will someone please help me?!

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nicolo333
nicolo333 Posts: 44
in Food and Nutrition
i have NO idea how many calories i should be eating. ive done multiple tests online and im getting a really low number (around 1250-1300). idk if this is too low of a number. i have already lost around 20 pounds since january and want to lose 10 more. i dont want it to take TOO long obviously but i want to do this healthy. i have done fad diets in the past and i always gained weight afterwards. i want to lose these last 10 to 15 pounds then maintain. does anyone know a ACCURATE formula i can do myself to decide how many calories i should be eating?

i am 21, 5'6", 141
i just had a baby 6 months ago and am below my pre pregnancy weight right now but i want to get down to 125-130

Replies

  • Klamber26
    Klamber26 Posts: 212
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    I'm sure it's a bit more than that. Most people say the MFP estimate is accurate, and I know for me the number it gave was right in the middle of what all of the other online calculators said. Try going by it and eating back your exercise calories and see if you have any success.

    MFP also told me 1350 cals per day for a 0.5 lb weight loss per week.
  • Aesto
    Aesto Posts: 29 Member
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    I don't have a formula just experience. I'm 5'6, 26 years old, and weigh 132 (my goal is 130 and I started at 155). I upped my calories from 1200 to 1350 a few weeks ago and I am still losing. I am slowly getting myself to maintenance. Sorry that's not the exact answer you're looking for but we seem to have similar goals, so I hope it helps.
  • DrewMaxwell
    DrewMaxwell Posts: 269 Member
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    To lose 1 lb./wk this is what I computed using a spreadsheet geared towards men.

    Weight in lbs 141
    Height in inches 66
    Age in years 21

    Enter custom calorie intake -500 (-3,500/7days = daily calorie deficit needed)

    Basal Metabolic Rate 1,640

    Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)
    Sedentary 1,968 Sedentary is little or no exercise.
    Lightly Active 2,255 Lightly Active is light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week.
    Moderately Active 2,542 Moderately Active is moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week.
    Very Active 2,829 Very Active is hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week.
    Vigorously Active 3,116 Vigorously Active is very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training.


    Personal Diet Breakdown This is your TDEE + your custom calorie intake (deficit needed)
    Sedentary 1,468
    Lightly Active 1,755
    Moderately Active 2,042
    Very Active 2,329
    Vigorously Active 2,616
  • MisterTEZ
    MisterTEZ Posts: 272 Member
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    This site is has one of the most accurate bmr calculators

    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/
  • fatforthewin
    fatforthewin Posts: 33
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    i have NO idea how many calories i should be eating. ive done multiple tests online and im getting a really low number (around 1250-1300). idk if this is too low of a number. i have already lost around 20 pounds since january and want to lose 10 more. i dont want it to take TOO long obviously but i want to do this healthy. i have done fad diets in the past and i always gained weight afterwards. i want to lose these last 10 to 15 pounds then maintain. does anyone know a ACCURATE formula i can do myself to decide how many calories i should be eating?

    i am 21, 5'6", 141
    i just had a baby 6 months ago and am below my pre pregnancy weight right now but i want to get down to 125-130

    Actually, I should ask you what sort of diet you are following - is it low carb, low fat, calorie restricted, junk food allowed/disallowed, etc. etc.? The reason I ask this: if you are following a diet for weight loss that is drastically different from the sort of diet you would eat if you were not trying to lose weight, you may be setting yourself up for weight gain soon after weight loss.

    How many calories did you eat to lose the first 20 lbs? Also, breastfeeding takes a certain amount of extra calories (someone told me 500-600 calories but that sounds very high and I can't say it was a reputable source).

    Let's not forget thyroid hormones, either. To my knowledge, it is impossible to predict how thyroid hormones will affect the metabolism after weight loss. That is why I asked about your diet plan long-term. Do you have a way to measure your body fat percentage? That would provide a fairly good estimate, especially if you are overfat or underfat. A final word, if you are breastfeeding but you are concerned about how calorie restriction could affect nutrition quality for your baby, consider looking into a low carbohydrate diet and it's effects on the composition of breastmilk. I have not explored the issue in great detail myself but from what I have read, milk attains a rich and fatty consistency which is precisely what a growing baby needs for his/her growing brain and nervous system and cell membranes. (Anyone else know anything about this?)
  • nicolo333
    nicolo333 Posts: 44
    Options
    i have NO idea how many calories i should be eating. ive done multiple tests online and im getting a really low number (around 1250-1300). idk if this is too low of a number. i have already lost around 20 pounds since january and want to lose 10 more. i dont want it to take TOO long obviously but i want to do this healthy. i have done fad diets in the past and i always gained weight afterwards. i want to lose these last 10 to 15 pounds then maintain. does anyone know a ACCURATE formula i can do myself to decide how many calories i should be eating?

    i am 21, 5'6", 141
    i just had a baby 6 months ago and am below my pre pregnancy weight right now but i want to get down to 125-130

    Actually, I should ask you what sort of diet you are following - is it low carb, low fat, calorie restricted, junk food allowed/disallowed, etc. etc.? The reason I ask this: if you are following a diet for weight loss that is drastically different from the sort of diet you would eat if you were not trying to lose weight, you may be setting yourself up for weight gain soon after weight loss.

    How many calories did you eat to lose the first 20 lbs? Also, breastfeeding takes a certain amount of extra calories (someone told me 500-600 calories but that sounds very high and I can't say it was a reputable source).

    Let's not forget thyroid hormones, either. To my knowledge, it is impossible to predict how thyroid hormones will affect the metabolism after weight loss. That is why I asked about your diet plan long-term. Do you have a way to measure your body fat percentage? That would provide a fairly good estimate, especially if you are overfat or underfat. A final word, if you are breastfeeding but you are concerned about how calorie restriction could affect nutrition quality for your baby, consider looking into a low carbohydrate diet and it's effects on the composition of breastmilk. I have not explored the issue in great detail myself but from what I have read, milk attains a rich and fatty consistency which is precisely what a growing baby needs for his/her growing brain and nervous system and cell membranes. (Anyone else know anything about this?)

    I was eating between 1250 and 1400 a day when i lost the 20 pounds. and those 20 pounds werent included in my pregnancy weight. i had lost all of my pregnancy weight by january. what i lost after january is the 20 pounds. and i stopped breastfeeding in february/march. so breastfeeding might have right now im just on a calorie restriction diet and cutting back on breads and rice. i have slacked a little bit the past few weeks with that because i was traveling and moving to a new place so i wasnt eating very well. i've just heard a million different things to do after you lose that amount of weight. for example upping your calories, lowering your calories, calorie cycling. i just dont know where to go from here.

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