2040 calories seems too much?
blossomingbutterfly
Posts: 743 Member
I keep seeing all these message board threats with people saying their intake is 1500-1600 a day... MFP set mine at 2040 and I sometimes have a hard time sticking to that!
I set it to lose 1lb a week, sedentary activity. I'm 288lbs atm, 5"6. Is 2040 daily accurate? I have been making better choices, based off of what I can do, I've been walking and weight training on my arms. I feel better. But I keep seeing these threads about people either the same size as me or more than me saying 1500 calories a day and I'm starting to get paranoid that maybe I'm eating wayyyyy too much.
I have lost 3lbs thus far, and that's over 2 weeks. I thought I was on the right track? I have lost 80lbs before, but then it all came back when I started anti depressants. That and even more. Now I have it all to loose again. I'm not in a hurry to lose it, more just want to do it well and keep it off. That's more important to me.
I don't know. Any sort of advice on if I'm doing okay or not would be appreciated!
I set it to lose 1lb a week, sedentary activity. I'm 288lbs atm, 5"6. Is 2040 daily accurate? I have been making better choices, based off of what I can do, I've been walking and weight training on my arms. I feel better. But I keep seeing these threads about people either the same size as me or more than me saying 1500 calories a day and I'm starting to get paranoid that maybe I'm eating wayyyyy too much.
I have lost 3lbs thus far, and that's over 2 weeks. I thought I was on the right track? I have lost 80lbs before, but then it all came back when I started anti depressants. That and even more. Now I have it all to loose again. I'm not in a hurry to lose it, more just want to do it well and keep it off. That's more important to me.
I don't know. Any sort of advice on if I'm doing okay or not would be appreciated!
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Replies
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If you're losing weight then why not eat as much as you can while doing so? But if you wanted to reduce your cals a bit to lose a bit quicker then you can.0
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I'm also 5'6" & weigh 268. My calorie goal is 1450. I also never eat back exercise calories.
I think you're doing fine. If you don't want to lose faster, than 2000 calories is fine
. Remember you're doing this for you and your journey is different than everyone else. At the end of the day you have to do what's best for you. Good luck! Big hugs! 0 -
Yes, anything more than 2000 is too much (unless you are an athlete). Increase the weight loss to 2 lbs per week (this is the maximum safe weight you can lose per week). Your calories will drop to 1540 and you will drop 100 lbs in one year!!!
PS I was doing 1200 calories and losing 2 lbs per week. Now I want to slow down weight loss, so I up'ed it to 1620 calories and losing 1 lb per week.0 -
I think that a lot of people with similar weight loss goals will set their weekly goal at 2lbs a week, which is fine (heavier people can handle bigger calorie deficits). The difference between 1lb and 2lbs is 500 calories a day. But if it were me, I'd rather lose weight slower so I can eat more, which would make me more likely to stick with in long run. Long term adherence is the key to reaching your goals.0
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I'm also 5'6" & weigh 268. My calorie goal is 1450. I also never eat back exercise calories.
I think you're doing fine. If you don't want to lose faster, than 2000 calories is fine. Remember you're doing this for you and your journey is different than everyone else. At the end of the day you have to do what's best for you. Good luck! Big hugs!
A part of me would love to lose faster, but I'd be too afraid of it coming back. I also still find it hard to eat less than 2000 calories. Some days I'm at 1700, and others I struggle to stay under 2100.
Thank you for this. 0 -
I'm 5'9" and started my journey at just under 200 lbs. I am in no rush- wanted to make this a permanent thing rather than a quick fad diet/ burnout thing. MFP has never had me go below 1900 calories, and I've found that I lose weight steadily (barring plateaus), and do not feel overly starved.
Bottom line, as the ladies above me mentioned: if it's working for you, go with it. If you start plateau'ing, maybe recalculate to account for weight lost so far, but don't feel stressed or guilty about it if it's working. Everyone's different!0 -
You lost 3 lbs in 2 weeks while eating 2040 calories? Seems like it's working. Like you said, you're not in a hurry to lose weight... most of those people want to lose weight NOW. Don't worry about other people's calorie intake, do what is working for YOU. Besides, it's not too much because your exercising. Congrats on your weight loss! :flowerforyou:0
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If you are losing I would not over-analyze it. I am almost 2x your age, female, 5'5". My starting weight was 319 lbs and I lost a steady 2-3 lbs a week around 1950 calories a day. Over time the daily calorie target decreased and my weight loss leveled off but that's expected a you get closer to goal.0
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I keep seeing all these message board threats with people saying their intake is 1500-1600 a day... MFP set mine at 2040 and I sometimes have a hard time sticking to that!
It's okay if this takes a long time. Your body is yours for your entire life, why rush it? If you're not enjoying this, you're not going to stick with it. So enjoy it and make it your own.
