How many calories do you eat?

itschanelle
itschanelle Posts: 86 Member
edited November 16 in Health and Weight Loss
Out of sheer curiosity, I want to know your sex, height and weight, how many calories you eat, and your method (NEAT or TDEE-%). If you use NEAT, how many (if any) of your exercise calories do you eat back? Also, if you know it, your BF% and how often you work out.

I'll go first:

Female
5'6"
165
TDEE
1450
BF between 30-39% (not sure)
Work out 6 times a week (lifting and cardio)

I just recently switched over to TDEE-% and I'm interested in how others are doing this.

«134

Replies

  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    edited April 2015
    Male
    6'9"
    235
    NEAT, don't eat back calories, working on switching to TDEE with a smaller deficit.
    1670 calories on average, but skewed toward workout days.
    BF 22%
    Walk 6 miles a day, lift three times a week.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Female
    5'6"
    189.5
    NEAT (tried TDEE from January-March but it didn't work for me)
    1720+most of my Fitbit burns
    Last time I calculated was about 40-45%, I think?
    Lifting 3 days, walking and yoga 2 days, and if I'm not too exhausted HIIT one day
  • itschanelle
    itschanelle Posts: 86 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    Female
    5'6"
    189.5
    NEAT (tried TDEE from January-March but it didn't work for me)
    1720+most of my Fitbit burns
    Last time I calculated was about 40-45%, I think?
    Lifting 3 days, walking and yoga 2 days, and if I'm not too exhausted HIIT one day

    How many cals were you eating when you tried TDEE?
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    Female
    5'6"
    189.5
    NEAT (tried TDEE from January-March but it didn't work for me)
    1720+most of my Fitbit burns
    Last time I calculated was about 40-45%, I think?
    Lifting 3 days, walking and yoga 2 days, and if I'm not too exhausted HIIT one day

    How many cals were you eating when you tried TDEE?

    Over 1800, but I got lazy and stopped exercising/got sloppy in my logging (part due to stress, but I still knew better) and gained weight
  • itschanelle
    itschanelle Posts: 86 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    Female
    5'6"
    189.5
    NEAT (tried TDEE from January-March but it didn't work for me)
    1720+most of my Fitbit burns
    Last time I calculated was about 40-45%, I think?
    Lifting 3 days, walking and yoga 2 days, and if I'm not too exhausted HIIT one day

    How many cals were you eating when you tried TDEE?

    Over 1800, but I got lazy and stopped exercising/got sloppy in my logging (part due to stress, but I still knew better) and gained weight

    Ah that makes sense. Thanks!
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Female
    5'4"
    138
    NEAT 22-24%
    Lift 3-4 days, bike 60+ miles a week, power walk 15+ miles a week, sex as often as possible!
  • itschanelle
    itschanelle Posts: 86 Member
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Female
    5'4"
    138
    NEAT 22-24%
    Lift 3-4 days, bike 60+ miles a week, power walk 15+ miles a week, sex as often as possible!

    Sounds like you have a very well rounded exercise life! ;)

    How many cals do you eat?
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    Female
    5'4.5"
    147.5 today (low is 145.9)
    NEAT
    1230+ exercise/fitbit adjustments (current average is 2013 calories consumed per day)
    27.5% - 32% (BF% depends on which scale you ask. I have 2. One says 31.6% and the other says 27.5%. 3-point caliper measurement 28%.)
    Stronglifts 5x5 3 times a week
    Zombies,Run!5k training 2 times a week (sometimes 3, depends on if I can get up to the gym 5 or 6 days that week)
    Random cardio and yoga at home when I feel like it
    If it's nice out I will also get out the double stroller and walk my boys to the park (which is fun and yet sucks because of all the hills). The route I take to the park will vary depending on how I'm feeling and traffic. The shortest path (a little over a quarter of a mile) has the worst hills and is by the high school and middle school, so if I decide to take them around 3pm or so that route isn't a good option.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Female
    5'4"
    138
    NEAT 22-24%
    Lift 3-4 days, bike 60+ miles a week, power walk 15+ miles a week, sex as often as possible!

    Sounds like you have a very well rounded exercise life! ;)

    How many cals do you eat?

    oops AND I'm blonde! snort 1400-1600.
  • Aurafie
    Aurafie Posts: 4 Member
    Female
    5'2"
    105-110?
    I have no idea what NEAT and TDEE are, and online explanations are poor. Anyone care to explain?
    1200-1300
    Body Fat 14-15%
    5 times a week (track+fencing)
  • mudmonkeyonwheels
    mudmonkeyonwheels Posts: 426 Member
    Female
    4'11"
    133lb or 60.5kg
    Using the NEAT method as I do quite a lot of endurance training (Long mountain bike rides and running) and am recovering from chronic fatigue syndrome so can't afford to have big deficits on exercise days or my body is not too happy. I will eat back 100% of my exercise calories most days but my goal net is 1200 calories.

