Sooo confused about how many caloies I should be eating. HEL

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Alice_in_Wndrlnd
Alice_in_Wndrlnd Posts: 47 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hiya,

I am new to this whole weight loss thing, and I am finding it so confusing to decide how many calories a day I should be eating.

MFP thinks I should eat 1790 and I tried to eat that much but just felt soo full and unwell when I did. Now I have manually set it to 1500 and I do feel better eating that amount but I'm just not sure if this is too little? It's all so confusing.

MFP calculates my BMR at 2190 and my BMI is 50.1.

Please if anyone has any advise, let me know.
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Replies

  • Toddrific
    Toddrific Posts: 1,114 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/538381-in-place-of-a-road-map
  • bmarie612
    bmarie612 Posts: 221 Member
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    I was very confused a few days ago about the same thing..

    View this link. It will answer a lot of questions!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/538381-in-place-of-a-road-map?
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
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    Hiya,

    I am new to this whole weight loss thing, and I am finding it so confusing to decide how many calories a day I should be eating.

    MFP thinks I should eat 1790 and I tried to eat that much but just felt soo full and unwell when I did. Now I have manually set it to 1500 and I do feel better eating that amount but I'm just not sure if this is too little? It's all so confusing.

    MFP calculates my BMR at 2190 and my BMI is 50.1.

    Please if anyone has any advise, let me know.

    What is so confusing? It's so simple.
  • Burlesque12
    Burlesque12 Posts: 177 Member
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    Depends on what your goal is and what your current weight is.
  • Airbear3
    Airbear3 Posts: 335 Member
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    are you eating garbage to get those calories or healthy food? if you keep it clean(no processed) you should feel great...eating all day but heaalthy.
  • x__abbi__x
    x__abbi__x Posts: 97 Member
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    What is so confusing? It's so simple.

    Wow, great way to make people feel thick. Just because you find it simple doesn't mean everyone else does.
  • JeSuisPrest
    JeSuisPrest Posts: 2,005 Member
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    I use this spreadsheet to determine my calories, http://interzone.kicks-*kitten*.net/Calculating_calories.xls
    More info here, http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/510980-my-gift-excel-spreadsheet-for-bmr-tdee-cut-build-and-ma?error_user_id=6516604&error_username=JeSuisPrest&page=3
  • Cheshire_Kat
    Cheshire_Kat Posts: 69 Member
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    Yeah i understand how confusing this is!!!! Hopefully we can find a happy medium.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
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    What is so confusing? It's so simple.

    Wow, great way to make people feel thick. Just because you find it simple doesn't mean everyone else does.

    I meant, MFP makes it easy. You just input your information, and it tells you how much. Maybe if you narrow down the problem someone can help you. But, just saying its hard doesn't help anyone know what aspect of it you find difficult.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    Options
    Hiya,

    I am new to this whole weight loss thing, and I am finding it so confusing to decide how many calories a day I should be eating.

    MFP thinks I should eat 1790 and I tried to eat that much but just felt soo full and unwell when I did. Now I have manually set it to 1500 and I do feel better eating that amount but I'm just not sure if this is too little? It's all so confusing.

    MFP calculates my BMR at 2190 and my BMI is 50.1.

    Please if anyone has any advise, let me know.

    You should eat 1790. End. It's only confusing because you're trying to change where you should be. Just because youre too full, doesn't mean it's wrong.
  • AReasor
    AReasor Posts: 355 Member
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    If 1500 feels right, then do it. Just know this is an ever-changing process. You may start to work out and be hungrier. Then up your calories, and EAT. :flowerforyou:
  • LizKurz
    LizKurz Posts: 340 Member
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    What is so confusing? It's so simple.

    Really? Nothing constructive to say at all?

    It's not simple. If it were simple, every American would be at their ideal body weight.
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
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    Hiya,

    I am new to this whole weight loss thing, and I am finding it so confusing to decide how many calories a day I should be eating.

    MFP thinks I should eat 1790 and I tried to eat that much but just felt soo full and unwell when I did. Now I have manually set it to 1500 and I do feel better eating that amount but I'm just not sure if this is too little? It's all so confusing.

    MFP calculates my BMR at 2190 and my BMI is 50.1.

    Please if anyone has any advise, let me know.

    If you are too full , you need to change the volume of what you are eating, not necessarily the calories.

    Don't be afraid of fats - cook with Olive oil, eat butter instead of low fat spread, add in some nuts or peanut butter. Drink whole milk instead of skimmed, skip the low fat/fat free mayo and eat real versions.

    you can quite easily increase your calories, whilst decreasing the volume.

    Good luck. :)
  • Neequie
    Neequie Posts: 48
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    Is it possible you maybe made a mistake when calculating your activity level? I know I did when I originally came on here...I think they shoudl define activity levels better....and someone else said it depends on WHAT you are eating as well. Caloried vary greatly per brand as well...but if your eating all good food, which is also hard to define, then you should not be feeling bad. Ive been under a weight loss Dr's care and a nutritionist's care since October and they have me on 1000 calories a day, and 30 minutes of cardio. I am only alowed to eat meat, beans, dairy and produce....if you notice, that diet bans any grains or flour products whatsoever, and no potatoes either....no sugar. So basically I eat meat, and veggies. Breakfasts consists of a smoothie with fruit or yogurt and I use a lot of protein powder...Im supposed to hit 88grams of protein a day...I feel amazing!! Oh, and ignore ANYONE who tries to make you feel bad....if you are around any negativity, I swear it makes you gain! LOL!! Good luck!! :bigsmile:
  • Alice_in_Wndrlnd
    Alice_in_Wndrlnd Posts: 47 Member
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    Thanks for the feedback guys.

