Correct calories?

Jaikagen
Jaikagen Posts: 32 Member
edited November 17 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, im currently around 185lb at 5'4. Im well aware i need to lose alot more, but currently i am aiming to lose 15-20lb in the next 10 weeks. Im trying to do it noiw in smaller amounts, after many, many failed attempts. So, my current goal is for a holiday, and i think its fairly realistic?

Im struggling to work out what calories to workk to. I know the 1200 is generally considered too low, and having had a look around ive found 1400 could potentially be ok, plus what ever my fitbit gives me back? Im not very active, i spend a lot of time at a PC though i try to walk my children to school instead of driving them weather depending, my fitbit usually tracks around 7-8k steps on an average day, so i wont get a vast amount in calories back.

I also have it set to 40% carb, 30% protein, 30% fat, doesn this seem righ too?

Thanks in advance

Replies

  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    did you input your info into MFP? that is the best way to figure it out.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    I agree. Fill out your MFP profile. I would suggest setting it to a pound a week. I think that losing 15-20 pounds in ten weeks is not going to happen unless you have a large water whoosh to start with. You aren't heavy enough to sustain 1.5-2 pound losses each week.
  • ncboiler89
    ncboiler89 Posts: 2,408 Member
    Put your data into MFP. Eat to suggested calorie goal. Adjust as necessary.
  • Jaikagen
    Jaikagen Posts: 32 Member
    yh, that suggested 1200 which i believe is too low?
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    What did you set as your goal weight loss per week?
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    Jaikagen wrote: »
    yh, that suggested 1200 which i believe is too low?

    Let me guess ... you set MFP for two pounds per week and it gave you 1200 per day? That is a 1000 calorie per day deficit. Realistically, a one pound per week (500 cals per day) gives you a more sustainable intake.
  • Jaikagen
    Jaikagen Posts: 32 Member
    1.5lb per week
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Well that's why. That's a 750 calorie deficit. For every half pound per week, it's a 250 daily deficit, down to a minimum of 1200 calories per day.
  • Jaikagen
    Jaikagen Posts: 32 Member
    brianpperkins wrote: »
    Jaikagen wrote: »
    yh, that suggested 1200 which i believe is too low?

    Let me guess ... you set MFP for two pounds per week and it gave you 1200 per day? That is a 1000 calorie per day deficit. Realistically, a one pound per week (500 cals per day) gives you a more sustainable intake.

    no, i did it to 1.5lb, plus then eating back the cals from fitbit i thought this was realistic. i was hoping to maybe lose 5lb over the period on top of this by potentially exercising more when i can :/
  • Jaikagen
    Jaikagen Posts: 32 Member
    ok, thanks, ill change the target weightloss
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Jaikagen wrote: »
    1.5lb per week

    Pound per week goals
    75+ lbs set to lose 2 lb range
    Between 40 - 75 lbs set to lose 1.5 lb range
    Between 25-40 lbs set to lose 1 lb range
    Between 15-25 lbs set to lose 1 -.50 lb range
    Less than 15 lbs set to lose 0.5 lbs range


    This is why time frames on weight loss are such a bad idea. You didn't gain weight that quickly, so it's not likely to come off that quickly either. 1200 is just a default minimum. A high weekly goal = the lowest minimum calorie amount. Choose something sustainable....whether it fits into your "time frame" or not.
  • Jaikagen
    Jaikagen Posts: 32 Member
    By them calculation i should select the 1.5lbs per week then as in total, i have over 40lb to lose.

    This is all so confusing >.>
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    You shouldn't eat below 1200, but what would make you think that is too low? To lose weight, you have to eat less than what you want to eat. Eating what you want to eat is what leads to being overweight.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Jaikagen wrote: »
    By them calculation i should select the 1.5lbs per week then as in total, i have over 40lb to lose.

    This is all so confusing >.>

    1200 is incorrect for a good percentage of women (not all). I have a smaller frame and am over 50. Moderate goals give me 1200 too. BUT make this personal.....pick something sustainable....not because it fits a schedule.

    Find your TDEE (that's maintenance). If you eat less than this...you lose weight.

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Jaikagen wrote: »
    By them calculation i should select the 1.5lbs per week then as in total, i have over 40lb to lose.

    This is all so confusing >.>

    When I got here I had about 60-70lbs to lose..I chose 1lb a week mainly because I thought 40 would be plenty to start with and then I would see where to go with that...

    1lb a week is a good rate of loss...leaves lots of room for fun too.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Jaikagen wrote: »
    By them calculation i should select the 1.5lbs per week then as in total, i have over 40lb to lose.

