Can someone PLEASE just tell me....

Im_NotPerfect
Im_NotPerfect Posts: 2,181 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
how many calories I should be eating? I'm SO confused by all of these TDEE and BMR and Exercise calorie posts! If I just need to let MFP do it, I'm good with that. But that's not what it sounds like. Here are numbers...

CW: 201
GW: 175
Height: 5'9"
Age: 34



I exercise 6 days a week for about 30 minutes (sometimes more, but that's a good average). I would love to lose around 1.5 lbs a week...but haven't lost ANYTHING for about 2 weeks now.

HELP!?!?!?

Replies

  • RosieWest8
    RosieWest8 Posts: 185 Member
    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

    -- That's the website I used, BMR=1693...then used the 'moderately active' (since you say you work out 6 days/week) multiplyer of 1.55 and you end up with 2,624 as your TDEE.

    So you would want to eat 750 less than your TDEE/day to lose 1.5lb/week.....I think.

    Make it an even 700 and you would want to eat about 1900 calories per day.
    math makes my head hurt though.
  • cass0632
    cass0632 Posts: 6
    What is your diet? If you aren't eating the right things it doesn't really matter how hard you work out! I'd love to chat about a meal plan! www.facebook.com/cass0632
  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
    Just let MFP do the work! If you're terribly confused and not sure, just follow the guidelines MFP sets for you. Remember you need to eat back most of your exercise calories for it to work.
  • katcod1522
    katcod1522 Posts: 448 Member
    Your BMR is 1693...multiplied by 1.55 (3-5 days exercise) and your TDEE is 2624. Eat 500 less than TDEE a day to lose lb a week. So...You can eat 2100 a day roughly. I used this:

    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/

    Its been reliable for me and my 80.5 lbs lost :)
  • 0AmyMarie0
    0AmyMarie0 Posts: 315
    I have no idea, just wanted to say 'hi' because of your Brew Crew pic!! Go Brewers!!!!
  • Im_NotPerfect
    Im_NotPerfect Posts: 2,181 Member
    Your BMR is 1693...multiplied by 1.55 (3-5 days exercise) and your TDEE is 2624. Eat 500 less than TDEE a day to lose lb a week. So...You can eat 2100 a day roughly. I used this:

    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/

    Its been reliable for me and my 80.5 lbs lost :)

    Wow! That is A LOT! Why would MFP set me at 1350 + exercise calories? That's a HUGE difference!!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Just let MFP do the work! If you're terribly confused and not sure, just follow the guidelines MFP sets for you. Remember you need to eat back most of your exercise calories for it to work.

    I agree with this. MFP is a good plan and will work just fine for most people. But everyone is different. Give it time, after a month if you don't see any loss, tweak it until you do.
  • katcod1522
    katcod1522 Posts: 448 Member
    Your BMR is 1693...multiplied by 1.55 (3-5 days exercise) and your TDEE is 2624. Eat 500 less than TDEE a day to lose lb a week. So...You can eat 2100 a day roughly. I used this:

    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/

    Its been reliable for me and my 80.5 lbs lost :)

    Wow! That is A LOT! Why would MFP set me at 1350 + exercise calories? That's a HUGE difference!!

    MFP isnt a "one for all"....its an estimate. And MFP doesnt account for cals burned. So..if you burn 500 cals for that half hr exercise...you can eat 1850 (1350 given by MFP and 500 burned). Its a close balance. The numbers work.
  • footballmom12
    footballmom12 Posts: 100 Member
    It's different for everybody...we are almost the same ht- I'm 5-10 and weight- 207 (for now ;-)) and age- 35. My biggest thing was water!!! I find myself needing 10+ 8oz glasses of water a day to continue to lose!!! GOOD LUCK!!
  • penrbrown
    penrbrown Posts: 2,685 Member
    I would think 2100 would be ideal but anywhere from 1500-1600 would be okay too?

    I am 5'10.
    I weighed 230.
    I lost 30lbs eating 1200-1400 a day (what MFP recommended).

    Really you just have to play with the numbers until you find something that works for you. All these formulas can make a person confused but I would just stick with MFP. It worked for me and many, many others.
  • Im_NotPerfect
    Im_NotPerfect Posts: 2,181 Member
    It's different for everybody...we are almost the same ht- I'm 5-10 and weight- 207 (for now ;-)) and age- 35. My biggest thing was water!!! I find myself needing 10+ 8oz glasses of water a day to continue to lose!!! GOOD LUCK!!

