exercise calories with that method.


    Oh that makes so much more sense. Thank you for explaining that. It helps
  • robster160
    robster160 Posts: 147 Member
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    I am only a little lighter and shorter than you. I aim for 1800/day.

    How did you figure out how much to eat?

    Ratrap - when I started, MFP calculated my non-losing calorie load at 2400 cals/day, so I cut it to 1900 on the theory that a decifit of 500/day equals 3500/week. Then 3500 cals = 1 lb. So that should get me losing 1 lb a week ... great.

    However, that didn't quite do it. 1800, plus a little exercise, seems to work. Then, if I get more exercise, I lose more.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    5'5 , 216 pounds. i log around 1700 to lose approx 2 pounds a week but since i dont weight or measure i assume i eat around 2100 calories. my current maintenance is 2700-3000. I dont eat my exercise calories back because that's already included
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    Options
    Use this calculator to help you. Lots of folks on MFP, including me, use this instead of the MFP method.

    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

    If you are a 35 year old woman working out 3 days a week (at your current weight and height) your TDEE is 2619. Subtract 20% from that to figure out how many calories you need to lose 1 lb. per week. For this example, that would be 2095. Then you would just adjust for every ten pounds lost.

    I would just encourage you to lose slowly so that it becomes a true lifestyle change, not just another diet where you lose fast and then regain. Good luck!

    Just adding to this, IIFYM calculator is notorious for estimating low. so use the 10 or 15% deficit only that is on there if you want to use that calculator, and if your losses are too slow after a month, decrease another 100 and monitor.

    I would disagree. I feel like it estimates high.

    Most of the other websites I have come across that estimate even higher than IIFYM are ones that are recommended more as being fairly accurate. I'd guess that if someone doesn't weigh (or at least measure) all food, then a very low estimate might work better to allow for likely under-logging of calories/macros. Otherwise, most people I've spoken with agree that IIFYM calculator isn't ideal for getting an average estimate of caloric needs

    I guess I would feel better if there was just one set way and I could feel in control of the situation and I don't feel in control of it. To many variables I guess and theories it frustrates me.:explode:

    It's really all a guessing game unfortunately. But if you run the numbers, maybe get an average of them, and eat at a deficit from that number for a month or so, then you can use your own experience to determine whether you need to lower or increase your calories. So in that way you do get a bit more control after a while, just takes a bit of time first :)
  • kawasakininja13
    kawasakininja13 Posts: 20 Member
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    6'1 here and 205 lb. 4th week into a bulk and was eating up to 3800 cals, no dropped down to 2800 cals in prep for a cut.
  • 115s
    115s Posts: 344 Member
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    I'm pretty sure I eat more than 2500 on days I work out. I eat around 1200-1700 on resting days (days that I just sit around like a couch potato, depending on what my stomach can handle).
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    2400 baseline... i'm 6'3" and 228. i'm a triathlete, so on big work out days, i can eat close to 4000 calories.
  • grogers511
    grogers511 Posts: 476 Member
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    It can be confusing unless you immerse yourself in researching and working to understand it all. I would just go with MFP's recommendation. If it works for you - keep doing it. If it doesn't work for you - adjust it.

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