1500 calories, 5'10" 200 lbs... will I lose weight?

cleenjones
cleenjones Posts: 21 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm truly confused and hope someone can help. MFP says I should be eating 1200 calories a day to lose weight ( I'm a 54 yr old female), but that seems low. Is there a more accurate way to figure out how many calories I should eat each day?
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Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,932 Member
    How much weight do you need to lose and what did you ask the tool to do? "Lose 2 pounds per week" is for people with 75+ to lose (more or less.)

    Change your goals, you get more calories. Or you can manually set your calories. The "activity level" makes a difference, too. Be as honest as possible.

    How it is calculated: https://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/en/portal/articles/410332-how-does-myfitnesspal-calculate-my-initial-goals-
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,932 Member
    Also read the stickies. Start here: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300331/most-helpful-posts-getting-started-must-reads#latest

    The "Sexypants" one is really good, start there.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
    Your BMR (what your body burns just to live) is 1600 calories, so absolutely
  • corinasue1143
    corinasue1143 Posts: 7,467 Member
    1500 or 1200? I am 5'10" 210. Mfp sets me at 1490 calories. I was losing weight, but too slowly for me, so I raised my calories to 1600. Seems to be better, but still too early to tell. It seems to me like mfp is really good at giving you a ballpark figure, but then you have to adjust from there.
  • jeichelb83
    jeichelb83 Posts: 172 Member
    1500, you'll starve at 1200. I'm only 5'2" and I lose half a pound a week at 1500. If I go any lower, I turn into Cookie Monster at night.
  • riffraff2112
    riffraff2112 Posts: 1,757 Member
    corinasue1143 wrote: »
    1500 or 1200? I am 5'10" 210. Mfp sets me at 1490 calories. I was losing weight, but too slowly for me, so I raised my calories to 1600. Seems to be better, but still too early to tell. It seems to me like mfp is really good at giving you a ballpark figure, but then you have to adjust from there.

    I don't get the logic here?
  • maggibailey
    maggibailey Posts: 289 Member
    I am 5'10 158 pounds atm and 38 years old. I lose at 1500 give or take 100 calories any given day. Because you are heavier than me you can eat more generally speaking. Try the number mfp gave you for a month, watch the scale and adjust from there.
  • corinasue1143
    corinasue1143 Posts: 7,467 Member
    Should add I also eat back some of my exercise calories. Try to eat some carbs on the way to the gym, some on my way home. If I plan and take snacks with me, it keeps me from stopping at 7-11 and making some very bad decisions.
  • Kst76
    Kst76 Posts: 935 Member
    OP, haw fast do you wanna lose?
  • ladyhusker39
    ladyhusker39 Posts: 1,406 Member
    I'm 2 inches shorter than you and about 25lbs smaller and I've never eaten that little. I'm on 2000-2200 ish.
  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
    I’m 5’10” and was 170 lbs. I got down to close to 155 lbs on 1600-1900 a day depending on my activity.
  • Blythmag
    Blythmag Posts: 252 Member
    Thats sounds awfully low.check it again , 1500 calories minimum for a patient weight loss imho
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
    holycrosser wrote: »
    Thats sounds awfully low.check it again , 1500 calories minimum for a patient weight loss imho

    1500 is the minimum for men. Since the OP is female, her lowest would be 1200.
  • Blythmag
    Blythmag Posts: 252 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    holycrosser wrote: »
    Thats sounds awfully low.check it again , 1500 calories minimum for a patient weight loss imho

    1500 is the minimum for men. Since the OP is female, her lowest would be 1200.

    My point is at her height and weight she will lose at 1500 with a decent amount of exercise with a little patience, you agree?

    1200 seems like starve mode
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
    holycrosser wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    holycrosser wrote: »
    Thats sounds awfully low.check it again , 1500 calories minimum for a patient weight loss imho

    1500 is the minimum for men. Since the OP is female, her lowest would be 1200.

    My point is at her height and weight she will lose at 1500 with a decent amount of exercise with a little patience, you agree?

    1200 seems like starve mode

    Starvation mode doesn't exist. But yes, 1200 is too low for her as others said. Many people on here aim for a goal that is too aggressive and end up being assigned the minimum amount of calories. Plus exercise isn't required to lose weight.
  • dwilliamca
    dwilliamca Posts: 325 Member
    Her BMR is 1587 and if she chose sedentary her NEAT burn would be 1983. It appears she chose to lose at least 1.5 lbs per week which would be 1983-750=1233. Unfortunately as we get older our BMR's drop drastically. If she wants to be more conservative on the weight loss then 1483 would be her goal for a pound a week or add in some exercise.
  • saraghali
    saraghali Posts: 63 Member
    maggibailey wrote: »
    I am 5'10 158 pounds atm and 38 years old. I lose at 1500 give or take 100 calories any given day. Because you are heavier than me you can eat more generally speaking. Try the number mfp gave you for a month, watch the scale and adjust from there.
    May I ask what's your starting weight?
  • dwilliamca
    dwilliamca Posts: 325 Member
    By the way. Read the explanation how MFP calculates the numbers under "Most Helpful Posts...General Diet and Weight Loss Help" article "Why eating too little calories is a bad idea". It explains BMR calculation, activity levels, and number of calories to lose a week very clearly.

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