Calorie Limits

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Okay, according to MFP, I should be eating 1650 kcals daily to lose 1 # per week. According to Dr. Gourmet, I should be eating 1200 kcals per day, and according to the American Heart Institute, I should be eating 1990 kcals per day. All predict a weight loss of 1 # per week. At this point, I'm just frustrated. Why is there so much variation between calculators? (I have no plan to follow the Dr. Gourmet restrictions, BTW.)

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  • vorgas
    vorgas Posts: 741 Member
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    Different formulas to calculate RMR and lifestyle adjustment. Find one you like, stick with it. Adjust as necessary for your results.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
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    Do any of these factor in exercise?
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    okay so any calorie recommendations from Dr Gourmet I think I would ignore esp since he has "diet plans"...

    American heart one indicates to reduce that number by 1lb a week loss...but that being said it gives me 2400 calories to maintain...which in the summer is pretty accurate....so MFP isn't far off...
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    Try the calorie goal MFP gives you. Try it for a couple of weeks and see if your weight loss is really one pound per week. Adjust as necessary.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    MFP is 1650 + exercise. Does the American Heart Institute already factor in exercise? If so these 2 plans are probably similar in the end.

    I'd ignore a Dr. plan that has diet restrictions - unless those restrictions were from my personal doctor based on my own medical condition...
  • dwarfiegodsmack
    dwarfiegodsmack Posts: 317 Member
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    go with MFP number for 3-4 weeks and then adjust if necessary
  • pschristmas
    pschristmas Posts: 2
    edited April 2015
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    Thanks. All calculations were for lightly active. I'm probably going to shoot for somewhere between the MFP and AHI numbers. I'm having hypoglycemic symptoms almost every day with the MFP limit -- shaking, irritability, confusion, etc. -- and can't seem to get my protein percentage up without going over.

    I pretty much ignore everything on Dr. Gourmet except the recipes and some of the answers to readers' questions. They've got this weird idea of basing calorie intake on the weight you want to be that is completely unsustainable and possibly unhealthy. They've got some great recipes, though.
  • Sydneyv13
    Sydneyv13 Posts: 5 Member
    edited April 2015
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    MFP said I should be eating 1800 to lose 1.5lbs a week. I have been eating 1200 since mid January per a NP at a diet clinic and I have lost 19lbs. I'm 5'9, started MFP at 231 now down to 212 with a end goal of 180 which is still on the higher end of what the government thinks I should weigh. I go to the gym 6 days a week now so I eat more on gym days usually 1500/1600. It was really hard at first to eat so little, but I am used to it now.
  • MyM0wM0w
    MyM0wM0w Posts: 2,008 Member
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    I don't think I'd trust anything named Dr. Gourmet..... I'd choose an accredited medical institute over some random schmuck.