Confused on Calories

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Tonnina
Tonnina Posts: 979 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm Says I should eat 2774 for Maintenance, 2219 for Fat Loss, and 1840 for Extreme Fat Loss.
MFP says 1,370 for 2lbs a week lost, 1,870 for 1lbs a week lost and 2,120 for 1/2lbs a week lost.
So... What number of calories should I be eating at?
I work out 4 to 5 days of the week, for 30 minutes each. Usually 25 minutes of good heart pumping cardio and then 5 minutes of sit ups. Unless I'm on the elliptical, I'm burning about 250 to 300 calories a work out, so not a high number.
I don't eat back my exercise calories unless I'm hungry, mostly because I don't have and won't get a HRM so I can't tell if mfp is entirely accurate; when I did try eating back calories (for a month, mind you) I didn't lose one ounce.
I drink 16 cups of water a day (one gallon.) I try to get 1500 calories, 70 to 100g carbs, 100 to 75g protein, and 50g fat. What I usually end up with is 1200 to 1300 calories, 100 to 120g carbs, 70g protein and 70g fat... It's been hard for me to have low carbs and get enough calories and protein without all the fat...
Keep in mind that I'm not taking any protein powders, I don't have buckets of money to throw at expressive foods... I'm usually eating eggs, cheese, bacon, chicken, milk, beef, nuts, beans and pork for proteins... but they usually have fat in there, causing my fat grams to go up with my protein grams.

I'd like to know if I'm even eating enough or if I need to zig zag calories or something... My weight has not changed for 4 months, I've lost maybe 2 inches over my entire body for those 4 months. I'm really looking for a way to break this plateau.
I'm 5'11", I'm 23, I'm large framed, I'm 230lbs, I was 270lbs when I started in August, I need to be 170 to 160lbs to be healthy, and I'm fed up! ANY helpful input would be FABULOUS!!

Replies

  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
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    Go by MFP and eat your exercise calories. The 2 pound setting isn't too extreme right now but as IOU lose you'll need a smaller deficit.

    The other calculator is higher because it is estimating exercise calories based on what you select as your activity level--MFP expects you to input exercise.
  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
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    You've been taking in 1200-1300 calories a day for four months and haven't lost any weight? I would think that'd be measurement error, at least in part. Could that be?
  • Tonnina
    Tonnina Posts: 979 Member
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    You've been taking in 1200-1300 calories a day for four months and haven't lost any weight? I would think that'd be measurement error, at least in part. Could that be?

    Nope, checked my weight at the gym and it was the same as the scale at home. I'm also logging everything that goes into my mouth, thus the reason I'm over on carbs more often than not. I'm just so confused as to why the weight loss has stopped.
  • Tonnina
    Tonnina Posts: 979 Member
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    Go by MFP and eat your exercise calories. The 2 pound setting isn't too extreme right now but as IOU lose you'll need a smaller deficit.

    The other calculator is higher because it is estimating exercise calories based on what you select as your activity level--MFP expects you to input exercise.

    I'm guessing you meant you and not iou... I tried eating back calories and lost nothing. I'm pretty sure that it's not for everyone.
  • ilovesparkle
    ilovesparkle Posts: 127 Member
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    Go by MFP and eat your exercise calories. The 2 pound setting isn't too extreme right now but as IOU lose you'll need a smaller deficit.

    The other calculator is higher because it is estimating exercise calories based on what you select as your activity level--MFP expects you to input exercise.

    I'm guessing you meant you and not iou... I tried eating back calories and lost nothing. I'm pretty sure that it's not for everyone.

    When you eat back your calories, or up your calories, you're going to see the scale A) Not move or B) Go up for the first few weeks of this. Eventually, your body will learn its intake and work accordingly. No woman should ever go under 1200 calories as it is detrimental to your body's healthy activity. Try upping and see what happens :)
  • dlf88
    dlf88 Posts: 13 Member
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    Okay this is how I deal with calories I add 250 cal to gain weight, I take away 250 cal to lose weight and If my weight isnt changing and I want to lose I add 250 cal and increase my exercise.
  • myshell67
    myshell67 Posts: 64 Member
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    You've been taking in 1200-1300 calories a day for four months and haven't lost any weight? I would think that'd be measurement error, at least in part. Could that be?