    This is all so confusing >.>

    I would suggest adding in a bit of exercise so that you can eat more. 1200 is not a lot of food. Start taking walks a few days a week and you'll be able to add back your exercise calories, which you should eat.
  • Jaikagen
    Jaikagen Posts: 32 Member
    Thanks, ive set it for 1lb, thats 1430 + whatever fitbit gives me. Ill see how this goes for the next month then look at adjusting if ness :)
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    TeaBea wrote: »

    Pound per week goals
    75+ lbs set to lose 2 lb range
    Between 40 - 75 lbs set to lose 1.5 lb range
    Between 25-40 lbs set to lose 1 lb range
    Between 15-25 lbs set to lose 1 -.50 lb range
    Less than 15 lbs set to lose 0.5 lbs range

    This is what MFP uses as a guideline but it has problems.

    What I prefer is working based on a 20% deficit from TDEE and then figuring it out backwards from there. A 20% deficit is sustainable enough so that you won't feel hungry and deprived, but significant enough that you should be able to lose weight steadily.

    With your stats, your sedentary TDEE is estimated to be around 1850, and a 20% deficit from that would be about 1480. That's excluding exercise. If you are lightly active from walking and whatnot, you'd be looking more at a ~2100 TDEE and a ~1700 calorie goal. Either way, that's slightly less than 1lb/week, which seems to be your weight loss sweet spot.

    That's a rough guide. Since you have a Fitbit and it seems like your activity is mostly step-based, what I'd recommend is this:
    • Set up MFP with your height, weight, age and goals, and your activity level to sedentary, and your deficit goal to 1lb/week. This should give you a base calorie goal of 1490/day.
    • Set up your Fitbit account with those same stats. Set your food plan to "medium" intensity, which will set your target deficit to that same 1lb/week as you set on MFP. Set your daily calorie estimate setting to "personalized".
    • Sync your Fitbit with MFP and enable negative calorie adjustments. Make sure both accounts have the same time zone setting.
    • Log your food on MFP each day.
    • Don't log any exercise on MFP unless it's something that the Fitbit can't properly track (e.g. swimming, cycling).
    • Fitbit will sync with MFP throughout the day and adjust your calorie goal periodically throughout the day, upward or downward depending on how active you are.
    • Try to eat the calories that Fitbit/MFP gives you -- or as close as possible -- for 4-6 weeks. After that, see how fast you're losing weight and adjust as needed.
    • If you find you're constantly getting an extra 250 calories/day or more from Fitbit, you can change your MFP setting to "lightly active" after a few weeks, which will give you a calorie goal more in the ~1730/day range.

    Good luck!
  • jeharrell13
    jeharrell13 Posts: 6 Member
    I am 5'5 and 187 lbs, so very close to you. My starting weight, 2 weeks ago, was 194. My goal is to get down to 160 by August 1st. That is 34 lbs in 15 weeks. After the initial loss of 5 lbs in the first week, I will need to lose 2 lbs per week to reach my goal. In the first week 1 lost 5 lbs, the second I lost 2 lbs. I have lost weight using MFP before, about 4 yrs ago, and lost 2 lbs per week so I know it is possible. My calorie goal per day is 1260 but I usually burn 400-600 calories per workout 4 days a week. This helps to offset the low calorie goal. I usually try to eat back at least half of my calories from exercise. Rest days are a little harder because I cannot eat as much but I just have to make healthier, lower calorie choices on those days that I don't workout. Also, filling up on protein and fiber helps to curb your appetite. Just make sure you stay as close to your calorie goal as possible. I hope this helps.... I don't use fitbit so I don't really know how that fits in to everything.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    jeharrell13 wrote: »
    I am 5'5 and 187 lbs, so very close to you. My starting weight, 2 weeks ago, was 194. My goal is to get down to 160 by August 1st. That is 34 lbs in 15 weeks. After the initial loss of 5 lbs in the first week, I will need to lose 2 lbs per week to reach my goal. In the first week 1 lost 5 lbs, the second I lost 2 lbs. I have lost weight using MFP before, about 4 yrs ago, and lost 2 lbs per week so I know it is possible. My calorie goal per day is 1260 but I usually burn 400-600 calories per workout 4 days a week. This helps to offset the low calorie goal. I usually try to eat back at least half of my calories from exercise. Rest days are a little harder because I cannot eat as much but I just have to make healthier, lower calorie choices on those days that I don't workout. Also, filling up on protein and fiber helps to curb your appetite. Just make sure you stay as close to your calorie goal as possible. I hope this helps.... I don't use fitbit so I don't really know how that fits in to everything.

    Kudos to you, but know that weight loss often slows down after the first couple of weeks since many people have an initial water weight drop.

    In the long run, I think you'll be happier if you forget about the August 1st arbitrary finish line goal, and focus on losing weight in a steady, sustainable way. 2lbs/week is an 1000-calorie daily deficit, which -- while not impossible -- is very steep for someone with your stats. And as you get closer to your goal weight, it will be even steeper.

    This is a lifestyle change, not a "diet". Steady does it.
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