How many calories do you eat a day?

laurenatholen
laurenatholen Posts: 32
edited October 3 in Food and Nutrition
So until today I was only having about 1100 cals everyday for the past 3 months and I've lost 6 pounds and now I'm down to 108 but people are starting to tell me im too skinny but I don't think so but to make everyone happier and I feel this will make me happier as well I've increased my intake to 1300 a day, I was just wondering if anyone thought I should either do more or less because all I want to do is maintain the weight I'm at! Thanks! And also it would be awesome If you would say your weight and calorie intake( I'm just really curious hehe)
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Replies

  • DJParrish01
    DJParrish01 Posts: 38 Member
    How tall are you?
  • kellyscomeback
    kellyscomeback Posts: 1,369 Member
    I eat 1500-1700 on workout days and about 1250-1300 on my rest day.

    The only bad thing about eating less than 1200 calories is that it's not enough for your body to maintain it's regular duties like digestion, pumping blood, and other things our bodies do with out us thinking about it. If anything I'd up to at least 1200 a day.
  • 5'4
  • cocolo89
    cocolo89 Posts: 1,169 Member
    I am 5'5 and current weight of 127. i eat about 1300-1400 calories a day (sometimes more LOL) I love my food, no one can take that away from me :)) my goal is 125 or a few lbs below :)) i guess i will see what makes me happy. I still got a belly from having a baby, so i'm working on toning it down.
  • Yeah I stopped having my period which I don't think is healthy
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    If you want to maintain your weight you'll need to eat more than 1300 calories. My toddlers need 1000-1200 calories a day, and while they're obviously growing, an adult shouldn't expect to maintain a healthy weight on that few calories. It varies on height and weight, but most people need between 1600 and 2000 calories a day to maintain weight.

    While I was losing weight I was eating 1500-1600 plus exercise calories. Now that I'm pregnant I'm eating about 2000 per day, which is right about my maintenance level.

    When you set up your MFP account you can select to maintain your weight and MFP will tell you (based on your height, weight and normal daily activity level) how many calories you should be eating.
  • Forensic
    Forensic Posts: 468 Member
    Considering you're on the low end of a healthy weight I'd maybe see what your maintenance calories are and stick where your at. Maybe focus on strength and toning to build definition instead of eating low-cal.
  • Samerah12
    Samerah12 Posts: 610 Member
    1300 is probably going to be below what you need to maintain your weight. Go to your settings under "goals" and change your calorie intake to maintenance and it will tell you what you need to eat to stay the weight you are right now. It will probably be in the 1600-2000 calorie range.
  • Kushgetti
    Kushgetti Posts: 146 Member
    sorry 2 tell u this but 108lbs is way 2 skinny.....u should stop losing and maintain a healthy weight
  • Samerah12
    Samerah12 Posts: 610 Member
    Yeah I stopped having my period which I don't think is healthy

    nooo, not good, not good. Go get that checked out. That might be weight related or it might be something more serious.
  • You definitely need to eat more. But how much will depend upon how much exercise you do for that day. I would say though that you need to be eating at least 1300. You are tiny for being 5'4". :)
  • Losing your period is definitely weight-related, and what you were at calorie-wise wasn't a good amount whatsoever to be at. It's really great that you're now committed to getting back to a healthy caloric range, props to you for that! You should be eating anywhere from 1800-2000 calories/day to maintain your weight. Eating in increments of 3-4 hours will help your metabolism rev up, too! Good luck and all the best <3
  • zenchild
    zenchild Posts: 680 Member
    If you're 5'4" and down to 108 you're right on the line between a healthy BMI and being underweight. It's probably time to change your setting to Maintenance. That will help you stay where you are. That's especially important with winter coming. If you're underweight and you get sick, you get sicker and stay sick longer than if you're at a healthy weight.
    If you're not satisfied with how you look, switch to toning instead of losing. A little definition may give you the look you're going for.
  • MissMaryMac33
    MissMaryMac33 Posts: 1,433 Member
    So until today I was only having about 1100 cals everyday for the past 3 months and I've lost 6 pounds and now I'm down to 108 but people are starting to tell me im too skinny but I don't think so but to make everyone happier and I feel this will make me happier as well I've increased my intake to 1300 a day, I was just wondering if anyone thought I should either do more or less because all I want to do is maintain the weight I'm at! Thanks! And also it would be awesome If you would say your weight and calorie intake( I'm just really curious hehe)

    Even 1200 is too low for most people unless you are super short/tiny or you need to lose close to 100 lbs or more.

    You're starving yourself -- and you already know this if your periods even stopped.
    At 5'4 its more likely youre daily should be 1400-1600 depending on whether you're sedentary or active.
    It almost make a different where' you're getting these calories -- are you living on candy and soda or at least eating healthy? Lean meats, veggies, greek yogurt, protein, quinoa etc?

