Calorie goal question

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ccems1634
ccems1634 Posts: 45 Member
in Getting Started
So this app wants me to maintain 1280 calories a day but I feel that's not enough. I'm going to be starving!!! Would 1500 calories be ok and still help me lose weight? I used this app a couple of days just to see where I was at on a normal day prior to trying to lose weight and I was eating 2300-3000 calories a day so going down to 1280 would be hard!!!!! I cut out sodas, cookies, chips and sugary foods and am now eating more fruit, veggies, salads and just all around healthier food but even then it's hard to not hit 1200 quick. Thanks
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  • readytobeatfat54
    readytobeatfat54 Posts: 91 Member
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    If you were previously eating 3000 calories a day, and want to cut it down to 1500, you would lose weight. Sometimes the apps work based on your 'timeline' for weight loss. So if I said I wanted to lose 15 pounds in one month, the app would calculate the max number of calories I could eat and still be expected to reach my goal. This doesn't make my goal reasonable, but the app just calculates everything based on the numbers I input.
  • laceyslabaugh
    laceyslabaugh Posts: 113 Member
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    I went from eating approximately 3000 cal/day to 1200. The first few days was hard, but then I was fine. Some days I only get in 1000-1100 and I'm not hungry. I cut out soda, coffee and sweets. I drink a ton of water and drink water in between bites of meals/snacks and I get fuller faster. Good Luck!
  • ccems1634
    ccems1634 Posts: 45 Member
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    Also I'm only about 45lbs overweight to begin with. But for example I've had 2 Cups coffee, yogurt with fresh blueberries, banana, a little bowl of ceaser salad, 1 hard boiled egg and 1 cup fresh fruit melody today between breakfast, lunch and a snack I've already used over half my calories it wants me to do.
  • gianna42
    gianna42 Posts: 5,991 Member
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    How many pounds per week do you have your settings on? You could possibly lower it to gain more calories. I'm not sure anyone can tell you if 1500 calories will allow you to lose weight - it depends on your height/weight/activity/ and how much you have to lose.
    1200 is tough (lost most of my weight on it), but it is doable (but I'm short, so...)
  • ccems1634
    ccems1634 Posts: 45 Member
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    My settings are set for 1 lb per week.
  • ccems1634
    ccems1634 Posts: 45 Member
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    I'm a stay at home mom so not completely sedentry but I have it set at that. I take my dog on 0.5-1 mile walks 2x a day and am constantly up and about doing house work, errands and so forth but I do have lazy day where I just sit and play with the baby so I didn't want to input light activity and end up not doing enough if that makes sense.
  • readytobeatfat54
    readytobeatfat54 Posts: 91 Member
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    If you were maintaining your weight at 3000 calories and drop to 1500, you'd have to lose weight because you are halving what you intake. The question about your exercise routine is a good one, because it will not only help you burn calories but raise your resting metabolism.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    ccems1634 wrote: »
    My settings are set for 1 lb per week.

    1200 is a default minimum BEFORE exercise. So if you plan on exercise you can bump up your calories or log exercise & eat a portion of those calories back. That's how MFP is designed.

    When you don't have a lot to lose weight loss will be slow(er). Pick a level that helps you stay the course. Slow is good. Fast weight loss makes it harder for your body to support existing lean muscle mass. You don't lower your body fat % as well with fast weight loss.
  • LisaBrown1094
    LisaBrown1094 Posts: 14 Member
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    I thought it was going to be hard too, but it's not too bad. And exercise gains you some more calories to eat. I do spend more time looking at labels but it's really been worth the effort. Now, granted, by the time it's bed time, I have that hollow feeling in my stomach, but I just go to bed! I've been doing this for a month so far and have lost 14lbs. I have also gone over my calories (Friday nights mostly) but I add everything up to stay accountable, and I have still managed to lose a good amount of weight this month. Kriss' advice about setting your rate of loss a little lower is great! I really want to see progress though, so I usually stick to right around 1200 calories and bank my exercise calories for Friday. Good luck to you - you can do it!
  • ccems1634
    ccems1634 Posts: 45 Member
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    I am 5'2" and 166 lbs. My doctor wants me at 120-125 so about 45 lbs overweight. My normal days consisted of 3-4 cups of coffee throughout the day. Breakfast I wouldn't eat, lunch was usually a hot pocket or I would just eat a couple cookies here, a banana there depending on my kids and whether they gave me time to eat. Dinner I would over engorge due to starvation. My calories were mainly sodas. There are plenty of days I don't eat anything until dinner.

    Like I said I kept track using this app before starting on my goal to see where I'm at and 2300-3000 (depending on the day is what I was doing).
  • ccems1634
    ccems1634 Posts: 45 Member
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    Look_Its_Kriss wrote: »
    Even a 5 foot 10 250 pound female still has lower maintenance calories then 3000

    she would have to be 400 pounds and 5 foot 11 basically to have a maintenance of 3000

    I wasn't maintaining. I was seeing what I was eating before I started on this weight loss goal. Trust me I've been slowly gaining weight hence wanting to lose it.
  • ccems1634
    ccems1634 Posts: 45 Member
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    Look_Its_Kriss wrote: »
    there is a vast amount of difference though between 2300 and 3000...
    Maintaining at 3000 suggests you ate that everyday or almost every day.
    But then the question remains... were you weighing all those foods you ate at dinner time on a scale or were you just going.. "hmmm that looks like 4oz" and logging that?

    I only did it for a few days like I said. I just downloaded the app a few days ago but instead of jumping straight in to lose weight I wanted to see what my normal calorie intake was just to get an idea and yes I measured but during those days I ate like normal (ate what and how much I wanted) but I did measure it to see how much I was eating.
  • ccems1634
    ccems1634 Posts: 45 Member
    edited February 2017
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    Day one I was at 2350
    Day two I was at 3000
    Day 3 I was at 2380
    Day four I was at 2500.

    Then today so far I'm at 871 but with healthy foods and 2 meals and 1 snack so far but I'm starving I feel like hence why I decided to ask about being at 1500 vs 1280 calories. I want to have another snack instead of worrying whether or not I can eat dinner with the family.

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