How many calories do you think you eat a day?

izzydino · May 2012

1800 days i don't work out, 2000 days i do work out.. I lose about 1.4-2.0 a week

5 foot 5, 231 lbs.

mfpcopine · May 2012

I'm a twisted freak of nature and my metabolism is out there (it can be a curse), but I do feel for 1200 eater's, that's seems so small! I applaud those who can stick to that goal!

You're very fortunate. But at least you recognize that some people need to maintain that low a level and they're well informed and healthy.

nikit32 · May 2012

That's a pretty aggressive goal. You don't have a lot of weight to lose. I'd cut back to a pound a week.

i agree, better yet a .5lb / week is much better. im 136lbs at 5'4" and was stuck in a plateau then started gaining weight because I was in such a huge deficit....im talking for like 6 months. i started missing that TOM guy and was depressed. Be careful. Ive been on maintenance and i eat anywhere from 2100- 2600 calories a day. to lose weight i just need to eat around 2000 cals a day.

Im the same stats as you mentioned currently, if I ate 2000 calories a day I would for certain be gaining. I have my activity set at light and eat back my exercise calories. I end up eating around 1500 calories a day. I am also set to lose one pound a week and this has been about how much I have been losing since I started. Its been about 3 months and im down about 15 pounds. This includes many days mixed in with eating some bad meals and 3 weeks where I couldnt exercise because of health issues.

HoLLyZ82 · May 2012

That's a pretty aggressive goal. You don't have a lot of weight to lose. I'd cut back to a pound a week.

i agree, better yet a .5lb / week is much better. im 136lbs at 5'4" and was stuck in a plateau then started gaining weight because I was in such a huge deficit....im talking for like 6 months. i started missing that TOM guy and was depressed. Be careful. Ive been on maintenance and i eat anywhere from 2100- 2600 calories a day. to lose weight i just need to eat around 2000 cals a day.

Im the same stats as you mentioned currently, if I ate 2000 calories a day I would for certain be gaining. I have my activity set at light and eat back my exercise calories. I end up eating around 1500 calories a day. I am also set to lose one pound a week and this has been about how much I have been losing since I started. Its been about 3 months and im down about 15 pounds. This includes many days mixed in with eating some bad meals and 3 weeks where I couldnt exercise because of health issues.

sorry. when i first started out i was only netting 1200 cals per day. after a few months I had to start upping my intake. i too am sedentary while at work but i never burn less than 2100 calories a day via my Bodybugg info. Once i break out of this place im usually on the move until i go to bed. the lower your weight gets the harder it is to lose more. everyone is certainly different and we all burn calories at a different rate. i have a lot of lean muscle and tend to burn a higher amount throughout the day now. also, with doing the re-feeds or cheat meals or whatever you want to call them helps with sanity and to keep your metabolism in check. i choose not to really indulge in cheat meals every week and instead just keep things even over the week but higher calorie rather than lower cals and cheat meals. its what works for me but i bet on average we would probably balance out.

if it is working for you then by all means keep up the great work. at some point i do believe a vlc diet wont be good and upping ones intake may be neccessary.. this is my opinion though and coming from my own personal experience with the situation.

bopper · May 2012

I'm 5'8' and and in my 50's and my losing calories are 1290 for 1 lb. a week, my maintaining calories are 1620. I exercise 4-5 times a week and I have a hard time losing any weight. After maintenance I ended up gaining 4 pounds so now I'm back at it at 1290 calories. Keep in mind also your frame size, I am large framed.

Tiff216 · May 2012

Well I started off trying to eat 1200 that didn't work......
Now I try to eat around 1500 calories but I usually end up eating around 2000-2300 calories in a day but I end up working the extra that I eat plus a little bit more off. So I am usually under for the day!!

:drinker: :bigsmile: :laugh:

PS I have lost 13 pounds in the last 3 months.....so I am happy with that!!

athensguy · May 2012

Last week I netted an average of 3284 per day.

The week before it looks like 2894.

My daily net goal is 2600 that I set manually to kind of maintain. It's hard to figure out maintenance calories.

I usually end up recording 1000 to 4000 calories over my weekly net goal.

