Calories, help!

achoulat395
achoulat395 Posts: 27 Member
edited November 16 in Health and Weight Loss
I ve heard so much conflicting informayion about calories. Looking to boost metabolism and lose about 1-2 a week. How much or little should i be eating. This app says 1200 for 2lbs. Thats seems not enough to me. What do you guys think? Not very active now but i plan to be.

Replies

  • mom22dogs
    mom22dogs Posts: 470 Member
    When you change it to 1lb a week what does it say?
  • CaptainHandsome
    CaptainHandsome Posts: 127 Member
    One pound = 3500 calories. So take whatever you eat to maintain your weight for a week, and subtract 7000 calories from that; you'll lose two pounds. 1200 isn't enough for most women, even you're only a little active. Usually closer to 1600, because most people eat well above that 2,000 calorie "standard" daily amount. You'd probably want to go with around 1600. You can change that goal in the settings here somewhere I think.
  • timma300
    timma300 Posts: 25 Member
    mom22dogs wrote: »
    When you change it to 1lb a week what does it say?

    This. MFP will not give women a lower calorie goal than 1200 regardless of what they set their goals to. If your TDEE is 1600 kcal/day (5'4" 140lb sedentary female), that's a 400 calorie deficit if you are hitting 1200 kcal/day. 400 kcal/day = 0.8 lb/week loss. MFP will make your goal 1200 even if you entered a 2lb/week goal with these stats. However, that doesn't mean you need to set your goal even lower than the limit, since netting less than 1200 kcal/day is associated with all kinds of health problems.

    Depending on your current weight/height you may not be able to achieve 1-2 lb/week, and that's ok. It's best to eat a higher calorie allowance that keeps you satisfied and lose a little slower. What is your current height/weight? People can provide a little more help if you provide your stats.
  • size102b
    size102b Posts: 1,370 Member
    What do you men it seems no enough to you ?

    We are all different we can be the same age weight sex and height but our bodies lose how it wants and past dieting history can effect losses
  • achoulat395
    achoulat395 Posts: 27 Member
    I am 5 4 and 170 pounds. If its to agressive then what is a health time frame?
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    Boost metabolism by increasing lean muscle.

    Losing weight? For every 1 lb fat lost, .4 lb lean muscle can be lost.

    Conundrum?

    Solution: Progressive heavy lifting. Google it.

    At 5'4" & 170 lb, you can both lose weight and add muscle (!!!).

    Here's how:
    1. Protein daily intake at 1 to 1.2 grams protein per 1 lb of your body weight. You'll need protein supplements.
    2. Progressive heavy lifting. Google it, i said. There's lots of programs to do it. Pick one.

    As a newbie to lifting, and lifting in a deficit, you can expect to achieve about half of the newbie gains of lifting in a surplus.
  • anybeary
    anybeary Posts: 188 Member
    Contrary to what folks are saying, yes 1200 is enough for women with sedentary jobs. Especially women who are well into their 30s, like myself. Not sure of your age, but you don't look that old yet. :) Anyway, as long as you get 85 or more grams of protein in at 1200, it will be enough. Remember that you need protein to maintain your current muscle mass, and without enough, you may lose weight as a result of muscle loss. YOU DON'T WANT THAT! At 1200, you want to go in for more moderate exercise--nothing insane because you don't want to get fatigued (this is also important if you start from sedentary and you don't want to injury yourself, then wait to recover, then start over again). I have been pretty successfully losing weight at 1200 for the last couple of months with a half hour walk a day followed by about 5 30 minutes circuit training sessions a week where I combine strength and cardio. I am under a doctor's supervision. Went from 5'6"/178 to 160 in two months.
  • achoulat395
    achoulat395 Posts: 27 Member
    JeromeBarry1 wrote: »
    Boost metabolism by increasing lean muscle.

    Losing weight? For every 1 lb fat lost, .4 lb lean muscle can be lost.

    Conundrum?

    Solution: Progressive heavy lifting. Google it.

    At 5'4" & 170 lb, you can both lose weight and add muscle (!!!).

    Here's how:
    1. Protein daily intake at 1 to 1.2 grams protein per 1 lb of your body weight. You'll need protein supplements.
    2. Progressive heavy lifting. Google it, i said. There's lots of programs to do it. Pick one.

    As a newbie to lifting, and lifting in a deficit, you can expect to achieve about half of the newbie gains of lifting in a surplus.

    This great advice thank you
  • achoulat395
    achoulat395 Posts: 27 Member
    JeromeBarry1 wrote: »
    Boost metabolism by increasing lean muscle.

    Losing weight? For every 1 lb fat lost, .4 lb lean muscle can be lost.

    Conundrum?

    Solution: Progressive heavy lifting. Google it.

    At 5'4" & 170 lb, you can both lose weight and add muscle (!!!).

    Here's how:
    1. Protein daily intake at 1 to 1.2 grams protein per 1 lb of your body weight. You'll need protein supplements.
    2. Progressive heavy lifting. Google it, i said. There's lots of programs to do it. Pick one.

    As a newbie to lifting, and lifting in a deficit, you can expect to achieve about half of the newbie gains of lifting in a surplus.

