How many calories should I eat?

If you eat too few calories, your body goes into starvation mode and stores everything as fat.

This, people, is a myth.

What images do "Ethiopia" "Sudan" and "Belsen" conjure up in your mind (or a friendly search engine) - lots of fat people in "starvation mode" that are "storing everything as fat" ? No ? Thought not.

A simple reality check. Let's stop the BS.

Jeff, you pretty much just took the MFP methodology. That's exactly what MFP calculates.

I have calculated my TDEE and BMR every different way I can imagine, and I always wind up right at where MFP says I should be, factoring in exercise.

Maybe it's a weird process we all go through to confirm that what we are doing is correct. IDK. The only decision is...

1) increase your calories so that you just eat consistently knowing that you will workout as scheduled. I could actually do this since I have been very consistent for about 3 years.
2) use the MFP methodology where you don't count exercise calories until you do the exercise. In my opinion, this is better because when you have busy weeks where you can't exercise, your calorie intake is appropriate for your activity level. Also, you add calories based on the calories spent. I can run 3 miles and have a wide variation of calories spent. If I run 7 minute miles over 3 miles, that's a different result than if I run 10 minute miles. So, I tend to like this methodology way better.

YMMV

My post was removed because it contained a link to my website and a very nice moderator sent me a PM saying the link wasn't permitted because it could potentially cause me to make a profit if people ordered things from my website.

I just want to let all of you know that this was NOT my intention. I do NOT come here to sell anything to anyone. My information just happened to be on my website for my business...but I linked directly to the page that contained the caloric intake steps that I mentioned...not to my products as I will NEVER try to promote my business here on MFP.

I am here for the same reason all of you are. I need to lose weight and get healthy and I need the tools here and the support and motivation you, the MFP Community.

Please accept my sincerest apologies if my post was taken incorrectly as I only posted a link to the info I was trying to share..and not to any pages that sell anything.

Sorry for any confusion...I hope this isn't a black mark against me...as I did not intend any self-promotion whatsoever.

Have a great day!

Jeff

If you eat too few calories, your body goes into starvation mode and stores everything as fat.

This, people, is a myth.

What images do "Ethiopia" "Sudan" and "Belsen" conjure up in your mind (or a friendly search engine) - lots of fat people in "starvation mode" that are "storing everything as fat" ? No ? Thought not.

A simple reality check. Let's stop the BS.

A myth? How then, do you explain that when I was eating fewer calories each day, I was gaining weight..and after I did the research and found out that I should be taking in 3000 calories per day instead of 1200....my weight dropped at a steady pace once I went up to 3000 calories. I can assure you that my scales show it's not a myth. Just my two cents worth.

why not plug your numbers into the MFP magic computer program and see what it says? Its a tool meant to be used...and it works really well. Knowledge and information are wonderful things, but its really easy to just "overthink" things and not go for the simple. You're here....use what's here! Best of luck to you, and welcome!

I did but it told me to consume 1300 and that seems like way too little. I think I will start at 1800. Thanks!

Consider that with exercise, the calories increase.