    You should review your goals -- enter sendentary and choose maintain or gain 1/2lb a week...
  • Samerah12
    Samerah12 Posts: 610 Member
    Okey doke I put your numbers into MFP and your "maintenance" calories should be 1540/day if you are mostly sedentary. Eat at least that many to maintain your weight. Strength exercises can still help you build lean muscle and make you look better if you feel the need to further improve the way you look (but I think you're beautiful!) without losing more weight.
  • Edithrenee
    Edithrenee Posts: 546 Member
    Yeah I stopped having my period which I don't think is healthy

    NO THAT IS NOT HEALTHY!
    I think that is way to far you need to rethink what you are doing and why and how you are doing it. I used to be 103 I have to say i was boarderline aneroxic, yes i was diagnosed with it when i was 26 years old. It is something that is a scary thing. I became so obessed with my weight i would have dreams i was 115 and i would dream i jumped off a bridge because i dreamed i gained the weight back. Maybe you are not this bad yet but honestly If you are not having a period this is not a good sign and maybe you are geting to small. Have to be honest I hate to see another women in our sociaty allow there weight to define them or make them sick. good Luck.
  • shauna121211
    shauna121211 Posts: 575 Member
    Yeah I stopped having my period which I don't think is healthy

    You're definitely right there! You need to eat more because your body is not happy hun! How much do you exercise? Assuming you do no exercise and have a sedentary lifestyle, you should eat about 1470 calories per day. Assuming you workout moderately to vigorously most days of the week, you should be eating 2160 calories a day!
  • Thank you all SO much! I'm going to start eating 1300 and just go up gradually so my body doesn't go into calorie over load and so I can get used to eating more, and I will deffinitely get my period checked out! :) feel free to add me as a friend and help me with this and I'll be supportive as well! Dont know what I'd do without MFP and I'm sure everyone else on here agrees! :)
  • hedwardsb
    hedwardsb Posts: 201 Member
    I upped my calories from 1370 (which was to lose 1/2 a pound a week) to maintenance which is 1630 for me according to MFP. I've been regularly eating 1600-1900 a day for over a month. At first I gained back a couple of pounds, but I'm now losing about a pound a week again. I'm a little bit taller than you, small boned, & a little heavier, and although I'd originally planned to lose until I was 111, I now think I'm thin enough. Looking at your picture, I'd say I'm a lot older, also, which means I need fewer calories. I think you should bump your calories up substantially. I'm going to keep bumping mine up until I quit losing. It's not healthy to be too thin.
  • bjshooter
    bjshooter Posts: 1,174 Member
    Slightly off topic, but why is it totally acceptable to tell people they are way too skinny? Imagine if you told folk they were way too fat.
  • babyblake11
    babyblake11 Posts: 1,107 Member
    5'4

    i am 5"2 and about 110 and people tell me im too skinny, i am maintaining with a goal of 2000calories a day. i exercise 5 days a week 2 days taekwondo and 3 days at the gym. if you dont like how youtr body looks eat at maintenance and do lots of running and weight training that will tighten you up and get you fit. but eat all the calories back.
  • psmd
    psmd Posts: 764 Member
    Also if your period stopped it could be pregnancy! Just throwing that out there, only you know whether that's a possibility or not. But if it's not, yeah you're probably not eating enough.
  • shauna121211
    shauna121211 Posts: 575 Member
    Slightly off topic, but why is it totally acceptable to tell people they are way too skinny? Imagine if you told folk they were way too fat.

    Are you trying to say that fat people don't hear that?
  • grimm1974
    grimm1974 Posts: 337 Member
    Slightly off topic, but why is it totally acceptable to tell people they are way too skinny? Imagine if you told folk they were way too fat.

    Are you trying to say that fat people don't hear that?

    Yeah, never heard of someone being kicked off a plane for being too skinny :)
  • Also if your period stopped it could be pregnancy! Just throwing that out there, only you know whether that's a possibility or not. But if it's not, yeah you're probably not eating enough.
    Haha no worries not pregnant, not even in a relationship and waiting till marriage for that haha
  • bjshooter
    bjshooter Posts: 1,174 Member
    Slightly off topic, but why is it totally acceptable to tell people they are way too skinny? Imagine if you told folk they were way too fat.

    Are you trying to say that fat people don't hear that?

    I was fat for years and I never actually noticed, not one person told me I was fat :S
    I am now slightly chubby and everyone and thier dog, tellsme I am too thin. Just strange if you ask me.
  • Yeah I stopped having my period which I don't think is healthy
    s

    Have you discussed this with your doctor? I highly recommend it.
  • babyblake11
    babyblake11 Posts: 1,107 Member
    Slightly off topic, but why is it totally acceptable to tell people they are way too skinny? Imagine if you told folk they were way too fat.

    Are you trying to say that fat people don't hear that?

    Yeah, never heard of someone being kicked off a plane for being too skinny :)

    she means its seen as mean to call someone too fat... but if you call someone too skinny... no one gives a crap, but it hurts just as much, especially when people say it to me, because i know how much i eat and how healthy i am.. its just plain mean.
  • erinkeely4
    erinkeely4 Posts: 408 Member
    I'm 5'2", maintaining a weight of between 107 and 110 lbs. I aim for a net calorie goal of between 1350 and 1450 (depending on where I am in the 107 to 110 lb spectrum). I burn between 150 to 350 calories most days with exercise and I do eat my workout calories back.

    When I was 17 I was eating an 100% raw food diet, dropped from 107 lbs to around 90 lbs, and I lost my period for about 6 months. It came back when I upped my calories by eating more avocados and nuts and seeds and stuff, but I was still super unhealthy until I started eating cooked food (especially fish, meat and dairy) again.
  • creatureofchaos
    creatureofchaos Posts: 65 Member
    It really depends on what I'm eating. If I'm eating nutritionally dense food (lots of beans and veg and fruit and little else), it's a struggle for me to eat enough to break 1000 calories. Still, my my energy level skyrockets and I have no trouble exercising. But if I'm eating smaller amounts of "normal" food, I need a lot more calories (1500ish), and I still get exhausted and shaky working out. I don't know exactly why this is.
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