Should i be eating ALL my calories allowed per day?

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traceme
traceme Posts: 8 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all!!

I guess i am confused! I have a hit a little slump. I feel like maybe i am not losing weight as easily as i have the last few months.
My calories are set at 2100 to lose weight. I always eat around 1400 or more per day. Should i be eating MORE? If i am feel like i am eating enough and not even close to 2100, is that ok?
I've just always heard people say you have to eat close to your calorie goal.
Then when i exercise i have even more calories burned!!!?
So confusing!!

SHOULDN'T I BE SKINNY BY NOW! ;)

Thanks for any advice or comments in advance!!
Feel free to add me, I am pretty MFP active - My journey is not even close to complete. :)
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Replies

  • strong_curves
    strong_curves Posts: 2,229 Member
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    It all depends really. My generic advice since you haven't provided any information like how much you've already lost? How long has it been since you've lost any weight, etc.

    Where are you getting your exercise calorie burns from? If from the mfp exercise database I would suggest eating 50-75% of those exercise calories back. As far as how much you're eating, how are you gauging that? Are you eyeballing portions or are you using a food scale? If you aren't using a food scale I suggest you start using one as soon as you can. Use the food scale to weigh/measure all food and drinks.
  • crb426
    crb426 Posts: 657 Member
    edited January 2016
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    How did you get 2100 to lose weight? You are female, which means you should probably be told to eat between 1200-1400 calories by MFP.

    I'm 5'6'' and my calories to MAINTAIN are just below 1800. 2100 would make me gain.
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
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    If 2100 calories is the amount of calories you should eat to lose at the rate you want to lose at, then yes, eat them all and enjoy them. If you are using the MFP method, then yes, eat back your exercise calories, as your rate of loss is already built into your daily goal.

    However, if you want to lose weight faster and it is still safe/healthy, then there is nothing wrong with eating less. Adjust your goal and then eat all of those calories.

    Basically, why set a goal if you are not going to follow it? It makes little sense. While I don't always eat 100% of my calories, over a given week I typically eat at least 95% of them.

    If you are not sure if your goal is correct, you could post more information (age, weight, height, activity level, desired rate of loss) and ask for help, or you could just measure your results over a few weeks and adjust as needed (only lost 0.8lb/week instead of 1lb/week over 6 weeks, then eat 100 calories less/day).
  • Laurence_brown
    Laurence_brown Posts: 2 Member
    edited January 2016
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    crb426 wrote: »
    How did you get 2100 to lose weight? You are female, which means you should probably be told to eat between 1200-1400 calories by MFP.

    I'm 5'6'' and my calories to MAINTAIN are just below 1800. 2100 would make me gain.

    Daily calorie intake is determined by starting weight, daily activity etc. Just because you're both female doesn't mean you need the same amount of calories.
  • SqueakyBeans88
    SqueakyBeans88 Posts: 17 Member
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    crb426 wrote: »
    How did you get 2100 to lose weight? You are female, which means you should probably be told to eat between 1200-1400 calories by MFP.

    I'm 5'6'' and my calories to MAINTAIN are just below 1800. 2100 would make me gain.

    You don't know this persons starting weight, what they already consumed each day calorie wise before starting this journey, their muscle mass, height, daily activity level etc. Each persons recommended daily calorie intake for maintenance OR weight loss is entirely dependent on the individual and their circumstances - silly comment to make. There is no one size fits all for women and their calorie needs.
  • traceme
    traceme Posts: 8 Member
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    strong_curves wrote: »
    It all depends really. My generic advice since you haven't provided any information like how much you've already lost? How long has it been since you've lost any weight, etc.

    Where are you getting your exercise calorie burns from? If from the mfp exercise database I would suggest eating 50-75% of those exercise calories back. As far as how much you're eating, how are you gauging that? Are you eyeballing portions or are you using a food scale? If you aren't using a food scale I suggest you start using one as soon as you can. Use the food scale to weigh/measure all food and drinks.

    I've lost 70 pounds so far. I do not use a food scale, i eyeball everything (and mostly eat the same things, i am a creature of habit!) BUT, i do own one - so i will start to use it!

    I walk and use light weights a few times a week, and enter that into MFP - then usually just ignore those burned calories!
  • Laurence_brown
    Laurence_brown Posts: 2 Member
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    traceme wrote: »
    Hi all!!

    I guess i am confused! I have a hit a little slump. I feel like maybe i am not losing weight as easily as i have the last few months.
    My calories are set at 2100 to lose weight. I always eat around 1400 or more per day. Should i be eating MORE? If i am feel like i am eating enough and not even close to 2100, is that ok?
    I've just always heard people say you have to eat close to your calorie goal.
    Then when i exercise i have even more calories burned!!!?
    So confusing!!