    I think maybe they meant measurement error as in maybe your measuring your portions wrong... just a thought. do you have a food scale & measure/weigh everything you eat?
  • JaySpice
    JaySpice Posts: 326 Member
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    I would try eating 1800 calories not eating the exercise calories for a month see how it works out.
  • Aes37850
    Aes37850 Posts: 48
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    I would say you could be hitting a plateau. Most people do at some point and it can happen for a month or more. Keep trying different things with your diet and exercise. But don't make a whole bunch of changes at once, they may even things out and make you not keep losing. You've done a great job so far!! Don't get discouraged. Keep a positive attitude and keep on track and you will soon start losing soon! I'd also suggest trying a cleanse or adding some supplements if you don't already. Cleanses often help a lot of people boost back their metabolism. As for different calories on different sites. MFP calculates based on your activity level and how much you want to lose. If you exercise it does expect you to put it in and gives you calories that way, like a previous poster stated. The other site (which I too have looked at similar calculators for caloric intake) adds in an average amount of calories based on how much you say you exercise plus how much you need each day. And those are more generalized for everyone, unlike mfp. Hope this helps!
  • JaySpice
    JaySpice Posts: 326 Member
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    And maybe chill with all that water. You may be retaining alot of it. I have a gf who was drinking that much and stalled for a month. When she went stopped drinking so much she continued to lose.
  • JaySpice
    JaySpice Posts: 326 Member
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    The other site (which I too have looked at similar calculators for caloric intake) adds in an average amount of calories based on how much you say you exercise plus how much you need each day. And those are more generalized for everyone, unlike mfp. Hope this helps!

    The info MFP spits out is based on a formula just like other sites.

    Also, I checked out the site you linked and love that it gives you a zig-zag option!
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,012 Member
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    And maybe chill with all that water. You may be retaining alot of it. I have a gf who was drinking that much and stalled for a month. When she went stopped drinking so much she continued to lose.

    I agree with this. Based on my rough calculations if you stick to that you should lose approx 1lb / week.
  • mgrubbe85
    mgrubbe85 Posts: 41 Member
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    What I found works for me is I take in 1200 to 1500 calories a day, i eat 3 meals a day making each meal 300-400 calories, i then have 2 or 3 snacks that equal to a total of 300 calories and i drink nothing but water. I also walk every day. and i am losing 2 lbs a week :)
  • mfp_1
    mfp_1 Posts: 516 Member
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    myshell67 wrote:
    You've been taking in 1200-1300 calories a day for four months and haven't lost any weight? I would think that'd be measurement error, at least in part. Could that be?

    I think maybe they meant measurement error as in maybe your measuring your portions wrong... just a thought. do you have a food scale & measure/weigh everything you eat?

    I agree. Cups are the devil's measure. Do you have a food scale?
  • Tonnina
    Tonnina Posts: 979 Member
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    Yep, I have and use measuring cups and my food scale. I don't know about cutting back on the water... That scares me a little.
  • ladyace2078
    ladyace2078 Posts: 460 Member
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    I used this calculator: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Based on your information and using 1-3 hours of exercise and assuming a 20% cut:

    BMR: 1874
    Eat this amount at a minimum. This keeps all your basic functions fueled (breathing, pumping blood, etc)

    TDEE: 2577
    This is total daily expenditure of energy for basic functions, daily tasks, and workouts. Eat this amount if you want to stay your current weight.

    TDEE Cut: 2062
    Eat this amount to lose ~1/lb per week

    (I am 5'11", 174 lbs and age 32. I eat 2400 calories and still lose weight!)
  • Tonnina
    Tonnina Posts: 979 Member
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    I used this calculator: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Based on your information and using 1-3 hours of exercise and assuming a 20% cut:

    BMR: 1874
    Eat this amount at a minimum. This keeps all your basic functions fueled (breathing, pumping blood, etc)

    TDEE: 2577
    This is total daily expenditure of energy for basic functions, daily tasks, and workouts. Eat this amount if you want to stay your current weight.

    TDEE Cut: 2062
    Eat this amount to lose ~1/lb per week

    (I am 5'11", 174 lbs and age 32. I eat 2400 calories and still lose weight!)

    Thank you, I'll consult my gym's personal trainer about upping calories.

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