What's you daily calorie goal?

marnieinMB
marnieinMB Posts: 196 Member
edited October 7 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 5'71/2 and weigh 154 ( I started at 195 back in Sept of 2010).

I am still trying to lose 2 lbs a week with my goal being 140. I am currently having 1200 calories a day plus eating back exercise calories.

I am wondering if I should increase my current calorie intake. I have done several online calculators and some suggest I have as much as 1600 a day.

Any thoughts?

Replies

  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    If 1200 is too hard for you then up your calories. The easier you make it on yourself the better chance you have to do it forever. It is not a race. Slow and steady.:flowerforyou:
  • marnieinMB
    marnieinMB Posts: 196 Member
    I have no problem hitting 1200.

    I've been at it for over a year so I know all about slow and steady....
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    I am 5'7" and 147, with a goal of 140. My calorie goal is 1500, for a loss of 1/2 pound per week. I personally think 2 pounds a week is far too aggressive for your situation. When you are close to goal like you are, you should really shoot for 1/2 pound or 1 pound per week.
  • SarahMorganP
    SarahMorganP Posts: 921 Member
    1610 is my goal. I am 5'3" and still have close to 50lbs to lose. I am set to lose 1/2lb a week. I have only been doing this for a week though and before that was at 1350 to lose 1lb a week. And for months before that I was at 1200 to lose 2lbs a month.

    I find 1610 so much better for me. I think most of it is mental, because since switching to the 1610 I find myself only eating around 1300, but when I was set to 1300 it was hard to stay at that! Must be all in my head. :)
  • LJV1031
    LJV1031 Posts: 502 Member
    I'm at 1970 (maintaining). I don't think you weigh enough to have a goal of 2lbs/week weight loss. I think you should change it to 1lb/week, then when you get closer .5lbs even. That's the healthiest and most effective way to accomplish your goals.
  • mcrowe1016
    mcrowe1016 Posts: 647 Member
    Height - 5'7"
    Current Weight- 185
    Goal Weight - 160
    Loss per week - 1/2 lb
    Net Calories Allowed/Day - 1780
  • mrsdauer
    mrsdauer Posts: 102
    im also 5'7 1/2"..when i started on here i was 150lb, ive always been at 1200cal/day, fluctuate between 1-1.5 loss per week as a goal....

    i've kinda gone with what it sets me at, as far as calories...just watch sodium levels, make sure youre drinking enough water, and dont go under calories thinking you'll drop weight quicker.... learned this the hard way :(
  • marnieinMB
    marnieinMB Posts: 196 Member
    I think I will change it to one pound a week.

    Part of me is scared to eat too much more.
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    I have no problem hitting 1200.

    I've been at it for over a year so I know all about slow and steady....
    I guess I don't understand what you are asking? Are you losing too much? Did you reach your goal and want to maintain?
  • marnieinMB
    marnieinMB Posts: 196 Member
    I changed my settings and now it says 1500 a day. Hope I can do that.
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,452 Member
    Some days I net 1200, others I go for higher, like 1500.
  • mrsdauer
    mrsdauer Posts: 102
    sounds like a good thing to me.... i probably started at 1500 also....i was always under though, so changed it.... most important thing is to do what works for you...i'd try the 1500 for a while and shoot from there..
  • 2800 is my baseline according to myfitnesspal.com, if i intake 2300-2800 i would be able to lose weight, however there are times by dinner im up to 2300.
  • hellokathy
    hellokathy Posts: 540 Member
    I'm 5'5" and my current weight is 275.6. I'm trying to lose 1lbs per week, so the site gave me a goal of 1970 calories per week. But it seems a lot compared to what you guys have as a limit. Perhaps I should lower it?
  • karenwill2
    karenwill2 Posts: 604 Member
    my trainer said 1500 only to account for days when I cannot go to the gym and it is working for me. Once a week I will go over and eat my exercise calories but I really try to keep it at 1500.
  • I upped mine a few months ago to maintain when I hit my goal. When I upped my calories (I know this sounds crazy) I actually started losing more weight. I am have now lost 10 more lbs since I upped my calories!
  • morrowsarah
    morrowsarah Posts: 240 Member
    I'm 5'7 1/2 too. I upped my calories yesterday from 1200 to 1620 I'm hoping that will be more manageable for me. 1200 calories I was hungry a lot. I think since you only haveva few more pounds to go you should start gradually upping your calories so your body can get used to eating more!
  • eddyca
    eddyca Posts: 153 Member
    You should be eating at least your BMR to reduce the possibly of your metabolism slowing down too much and to provide your body with enough food energy to maintain your basic bodily functions.
    For example, my BMR is 1,688 and my calorie goal is 1,800 calories. Sometimes I net under 1,800 calories just to even out my "fat days"
  • morrowsarah
    morrowsarah Posts: 240 Member
    I'm 5'5" and my current weight is 275.6. I'm trying to lose 1lbs per week, so the site gave me a goal of 1970 calories per week. But it seems a lot compared to what you guys have as a limit. Perhaps I should lower it?

    If that is working for you and you are losing then I would stick with it. MFP will lower your calories as you lose. If you want to bump it up to 2 lbs a week then your calories will be lower!
  • My calorie goal is 1200. I am 5'00". The recommendation for me is 1200 calories and very rarely do I eat that much, close but not there.
  • I would definitely reccomend an increase! Start by going from 2 pounds lost per week to 1.5 pounds lost per week. When I did this (going from 1200 cals per day to 1390 per day) I dropped 5 pounds in a week and a half! It totally shook up my metabolism, my energy levels, and everything to help get me out of the plateau I'd been in for almost a month! I'm not certain on the science behind exactly WHY this happens, but I know increasing cals gradually is nessecary as you come closer and closer to your goal weight.

    Currently I'm eating 1620 cals/day, because I'm nearing maitenance mode & trying to build (alot) more muscle. Good luck!!
  • bizco
    bizco Posts: 1,949 Member
    I think I will change it to one pound a week.

    Part of me is scared to eat too much more.
    I would change it to lose 1.5lbs. per week. Stick with that for one month then change it to lose 1lb. per week. When you're 5-7lbs. away from your goal, change it to lose 0.5lbs. per week. Slow and gradual changes are best.
  • honeysprinkles
    honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
    I finally set my goal from losing 2lbs a week to 1lb a week because I just wasn't sticking to it. At 2lbs/week, my goal is 1200. Now, it's 1700 and that's easier to stick to. Maybe I'll work my way down to 1.5/week but I need to get back on track after the holidays for now.
  • beyg
    beyg Posts: 212 Member
    i try to hang around 1500-1700
  • pupcamper
    pupcamper Posts: 410 Member
    With only 14 pounds to lose, I personally think that your goal to lose 2lbs per week is a bit high! I would change that to 1lb and .5lbs per week for the last few lbs - I know it probably isn't what you want to hear!

    I've lost 35 lbs and am probably want to lose another 25lbs, I have already changed my goal from 2lbs to 1.5lbs per week and recently 1 lb per week. I normally lose more than my goal everyweek! I log everything and eat back the majority of my exercise calories (I don't eat them all mostly because I don't use a HRM and the machines and MFP are known to overestimate the calories burnt) MFP isn't an exact science just a guideline, try lowering your goal for a couple of weeks and if it doesn't work change it! This is a journey not a race! :drinker:
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