I'm freaked out by how high my calorie goal is!

Options
sloth19891
sloth19891 Posts: 3
in Getting Started
I feel like I won't lose with the amount of calories I've been allotted for the day! 1700 calories for a retail worker who doesn't work out, 5'6 and 254 pounds seems like a LOT of calories. :0
«1

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
    Options
    That's about where I started (5'6", 248, working retail). Just make sure you're accurately weighing/logging everything and you'll lose. I'm down to 192 in a year.
  • scarygirl001
    scarygirl001 Posts: 6 Member
    Options
    hi mine was high too 1759! i just keep under it i dont eat them everyday but you will see even things like turkey bacon are full of salt and calories! but i have lost 5lb in 3 weeks so just stay lower than what they say and you should be good , sue
  • becam01
    becam01 Posts: 18 Member
    Options
    how many pounds are you looking to lose and in how much time? My calorie goal is 1460 and oh boy do I struggle to stay under haha
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    Options
    sloth19891 wrote: »
    I feel like I won't lose with the amount of calories I've been allotted for the day! 1700 calories for a retail worker who doesn't work out, 5'6 and 254 pounds seems like a LOT of calories. :0

    Your 25 yrs old, so that sounds about right. As stated before make sure you weigh all solid foods, measure liquids and be accurate as much as you can with your diary. Good luck.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Options
    sloth19891 wrote: »
    I feel like I won't lose with the amount of calories I've been allotted for the day! 1700 calories for a retail worker who doesn't work out, 5'6 and 254 pounds seems like a LOT of calories. :0

    For what it's worth, I'm 5'8" 170-ish pounds and 32 years old with a desk job. I lose 1 pound a week on 1700 calories. Why don't you try it for a couple of weeks and then adjust from there?

  • 100andOnward
    100andOnward Posts: 145 Member
    Options
    It sounds like a lot, but it might not be. Retail can have you on your feet/lifting/moving a lot, and your body still needs to fuel itself even as you're losing weight.
  • umachanxo
    umachanxo Posts: 926 Member
    Options
    I'm 5"7 at 158lbs and I eat around 1500-1800 calories a day. Make sure to get in your workouts and fuel your body with clean, nutritious foods. :)
  • sunshyncatra
    sunshyncatra Posts: 598 Member
    Options
    That isn't high at all. If anything, it seems a bit low to me. I started higher than that when I was 196 pounds (5'7") and lost weight. Give it a try. Also check the calculator at http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
  • candacefausset
    candacefausset Posts: 297 Member
    Options
    Firstly, at a higher weight, your body requires more to maintain. I am the same height and weigh about 207 and 1700 calories a day would boot me into .5-1.0 pound of fat loss per week probably. But considering the difference in weight, you will probably lose more than that at 1700 a week. When you lose some weight, you re-evaluate your goals because your body requires less. So you might drop your calorie goal down at that point or increase your activity level to maintain a steady drop of 1-2 pounds a week. When you get very close to your goal, it is much harder to lose so your goals will again change to reflect it.

    As a retail worker, are you still getting some activity during the day? I am almost completely sedentary during my day with the exception of my workouts so that plays a factor too. If you are sedentary like me, you require fewer calories. If you are even slightly active in your day to day job, you are likely going to require a few more calories. Just how it works...

    Do you have your settings at 2 pounds a week? Or 1?

  • sunshyncatra
    sunshyncatra Posts: 598 Member
    Options
    BTW, I am 151 pounds now and my goal is 1720 calories a day. I work a desk job and exercise 1-3 hours a week. I am losing weight still. Slowly, but surely.
  • airmedic8
    airmedic8 Posts: 24 Member
    Options
    That is not that many calories...to put it in perspective...I would write down what an average day was for you when you were eating prior to your change (as good as your memory allows)....

    Plug that in to the tracker just to get an idea...you may be shocked at what you were taking in at that time....1700 calories is nothing...trust me!

    Keep on trucking...your doing great!
  • csk0018
    csk0018 Posts: 219 Member
    Options
    I started at 273 (5'3) and was allotted 1890. I didn't do much when it came to exercise back then -- just 15 minute walks and 30 minute stationary bike rides a couple of times a week. I still lost about 1 pound a week.
  • lemur_lady
    lemur_lady Posts: 350 Member
    Options
    Haha I posted the same when I first started.
    I shouldn't worry. 1700 really isn't that much. I net about 2000 calories a day now and I'm still losing, currently weigh 182lbs.
    Give it a try for a while and see.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    Options
    Your MFP calculated daily intake is lower than your basal metabolic rate (BMR). Essentially at your current weight, you require more than 1950 calories per day to maintain if you were in a coma.
  • bencze1
    bencze1 Posts: 30 Member
    Options
    Considering you're healthy, if 1700 is a lot I wonder how much you ate before?
    The other day I was lazy to cook for evening, bought some food from store to eat.. usual things I was eating before. After I ate, I did some calculation and it was about 2000 kcal. Sausages, cheese, salads with mayo and bread can do that to you. What can I say, I like greasy food.
    1700 is not a lot. :)
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    Options
    It may sound high, especially since there are so many threads about 1200 cals and how that's all one can eat if they want to lose weight.... but it's really not that high.

    Anecdotally, I am shorter (5'2) and started at a lower weight (150ish) and lost 1lb/wk at 1500 cals net and lose close to 0.5 lb/wk at 1700 cals net. I eat b/w 1800-2000 cals/day, I have a desk job, but I have small children and try to do some simple exercise every day (and I eat back my exercise adjustments).

    Trust me - it is better to start this process with as high of a calorie goal as you can to lose weight. It will make it easier to sustain, but also give you wiggle room if you do need to cut calories further after you have lost some weight.

    Lastly, follow the good advice from others about weighing/measuring/logging everything.
  • ShellyBell999
    ShellyBell999 Posts: 1,482 Member
    Options
    I freaked out about mine at first also

    I learned that my numbers were good as long as I was working out consistently AND if I had too many left over calories, I could have a beer!

    Cheers :drinker:
  • Therealobi1
    Therealobi1 Posts: 3,261 Member
    Options
    do you know roughly how much you used to eat before you started? this might help you realise that its not that much.
  • estherdfoster
    estherdfoster Posts: 127 Member
    Options
    check your inbox
  • Autumnfilly2005
    Autumnfilly2005 Posts: 232 Member
    Options
    I'm 5'5" 240lbs, "Lightly active," and my calories are 2240! I do feel that's a bit high for me, but what I do is prelog my entire day of food and put everything into a bag, then when I get hungry I can reach into the bag and eat anything I want that's inside, because I know it's all accounted for. By the end of the night, I usually end up having items left over that I didn't eat, but if I ever get those late night munchies, I can totally finish what's in my bag.

Categories