How many calories a day do people eat?

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pipmcgrath
pipmcgrath Posts: 26 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
MFP recommends me to have 1200 cals, I find this hard to stick too and seem to hit between 1400 & 1600 most days. More at the weekends...........coz I have some treats. I lost 7 stone regained 2 when I lost it all I was eating in the region of 1200. Just can't seem to get myself back there for some reason. I got very ill with gallstones and had my gallbladder removed. Hence most of the regain. I am trying to lose a stone and a half. I think I was verging on the too skinny side at one stage though I didn't listen. I want to have a healthy outlook on food and enjoy some treats and not panic about eating. I was a bit too restrictive before and ate too little. I am trying to find more of a balance now but still want to lose weight.

I'm 5.5 and 36, I am medium to heavy build with high bone density etc. I currently weigh 12.7 which I know gives me a terrible BMI but clothes wise I am a 14 / 12 - sort of in between sizes at the minute. Trying to get back to 11 stone. 10.5 was my lightest. I go to the gym at least 3 or 4 times a week and do both cardio and strength work. I am working on my fitness levels and overall strength again after both were majorly reduced during / after illness. Operation etc. I have around 12.7 for 6 months now.
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Replies

  • lemonychild
    lemonychild Posts: 654 Member
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    Do u have weight loss input at 2lbs? That's too aggressive. Basically figure out ur maintenance cals... Cut 500 cals down from maintenance daily that is 7*500 = 3500 cals which is a pound a week. Also if u exercise on MFP has u eating back exercise cals
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    4350 a day, averaged over seven days. More on lifting days, less on off days.
  • pipmcgrath
    pipmcgrath Posts: 26 Member
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    catscats222 wrote: »
    question: how did you know your bone density?
    i don't know how to get mine without paying $300 for it
    is there a trick on telling the doctor something to get insurance to pay for it?


    Im in the UK we can use machines here to tell us that. Gyms etc have them. They may not be 100 % accurate but give you a fair idea. No I think I am just made with heavy big bones! I don't drink milk, but do eat yogurt products and some cheese products but not enough to be having lots of calcium.




  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
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    I'm 5ft2. I weight 124 lbs. I have a sedentary full time job and I weight train 4 times a week. I aim to get 6500 steps a day <- This is a realistic amount for me right now.

    I lose around 0.7lb a week (a little over half a pound) on 1500 calories a day.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    How many pounds did you tell MFP you want to lose per week? Often when people get a very low goal, it's because they chose two pounds per week as their weight loss target.
  • pipmcgrath
    pipmcgrath Posts: 26 Member
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    Yeah I said it was 2lbs a week. I have a sedentary job too. I have went from 10stone 5 27 % body fat to 12 stone 7 34 % body fat in just over a year! Not good at all

    Sort of feel I bit lost with it all now.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    My goal is 1270, but after my Fitbit is counted I regularly eat 1700-2000 a day to get my net up.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    pipmcgrath wrote: »
    Yeah I said it was 2lbs a week. I have a sedentary job too. I have went from 10stone 5 27 % body fat to 12 stone 7 34 % body fat in just over a year! Not good at all

    Sort of feel I bit lost with it all now.

    If you would like to eat more, you can always try adjusting your goal. That way you won't end up with the absolute lowest MFP will recommend for a woman.
  • staticsplit
    staticsplit Posts: 538 Member
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    Try 1 pound a week for the first few weeks. You won't feel as deprived, you'll have more energy, and you'll probably be more likely to stick with it longer term.
  • pipmcgrath
    pipmcgrath Posts: 26 Member
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    staticsplit wrote: »
    Try 1 pound a week for the first few weeks. You won't feel as deprived, you'll have more energy, and you'll probably be more likely to stick with it longer term.

    Thanks I'm actually going to set it for maintenance and try to eat lower than that and go to the gym as well and not eat back the exercise calories and see what happens. Its a psychological thing too it might spur me on if I'm under and not over my goal and motivate me a bit more
  • stormladyh77
    stormladyh77 Posts: 1 Member
    edited November 2015
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    I'm 5'4" and around 190, and I eat 2000 a day to lose one pound a week. I have an active job, and I strength train 3 times a week, powerlifting style, and do a bit of cardio, jogging/running once or twice a week. Right now, I'm losing a little better than a pound a week, but that fluctuates a lot, especially when I ramp up the weights. I'll go long periods without losing any actual weight, but my clothes will get bigger, so I know there's some body recomposition going on.
  • kayleexbabeex
    kayleexbabeex Posts: 55 Member
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    Mine is set at 1400 a day, I usually have between 50 to 200 leftover most days, although on Saturdays I go slightly over but with leftover calories from the week it makes up for it.
  • Purplebunnysarah
    Purplebunnysarah Posts: 3,252 Member
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    2100-2800 per day depending on how active I am. I am 5'4" and 250 lbs and breastfeeding. I don't log my exercise but do eat back most of my Fitbit calories. I'm set to lose 1 lb/week but I am losing closer to 2-3 lbs/week.
  • vivmom2014
    vivmom2014 Posts: 1,647 Member
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    1875 + exercise calories. 5'8" and about 1-2 lbs. from goal.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    I'm 5'2, maintaining around 123 lbs eating 2000-2200 cals/day. I lost most of my 30 lbs with a MFP NET goal of 1600 cals, eating back all my exercise calories.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    I'm 5'8" and 155. I was eating about 1500 calories per day and losing 2-3 lbs per week (down 30-35 lbs). For the past month I've been eating about 2000 calories per day and seem to be maintaining or losing 0.5 lbs per week.

    I'm sedentary beyond an occasional walk or a bit of soccer or basketball while coaching.
  • mkakids
    mkakids Posts: 1,913 Member
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    5'5", 172# I eat 1500 on non exercise days.....then eat half of the exercise calories on other days....anyway error from 1800 total to 250 total depending on how much I run that day.
  • LadyLallybroch
    LadyLallybroch Posts: 36 Member
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    I have it set to 0.5 lbs a week, which gives me 1640 cals a day, which I treat as a "maximum" and not a goal most of the time. Most days I eat around 1400.

    I'm 5'7" and 154 lbs.

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