Calories I should eat

jakeziskin1
jakeziskin1 Posts: 175 Member
edited February 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 28, male, 200 pounds. I'm not exactly sure how many calories a day I should eat to lose weight. I was looking to eat 1800 a day but also goto the gym and burn 500 cal a day on the elliptical. Is this dangerous, only eating 1300 a day. I was only going to eat this little for a few weeks and then bump back to 1900-2000 daily. I was thinking two weeks tops this low?

Replies

  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    When you put your information into MFP with a goal to lose 1-1.5 pounds per week, what calorie goal does MFP give you? Keep in mind this is BEFORE exercise. So if you burn 500 in the gym, you should consider eating an additional 250 or so calories. (Its easy to overestimate gym calories, so eat back a portion instead of the full amount.)
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    1,500 is the minimum for men. If you're exercising a lot, you should eat more to fuel your activity.

    If you put your goals and stats into MFP, it should generate a calorie goal for you. This would be a good place to start -- and you can then eat back some or all of the calories you burn through exercise.

    Yes, it is dangerous to under-nourish yourself.
  • size102b
    size102b Posts: 1,370 Member
    Don't use mfp use ones online

    Healthyeater.com is good

    Flexible dieting macro calculator
  • jakeziskin1
    jakeziskin1 Posts: 175 Member
    It says eat 1900 a day to burn 2 lbs a week. I can do that no problem. I'd be happy to eat 1900, but I goto the gym every day even Sunday's. So I lose 500 daily on the elliptical or treadmill. I don't eat back my burned calories so that would be 1400 a day. If you could let me know what would be the
    danger of that If any? Thanks all! I'm trying to redo this right.
  • jakeziskin1
    jakeziskin1 Posts: 175 Member
    size102b wrote: »
    Don't use mfp use ones online

    Healthyeater.com is good

    Flexible dieting macro calculator

    Thanks a lot, I'll definitely check it out! Also in regards to my low-calorie diet. I was only going to do this for 2 to 3 weeks. I don't want to do any damage to my health, but I feel that if I ate low calories for just a few weeks I'm sure I would be OK and lose some pounds.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    edited February 2016
    jakeziskin1 wrote: »
    It says eat 1900 a day to burn 2 lbs a week. I can do that no problem. I'd be happy to eat 1900, but I goto the gym every day even Sunday's. So I lose 500 daily on the elliptical or treadmill. I don't eat back my burned calories so that would be 1400 a day. If you could let me know what would be the
    danger of that If any? Thanks all! I'm trying to redo this right.

    What's the rush?
  • jakeziskin1
    jakeziskin1 Posts: 175 Member
    And of course I take dieting serious. I've lost 40lbs in 4 months. Just need 10 more off, I exercise and lift weights everyday. I just want tips on this low calorie diet
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    jakeziskin1 wrote: »
    And of course I take dieting serious. I've lost 40lbs in 4 months. Just need 10 more off, I exercise and lift weights everyday. I just want tips on this low calorie diet

    If you're getting close to your goal, you probably want to lose fat and not muscle, right? Rapid weight loss -- like what you're talking about -- is going to target your muscle, not your fat.
  • jakeziskin1
    jakeziskin1 Posts: 175 Member
    So what do you think I should do, how much should I eat and burn you honk?
  • jakeziskin1
    jakeziskin1 Posts: 175 Member
    Think*
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    jakeziskin1 wrote: »
    So what do you think I should do, how much should I eat and burn you honk?

    When I was losing weight, I used the calorie goals provided by MFP and ate back about 50% of my exercise calories (to account for over-estimations in the database information). Is there a reason why this wouldn't work for you?
  • Cynsonya
    Cynsonya Posts: 668 Member
    With 10lbs left to lose I'd think your goal should be .5lb a week.
  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,024 Member
    How many times are you going to ask this question? I think you've posted it 4 times. People have given you all kinds of advice.
  • jakeziskin1
    jakeziskin1 Posts: 175 Member
    ValerieMartini2Olives wrote: »
    How many times are you going to ask this question? I think you've posted it 4 times. People have given you all kinds of advice.

    Parent Lee not you. Give me a favor and stay out of my posts if you have nothing nice to say. I come on here looking for advice or criticism or nasty people thank you.
  • jakeziskin1
    jakeziskin1 Posts: 175 Member
    Cynsonya wrote: »
    With 10lbs left to lose I'd think your goal should be .5lb a week.

    The app says you can lose up to 2 pounds a week. That's what I'd like to do
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    jakeziskin1 wrote: »
    Cynsonya wrote: »
    With 10lbs left to lose I'd think your goal should be .5lb a week.

    The app says you can lose up to 2 pounds a week. That's what I'd like to do

    The app will give *everyone* the option to lose two pounds a week, even if it isn't the safest or best option for them. There are multiple circumstances when two pounds a week isn't an appropriate goal. That includes situations where someone is close to goal or doesn't have much weight to lose.
  • jakeziskin1
    jakeziskin1 Posts: 175 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    jakeziskin1 wrote: »
    So what do you think I should do, how much should I eat and burn you honk?

