Help please - enough calories?

iloveweasels
iloveweasels Posts: 9
in Health and Weight Loss
I am female, 5'5" and 249lbs and currently eating 1400 calories a day. Is this about what I should be aiming for? I want to lose 2lbs a week and my BMR is apparently around 2300 (according to a tool on the net) so that should be enough to lose the weight, but I know women shouldn't eat less than 1200 a day and I'm much much bigger than most women so am I restricting myself too much?
Fairly new to this but I do know a fair amount, however some guidance would be much appreciated!

Replies

  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
    To lose 2 lbs/week you'd want to average being around 1000/day under. 2300-1400=900. But it's all just rounded and that's probably enough restriction for you. So, yeah, I'd try 1400 and see how you feel in 2 weeks. It's not an unsafe calorie level, in my opinion. Others will argue.
  • iloveweasels
    iloveweasels Posts: 9
    Oh I thought I should mention that I'm also going to the gym too - approx 1500 calories burnt a week.
  • meggonkgonk
    meggonkgonk Posts: 2,066 Member
    MFP calculates what you should eat for you. If you put all of your specs in, and requested 2lbs per week and it gave you 1400, you should eat 1400 calories per day plus a good amount of your exercise calories. Just look at the equation on your home page- it should tell you what you started with, what you've taken from exercise and what you have remaining.
  • iloveweasels
    iloveweasels Posts: 9
    MFP calculates what you should eat for you. If you put all of your specs in, and requested 2lbs per week and it gave you 1400, you should eat 1400 calories per day plus a good amount of your exercise calories. Just look at the equation on your home page- it should tell you what you started with, what you've taken from exercise and what you have remaining.
    Yes, this is what I'm doing - It calculated 1360 calories with no exercise so I figure the more exercise I do the better! I've lost 13lbs in less than 2 months and have had nights out, treats etc too so it must be paying off! Thanks all!
  • SafireBleu
    SafireBleu Posts: 881 Member
    Hi! Take some measurements and find your BF% here http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/mbf/ once you find out your BF% you can find your BMR here http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/ Read the page once you enter the info and they will tell you how much you need to eat for r activity level. It is a great site with lots of information and is pretty accurate in my opinion. I really think MFP underestimates how much you need to eat for weight loss. Good luck on your journey.. Once you have the calories you can set up MFP for those calories.
  • dlyeates
    dlyeates Posts: 875 Member
    I don't see 1400 as being that bad but I also think people are not eating enough. I would try it for a while.

    PLEASE REMEMBER......that 1400 calories already has the deficit included into it so you need to eat back those calories and NET 1400 calories a day!!! If you are at 1400 calories and burn 300 a day (on average) you are only netting 1100 and that is not enough. Or if you are burning 500/3 times a week then you are netting 900 calories on those days and your body will not be happy. You may lose weight but you will probably also lose muscle and doing this healthy is more important than the scale moving all the time!!! (I should know.....I've only lost 5 lbs since January!! But I'm still going at it strong and making sure I'm healthy in the process!!)
  • geekyjock76
    geekyjock76 Posts: 2,720 Member
    At 5'5", a BMR of 2,300 seems a bit high. Did you mean TDEE? One formula I use for BMR is:
    370 + (21.6 x lean body mass in kg)

    For you to have a BMR of 2,300, your lean body mass would have to be 196.9 lbs (89.5kg).
  • KarinFit4Life
    KarinFit4Life Posts: 424 Member
    Go work out your numbers here: http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/


    Subtract 20% from the number it gives you (next to your activity level in the end).

    Thats what you eat.

    Macros: 40% carbs, 30% fat, 30% protein.
    Protein is very important.

    Good luck!!
  • lizzardsm
    lizzardsm Posts: 271 Member
    Check out this calculator:

    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/

    Also look at the eat more to lose group.

    Weight training will probably help you out. I've had some good results (sofar) with the New Rules of Lifting for Women program. I'm following their nutrition guidelines. It'll take some time to see the scale go down (you'll be building a ton of muscle so that will offset your fat loss and make you look like you aren't losing anything) but the results overall will be better.
  • iloveweasels
    iloveweasels Posts: 9
    Check out this calculator:

    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/

    Also look at the eat more to lose group.

    Weight training will probably help you out. I've had some good results (sofar) with the New Rules of Lifting for Women program. I'm following their nutrition guidelines. It'll take some time to see the scale go down (you'll be building a ton of muscle so that will offset your fat loss and make you look like you aren't losing anything) but the results overall will be better.
    The problem with that calculator, is it doesn't determine how quickly you want to lose the weight! I want to lose another 40lbs by January which MFP says I would do at 1360 cals. At least I know I'm not under or overeating as it stands!
  • KarinFit4Life
    KarinFit4Life Posts: 424 Member
    If you eat under your BMR then you are under eating...
    Find out your real BMR number and make sure you net that at least.

    2300 might be your TDEE...
  • iloveweasels
    iloveweasels Posts: 9
    If you eat under your BMR then you are under eating...
    Find out your real BMR number and make sure you net that at least.

    2300 might be your TDEE...
    Ok, so I checked using that site and my BMR is 1900 (I must have got the two confused... too many numbers)! So I'm "undereating" by 500 calories a day so that's 1lb a week... yet I'm losing more than that? Aghhh this stuff confuses me too much!
  • lizzardsm
    lizzardsm Posts: 271 Member
    This is what I'm doing (NROL) and how it compares to the Fat 2 Fit numbers.

    NROL says I should eat 1600 cal/day - I'm 5'4" and about 138. On weight lifting days I eat 1800. This is all at 40% protein, 30% carbs, 30% fat.

    Fat 2 Fit says my BMR is about 1300 and my "sedentary" daily calories is about 1600.

    Hope this helps!! I also really really recommend heavy lifting. Women don't build bulky muscle ever. Heavy weights will tone you up and burn more calories even when you're just doing nothing (vs. cardio training). Cardio is still important but weight training does way more good.

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