I need some help picking the right calorie goal!

chellecondello
chellecondello Posts: 4 Member
edited December 2 in Health and Weight Loss
I am just having trouble settling on a calorie goal for the day. It was easier when I was heavier but as my weight loss has slowed/stalled I wanted to really reevaluate what I should be eating to. I used a BMR/TDEE calculator (iifym.com) and got results saying my BMR is 1412 and my TDEE is 1765.

I am a 26 y/o female, 5'0" tall, and currently weigh about 165 (down from 225). I used lightly active when calculating because I work 5 days a week as a barista at a busy Starbucks. I was regularly exercising several times per week for at least 30 minutes, but I have not been working out the last month or so besides walking to and from work (having trouble getting back into the swing of things).
My goal weight is to get to around 110-120.

I have tried keeping my goal to 1200, but I feel lightheaded during work and I know that is considered low even for short females. I am thinking somewhere between 1200-1400 as a decent range? (My eating has been pretty erratic the last couple weeks, so I am trying to buckle down from here)

Just looking for some input or suggestions as far as calorie goal, as I am hoping to start moving through these last 50 or so lbs.

Any help is much appreciated!

Replies

  • BillMcKay1
    BillMcKay1 Posts: 315 Member
    I like using http://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/ Gives an avg over a couple different TDEE formulas.

    I would guestimate if you keep your activity level the same and shoot for .5-1lb a week, maybe 1500 cals.

    Set a calorie goal inline with what MFP or the TDEE suggests. Log accurately and weigh yourself on a regular basis. The scale will tell you if you are in deficit, the log will tell you how you got there.
  • chellecondello
    chellecondello Posts: 4 Member
    Thanks for that link! It gave me an average TDEE of about 2000 which is much nicer to hear than 1765.
  • TalkersNeverWin
    TalkersNeverWin Posts: 10 Member
    edited June 2016
    Also, a bit of a sidebar, but I'd like to add:

    I experience intolerance with lower amounts of food too. I have found that you can still achieve your .5-1lb loss rate by eating more and working out a bit more. Probably common sense to someone well versed as yourself, but I just wanted to add that. It helped me during my food industry days when I was on my feet all day.
  • chellecondello
    chellecondello Posts: 4 Member
    That is very true! Probably getting more of my deficit from exercise and being able to eat a bit more might make this feel more do-able.
  • whiskey_14
    whiskey_14 Posts: 12 Member
    hey congrats on your weight loss you've done up to this point!, keep it up :)

    maybe you can try a new sport or something?
  • terbusha
    terbusha Posts: 1,483 Member
    If you're feeling lightheaded at 1200 cal/day, then you should eat more. I would bump up to 1400 cal/day and see how that works for you. If you're still doing good at that level, you may also consider bumping it up higher than that. People should eat as much as they can while still losing ~1-2 lbs/week so they have more room to make adjustments when they hit a sticking point. Also, do your best to dial in on your calorie and macro goals for the day. The more consistent you can be, the better you'll do in this journey.

    Working in some good exercise will really help things along too.
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