    I am currently sick so not really consistent with exercise but before this I was running between 30 minutes and 1 hour 3x a week, biking for 1-3 hours 2x a week and doing some light strength training 2-3 times a week. 2 of my cardio sessions involve some sort of interval training.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    Aurafie wrote: »
    Female
    5'2"
    105-110?
    I have no idea what NEAT and TDEE are, and online explanations are poor. Anyone care to explain?
    1200-1300
    Body Fat 14-15%
    5 times a week (track+fencing)

    TDEE is essentially finding your maintenance calories (or an estimate of) and then taking a % off of that. You then eat this number everyday no matter how lazy or active the day was.

    NEAT is how MFP does things. They give you a calorie goal based on your approximate maintenance calories without exercise and then add exercise calories when you workout. So on a day you don't workout, you have less calories to consume than on a day that you do workout.
  • lilawolf
    lilawolf Posts: 1,690 Member
    Female
    5'10
    140
    Calories while I was losing weight 1550 + exercise
    Bulking: 2300 + exercise and ended up losing 2lbs in 2 months *sigh*
    Now: 1900 + exercise including fitbit adjustment. This is a slight cut.
    Body fat: 20ish (19.5 when I was 136lbs but getting a bit ribby)

    Workouts: Krav maga (martial arts) 2x/wk, Stronglifts5x5 2x/week, sometimes running/hiking/swimming/other. Try to get in a walk a day, but otherwise fairly sedentary. My workouts add an average of 300-350 cals a day to the above.
  • Aurafie
    Aurafie Posts: 4 Member
    TDEE is essentially finding your maintenance calories (or an estimate of) and then taking a % off of that. You then eat this number everyday no matter how lazy or active the day was.

    NEAT is how MFP does things. They give you a calorie goal based on your approximate maintenance calories without exercise and then add exercise calories when you workout. So on a day you don't workout, you have less calories to consume than on a day that you do workout.

    Thanks for the explanation! There's no "like" button :(
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    Sex: Female
    Height: 5'5"
    Method: NEAT (I eat my cals back if I'm hungry, which is maybe 10% of the time)
    Intake: 1350-1550
    BF: I think around 30%
    Exercise: M/W/F cardio and lifting at the gym. Tuesday's are hike days, Thursday's are yoga class.
  • itschanelle
    itschanelle Posts: 86 Member
    Female
    5'4.5"
    147.5 today (low is 145.9)
    NEAT
    1230+ exercise/fitbit adjustments (current average is 2013 calories consumed per day)
    27.5% - 32% (BF% depends on which scale you ask. I have 2. One says 31.6% and the other says 27.5%. 3-point caliper measurement 28%.)
    Stronglifts 5x5 3 times a week
    Zombies,Run!5k training 2 times a week (sometimes 3, depends on if I can get up to the gym 5 or 6 days that week)
    Random cardio and yoga at home when I feel like it
    If it's nice out I will also get out the double stroller and walk my boys to the park (which is fun and yet sucks because of all the hills). The route I take to the park will vary depending on how I'm feeling and traffic. The shortest path (a little over a quarter of a mile) has the worst hills and is by the high school and middle school, so if I decide to take them around 3pm or so that route isn't a good option.

    Do you find that your fitbit motivates you to move more for more calories to consume? Also, how much are you losing per week on average?
  • Emilia777
    Emilia777 Posts: 978 Member
    edited April 2015
    Oh this is informative!

    Female
    5'4”
    134 lbs
    NEAT; don’t eat back exercise calories
    1300 calories / day
    BF 23-27% (not sure)
    Planned workout: 3 times/week strength (heavy lifting) + 3 runs (5k);
    Actual workout (lol): around 2/week strength, as I’ve been sore lately, and 4 runs

    I’m considering eating more on lifting days, though, to see if I recover faster. Or maybe just go with TDEE. I’ve been at this for about 2 months and I’m a bit fatigued at times. I’ve been losing just under a pound a week, with many ups and downs. I also try to walk lots more and usually average 6000 - 9000 steps.
  • goblue8426
    goblue8426 Posts: 41 Member
    edited April 2015
    Female
    5'3"
    168
    NEAT; I usually eat back about half of exercise calories (I also underestimate MFP's allowances by half)
    1340
    BF in high 20%
    Work out 1-3 times a week (yoga and walking for now)

    I saw you asked about the fitbit as a motivator and it definitely provides me with motivation to move more. I love wearing mine.
  • KCoolBeanz
    KCoolBeanz Posts: 813 Member
    Female
    5'0"
    178.1 lbs
    TDEE (cut between 15-20%)
    2150
    BF 26.7
    Train 3 x week, and I gave up deliberate cardio. I hike when it's nice out because I enjoy it.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    Female
    5'7"
    131 lbs
    TDEE
    2500
    BF: no idea
    Lift 4x per wk, 1-2x cardio and yoga
  • Emilia777
    Emilia777 Posts: 978 Member
    KCoolBeanz wrote: »
    Female
    5'0"
    178.1 lbs
    TDEE (cut between 15-20%)
    2150
    BF 26.7
    Train 3 x week, and I gave up deliberate cardio. I hike when it's nice out because I enjoy it.

