How many calories

boofle2
boofle2 Posts: 18 Member
edited December 23 in Getting Started
I have been on SW for 24 weeks and only lost half a stone. I am five foot 2 weigh 142 pounds, my target is around 136 pounds. MFP says 1200 calls but is this enough, could anyone offer some advice, I am lightly active. Thank you

Replies

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    1200 (+ exercise calories remember) when you selected what rate of weight loss?

    FYI - Going for the fastest rate of weight loss seems sadly far too common for people who don't have a lot to lose and aren't very big so they bump into the minimum goal that this calcualtor will allow.
  • boofle2
    boofle2 Posts: 18 Member
    Hi I selected 1 pound loss, I do not eat exercise calories, should I eat my exercise cals ?when I change it to half pound loss it says 1380 cals, maybe I be better off with 1380, just not sure, I am 63 years old too.
  • BarbaraHelen2013
    BarbaraHelen2013 Posts: 1,941 Member
    You’ll definitely be better off at the 1380 number since you have such a small amount of weight to lose.

    Personally I don’t eat any exercise calories because I don’t feel hungry without them, due to my food choices, but I know they are there if I mess something up and I’m too hungry!

    You might choose to eat around 50-75% of them if you find yourself hungry, just be aware that many trackers and estimations of exercise calories burned are over optimistic (especially if you’re shorter and older). Which is why I’m suggesting the percentage of them rather than all.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,458 Member
    edited September 2019
    I always ate all my exercise calories.

    I guess it depends on what the exercise is. If you're walking for 20 minutes, it doesn't really add up to much. If it's longer then maybe start eating some of them.

    I'm 5'7-8" and I lost almost all of my weight (even at the end, with 15 to go) at 1500 calories, so I think your 1380 is a good number. With so little to lose, I would go with that. Log as accurately as you can, both food and exercise and see what happens in the next 3-4 weeks. I'd say if you're hungry, start playing with your macros. I feel best with 80-100g protein, 50-70g fat and the rest carbs. 25-30g fiber.

    I still ate 200-300 more on Exercise days, which for me was an hour walk on hills.
  • boofle2
    boofle2 Posts: 18 Member
    Thank you all very much for your welcome comments xx
  • Emmapatterson1729
    Emmapatterson1729 Posts: 1,296 Member
    edited September 2019
    With only a few pounds to lose, I would set for .5 loss a week, set at slightly active, and try to eat back some of my exercise calories (agree with above, eating back all exercise calories can seem impossible) I try to eat back some if I log exercise, or eat a few extra calories if I don't log exercise.

    With only a few pounds to drop, be prepared, it takes time.
  • Danp
    Danp Posts: 1,561 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    1200 (+ exercise calories remember) when you selected what rate of weight loss?

    FYI - Going for the fastest rate of weight loss seems sadly far too common for people who don't have a lot to lose and aren't very big so they bump into the minimum goal that this calcualtor will allow.

    I still think the biggest improvement MFP could make to their app is to change rate of loss to be appropriate for the users details. It would prevent SO many posts and SO much frustration for new users.

    It's patently obvious that someone who is a few pounds from a healthy weight for their height shouldn't be trying to lose at 2lbs/week so that rate of loss should be unavailable or at the very least need to be manually enabled and come with a stern warning that the rate of loss selected is unattainable as it requires an unsafe calorie deficit.
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