So really, how many calories do i actually need?!

ShaeSweetness
ShaeSweetness Posts: 61 Member
edited November 26 in Health and Weight Loss
So there is a forever debate about calculating calories and which nutrition calculators are actually correct and what not. Does anyone have any legitimate calorie calculators or just knowledge personally how many calories i need to eat? Currently im eating 1800. My weight loss changes each week though from 2 pounds to 1 pound to no pounds so I’m not sure if this is super accurate for me.

I weigh 203lbs currently, 5 foot 11, more of a muscular/athletic build. I am an EMT so while im not on a call, im sedentary at work.

I try my best to do about 3-4 light workouts a week. On a bad/busy week ill get about 2 in.

So lets hear it. Anyone got any ideas?!

Ive gotten 1400 all the way to 2000 for weight loss.

Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,454 Member
    Plug your stats into this GOAL page.

    If you are using this site, makes sense to use its tools. Be honest in the Activity setting.

    When you do exercise eat a little more.

    Keep. Good. Records. In a month to six weeks review your progress, adjust as needed.

    You'll get differing numbers if you use a site that calculates using TDEE. This site uses NEAT.

    Here's how it works:

    https://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/en/portal/articles/410332-how-does-myfitnesspal-calculate-my-initial-goals-
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    You are describing a case of being confused about the difference between TDEE and NEAT.

    Myfitnesspal uses NEAT.

    Did you input your weight, your weight loss goal, your age, your gender, and your activity level accurately in your myfitnesspal user settings? If so, your food diary tells you each morning the number of calories you have remaining in the day. As you log food consumed, that number falls. As you log exercise, that number rises.

    After you've lost 10 pounds, adjust your user settings to show your new smaller weight as your starting weight. That will adjust your calorie budget. Carry on patiently and eventually you will reach your goal.
  • PokeyBug
    PokeyBug Posts: 482 Member
    edited May 2018
    I can't remember the name of the guy who put this together (he's on this forum), but I've found this calculator to work pretty well for me. (I also don't like MFP's recommendations for me.) Maybe give it a try? https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1G7FgNzPq3v5WMjDtH0n93LXSMRY_hjmzNTMJb3aZSxM/edit#gid=0
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    ShaeSweetness wrote: »
    cmriverside wrote: »
    Plug your stats into this GOAL page.

    If you are using this site, makes sense to use its tools. Be honest in the Activity setting.

    When you do exercise eat a little more.

    Keep. Good. Records. In a month to six weeks review your progress, adjust as needed.

    You'll get differing numbers if you use a site that calculates using TDEE. This site uses NEAT.

    Here's how it works:

    https://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/en/portal/articles/410332-how-does-myfitnesspal-calculate-my-initial-goals-


    I really don’t like using my fitness pal‘s method on calculating calories because when I first started this journey a couple years ago they had me at 1300 cal and I was literally starving it was so miserable. And I had put all my information in correctly.

    maybe it was a glitch? even when I was sedentary and over 200lbs. Im only 5'6 1/2 it gave me 2000 calories to lose 2 lbs a week. but I didnt lose that fast. so for your height it shouldnt be that low I would try again. but if you dont have a lot to lose then maybe asking to lose 2lb/week may have given you low calories. even now with only 30-40 lbs to lose 2 lbs a week would still give me more than 1300 calories. every calculator you use is going to be an estimate though
  • serindipte
    serindipte Posts: 1,557 Member
    I prefer using the TDEE calculator (https://tdeecalculator.net/) and deciding on my goal from there. That may work better for you, as well.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    serindipte wrote: »
    I prefer using the TDEE calculator (https://tdeecalculator.net/) and deciding on my goal from there. That may work better for you, as well.

    thng with using the TDEE calculators is it adds in your purposeful exercise calories and you dont eat those back. which for some can be easier to follow. but its still going to be an estimate. the only way to get a true idea of how many calories you need is eating a certain amount a calculator gives you and gauging your loss or lack of over a period of a month or so.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,097 Member
    ShaeSweetness wrote: »
    So there is a forever debate about calculating calories and which nutrition calculators are actually correct and what not. Does anyone have any legitimate calorie calculators or just knowledge personally how many calories i need to eat? Currently im eating 1800. My weight loss changes each week though from 2 pounds to 1 pound to no pounds so I’m not sure if this is super accurate for me.