    How many calories do u recommend. How many carbs
  • achoulat395
    achoulat395 Posts: 27 Member
    annieberical wrote: »
    Contrary to what folks are saying, yes 1200 is enough for women with sedentary jobs. Especially women who are well into their 30s, like myself. Not sure of your age, but you don't look that old yet. :) Anyway, as long as you get 85 or more grams of protein in at 1200, it will be enough. Remember that you need protein to maintain your current muscle mass, and without enough, you may lose weight as a result of muscle loss. YOU DON'T WANT THAT! At 1200, you want to go in for more moderate exercise--nothing insane because you don't want to get fatigued (this is also important if you start from sedentary and you don't want to injury yourself, then wait to recover, then start over again). I have been pretty successfully losing weight at 1200 for the last couple of months with a half hour walk a day followed by about 5 30 minutes circuit training sessions a week where I combine strength and cardio. I am under a doctor's supervision. Went from 5'6"/178 to 160 in two months.

    1200 just doesnt keep me full.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    OP, set your goal to lose 1 lb per week, it should give you a few more calories. If every once in awhile you manage to eat a little less, then you will lose a little faster.

    I am 44 yrs old, 5'4" 130 lbs and lightly active, and I would be miserable at 1200 cals. I am currently eating 1500 to try to lose another 5 lbs or so (set at 1/2 lb per week loss). It's just enough, I've basically come to the conclusion 1500 is my bare minimum! So I'm currently working on increasing my activity, because eating back some of those extra exercise calories makes me happy :)
  • achoulat395
    achoulat395 Posts: 27 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    OP, set your goal to lose 1 lb per week, it should give you a few more calories. If every once in awhile you manage to eat a little less, then you will lose a little faster.

    I am 44 yrs old, 5'4" 130 lbs and lightly active, and I would be miserable at 1200 cals. I am currently eating 1500 to try to lose another 5 lbs or so (set at 1/2 lb per week loss). It's just enough, I've basically come to the conclusion 1500 is my bare minimum! So I'm currently working on increasing my activity, because eating back some of those extra exercise calories makes me happy :)

    That sounds reasonable to me.
  • midpath
    midpath Posts: 246 Member
    1200 calories suck and I would never eat that low lol. Go with 1500...see how you do. But I wouldnt go above 1750.
  • TxTiffani
    TxTiffani Posts: 799 Member
    1200 cals can include quite a bit of food depending on what you're eating. I love volume when it comes to eating and veggies and fruits (most of them anyway) have a lot of bulk bang for the calorie buck;) I eat veggies with lunch, an apple and yogurt for snack and frozen dark sweet cherries for my evening snack (you get 3/4 full solo cup full of cherries for 90 cals (I weigh them...I weigh everything)! If you're eating more calorie dense foods then yes it will seem like a lot less food. I've figured out how to eat a lot of food for very little calories (usually 1100-1200/day and before y'all yell at me I'm 5'0 with 30ish lbs to lose)
  • BlueSkyShoal
    BlueSkyShoal Posts: 325 Member
    edited March 2017
    Here's my experience. I'm 5'6" and started out at 200 pounds. When I initially started tracking my food, I set a goal of 1500 calories. And the first week, I was starving. IMO, you just have to push through it. In about a week your body will adapt to getting less food and you'll just get "normal hungry" around mealtimes, not that panicked "OH GOD I'M SO HUNGRY I COULD EAT A SHOE" feeling.

    (It does also depend on what kind of foods you eat.)
  • achoulat395
    achoulat395 Posts: 27 Member
    Thanks for the input everyone
  • Ayalaandrew8899
    Ayalaandrew8899 Posts: 11 Member
    I know I'm late with the comment but one thing I haven't seen anyone talk about is your maintenance calories. Find out what that is by googling the calculators to help with that. And two pounds a week does seem too aggressive. Unless you plan on doing a show in a path it probably won't be healthy. Remember if you drop calories too fast your results in weight-loss and fat loss will be much slower than if you were to do it gradually.
  • achoulat395
    achoulat395 Posts: 27 Member
    Ayalaandrew8899 wrote: »
    I know I'm late with the comment but one thing I haven't seen anyone talk about is your maintenance calories. Find out what that is by googling the calculators to help with that. And two pounds a week does seem too aggressive. Unless you plan on doing a show in a path it probably won't be healthy. Remember if you drop calories too fast your results in weight-loss and fat loss will be much slower than if you were to do it gradually.

    Good points thank you
  • nrbutton
    nrbutton Posts: 165 Member
    tiffanifair wrote: »
    1200 cals can include quite a bit of food depending on what you're eating. I love volume when it comes to eating and veggies and fruits (most of them anyway) have a lot of bulk bang for the calorie buck;) I eat veggies with lunch, an apple and yogurt for snack and frozen dark sweet cherries for my evening snack (you get 3/4 full solo cup full of cherries for 90 cals (I weigh them...I weigh everything)! If you're eating more calorie dense foods then yes it will seem like a lot less food. I've figured out how to eat a lot of food for very little calories (usually 1100-1200/day and before y'all yell at me I'm 5'0 with 30ish lbs to lose)

    I feel ya, the plight of the vertically challenged :| My mom is 53 years old 4'10" 105 lbs and her maintenance is between 1000 and 1100 calories per day. I thought that seemed ridiculously low, but her doctor assured her that unless she increased her activity level she would literally be stuck with a bare minimum of calories without gaining weight.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    edited March 2017
    achoulat395 wrote: »

    How many calories do u recommend. How many carbs

    You're not going to like it, but the answer is "your NEAT -500", which means you'll have to change your weight loss goal to 1 lb per week.

    As for carbs, very modern and very good science indicates that carbs should be no more than 40% of your daily calories.
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