    SHOULDN'T I BE SKINNY BY NOW! ;)

    Thanks for any advice or comments in advance!!
    Feel free to add me, I am pretty MFP active - My journey is not even close to complete. :)

    OK - the calorie intake is set to lose weight at the rate you have chosen. If you increase your calorie deficit by eating LESS or by doing MORE then you will (should) lose weight at a higher rate. However, you may find that your activity rate and low calorie intake is making your body go into starvation mode whereby you're not actually eating enough so your body starts to store it instead.

    If you're using an activity tracker try enabling negative adjustments. This will compensate if you do less and reduce your target intake in line. It's possible that your activity rate set in your MFP profile doesn't match your actual daily activity which is making your daily intake recommendation too high.
  • JennAngel001
    JennAngel001 Posts: 10 Member
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    I think it would also depend on the type of calories you are consuming. Like others said, if you are burning calories you might need to be eating more. I would double check your info and goals here on the app. If you want to double check you can try an online calculator : http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

    Good luck!
  • TheVogonVegan
    TheVogonVegan Posts: 75 Member
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    crb426 wrote: »
    How did you get 2100 to lose weight? You are female, which means you should probably be told to eat between 1200-1400 calories by MFP.

    I'm 5'6'' and my calories to MAINTAIN are just below 1800. 2100 would make me gain.

    Not necessarily, it depends on how much she weighed when she started and her lifestyle/job. I am pretty fat, but I also have a job that keeps me walking and on my feet all day so I have 1770 each day in order to lose two pounds per week. I have around 2000 to lose one or a half pound per week or maintain.
  • traceme
    traceme Posts: 8 Member
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    crb426 wrote: »
    How did you get 2100 to lose weight? You are female, which means you should probably be told to eat between 1200-1400 calories by MFP.

    I'm 5'6'' and my calories to MAINTAIN are just below 1800. 2100 would make me gain.

    I am 5'11 and 300lbs, so we are a bit different. ;)
  • traceme
    traceme Posts: 8 Member
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    JennAngel001 wrote: »
    I think it would also depend on the type of calories you are consuming. Like others said, if you are burning calories you might need to be eating more. I would double check your info and goals here on the app. If you want to double check you can try an online calculator : http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

    Good luck!

    My calories are from a mostly low carb plan. Eggs, meat, salads, veggies, occasional fruits, popcorn (ah).
    That site gave me 2400 as a goal - i will have to check my goals on here again!!
    Thanks :)
  • qpmomma1
    qpmomma1 Posts: 220 Member
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    crb426 wrote: »
    How did you get 2100 to lose weight? You are female, which means you should probably be told to eat between 1200-1400 calories by MFP.

    I'm 5'6'' and my calories to MAINTAIN are just below 1800. 2100 would make me gain.
    crb426 wrote: »
    How did you get 2100 to lose weight? You are female, which means you should probably be told to eat between 1200-1400 calories by MFP.

    I'm 5'6'' and my calories to MAINTAIN are just below 1800. 2100 would make me gain.

    I am female and I used to work in construction 8-10 hours a day 5-7 days a week, sometimes more. I ate over 2k calories because I needed it lol. Some women are more active and require more calories. :smile:
  • crb426
    crb426 Posts: 657 Member
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    SqueakyBeans88 wrote: »
    crb426 wrote: »
    How did you get 2100 to lose weight? You are female, which means you should probably be told to eat between 1200-1400 calories by MFP.

    I'm 5'6'' and my calories to MAINTAIN are just below 1800. 2100 would make me gain.

    You don't know this persons starting weight, what they already consumed each day calorie wise before starting this journey, their muscle mass, height, daily activity level etc. Each persons recommended daily calorie intake for maintenance OR weight loss is entirely dependent on the individual and their circumstances - silly comment to make. There is no one size fits all for women and their calorie needs.

    You're right, I didn't know her starting eight, which is WHY I ASKED how she got that number. Then I added my own for an example. Not a "silly comment to make". I was trying to get more info to answer her question. No need to be rude.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
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    crb426 wrote: »
    How did you get 2100 to lose weight? You are female, which means you should probably be told to eat between 1200-1400 calories by MFP.

    I'm 5'6'' and my calories to MAINTAIN are just below 1800. 2100 would make me gain.

    We all need different calories to maintain, lose or gain. Just because your a woman doesn't mean you have the same calorie range for those categories as another woman.

    Take me for example:
    H: 5' 4.5"
    Highest Adult Weight: 260 lbs
    Current trending weight: 122.4 lbs
    lowest weight I've seen on the scale: 121.5 lbs
    fluctuation range: 121.5 lbs - 125

    The amount I ate varied by my activity when I was losing weight (use fitbit activity tracker to help with this part). Some days I was eating as much as 2500 calories and still in a deficit. On average, I was right around 2000 calories. I haven't been very active here recently, but at Sedentary activity, it seems like I maintain around 1800 calories (I've been on a workout hiatus for about the past 2 months). Once I get active again, I will need even more. Just because you would gain eating 2100, doesn't mean we all would.