    I think I definitely need to start adding denser foods to my diet, like nuts, more often. I love eating my salads but have been adding sunflower seeds the last few days to boost up the calories without boosting the volume too much.

    I am also not a very big meat eater so I suppose that makes it a little harder to get more calories into me.

    The support that a place like MFP provides is awesome I think and I agree that negativity makes a massive impact on your motivation levels.

    Dallanika.
  • fitrider86
    fitrider86 Posts: 2 Member
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    Im a personal trainer and all my clients use this to keep track of there calories. If it says you should be eating 1790 eat 1790. Dont add higher calorie items to get those calories like butter and whole milk. you want to keep your fat grams low. They should add up to less than 20% of your daily calories you can set that manually. You need to eat some meats but keep it lean chicken and fish about 4 ounces per meal. If you are feeling to full than split up more meals you should be eating five to six times a day that will make it easier to get those calories and not over stuff yourself. Hopefully this helps if you have questions you can message me anytime.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
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    What is so confusing? It's so simple.

    Really? Nothing constructive to say at all?

    It's not simple. If it were simple, every American would be at their ideal body weight.

    You're on a website that has taken the work away from you. All you do is enter a few things like height, weight, and age, and it tells you what to do. I don't understand what is so hard about that?

    It's not negative, I'm just being matter of fact about the situation. The question is pretty general. There's nothing hard about it though, that I can see. Executing it can be difficult for people, but the calculation is easy. That's why the website was developed, to maike it easy.

    You can make manual adjustments, if you find small differences. For instance, if you don't gain or drop weight for 4 weeks running, I'd manually adjust the calories down a little, maybe 100, and see what happens. It's a very slow process.
  • Alice_in_Wndrlnd
    Alice_in_Wndrlnd Posts: 47 Member
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    Im a personal trainer and all my clients use this to keep track of there calories. If it says you should be eating 1790 eat 1790. Dont add higher calorie items to get those calories like butter and whole milk. you want to keep your fat grams low. They should add up to less than 20% of your daily calories you can set that manually. You need to eat some meats but keep it lean chicken and fish about 4 ounces per meal. If you are feeling to full than split up more meals you should be eating five to six times a day that will make it easier to get those calories and not over stuff yourself. Hopefully this helps if you have questions you can message me anytime.


    Thanks for that. This is very helpful advise.

    I do love eating fish so I will try to get more of that into me too. I can also eat chicken. It's mostly red meat that I cannot stand. I was bought up being a VERY strict vegan. I did not even try any 'junk foods' until I got out onto my own and they are so addictive. I think that's definitely how I put all the weight on.

    Since I have been on this diet, I have not had any junk food at all so I'm impressed about that.

    I am also planning to go to the doctors in the next week and get all my bloods tested and maybe get a referral to a nutritionist.

    I have my MFP activity levels set to sedentary so I definitaly don't think it is overestimating based on that, lol.

    One question I do have is that I quite regularly go over on my sugar level, not by alot but I definitely do and I thin this is because I am eating a few pieces of fruit a day and sometimes also have a low fat yogurt too. If it is supposedly 'good' sugars like that is the sugar level as important?

    Dallanika.
  • akjmart2002
    akjmart2002 Posts: 263 Member
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    You say MFP gives your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) as 2190? That seems very very high.

    Your BMR should be the number of calories that your body needs to simply function, not counting daily activity and exercise.

    Try this calculator:
    http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_burn.php

    Once you have that number, you'll then use activity modifier to get your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure), which is the estimated number of calories you need to maintain your current weight.

    Here is a TDEE calculator:
    http://www.hi-blood-pressure.com/index.php?text-ID=Basal-Metabolism-And-TDEE-Calculator

    Weight loss is accomplished by subtracting calories from the TDEE. If you wish to lose 1 lb per week (3500 calories), you subtract 500 calories per day (3500 / 7 days = 500 cal per day) from the TDEE number. That is the number that you shoot for at the end of each day, i.e. your NET calorie goal.

    That's the basic formula. My recommendation? Do exactly this for 1 month before you make any changes. Then you can begin watching for places to alter the equation, whether via exercise or how much food you eat.

    Best of luck!

    One more thing: Don't get too wrapped up in the sugar/salt/water/carbs/protein thing right away. Just take the recommended macronutrient (i.e. carbs, protein and fat) percentages and focus only on quantity right now.

    The other stuff matters, but you won't do yourself any favors getting confused by the 10000 pages of often contradictory information about all of this, not to mention the emotional and fanatical stuff that has no basis in reality.

    Just log your food (all of it!!), get some exercise every day (and log all of it!), and watch what happens for a few weeks.

    Also, do yourself a favor and get a quality heart rate monitor (HRM) with a chest strap. Polar makes great products. You can find a good one for $75-$100. The FT4, FT7, and FT40 are all fine. You won't regret it.
  • MikeSEA
    MikeSEA Posts: 1,074 Member
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    Im a personal trainer and all my clients use this to keep track of there calories. If it says you should be eating 1790 eat 1790. Dont add higher calorie items to get those calories like butter and whole milk. you want to keep your fat grams low. They should add up to less than 20% of your daily calories you can set that manually. You need to eat some meats but keep it lean chicken and fish about 4 ounces per meal. If you are feeling to full than split up more meals you should be eating five to six times a day that will make it easier to get those calories and not over stuff yourself. Hopefully this helps if you have questions you can message me anytime.

    Do you have a justification for putting fats less than 20%? Because when you use language like "need" you're implying that it must be done that way, and it doesn't.

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