It's a target, you should be in that neighborhood, not way over and not way under. It also works as an average spread over a few days. So if you're at 1800 one day, 2200 the next two days, and 1900 the fourth day -- that's fine and is the same as being slightly under all four days.0 -
It sounds right. I started at the same weight as you and that is about the same amount of calories I was given too. Over time as I have lost a bit of weight, my calorie allotment has gone down. Stick to it and you will lose! Slow and steady wins the race.0
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If you're losing weight, then it must not be too much! The proof is in the pudding.
Don't compare yourself to other people. Just compare yourself to you.
Enjoy it while it lasts, too. The more you lose, the harder it gets. Soon, enough, you'll be cutting back on what you eat. 0 -
2040 seems too high for you. I'm a 182-pound, 44-year old male and my net daily intake is set at 2000. I've consistently lost just about one pound per week for the last eight weeks at this level. I suspect you need to reassess.
At 288 pounds, a three-pound loss in two weeks could just be water weight or simple error. Even at my size, my weight can fluctuate a couple of pounds in the same day depending on the time of day and what I've eaten. Are you weighing yourself on the same scale at the same time of day using an accurate scale? Even if you are, I don't think you have enough data in two weeks to make an accurate assessment about whether what you're doing is working.0 -
If you are happy with losing 1lb a week, then good on you! If you entered 2lb/week, MFP would give you 1540 calories each day. That's the difference. Personally, I make that decision on how I'm feeling. When I set for 2 lb/week, I get 1200 because I am short and older. 1200 is miserable for me. So I go for a slower loss and enjoy myself. Not everyone is miserable at lower cals and it works for them.
In summary, if you are happy and it's working, don't try to fix it :flowerforyou:0 -
A part of me would love to lose faster, but I'd be too afraid of it coming back.
I plan on doing this for the next several years. One day I'll be able to click that "Lose 2 lbs. a week" to "Maintain my current weight", but I'll be logging every day and walking at least 3x a week like I'm doing today. It takes a very long time to undo a lifetime of poor eating and exercise habits. It's also not a straight and easy road -- there will be twists and turns and even a few switchbacks -- but if you stay on course and endure these challenges, the scale has no choice but to eventually obey.
I'm so glad you're here. You're going to do wonderfully!0 -
Start exercising and you can eat more. A one-mile walk is about 100 calories.0
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When I first started, I had my goal set for 1.5 lbs per week, and it gave me 2030 calories daily. A few weeks later, after losing a few pounds, I fiddled with the goals, just to see what it would give me for 1 lb/week and 2 lbs/week. I decided to put it back at 1.5, and this time, it gave me 1990 calories/day. Just now (I have lost 12 lbs overall in the last two months), I fiddled with it, and at 1.5 lbs/week, it's giving me 1970 calories/day. So it seems to me that as you lose weight, you should change the goals so that it will adjust your calorie intake.
Based on my own experience, and what I've been reading here and at other websites, it seems like a person's calorie goal is based on their weight, age, and lifestyle. And it should be adjusted as a person loses weight. I've had a few days where I've been way below my calorie goal (like in the 1400-1500 range), and I was miserable on those days (tired, headaches, etc). So I've been trying to plan ahead better and stay no more than about 200 calories under my goal. If I work out during the day, I consume extra calories so that my net intake is always fairly close to my goal.
What I'm saying is, this has been working for me. My method may not work for everyone. If you're losing, and you're happy with your progress, don't worry about what anyone else is doing. Their journey isn't yours, and vice versa. Good luck!0 -
If you're losing, its working. If you want to go quicker, set it for 1.5 pounds loss a week, for a couple of weeks and see how you feel.0
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Things can vary a lot depending on what life you live. I am transitioning to maintenance eating 3000 calories. No sign of weight gain so far. may even still be losing very very slowly.0
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When I first started, I had my goal set for 1.5 lbs per week, and it gave me 2030 calories daily. A few weeks later, after losing a few pounds, I fiddled with the goals, just to see what it would give me for 1 lb/week and 2 lbs/week. I decided to put it back at 1.5, and this time, it gave me 1990 calories/day. Just now (I have lost 12 lbs overall in the last two months), I fiddled with it, and at 1.5 lbs/week, it's giving me 1970 calories/day. So it seems to me that as you lose weight, you should change the goals so that it will adjust your calorie intake.
Based on my own experience, and what I've been reading here and at other websites, it seems like a person's calorie goal is based on their weight, age, and lifestyle. And it should be adjusted as a person loses weight. I've had a few days where I've been way below my calorie goal (like in the 1400-1500 range), and I was miserable on those days (tired, headaches, etc). So I've been trying to plan ahead better and stay no more than about 200 calories under my goal. If I work out during the day, I consume extra calories so that my net intake is always fairly close to my goal.
What I'm saying is, this has been working for me. My method may not work for everyone. If you're losing, and you're happy with your progress, don't worry about what anyone else is doing. Their journey isn't yours, and vice versa. Good luck!
