What is the average calories you consume each day

kates63 · April 30

I am 72 and a little active. 5ft tall I am getting 1390 calories, is that good, seems like a lot.

themommie · April 30

I am 61. I try to stay under 1250. I think 1390 is fine if you r losing then keep doing what you r doing, if not experiment. Maybe go down 100 cals and see what happens, also increasing protein can help.

Darlene_Oregon · April 30

I'm 66 and 5'3". I'm fairly active but I have not been regularly exercising. MFP suggested 1200 calories a day for me. I usually eat between 1000 and 1200. I have my protein set at 20% which is 60g per day. But I usually end up eating around 25% protein. I have my carbs set at 30%. But I usually eat less than 30%. The majority of fats that I eat are healthy fats (salmon tuna, avocado, nuts and seeds, EVOO and avocado oil). I have lost 12lbs since the first of April.
Good luck!

AnnPT77 · May 1

@Darlene_Oregon, I hope you didn't feel my post was criticizing you or your post. That was not my intention at all. I think what you're doing sounds great! In general, I support anyone here who's doing any reasonably health-promoting approach, including things wildly different from what I choose. (I may be concerned or criticize if I feel like there's something truly unhealthful or extreme going on.)

We're all individuals, and our experiences will differ. Our individual approach needs to work for our personal preferences, strengths, challenges and lifestyle. Variety in people is part of what makes life interesting!

I do sometimes comment on threads where I feel like several have talked about low calorie needs among women our age, but my point is absolutely not to doubt or criticize others. My intention is to present that there can be quite a range of individual experiences and needs, even among people in the same age group or with other similarities. I want to encourage others to find out what is true for them.

No negativity intended on my part! :flowerforyou:

kates63 · April 30

I am losing slowly, which is fine. I have upped my protien to almost double. Thank you will see how it goes.

AnnPT77 · May 1

MFP suggested 1200 calories for me (at age 59) to lose at a reasonable rate, but I found I lost too fast at first, got weak and fatigued. No one needs that!

I'm admittedly a mysteriously good li'l ol' calorie burner for our demographic (now age 68), and taller than you are, but I lost weight fine at 1400-1600 calories daily plus all carefully-estimated exercise calories, which would often be 1600-2000 calories. At 5'5", 131-point-something pounds this morning, I lose weight ultra slowly now at 1850 calories plus exercise, which is usually 2100-2200. (I eat a bit under maintenance most days in order to have an indulgent meal or day occasionally. I figure true maintenance is around 2000 plus exercise.)

That probably biases me toward saying that 1390 calories is not only not necessarily high, but could even be low, depending on personal details. It would be the right goal for some, too high for a few, and too low for a few. Calculators (like MFP) spit out statistical averages for superficially similar people. We're each individuals, and individuals vary.

If you stick close to a calorie goal for 4-6 weeks, your average weight loss per week will give you a good handle on whether that's the right calorie level for you or not. (In shorter time periods, water weight fluctuations can distort the picture.)

I wouldn't switch up calories in a shorter time period unless seeming to lose weight quite fast, and simultaneously feeling weak or fatigued for no other obvious reason. That would be a sign of under-eating. If that's not happening, stick with it to get a good basis for figuring out your own personal calorie needs.

Best wishes!

Darlene_Oregon · May 1

@AnnPT77 I feel perfectly fine eating 1000 to 1200 calories a day. I'm not hungry and I have plenty of energy. I also sleep well at night.

My daily meals contain plenty of protein, moderate carbs & fats. I don't eat many grains. Not that I have a problem with them. I just don't like them. My husband and I don't like rice and most other grains. We've tried to venture out and have tried quinoa, farro, etc. But we ended up throwing it all away.

I do eat bread. But not every day. In fact, I had a roast beef sandwich for dinner. Actually, I only ate half because I was too full. I do like pasta (I'm half Italian). But I need to make more of my homemade sauce. So, we haven't had any in a while. And I love "Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta" that I make from time to time.

Mostly I eat lean proteins (fish, chicken, beef, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese), nuts & seeds, veggies (mainly roasted or sauteed) and lots of berries and citrus.

I couldn't even imagine eating 1600-2000 calories a day...one exception is maybe when we go out to a restaurant or the occasional pizza. Also, when we go out to a restaurant we go at lunch time or later. And, then we don't eat dinner. Too stuffed 😁

PS...the only reason I'm currently overweight is that I have a drinking problem. I'm not drinking now. But I was drinking close to a fifth of whiskey daily for months. That will really put on the weight! I gained 40lbs. I've quit before and the weight just falls off. I just need to stay alcohol-free 🙄

Take care!

Darlene_Oregon · May 1

@AnnPT77 No problem Ann. I just feel that I eat enough food. I get plenty of protein and fiber. I do eat somewhat Low Carb-High Fat.

I usually sleep until 7am or later. I usually don't eat breakfast until around 10am. I drink some coffee, watch some TV, work in the kitchen or on the computer in the morning. So I'm really not hungry first thing in the morning. And I usually eat dinner before 6pm and I don't snack after dinner. Except when I was drinking. During those times my eating habits were horrible!

BTW, I have my profile and food diary set as public. So, feel free to take a look. I have today and tomorrow's meals planned already. I plan my dinners a day or two ahead...I have to get something out of the freezer or go grocery shopping.

Take care!

skelton_man · May 1

I'm 60 years old, 5 ft 11 inches and weigh 135 pounds. I eat 2120 calories a day to maintain my weight. Today I went for a bike ride and had to eat an additional 530 calories. I track my calories burned with a power meter and heart rate monitor.

wildfong1 · May 2

I think I'm in the minority here. I need to eat a LOT. Both my mother and I seem to have high metabolisms. My goal for weight loss is 1860 calories a day. If I eat less than that I am ravenous and dizzy. Before tracking, I'm guessing I was eating about 2600 a day or more. The 1860 seems to be the lowest I can go without getting dizzy. I'm 52 and about 5' 3''

chicbuc · May 2

I'm 52, and I've only been back on track since the end of March.

I was coming in between 1000 and 1200. The weight was coming off too fast and I was a bit tired, so I'm trying to get 1400 calories per day. Some days I eat under, but I'm watching my carbs, too. If I didn't have occasional over days to even that out, I would try to eat more calories daily. I also aim for at least 100 grams of protein daily. At our age, we do not want to lose muscle!

Mo__Mo · May 2

@Darlene_Oregon re: the drinking. My doc put me on Wellbutrin and Disulfiram. Both helped greatly.

Darlene_Oregon · May 2

@Mo__Mo Thanks for the suggestions.

I actually tried Wellbutrin back in the 90's. It was prescribed to help me quit smoking. But it didn't help. I finally quit smoking in 2007 with the help of Chantix. I don't understand how it works. But it is amazing. My husband and I both quit at the same time and neither of us have had a cigarette since.

I googled the Disulfiram...it seems a bit scary. You can't even be around certain fumes without getting sick. And my husband uses some of the products listed in his hobbies.

Last month my doctor gave me a prescription for Naltrexone. He said that I could try it if I like. I filled the prescription but never took it. The pharmacist suggested only taking half at first. He said some people don't like the effects. I'm just afraid to take new pills. I've had some pretty bad experiences with a few.

I'm actually doing pretty good on my own. I quit on April 7th. I had one slip-up on April 10th (I had just a few drinks). But I'm back on track and feeling pretty good. If I could only lose those 40lbs that I gained 😕

What is the average calories you consume each day

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