    I weigh 203lbs currently, 5 foot 11, more of a muscular/athletic build. I am an EMT so while im not on a call, im sedentary at work.

    I try my best to do about 3-4 light workouts a week. On a bad/busy week ill get about 2 in.

    So lets hear it. Anyone got any ideas?!

    Ive gotten 1400 all the way to 2000 for weight loss.

    So, your weekly weight change on 1800 kcal/day fluctuates from maintenance to 2 lbs loss. Sounds like you've found a good level. Why do you want to change?
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    ShaeSweetness wrote: »
    I really don’t like using my fitness pal‘s method on calculating calories because when I first started this journey a couple years ago they had me at 1300 cal and I was literally starving it was so miserable. And I had put all my information in correctly.
    You probably weren't eating back your exercise calories, which you're supposed to do if you're using the MFP method.


    Using Scooby's Calorie Calculator and plugging your age in at a guesstimated 25 along with your stats, it gives an estimated BMR of 1764 and estimated TDEE of 2117 (for sedentary). So if you were going to go purely by your sedentary TDEE (which is actually BMR+NEAT, not TDEE), you'd be eating 1617 to lose a pound a week.

    To arrive at your true TDEE, you'd factor in your workouts and eat at least part of those calories back. Which is exactly what the MFP method of calculation does.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,454 Member
    ShaeSweetness wrote: »
    cmriverside wrote: »
    Plug your stats into this GOAL page.

    If you are using this site, makes sense to use its tools. Be honest in the Activity setting.

    When you do exercise eat a little more.

    Keep. Good. Records. In a month to six weeks review your progress, adjust as needed.

    You'll get differing numbers if you use a site that calculates using TDEE. This site uses NEAT.

    Here's how it works:

    https://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/en/portal/articles/410332-how-does-myfitnesspal-calculate-my-initial-goals-


    I really don’t like using my fitness pal‘s method on calculating calories because when I first started this journey a couple years ago they had me at 1300 cal and I was literally starving it was so miserable. And I had put all my information in correctly.

    So pick a calorie goal you like.


    KEEP GOOD RECORDS of your intake every day. At the end of your "trial" period of 4-6 weeks, adjust as results indicate.

    It's what we all had to do.

    I started at 220 pounds, 5'8". I chose "Lose 2 pounds per week," and got 1200. I did that (PLUS exercise calories) and I lost weight pretty much on target. When that wasn't enough food, when I started to crash due to not eating enough, I added 300-400 calories a day. Still kept eating exercise cals. I lost a little slower, but I felt a lot better.

    It's your experiment to run. We can't do it for you. You have been given the info - go forth and prosper!
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,303 Member
    edited May 2018
    If you don't select the correct activity setting and you don't eat back your exercise calories your deficit may be counterproductively large.

    If you don't choose a sufficient deficit and under-estimate what you eat while overestimating what you burn you will lose slower than expected.

    If you don't understand how your weight changes and how to figure out your weight trend over time you will be dealing with invalid measurements.

    If you're an outlier the calculators won't predict you very well.

    3 out of 4 of these create a large percentage of forum posts and are in your control.

    1 out of 4 of these is not under your direct control; but can be compensated for once you've collected 4 to 6 weeks of data.
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    It's normal to lose different amounts per week, or even gain scale weight, because of water fluctuations in the body. Particularly for women of reproductive age that time of the month can mean a temporary gain of several pounds. It doesn't mean your calorie goal isn't accurate for you, unless you are looking at your results averaged over a long period of time. If 1800 is comfortable for you and you are trending downward, that's a good starting place. On MFP you are supposed to log exercise and eat more when you work out.
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