FYI the tool will automatically prompt you to update stats and target food calories every ten lbs. No issues with constantly fiddling with the goals because I do that too and personally I've never seen the auto prompt. Just wanted to mention the site feature for anyone who was not aware 0 -
Thanks! I didn't know about that feature!0
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2040 seems too high for you. I'm a 182-pound, 44-year old male and my net daily intake is set at 2000. I've consistently lost just about one pound per week for the last eight weeks at this level. I suspect you need to reassess.
At 288 pounds, a three-pound loss in two weeks could just be water weight or simple error. Even at my size, my weight can fluctuate a couple of pounds in the same day depending on the time of day and what I've eaten. Are you weighing yourself on the same scale at the same time of day using an accurate scale? Even if you are, I don't think you have enough data in two weeks to make an accurate assessment about whether what you're doing is working.
I weigh myself once a week, on Friday morning, at the same place, wearing the same thing.
And I would think it is helping, or at least working thus far, because I am a lot more concious of portion size, calories, and what I am taking in, as opposed to just eating and eating whatever just because.
I've fiddled with the calculator on here, and on different sites, they all give me about the same goal for losing 1lb a week with my weight, height, and age. I think perhaps it is accurate the 2040. That and based what most are saying.
I guess time will tell.0 -
Thank you everyone for your advice and input. I appreciate it a lot. It does help to hear that it is okay what I am doing. I am looking for long term change, not right now change. I appreciate the input. 0
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I keep seeing all these message board threats with people saying their intake is 1500-1600 a day... MFP set mine at 2040 and I sometimes have a hard time sticking to that!
I set it to lose 1lb a week, sedentary activity. I'm 288lbs atm, 5"6. Is 2040 daily accurate? I have been making better choices, based off of what I can do, I've been walking and weight training on my arms. I feel better. But I keep seeing these threads about people either the same size as me or more than me saying 1500 calories a day and I'm starting to get paranoid that maybe I'm eating wayyyyy too much.
I have lost 3lbs thus far, and that's over 2 weeks. I thought I was on the right track? I have lost 80lbs before, but then it all came back when I started anti depressants. That and even more. Now I have it all to loose again. I'm not in a hurry to lose it, more just want to do it well and keep it off. That's more important to me.
I don't know. Any sort of advice on if I'm doing okay or not would be appreciated!
They're likely set for 2 Lbs per week vs 1 Lb per week....it's a difference of 500 calories per day. Given you calorie goal of 2040 being 1 Lb per week, 2 Lbs per week would be right around 1500 calories.
Also, you're losing...so obviously it's working...not sure what you're really worried about here. These calculators are just good starting points anyway...ultimately you have to make decisions based on real world results...which seem to be working...so carry on.
Also, 2000 calories only seems like a lot because you've never tracked them...it's really not that much.0 -
If you are losing weight don't worry about what everyone else is saying or doing. I would concentrate more on losing the fat, not so much the weight. I currently eat 2000+ calories a day. I have stopped losing weight but have lost 3 inches in my waist in a month and 2 in my chest. I weight train 6 days a week. I love to eat and would rather be able to eat 2000 calories a day then only 1500. The positive side of eating that much is my body is used to it, and if I did want to lose "weight" it would be much easier to do so by only dropping a few extra calories. So those eating 1500 calories a day will have to drop lower once their bodies get adjusted to that amount.0
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At 288 lbs., it's going to take you almost 3 years of logging at a pound a week to get to a healthy BMI. You can do it that slowly or you can eat less (or move more) and have fewer years of obesity under your belt. Both are valid options and have health advantages and suit different people.
Sometimes people here ignore that for the obese, slower isn't always the best option, especially if losing slowly makes you quit. I only mention it in case you get to that mindset and think your options are "slow or nothing".
Good luck!0 -
I'm also 5'6" & weigh 268. My calorie goal is 1450. I also never eat back exercise calories.
I think you're doing fine. If you don't want to lose faster, than 2000 calories is fine. Remember you're doing this for you and your journey is different than everyone else. At the end of the day you have to do what's best for you. Good luck! Big hugs!
A part of me would love to lose faster, but I'd be too afraid of it coming back. I also still find it hard to eat less than 2000 calories. Some days I'm at 1700, and others I struggle to stay under 2100.
Thank you for this.
You're welcome! big hugs grumpy cat (who is absolutely a sweet person)!! 0 -
I am 5'8" at 227 LBS and my calories are basically the same as yours, 2020 but I follow TDEE where my calorie burn is already factored into my daily cal needs. I eat 2020 everyday regardless if I workout or not (but on average I workout 3-4x a week). TDEE is a lot easier to follow/work with than MFP calculations but TETO.
EDIT: I also lose consistently every single week (besides a fluke week here or there).0 -
Everyone is different. Calorie intake usually depends on your athletic level. I am sedentary aswell and try to eat 1000 calories at the LEAST (Not saying you should, haha. I may have an ED, actually), but if I'm hungry, I may allow myself a few calories if I'm really hungry.
I don't think you should drastically change your calorie intake due to seeing other peoples' lifestyles; Don't worry though, everyone compares. If you'd like, maybe cut a couple hundred calories if you think you'll be okay.
Good luck!0
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