How best to calculate how many calories you need
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HBMairi
Posts: 84 Member
Hi, what is the best way to calculate how many calories your body needs on a daily basis. I’m trying to lose weight, have upped my exercise and eating healthy, but not sure that The figure MFP gives me for total calories I need per day to lose weight is right? My weight loss has stalled. What’s the best way to figure it out?
Thanks
Thanks
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Replies
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Stalled for how long?1
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2 weeks, I’m eating a lot healthier and am now exercising which I wasn’t before0
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2 weeks, I’m eating a lot healthier and am now exercising which I wasn’t before
This may be the key to your stall. When you introduce a new activity, you carry more water weight for muscle repair. If you're patient, logging accurately (preferably with a food scale), and picking good database entries, then you're in for a surprise. At one point once you get used to the activity you're doing you'll drop a good amount of water weight relatively quickly.3 -
So I should keep upping my water intake too?0
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So I should keep upping my water intake too?
If you want, but it's not necessary if you're adequately hydrated. Water weight is not a problem you need to actively work on solving unless it's a medical concern. You're better off ignoring it and working on accurate logging. It will sort itself out eventually. Expect water weight to come and go as it pleases throughout your weight loss for various reasons (higher sodium, injury, higher carbs, hormones, or just because). If you get frustrated every time that happens you're adding more stress to your diet than there needs to be.5 -
The figure MFP gives me for total calories I need per day to lose weight is right?
Remember that estimate is just for a non-exercise day.
Also remember that it's unlikely your logging is completely accurate, some adjustment may be required to what can only be a start point.
Just 2 weeks after a change in routine isn't a stall.
Drink more water if you are thirsty or if you show other signs of under-hydration, unless you have a medical condition you don't need to try and manipulate water weight.3 -
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Shouldn’t it? When you cut out the pizza, chocolate etc and start eating good sources of protein, healthy fats etc?6 -
Not necessarily.
It's all about the calories.
I could still eat pizza, chocolate, etc. ... as long as they fit within my calorie limit.
But if i had eaten whatever "good sources of protein, healthy fats etc." are, and if they were over my calorie limit, I would have maintained or gained weight.
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Not if you end up consuming as many calories from these 'good sources' as you were from pizza and chocolate. Just because something is labelled 'healthy' that doesn't make it low calorie; just look at nuts!2 -
I got fat eating good home cooked food, great nutrition but a calorie surplus.
"Good sources of protein" and bad (?) sources of protein both have 4cal per gram.
"Healthy fats" and unhealthy (?) fats both have 9cal per gram.
Calories determine weight loss, maintenance or gain.
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Every month I go for about 2 weeks without seeing a new low on the bathroom scale. But my weight loss is trending downward at a consistent rate, so what appears in the moment to be a “stall” just isn’t. Use a weight trending app (I use Happy Scale) and focus not on the day to day but the overall trend. Also, as others have said, make sure you’re weighing all that healthy food on a food scale and logging everything. Enjoy treats within your calorie limit. Good luck!0
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Hi
Every day when you hit complete diary button the message will display about how much weight you can loose based on your diet.....keep track of it....make necessary changes in your diet and exercise level... ones you start getting desire results stick to that plan....I think it will take at least 2 to 3 weeks...then you will come to know about your body response to food and exercise...keep it up0 -
mahesht2010 wrote: »Hi
Every day when you hit complete diary button the message will display about how much weight you can loose based on your diet.....keep track of it....make necessary changes in your diet and exercise level... ones you start getting desire results stick to that plan....I think it will take at least 2 to 3 weeks...then you will come to know about your body response to food and exercise...keep it up
That's not really that useful unless your food and exercise is consistently the same every single day.2 -
The ONLY way to know if your calories are set correctly is by noting your weight for a month, tracking your food accurately and then looking at those numbers at the end of 4-6 weeks. Adjust as needed at the end of that time.
How much weight do you have to lose? Unless it's more than 40 pounds, set your Goals to, "Lose 1 pound per week." If it's under 20 pounds you need to lose, set it to, "Lose 1/2 pound per week." Log your purposeful exercise on the days you do it and eat back some or all of those Exercise Calories. But stick with it for a month or so. Don't change things up five times in the next month (numbers wise) or you won't have a good trending data set.1
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