    Hi! I don't have a problem getting enough water. I drink roughly 120 - 140 oz of water a day. It's all I drink (with the exception of my 1 diet coke per day at lunch).
  • AlmstHvn
    AlmstHvn Posts: 376 Member
    Your info says you just joined in March - congrats! You're on a great path! And if you're only 2 weeks in, do NOT lose hope - in fact, some recommend that you put the scale away for the first 2 months... take your beginning measurements (chest, waist, hips, a particular spot on your upper arm and thigh, etc.)... you'll see those change, too!

    Three tips for you:

    Go to:
    My Home, Goals, Settings
    Update Diet/Fitness Profile
    Check your height/weight, current and goal weights, and choose your average daily NON WORKOUT activity level. I sit at a desk for 8 hrs a day ... definitely sedentary! If you're not sure between two, pick the lower one for now.
    Save that. This gives MFP your basic information to calculate calories, etc.

    Now go to Goals, click Change Goals, and look at the Nutrition section where it shows you grams and percent of Carbs and Protein. The defaults from MFP are really high on carbohydrates - it sets you to something like 55% of your calories from carbs. That's really high. I was advised to drop the %Carb to 45 (or lower) and bump up the Protein... my settings are now 45% carb, 35% protein, 20% fat. I saw the weight really start to drop off after I shifted to eating less carbs & more protein.

    On your Diary settings, be sure to turn on Calories, Carbs, Proteins, and Fats... this will show you if you're close to your goals or not.

    Try that for a few more weeks and report back! Meanwhile, go you!!!
  • katcod1522
    katcod1522 Posts: 448 Member
    OMG...Carbs are not the devil people!
  • Im_NotPerfect
    Im_NotPerfect Posts: 2,181 Member
    Your info says you just joined in March - congrats! You're on a great path! And if you're only 2 weeks in, do NOT lose hope - in fact, some recommend that you put the scale away for the first 2 months... take your beginning measurements (chest, waist, hips, a particular spot on your upper arm and thigh, etc.)... you'll see those change, too!

    Three tips for you:

    Go to:
    My Home, Goals, Settings
    Update Diet/Fitness Profile
    Check your height/weight, current and goal weights, and choose your average daily NON WORKOUT activity level. I sit at a desk for 8 hrs a day ... definitely sedentary! If you're not sure between two, pick the lower one for now.
    Save that. This gives MFP your basic information to calculate calories, etc.

    Now go to Goals, click Change Goals, and look at the Nutrition section where it shows you grams and percent of Carbs and Protein. The defaults from MFP are really high on carbohydrates - it sets you to something like 55% of your calories from carbs. That's really high. I was advised to drop the %Carb to 45 (or lower) and bump up the Protein... my settings are now 45% carb, 35% protein, 20% fat. I saw the weight really start to drop off after I shifted to eating less carbs & more protein.

    On your Diary settings, be sure to turn on Calories, Carbs, Proteins, and Fats... this will show you if you're close to your goals or not.

    Try that for a few more weeks and report back! Meanwhile, go you!!!

    Hello. Thanks for the info! Actually I joined on March 2nd, so I'm about a month in. I know I'm probably overreacting, but after losing 10 lbs in my first 2 weeks and the suddenly NOTHING. It's very frustrating. I AM somewhat of a carboholic, so I probably do really need to watch that.
  • AlmstHvn
    AlmstHvn Posts: 376 Member
    Glad to share what's been working for me. I am 5'3", 49 yrs old and had 150 lbs to lose when I started.
    In my 'previous life', my biggest problem was being out of balance - literally and figuratively. I was eating about 70% carbs and getting NO exercise.

    One "baby step" for me was to follow the MFP original guidelines of 55% carb, etc. for the first 5-6 months. When I got used to that, a nutritionist suggested I shift the ratio a bit further. We want all that "stored energy" to get used up instead!

    I'm not saying carbs "are the devil" - I still enjoy a number of delicious carby/starchy goodness... but I was WAY way WAY out of balance. So far, balance is better :)

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