Athijade · May 2012

5'7" and 206 lbs. Losing at 1650+ exercise calories and losing 1-2 pounds per week. I like doing it this way because I know later on I will be able to maintain because I have not done anything extreme.

Tlove1111 · May 2012

I'm 5'9" 136lbs and I set mine to 1850 calories per day. This is at a 10-15% deficit based on my bmr & tdee and I don't eat back my workout cals, just try to stay at my 1850. Not really wanting to lose much more weight so may up my cals in the next month or so.

ValerieMartini2Olives · May 2012

1870 day to lose - very active lifestyle. Just lowered from 1910.

mrscapamerica · May 2012

Without exercise I eat 1300. With exercise about 1400-1500

I'm 5'5

graelwyn · May 2012

Just under 5'10 and 125Ibs usually (though was 123 tonight).
I eat around 2000-2500 a day, with the exercise that I do, to maintain.

Joneses17 · May 2012

I'm 5'5 1/2 and usually eat between 1260-1500 while working off 500-750 calories 5 days a week. My goal is to lose 2 lbs a week but I lose around 1 lb a week.

LiveLife13 · May 2012

I'm at 1200 calories a day--supposedly to lose a pound a week--although it's really about 1/2 lb. per week or none. I generally speed walk (5mph) about 12 miles per week and do upper body weights as well. I'm 5'6" and weigh 153. My most comfortable weight is 138-140 lbs. I will get back there!!

aegisprncs · May 2012

Ditto! I am 5'6" and 140. I eat about 1200 day and 1400+ with cardio. I lose about a pound a week.

monicaroozo · May 2012

5'4", 110ish. Sedentary desk job. When in weight loss mode I eat 1250 plus I eat back my exercise calories (usually about 1450ish total / day). Headed to maintenance soon and not sure what that caloric intake will be but I think I will start at 1450 plus eating back exercise calories.

shovav91 · May 2012

I maintain around 1900 a day. Trying to gain, so I try to eat more than that. I'm 5'9" and 110 pounds (again, trying to gain).

ebaymommy · May 2012

5'5", 34 year old female, 120lbs. Maintaining during marathon training on 2400-2500/day.

Katie3784 · May 2012

I don't count calories, but I would guess that I eat between 2000 and 2500 a day. I am 28, 5'5" and have maintained at 125lbs for a year.

meribethd · May 2012

I try to net at least 1200, so it depends on how much I work out. Some days 1400-1500 is fine; other days I eat around 1800.

I don't have a lot to lose, but would like to drop a few more pounds.

ChiJD · May 2012

On a day where I don't do much, around 1300 or so. On a day where I do work out for an hour or more, closer to 1700 or so. Depends on the day.

Anyaaaa11 · May 2012

I'm 5'2 lol
On average i lose a pound a week.. Been at this for 3 months.
My net is anywhere from 1450-1620 calories. I eat back all my exercise calories as well!

michellekicks · May 2012

I'm 36, 5'7", 172 lbs and I eat about 2100 cal/day to lose. I've lost 7.4 lbs in the last 4 weeks on MFP but I'd lost 15 lbs on weight watchers from January through April. I couldn't get enough food on WW though. Now that I'm eating more, the weight is sliding right off.

pullipgirl · May 2012

about 5'7 120 lbs i eat around 1200 - 1500 calories

BaconMD · May 2012

30 year old sedentary male, height 5'11", weighing 251.5lbs (starting weight unknown), currently eating 2500 calories per day, PLUS exercise calories (as monitored by a Polar HRM).

Sierra_419 · May 2012

i eat my bmr .. 1530 .
i try to net at least 1200 a day after exercise

kdeaux1959 · May 2012

Usually net between 1600 and 1800 with a total of 1800-2000 calories. My low point was on 3/21 where I consumed no calories (due to oral surgery) and my high point was just a few days back when I consumed nearly 4000 (special outing - very unusual)... My height is 6'3" and I weigh 274.6 (down from 344). A person the weight I aspire to be should consume approximately 1800 calories (net) for maintenance and that is about what I aspire to average. So far, it seems to work.