    When I was losing weight, I used the calorie goals provided by MFP and ate back about 50% of my exercise calories (to account for over-estimations in the database information). Is there a reason why this wouldn't work for you?

    It says I should eat 1900 cal. So if I lose 500, I should be back to 50. That would be 1650 cal a day. OK I can do that, is that going to affect my muscle in a negative way
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    jakeziskin1 wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    jakeziskin1 wrote: »
    So what do you think I should do, how much should I eat and burn you honk?

    When I was losing weight, I used the calorie goals provided by MFP and ate back about 50% of my exercise calories (to account for over-estimations in the database information). Is there a reason why this wouldn't work for you?

    It says I should eat 1900 cal. So if I lose 500, I should be back to 50. That would be 1650 cal a day. OK I can do that, is that going to affect my muscle in a negative way

    Yeah -- if you have a deficit to lose 2 pounds a week (which you say you do) and you increase the size of that deficit even more through exercise (which you say you're planning to do), then you will be targeting your muscle -- not fat. The 1,900 goal from MFP already puts you at a deficit.

    If you're burning 500 through exercise, you should be adding at least 250 to what you're eating.
  • jakeziskin1
    jakeziskin1 Posts: 175 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    jakeziskin1 wrote: »
    Cynsonya wrote: »
    With 10lbs left to lose I'd think your goal should be .5lb a week.

    The app says you can lose up to 2 pounds a week. That's what I'd like to do

    The app will give *everyone* the option to lose two pounds a week, even if it isn't the safest or best option for them. There are multiple circumstances when two pounds a week isn't an appropriate goal. That includes situations where someone is close to goal or doesn't have much weight to lose.

    I have 15-20lbs to go. I want to lose 2 pounds a week if that's OK
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    jakeziskin1 wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    jakeziskin1 wrote: »
    Cynsonya wrote: »
    With 10lbs left to lose I'd think your goal should be .5lb a week.

    The app says you can lose up to 2 pounds a week. That's what I'd like to do

    The app will give *everyone* the option to lose two pounds a week, even if it isn't the safest or best option for them. There are multiple circumstances when two pounds a week isn't an appropriate goal. That includes situations where someone is close to goal or doesn't have much weight to lose.

    I have 15-20lbs to go. I want to lose 2 pounds a week if that's OK

    It sounds like you're going to do it regardless of what people advise. What are you hoping to get out of these threads?
  • jakeziskin1
    jakeziskin1 Posts: 175 Member
    That's not what I was asking. Ok so is 2000 a day good to lose some weight but also keep my muscle I wouldn't want to lose that so even if I had to only lose 1 pound a week that's fine
  • jakeziskin1
    jakeziskin1 Posts: 175 Member
    I wouldn't go under 1500 a day ever and if I did by exercise id eat it back to be over 1500 always But i will eat more like I said I'd eat 1900-2000 what ever is a good balance with weight loss, so I can see some more results. Also I work ojt daily so I'm trying to get my muscles stronger and possibly bigger
  • shmulyeng
    shmulyeng Posts: 472 Member
    For the 9 months it took me to lose most of the weight, I ate about 1200 calories a day. If you're wondering if that isn't dangerous, it probably is. But I realized that most of us underestimate our calories even with strict weighing and measuring. I felt very good on 1200 - 1400 calories a day as long as I used those calories for real food and not junk. Also, I never ate back my calories unless I did a mega workout (5 hours or more for biking or 2 hours for running).
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    jakeziskin1 wrote: »
    I wouldn't go under 1500 a day ever and if I did by exercise id eat it back to be over 1500 always But i will eat more like I said I'd eat 1900-2000 what ever is a good balance with weight loss, so I can see some more results. Also I work ojt daily so I'm trying to get my muscles stronger and possibly bigger

    If you want bigger muscles, you can't get that with a steep calorie deficit.
  • MikeEnRegalia
    MikeEnRegalia Posts: 110 Member
    jakeziskin1 wrote: »
    It says I should eat 1900 cal. So if I lose 500, I should be back to 50. That would be 1650 cal a day. OK I can do that, is that going to affect my muscle in a negative way

    Yes.
  • jakeziskin1
    jakeziskin1 Posts: 175 Member
    MikeEnRegalia wrote: »
    jakeziskin1 wrote: »
    It says I should eat 1900 cal. So if I lose 500, I should be back to 50. That would be 1650 cal a day. OK I can do that, is that going to affect my muscle in a negative way

    Yes.

    Thanks Mike I can handle this.
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    jakeziskin1 wrote: »
    I wouldn't go under 1500 a day ever and if I did by exercise id eat it back to be over 1500 always But i will eat more like I said I'd eat 1900-2000 what ever is a good balance with weight loss, so I can see some more results. Also I work ojt daily so I'm trying to get my muscles stronger and possibly bigger

    If you want bigger muscles, you can't get that with a steep calorie deficit.

    For now I just want to lose more fat, even if that means losing muscle to start. But I do appreciate the advice thank you.

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