Calories question

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AaronGermana
AaronGermana Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
If I am trying to lose weight should I base my caloric intake on my current weight minus 500 calories or on my goal weight?

Replies

  • KateTii
    KateTii Posts: 886 Member
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    Current weight

    I find it easier just to put stats into MFP, pick a loss rate and go from there.
  • iheartshunsuke
    iheartshunsuke Posts: 17 Member
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    You need to work out your basel metabolic rate to find out how many calories your body needs to maintain your current weight, then knock off two or three hundred calories to put you in a deficit. Look up the Harris Benedict Equation online. That will tell you how to work it out. Don't rely on MFP - it tells everyone 1200! :tongue:
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
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    iheartshunsuke wrote: »
    You need to work out your basel metabolic rate to find out how many calories your body needs to maintain your current weight, then knock off two or three hundred calories to put you in a deficit. Look up the Harris Benedict Equation online. That will tell you how to work it out. Don't rely on MFP - it tells everyone 1200! :tongue:

    Funny that: it told me about 1700. It's almost like there's an actual formula behind it, but it will default to 1200 if the formula result is below that.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
    edited June 2016
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    iheartshunsuke wrote: »
    You need to work out your basel metabolic rate to find out how many calories your body needs to maintain your current weight, then knock off two or three hundred calories to put you in a deficit. Look up the Harris Benedict Equation online. That will tell you how to work it out. Don't rely on MFP - it tells everyone 1200! :tongue:

    BMR is the calories you need to survive in a coma. You're talking about TDEE which is total daily energy expenditure. You work that out and minus calories from that. You shouldn't eat below your BMR.
  • iheartshunsuke
    iheartshunsuke Posts: 17 Member
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    That's why I said look up the harris benedict equation. It's more accurate. And sarcasm isn't really helpful tbh
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    iheartshunsuke wrote: »
    You need to work out your basel metabolic rate to find out how many calories your body needs to maintain your current weight, then knock off two or three hundred calories to put you in a deficit. Look up the Harris Benedict Equation online. That will tell you how to work it out. Don't rely on MFP - it tells everyone 1200! :tongue:

    That's because everybody wants to lose FAST, and 1200 is the absolute minimum MFP will give anyone. I think it's a flaw of the program; healthy weight loss rate is very relative to current weight/BMI and I believe it would take just an easy tweak to implement.

    I also think TDEE is a better starting point than BMR, but BMR is easier because you don't have to factor in activity. If you're using BMR, you most likely don't want to go below that. But that depends on your weight.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    AaronGermana wrote: »
    If I am trying to lose weight should I base my caloric intake on my current weight minus 500 calories or on my goal weight?

    You need a calorie deficit to lose weight. Whatever method you choose, it will work if you can stick to it. The usual method is to start with your current calorie need and subtract from that; but some people are successful eating like they would to maintain goal weight.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    iheartshunsuke wrote: »
    You need to work out your basel metabolic rate to find out how many calories your body needs to maintain your current weight, then knock off two or three hundred calories to put you in a deficit. Look up the Harris Benedict Equation online. That will tell you how to work it out. Don't rely on MFP - it tells everyone 1200! :tongue:

    @iheartshunsuke

    Sorry but BMR doesn't tell you how many calories you need to maintain - it just gives you a number to plug into a formula which allows you to estimate TDEE.
    MFP also isn't a TDEE site! It's a fundamental difference.

    And MFP certainly doesn't tell everyone 1200 calories!
    It is a calculator that works with the numbers and goals that people input.

  • iheartshunsuke
    iheartshunsuke Posts: 17 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    iheartshunsuke wrote: »
    You need to work out your basel metabolic rate to find out how many calories your body needs to maintain your current weight, then knock off two or three hundred calories to put you in a deficit. Look up the Harris Benedict Equation online. That will tell you how to work it out. Don't rely on MFP - it tells everyone 1200! :tongue:

    @iheartshunsuke

    Sorry but BMR doesn't tell you how many calories you need to maintain - it just gives you a number to plug into a formula which allows you to estimate TDEE.
    MFP also isn't a TDEE site! It's a fundamental difference.

    And MFP certainly doesn't tell everyone 1200 calories!
    It is a calculator that works with the numbers and goals that people input.



    No need to be sorry!
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    iheartshunsuke wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    iheartshunsuke wrote: »
    You need to work out your basel metabolic rate to find out how many calories your body needs to maintain your current weight, then knock off two or three hundred calories to put you in a deficit. Look up the Harris Benedict Equation online. That will tell you how to work it out. Don't rely on MFP - it tells everyone 1200! :tongue:

    @iheartshunsuke

    Sorry but BMR doesn't tell you how many calories you need to maintain - it just gives you a number to plug into a formula which allows you to estimate TDEE.
    MFP also isn't a TDEE site! It's a fundamental difference.

    And MFP certainly doesn't tell everyone 1200 calories!
    It is a calculator that works with the numbers and goals that people input.



    No need to be sorry!

    Thought it was more polite than saying "you're wrong". :)
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,038 Member
    edited June 2016
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    KateTii wrote: »
    Current weight

    I find it easier just to put stats into MFP, pick a loss rate and go from there.

    Yes ... let MFP do the work for you. That's what it is here for.
  • PoundChaser2
    PoundChaser2 Posts: 241 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    iheartshunsuke wrote: »
    You need to work out your basel metabolic rate to find out how many calories your body needs to maintain your current weight, then knock off two or three hundred calories to put you in a deficit. Look up the Harris Benedict Equation online. That will tell you how to work it out. Don't rely on MFP - it tells everyone 1200! :tongue:

    @iheartshunsuke

    Sorry but BMR doesn't tell you how many calories you need to maintain - it just gives you a number to plug into a formula which allows you to estimate TDEE.
    MFP also isn't a TDEE site! It's a fundamental difference.

    And MFP certainly doesn't tell everyone 1200 calories!
    It is a calculator that works with the numbers and goals that people input.

    It told me 1200 cals
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    edited June 2016
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    Runngurl43 wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    iheartshunsuke wrote: »
    You need to work out your basel metabolic rate to find out how many calories your body needs to maintain your current weight, then knock off two or three hundred calories to put you in a deficit. Look up the Harris Benedict Equation online. That will tell you how to work it out. Don't rely on MFP - it tells everyone 1200! :tongue:

    @iheartshunsuke

    Sorry but BMR doesn't tell you how many calories you need to maintain - it just gives you a number to plug into a formula which allows you to estimate TDEE.
    MFP also isn't a TDEE site! It's a fundamental difference.

    And MFP certainly doesn't tell everyone 1200 calories!
    It is a calculator that works with the numbers and goals that people input.

    It told me 1200 cals
    @Runngurl43
    Are you "everyone"? Everyone is an absolute term.
    Here's a clue - it didn't give me 1200!

    Are you small? Inactive? Did you select a rapid rate of weight loss?

    Because those conditions don't apply to "everyone", even ignoring that some people are here to maintain or gain weight.....

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