ADVICE NEEDED FOR MY CALORIE INTAKE PLEASE ;)

hayley1973
hayley1973 Posts: 12 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I have just done my BMR and it says that I need 1200 cals a day ... I guess to stay at my weight I am now? SO...if I wanted to lose say 7lbs only...how many calories do I need/how much exercise calories do I need to burn? Ive read so much about eating the calories you've burnt and Im real confused! I dont want my metabolism to mess up so please can someone explain in real simple terms and not scientific lol! I would like to lose say 1lb a week...is this possible? I am 115 and just need to get to 110 as I feel so much more comfortable at that weight! Please help...H x

Replies

  • StrawberrySt
    StrawberrySt Posts: 235
    Hi Hayley

    I'm guessing your BMR is wrong, you will be needing more than 1200 calories to fuel your body for it's normal activity. BMR is the calories you burn doing your every day things so make sure you are honest about activity level.

    If you want to start at 1200 as your net calories, when you exercise you will need to eat your exercise calories back so your body has enough fuel. This won't hinder your weight loss. You should still get a loss by keeping a NET of 1200 calories.

    You just have to figure out what works for you but I'd suggest as long as you stay over 1200 and eat your exercise calories you will lose weight. But you might lose it slower than you want but in the long term it's healthier. And much easier to maintain.

    There are heaps of posts on here about calculating your BMR and TDEE so have a search on the forums. Just remember to do what works for you and don't be afraid to experiment with eating more food or changing your activity level as you progress.

    Hope this helps :flowerforyou:
  • hayley1973
    hayley1973 Posts: 12 Member
    Hi there...thanks for the quick reply ;) I have just gone back to the "tools" section on here and it says "put in your weight/height/age and we tell you how many cals you need a day if you basically stayed in bed and did nothing" ... thats where it said a result of 1200? I usually walk fairly fast for an hour a day, I work and always on the move...so can you advise me further...sorry to be a pain but I just need to get this right ... H x
  • Rachiepie6
    Rachiepie6 Posts: 423 Member
    BMR is actually what you burn just by existing, if you didn't do anything at all. TDEE is what you burn in an average day, that is a multiplier of your BMR depending on your activity level.

    Possibly change your goals to lose half a pound a week, eat back your exercise calories and try to eat as healthy as you can/want.
  • StrawberrySt
    StrawberrySt Posts: 235
    The 1200 MFP gives you is with a deficit on your BMR, so it's already calculated for you to lose weight. If you want to work out your BMR there are calculators online.

    I started at 1200 to lose 1lbs a week but after a month I wasn't seeing results so I changed it to 1/2lbs a week and ate more calories. I have been more consistent in my weight loss after that and feel so much better! But that's what worked for me and everyone's different so start with your 1200, eat your exercise calories and see how it goes. Find out what works for you!

    Be warned about the calories MFP says you burn as they can be way too high (especially if you use an elliptical) heart rate monitors (HRM) are more acurate but if you don't have one I just take a guess and halve the MFP calories.

    I also have my naughty days and don't stress too much about going over as I don't have that much weight to lose (10lbs to get to 130lbs, I'm 5'7")

    If you need/want friends on here, feel free to add me :smile:

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