    Maybe I’m reading this wrong - do you mean your TDEE is 2150, or that’s what you eat? I ask because I’ve been playing with the IIFYM calculator all day and I don’t think 2150 would be 12-20% less than your TDEE. I hope you don’t mind me asking.
  • Emilia777
    Emilia777 Posts: 978 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    Female
    5'7"
    131 lbs
    TDEE
    2500
    BF: no idea
    Lift 4x per wk, 1-2x cardio and yoga

    Can I be you when I grow up?
  • ncboiler89
    ncboiler89 Posts: 2,408 Member
    Male
    6'2
    218
    Neat - I eat 'em baby!
    How many calories in a bad real estate agent?
    BF - lol...ya right
    Exercise is the work of satan.
  • Alipop
    Alipop Posts: 15 Member
    5'8" female
    27% bodyfat
    1500 per day rest to 2150 on workout
    Strength training 5x/week plus 1 HIIT and 1 longer cardio (a hike on active rest day)
    IIFYM aiming for 35% protein/45% carbs/20% fat... On rest days more fat less carbs to drop to 1500 a day
    I do this for 8-10 weeks then slowly increase my calories back to TDEE for 3 months then do another wave.
    It's slow fat loss but I'm gaining muscle (like, a lot) and in the end I'll be able to eat 2750 cal a day to maintain my goal of 170 lbs at 15-20% bodyfat. Plus I perform well at the gym (powerlifting) which is my main goal.
  • itschanelle
    itschanelle Posts: 86 Member
    Emilia777 wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    Female
    5'7"
    131 lbs
    TDEE
    2500
    BF: no idea
    Lift 4x per wk, 1-2x cardio and yoga

    Can I be you when I grow up?

    Haha! I was thinking the same thing! So. Much. Food.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    Emilia777 wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    Female
    5'7"
    131 lbs
    TDEE
    2500
    BF: no idea
    Lift 4x per wk, 1-2x cardio and yoga

    Can I be you when I grow up?

    Haha! I was thinking the same thing! So. Much. Food.

    Haha you should have seen my bulking cals. I'm just doing a mini cut right now so I'm really close to my maintenance
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Female
    5'4"
    133
    NEAT...kinda
    Calories...Who knows anymore. I try to average 1590 net for .5 lb/week loss
    Body fat between 22-25%
    Lift 4x a week, light cardio.
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    Female
    5'9"
    157.5 pounds
    NEAT
    1800 - 2000 calories a day
    usually lift 3x a week, cardio 4or5x a week.
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    Male
    5'10"
    198 lbs
    TDEE
    3,485 Cals - 180p, 500c, 85f (Currently cutting on a 400 calorie deficit)
    BF: Idunnolol
    Lift 4x week
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    edited April 2015
    Female
    5'4.5"
    147.5 today (low is 145.9)
    NEAT
    1230+ exercise/fitbit adjustments (current average is 2013 calories consumed per day)
    27.5% - 32% (BF% depends on which scale you ask. I have 2. One says 31.6% and the other says 27.5%. 3-point caliper measurement 28%.)
    Stronglifts 5x5 3 times a week
    Zombies,Run!5k training 2 times a week (sometimes 3, depends on if I can get up to the gym 5 or 6 days that week)
    Random cardio and yoga at home when I feel like it
    If it's nice out I will also get out the double stroller and walk my boys to the park (which is fun and yet sucks because of all the hills). The route I take to the park will vary depending on how I'm feeling and traffic. The shortest path (a little over a quarter of a mile) has the worst hills and is by the high school and middle school, so if I decide to take them around 3pm or so that route isn't a good option.

    Do you find that your fitbit motivates you to move more for more calories to consume? Also, how much are you losing per week on average?

    Yes. Very much so. When I first got a Fitbit in 2013, I was really Sedentary. I mean I knew at the time I was Sedentary. I just didn't realize how bad I really was until I got a Fitbit. Fitbit was taking away calories even when MFP was on Sedentary. That's a real eye opener when you aren't even meeting what MFP predicts your Sedentary calorie burn to be. On a good day, exercise would actually bring my calorie burn to Sedentary level (so 0 adjustment).
    Now, I've changed my activity level to Lightly Active on MFP and I still get a positive adjustment of 200-300 calories on days I don't workout.

    As for weight loss:
    z6o77t2yr0l4.jpg
    **The 10 month part, is from the end of my last pregnancy

    edit: Oh and ignore the weights on that chart. They are "Trend Weights". My trend weight is always higher than then my scale weight by 1-2lbs (which will probably change once I actually move to maintain).

This discussion has been closed.