The right amount of calories for my weight loss?

justformyself23
justformyself23 Posts: 9 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 24 years old, 217 to 219 pounds (it fluctuates) and 5' 3" tall. According to MFP my BMR is 1,703 calories. I would like to get down to at least 125 pounds by the end of December of this year. I would be walking at around 2.0 to 2.5 mph on a treadmill and maybe doing stationary biking for at least 30 minutes at least 3 times a week (maybe more) and would like to know how many calories that means I can eat to achieve this goal. I don't want to start out on the wrong foot but all of these calorie counters online are giving me different numbers and I don't know which is right. I've had some tell me I can eat as much as 1,840 calories a day to lose this weight and some tell me I need to go down to 1,380 calories a day but I've heard I shouldn't go below my BMR calories to lose this weight and I'm not sure which is right. I just want to get started on the right foot and just need a little help in the right direction. Thanks for any responses! :)

Replies

  • lozzz817
    lozzz817 Posts: 8
    I am not a dietician. My fitbit suggests that in order to lose a kilo a week (2.2 pounds) I need to be 1000 calories under my BMR + exercise output. Given you want to lose almost a 100 pounds by December, you would need to exercise quite a bit. I am trying to lose about the same amount in the same time period. My daily goal is to eat only 1200 calories without exercise, more if I exercise substantially. Today I ate 1500 calories, but burnt 1600 calories on top of BMR through zumba and walking. Hope this helps!
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    When you logged into MFP you set your details - age, height, weight, goal weight loss (I assume 2lbs a week)

    You then set your general activity level without any of your planned exercise eg work a desk job you're sedentary

    Then you gave a target for your exercise goals (this is not included in the calories you're given to begin with)

    MFP gave you a calorie allowance (without hitting your exercise goals) - that's your basic calories to eat (1) - eat this without any exercise and you will hit your goal

    When you log exercise, cut the MFP database / machine estimation in half for calorie burns and enter that - you can double click on the calorie part (2). Then you eat your basic calories to eat (1) plus your exercise calories (2) to hit your 2lb a week weight loss goal.

    Judge it by your actual weight loss over time (say a few months) and eat more / fewer calories to make the numbers work for you

    it really is that simple if you weigh and log your food choosing carefully from food entries in the database

    good luck
  • justformyself23
    justformyself23 Posts: 9 Member
    Thank you guys so much!

    Rabbitjb, I have been with MFP a while but not really explored much and just recently got back on it but I have found what you are talking about. Mine says 1,200 cal but that I'd burn 950 cal in a week doing 30 min exercise for 4 days. Does that mean I can add 950 cal a week to up my daily 1,200 to account for that since I am going to lose it? I'm sorry if this question seems silly, I'm just not sure how all this works and would like a sure fire way of finally getting all this weight off.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited January 2015
    justformyself23 wrote: »
    Thank you guys so much!

    Rabbitjb, I have been with MFP a while but not really explored much and just recently got back on it but I have found what you are talking about. Mine says 1,200 cal but that I'd burn 950 cal in a week doing 30 min exercise for 4 days. Does that mean I can add 950 cal a week to up my daily 1,200 to account for that since I am going to lose it? I'm sorry if this question seems silly, I'm just not sure how all this works and would like a sure fire way of finally getting all this weight off.

    Nope that's exactly what it means (and there's no silly questions)

    The MFP goal of 1200 calories is a NEAT model (excludes purposeful exercise) and means if you do absolutely nothing you can eat this much (1200) to lose your weight because you've told me your general activity is sedentary .. by the way 1200 is the minimum MFP will ever give

    if you choose to exercise then that means you are actually burning up more calories than MFP thought you would so you get to eat them (although best to eat 50 - 75% due to MFP database overestimation of burns). Even long walks count here (which is why I have a fitbit)

    remember - at the end of the day, the one who loses weight whilst getting to eat the most wins :grinning:
  • justformyself23
    justformyself23 Posts: 9 Member
    That's great to hear! I am planning on picking up more exercise as I go along but that is just an estimate for starting back up now. Also, one more question. Since my BMR is 1,703 and several site have said to not ever go below that, is the amount of calories recommended on this website safe to start out on?
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    justformyself23 wrote: »
    That's great to hear! I am planning on picking up more exercise as I go along but that is just an estimate for starting back up now. Also, one more question. Since my BMR is 1,703 and several site have said to not ever go below that, is the amount of calories recommended on this website safe to start out on?

    yes it's perfectly safe to eat below your BMR

    I assume you're a woman - the minimum calories to get a good nutritional balance are 1200 for a woman, for a man I think 1500

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Follow MFP's recommendation for base calories and earn "exercise calories". Try it for a couple of weeks and if you're feeling hungry, lower the aggressiveness of your goal.
  • justformyself23
    justformyself23 Posts: 9 Member
    Yes, I am a woman. Haha. :) I probably should have specified. This is really great to know. Thanks for helping! I finally feel I'm on the right track!

    Thanks everyone for all of your help! :)
  • lozzz817
    lozzz817 Posts: 8
    Just be careful when eating back your calories that you are accurate with your food input :) It can be quite easy to underestimate calories, and MFP tends to give you a significant amount of calories for exercise :) Good luck!

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