Calorie Deficit?

I’m really new and painfully ignorant when it comes to calorie/macro/nutrition counting and goals.
I have spoken to someone in nutrition and dietetics who has given me a good macro count to follow.
But.
I have no idea how many calories I should be getting daily.
I am currently 301 lbs (starting weight 311, so yay for hitting the ten lb mark) and am 5’10.
I currently have the app set for a 1400 calorie goal, but idk if that’s a good mark or not?
Any insight would be greatly appreciated!!

Replies

  • Fitnessgirl0913
    Fitnessgirl0913 Posts: 481 Member
    Did you use the MFP guided set up? 1400 sounds low for 301 pounds. Plug your stats into MFP, select a weight loss goal, and start with the number it gives you. For perspective I am 140 5'5" to lose half a pound a week I get 1450 calories.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    What macros were you given? They relate directly to calories - multiply carbs and protein by 4 calories per gram and fat by 9 calories per gram. Add them all together to get your calorie goal.
  • NotBearyFit
    NotBearyFit Posts: 9 Member
    edited June 2018
    That sounds kinda low. I’m a 301 lb female, 5’7 and put MFP to lose 2 lbs per week and it gave me 1670 calories.
  • jsminer827
    jsminer827 Posts: 62 Member
    Congratulations on the 10 pound loss!

    I'm not sure of your age, but I plugged 35 (doesn't make a lot of difference)... at 301 and 5'10" for a female to lose 2 pounds a week (a safe rate given your current weight), you should probably be somewhere more like 1,900 calories per day... http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html

    I'm 5'4" and 172 pounds and I'm losing about 1 pound a week at roughly 1,470 calories a day. I also eat back all of my exercise calories right now so I'm usually eating considerably more.

    When I started, I used the mfp guided tutorial thing which gave me a recommendation on calories to eat and it's fluctuated as my weight has changed and my own knowledge/goals have aligned. You have the option to select macro distributions, but to be honest... at this point when you're probably focused on taking weight off as the primary goal, it doesn't really matter where your calories come from. The important thing is to find out what mix works to keep you satiated and not feeling hungry all the time because, at least this was true for me, being hungry was my threat to progress.

    Good luck, feel free to add me for encouragement and support!
  • jessfogle1222
    jessfogle1222 Posts: 3 Member
    Thanks so much everyone for the help!
    After reading your replies, I reached out to a friend of mine who is also in nutrition and she advised I should try to stick around 1800-2300 calories a day for now.
    I had done the 1400 for about a week and didn’t struggle too badly with being hungry, but I have felt the fatigue and I’m sure it’s because I just wasn’t eating enough?
    But thank you so much for all your insight.
    I’d love to add you! Thank you!