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calorie intake

Bridget70kgs
Bridget70kgs Posts: 3 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
My recommended calorie intake is 1400. My friends who have lost weight using My Fitness Pal have said that when they did it they only ate 1200 calories per day unless they were exercising. I was just wondering if mine was higher because I weigh more. I don't seem to be having much luck. I'm also wondering if the type of food you eat makes a difference or do you just have to stick within your calorie allowance. What do you all think?

Replies

  • vespiquenn
    vespiquenn Posts: 1,455 Member
    No the type of food does not matter in weight loss as long as you are in a deficit.

    And yes, your goal could be higher due to weighing more (assuming you are all the same height).
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    When you say you aren't having much luck, how long have you been eating 1,400? Have you not lost any weight or just not as much as you expected?
  • Bridget70kgs
    Bridget70kgs Posts: 3 Member
    Thank you, you have been a huge help.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,354 Member
    What do you mean by, "not having much luck"? A 1200 calorie goal is the minimum for a female, and most people don't need to be at the minimum.
  • rickchen451
    rickchen451 Posts: 6 Member
    Hmmm lets see
    Ok i will share my experience regarding calorie deficits and no progress.
    Im 26 yrs old. Started off with 275 pounds and now weigh 254 pounds and im 5,10
    I started the gym in October 2015.
    I didnt see much weigh loss.
    I started a diet without calorie counting. Still no progress.
    I did strict calorie counting with moderate exertion at the gym (some days i felt tired and couldnt push myself..)
    Eventually the weight started dropping. Sometimes 2 pounds at a time sometimes 2 weeks would drag by and only 1 pound.
    My initial mistakes - eating large portions and not calorie counting properly.
    Eventually i switched to a "clean" diet with whole grain bread, peanut butter, tuna, eggs, lots of water, apples, banana and veges. I saw more steady progress.
    Be careful with cheat meals since they can add up and defeat your strict 1400 cal diet plan.

    From alot of reading i gained the following - 1 pound of fat is 3500calories.
    Adjust your diet and exercise to eliminate 3500cal per week and you should see weight loss over time.

    Hope this helps
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,354 Member
    Just a follow-up, usually when people are having an issue, it is not because of their calorie goal, but because of lack of careful calculation of what they log or using incorrect entries from the food database. To help avoid that: 1) Use a kitchen scale, preferably digital, to measure solids or anything else that has a gram measure available, and measuring spoons and cups for liquids. 2) Verify the database entry you are using, and yes, you need to do this even if you are scanning in bar-codes as all the bar code does is give a number that is associated with an entry in the food database. Sometimes that number points at something different than what you want because elsewhere in the world that is the product associated with it, or at times the entry is wrong because of a typo when it was entered by the original user who added it. 3) Enter everything you eat or drink no matter how small or insignificant it might seem. Yes, a mint might only have 10-20 calories, but those add up pretty quickly without you realizing it. If you eat or drink something log it.

    Beyond that, it might help to give us information about yourself that could help determine if your calorie goal is appropriate.

    Age, height, weight, sex, what your typical day consists of.
  • Equus5374
    Equus5374 Posts: 462 Member
    edited January 2016
    One of the biggest road blocks is time....people want to see instant results within minimal time as soon as they make the decision to start "dieting" (for lack of a better term). It doesn't work that way. Sustainable weight loss takes time and healthy weight loss is no more than 2 lbs./week. That being said, 2 lbs. per week is insanely difficult to maintain (just ask nearly anyone on this board who set their goal that high). Many folks find 1 lb./week more do-able (myself included).

    If you want to be as accurate as possible with your calorie counting, you need to get a food scale and meticulously weigh and measure everything. Many people are eating more than they think and that is another huge road block that leads to the inevitable "I'm not losing" posts.

    You don't HAVE to set your weight loss to 1 lb./week, you can do 0.5 lb./week. It may not seem like much but if it's easier for you to handle then it's going to lead to more success than struggling to keep up with a 2 lb./week goal. Do what is going to lead you to success, even if it takes double the time you'd hoped (and it will). Be consistent and HAVE PATIENCE!
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    The type of food DOES matter if you want a long healthy life. Limit carbs to 100/day. Cut out processed foods.
  • Bridget70kgs
    Bridget70kgs Posts: 3 Member
    I started at the gym one year ago. In this time I lost 8kgs but gained some and have managed to keep 5 kgs off.
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    1000 is minimum for female, 1200 for a male. Never mind MFP's limitations. Lower calories to 1300, and carbs to 100. Watch the fat melt off! :)
This discussion has been closed.

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