How many calories are you eating daily to lose 2 lbs per week?

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Replies

  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,572 Member
    I can't lose 2 lbs per week. I'd need to eat about 800-900 calories.
  • kayeroze
    kayeroze Posts: 146 Member
    Even though I should losing at 2 lbs/week, it's too hard at around 1200-1280 calories a day. I have between 60-80 lbs to lose, so I instead pushed it back to 1 lb a week loss and eat between 1300-1600 calories a day with exercise.

    Stats for reference: 5'2, 195#, female
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
    edited August 2017
    Simple math. Consume 1000 calories below your bodily needs each day for several weeks at a time, and then question why you can't get a handle on just exactly what your bodily needs are. That number keeps changing.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,706 Member
    How many calories are you eating daily to lose 2 lbs per week?

    I had to net 1250 cal in order to do that.

  • firef1y72
    firef1y72 Posts: 1,579 Member
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    firef1y72 wrote: »
    When I was losing I could lose 1-2lb/week eating 2000-2500Calories/day. But I'm probably not typical, I'm 45yo, 5'2", 150lb and extremely active, as in running 3-4x week (up to half marathon), strength training 3-4x week, upto 10 high intensity classes, upto 3 PT sessions/week, burning anything up to 4000 Calories a day (depending on day).

    Oh wow yeah i work out 4 to 5 times a week, but only burning 500-600 cals a day, I'm 5'2 and 147 lbs, goal weight 135. I am eating about 1350-1500 cals a day not including the ones I am burning off.

    You're burning more than 500-600 calories a day. Your body is using calories constantly, even when you're sleeping.

    I assume OP meant they burn 500-600 through exercise, not total.

    OP if you have less than 20 lbs to lose then 2 lbs/week is not a reasonable goal for you. 0.5 lb/week is more appropriare and will help ensure preservation of lean body mass while losing weight.

    Oh, I thought they were responding to the comment about burning 4,000 calories a day (which I assumed was a full day, not just intentional exercise). Thank you.

    The 4000 is/was my all day burn, and tbh that's just on a Tuesday, the rest of the week it's around 2700-3200. Tuesday is what I call my crazy day, PT and/or lifting, Zumba in the morning, Insanity/boxercise in the evening and around 35000 steps.
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    Without exercise and with calculations of NEAT it would be ........ drum roll ........ around 400 calories! Fortunately I am maintaining, my NEAT is higher than calculated and I exercise daily so actually eat around 2000 calories a day. When I was losing I was eating 1200 plus half my exercise calories and losing between half a pound and a pound a week which was still too aggressive for my height really.
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    firef1y72 wrote: »
    When I was losing I could lose 1-2lb/week eating 2000-2500Calories/day. But I'm probably not typical, I'm 45yo, 5'2", 150lb and extremely active, as in running 3-4x week (up to half marathon), strength training 3-4x week, upto 10 high intensity classes, upto 3 PT sessions/week, burning anything up to 4000 Calories a day (depending on day).

    Trying to work out whether to be impressed or think you are just crazy LOL. Makes me tired just thinking about it.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    2 lbs a week is a no go for me. It would mean netting 850 calories. No thank you.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    With only 7 lbs to lose to get to 135 lbs, MFP won't give you a calorie limit that will let you lose 2 lbs per week, and with very good reason. You'd have to starve yourself, and go on a deprivation diet that will make you just binge it all back and then some when you stop dieting.

    0.5 lbs per week is what you should aim for, for sustainable, healthy weight loss to learn to sticking to a sensible calorie limit and good habits for maintenance that will not lead to yo-yo dieting.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,329 Member
    You can't lose 2lbs per week as you are too light already. Sorry for that.

    I've set my goal to the lowest setting possible as I only have a tiny bit to lose. Hey, if I wanted 2lbs per week I'd need to have a 1000kcal deficit, or only eat about 600kcal per day. No, that's not healthy nor possible.