    I wish I could pull up charts of my calorie intake from before 90 days ago (might just have to go make my own), but here's my last 90 days weight and calories (yes there is a period were I took a little break from logging):

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  • traceme
    traceme Posts: 8 Member
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    crb426 wrote: »
    SqueakyBeans88 wrote: »
    crb426 wrote: »
    How did you get 2100 to lose weight? You are female, which means you should probably be told to eat between 1200-1400 calories by MFP.

    I'm 5'6'' and my calories to MAINTAIN are just below 1800. 2100 would make me gain.

    You don't know this persons starting weight, what they already consumed each day calorie wise before starting this journey, their muscle mass, height, daily activity level etc. Each persons recommended daily calorie intake for maintenance OR weight loss is entirely dependent on the individual and their circumstances - silly comment to make. There is no one size fits all for women and their calorie needs.

    You're right, I didn't know her starting eight, which is WHY I ASKED how she got that number. Then I added my own for an example. Not a "silly comment to make". I was trying to get more info to answer her question. No need to be rude.

    I used some random website (Cant remember now), to get 2100 (to lose weight). I just did it again and it says 2400, haha. Adding on to my confusion! :)
  • Maxematics
    Maxematics Posts: 2,287 Member
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    Ignoring the calorie number debate for now, we need more information. You say you're not losing weight as easily lately. As you lose weight it gets harder but given your stats it shouldn't be too difficult. Has the weight loss stopped completely? It seems like it hasn't from your post. What is your rate of loss per week?
  • CassidyScaglione
    CassidyScaglione Posts: 673 Member
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    Check with a nutritionist if you aren't sure. Who knows what loonies program websites now a days
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
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    traceme wrote: »
    crb426 wrote: »
    SqueakyBeans88 wrote: »
    crb426 wrote: »
    How did you get 2100 to lose weight? You are female, which means you should probably be told to eat between 1200-1400 calories by MFP.

    I'm 5'6'' and my calories to MAINTAIN are just below 1800. 2100 would make me gain.

    You don't know this persons starting weight, what they already consumed each day calorie wise before starting this journey, their muscle mass, height, daily activity level etc. Each persons recommended daily calorie intake for maintenance OR weight loss is entirely dependent on the individual and their circumstances - silly comment to make. There is no one size fits all for women and their calorie needs.

    You're right, I didn't know her starting eight, which is WHY I ASKED how she got that number. Then I added my own for an example. Not a "silly comment to make". I was trying to get more info to answer her question. No need to be rude.

    I used some random website (Cant remember now), to get 2100 (to lose weight). I just did it again and it says 2400, haha. Adding on to my confusion! :)

    If the 2100 calorie number isn't from MFP, then it probably already includes some exercise calories. You might want to overwrite your exercise calorie burn with 1, so that it doesn't add calories to your goal and confuse you. Most calculators on other sites, expect you to do some sort of exercise.

    I would read this thread and see if you need to make any adjustments to your logging though.
    Logging Accurately Step by Step Guide
  • traceme
    traceme Posts: 8 Member
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    synacious wrote: »
    Ignoring the calorie number debate for now, we need more information. You say you're not losing weight as easily lately. As you lose weight it gets harder but given your stats it shouldn't be too difficult. Has the weight loss stopped completely? It seems like it hasn't from your post. What is your rate of loss per week?

    Yeah i am not too concerned with calories honestly but that question has been in my brain for a while! I took it pretty slow before, integrating 1 thing at a time. I just started back up and now i am under calories, full of (mostly) good food and exercising every day. The weight loss hasn't stopped, about 3lbs 2 weeks ago but this week was -0.5lbs - which is just weird to me. Maybe an off week, but i feel like if i do the same thing i have been doing, and its another -0.5 next week, i will lose my *kitten*!

  • pzarnosky
    pzarnosky Posts: 256 Member
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    traceme wrote: »
    synacious wrote: »
    Ignoring the calorie number debate for now, we need more information. You say you're not losing weight as easily lately. As you lose weight it gets harder but given your stats it shouldn't be too difficult. Has the weight loss stopped completely? It seems like it hasn't from your post. What is your rate of loss per week?

    Yeah i am not too concerned with calories honestly but that question has been in my brain for a while! I took it pretty slow before, integrating 1 thing at a time. I just started back up and now i am under calories, full of (mostly) good food and exercising every day. The weight loss hasn't stopped, about 3lbs 2 weeks ago but this week was -0.5lbs - which is just weird to me. Maybe an off week, but i feel like if i do the same thing i have been doing, and its another -0.5 next week, i will lose my *kitten*!

    You stated earlier that you have a food scale but haven't been using it and have been eyeballing it. That may be the problem. When you were eyeballing for the previous 70lbs you lost, even if you were over 2100 cals, it was probably still enough of a deficit for you to lose. That may not be the case now. Use the scale religiously for a couple of weeks and see if that helps. If it doesn't, then since we know you're being accurate with what you're eating, then it may be time to drop your calorie deficit more.

    I know that when I started using a food scale my eyes were opened to what a serving size really looks like for A LOT of foods :)

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