How many calories for how many lbs?

2013Alli
2013Alli Posts: 30
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all

Does anyone know of an accurate way (maybe there's a website or something) of finding out how many calories i should eat per day to lose a specific amount of weight per week? I saw a website on someone else's post recently (forgotten the address) which told me how many clories i should eat to lose weight but it didn't specify how many calories per Lbs I want to lose.

My profile here suggest i eat 1200 calories per day but I just need a bit more info.

Can anyone help?

Replies

  • sandrajune72
    sandrajune72 Posts: 492 Member
    Have you tried the search option on here? This may have been asked before. Or just google it! Sorry I can't be of more help. :smile:
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
    Hi all

    Does anyone know of an accurate way (maybe there's a website or something) of finding out how many calories i should eat per day to lose a specific amount of weight per week? I saw a website on someone else's post recently (forgotten the address) which told me how many clories i should eat to lose weight but it didn't specify how many calories per Lbs I want to lose.

    My profile here suggest i eat 1200 calories per day but I just need a bit more info.

    Can anyone help?

    If you try a TDEE calculator, like this - http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/ (put your current weight in as your goal weight, as this site is designed to get you eating the maintenance calories of your goal weight now and forever)

    it will tell you how many you need to maintain, and then you simply deduct
    500 a day for 1lb per week.
    750 for 1.5 lb per wek
    1000 for 2 lb per week etc

    sometimes our bodies don't work with the maths, but you get the general idea.
  • Bambooblade
    Bambooblade Posts: 18
    I think you have to under eat 500 calories a day (3500 calories a week) to lose 1lb
  • 2013Alli
    2013Alli Posts: 30
    Thanks everyone. I'll try that fat2fit website :-)
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    50 calories/day is 0.1 lbs (one tenth of a pound).
  • 2013Alli
    2013Alli Posts: 30
    So i looked at that website and on a few others and basically if I want to lose 2lbs per week (which I dont think to be unreasonable), I have to net 614 calories. Blimey! I dont have enough time to do all the exercise required to net 600. It's going to be a slooooooow journey - either that or I will have to start counting carbs as well - could get complicated. Hard work this dieting isn't it :-)
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
    So i looked at that website and on a few others and basically if I want to lose 2lbs per week (which I dont think to be unreasonable), I have to net 614 calories. Blimey! I dont have enough time to do all the exercise required to net 600. It's going to be a slooooooow journey - either that or I will have to start counting carbs as well - could get complicated. Hard work this dieting isn't it :-)

    Are you really getting a TDEE of only 1614?

    That seems very low. are are you confusing TDEE with BMR?

    I'm only 4ft 11, and my estimated TDEE is around 2000,
  • 2013Alli
    2013Alli Posts: 30
    ah no, it was my BMR - around 1645 I think. One site told me literally how many calories I need to eat each day to lose 2lbs per week which was around 600. This was based on my current weight, age & height. I tried several sites, they all said the same thing. Am I being thick? lol
  • 2013Alli
    2013Alli Posts: 30
    Aha! I just did it again using my TDEE instead of BMR so my TDEE is 1928 so I need to net 928 to lose 2lbs per week. That sounds so much better! phew
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    Aha! I just did it again using my TDEE instead of BMR so my TDEE is 1928 so I need to net 928 to lose 2lbs per week. That sounds so much better! phew

    That doesn't sound right at all. Way too low. MFP recommends 1 pound per week, but if you really want to do 2 pounds per week then MFP would probably have you at the 1200. I personally tried 1200 last summer and I was cranky and hungry and felt stupid all of the time. I lost the most weight eating around 1400. I am getting close to my goal weight so I have slowed things down to 1/2 pound per week which gives me 1600 calories.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    Aha! I just did it again using my TDEE instead of BMR so my TDEE is 1928 so I need to net 928 to lose 2lbs per week. That sounds so much better! phew
    How is that better? 900 calories a day is not even close to ok.
  • 2013Alli
    2013Alli Posts: 30
    Do you think so Elizabeth? Dont forget I'm talking net. So I would aim to eat 1200 and burn 270ish. You dont think that's reasonable?
  • kaotika
    kaotika Posts: 34
    If your BMR really is 1645 and TDEE is really 1928 then you should eat more than 1645 and less than 1928.

    a 15% cut on your TDEE comes to 1638 which is lower than your BMR, so this tells you that you should

    *NET* at least 1645
  • KeriLoy
    KeriLoy Posts: 23
    Bump....need to look this up at home as well...great question!!
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    Do you think so Elizabeth? Dont forget I'm talking net. So I would aim to eat 1200 and burn 270ish. You dont think that's reasonable?

    It's pretty low actually. Is there a reason you're fixed on 2 lbs/week? I mean, we'd all like to be skinnier faster but I doubt you put it on at 2lbs/week or even close.
  • rose313
    rose313 Posts: 1,146 Member
    It's not healthy to net under 1200, in most cases.
  • lisaslim1976
    lisaslim1976 Posts: 145
    3500 burned/defecit = 1lb :-)
  • wild_wild_life
    wild_wild_life Posts: 1,334 Member
    Would you mind sharing your weight and height? That TDEE still seems low unless you are very small and sedentery. You mention exercise so I assume you are not sedentery.

    You cannot really think in terms of "net" when you are basing your goal off TDEE. TDEE includes your exercise so you simply eat a set amount each day.
  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
    Everything I've read (as in published) says 1200 is a healthy floor. Not BMR, not '1200 net'.

    Despite that we all gained it slower than 2 lbs/week, authorities nearly all agree we can aim to lose it at the rate of 2 lbs/week. Will it always happen that fast? No. Most (or all) of us underestimate our intake and overestimate our burn. Plus our bodies run on their own 'clocks', not the online estimators.
  • Kim_S_G
    Kim_S_G Posts: 120 Member
    This website does what you are asking for. At the top of the page, click on "settings', then click on "update fitness profile". Fill out the info asked for. At the bottom of that page is where you fill out how many pounds per week you want to lose. Click the green '"update profile" button, and your fitness and nutrition goals will be given to you.This information is displayed on your homepage every time you log in.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    Everything I've read (as in published) says 1200 is a healthy floor. Not BMR, not '1200 net'.

    Despite that we all gained it slower than 2 lbs/week, authorities nearly all agree we can aim to lose it at the rate of 2 lbs/week. Will it always happen that fast? No. Most (or all) of us underestimate our intake and overestimate our burn. Plus our bodies run on their own 'clocks', not the online estimators.

    Sure. I wasn't meaning you should aim to gain it at the same rate you lost it.

    But setting for a 1200 intake and a 1000 deficit means that you've cut by (about) 45%. That's awfully big. Unless there's some reason/deadline/whatever (such as health issues due to morbid obesity, job issues), I don't see why.
  • 2013Alli
    2013Alli Posts: 30
    quite a debate! The reason I am looking at 2lbs per week is because I have an interim target in November that I am aiming for, for a specific occasion, however i realise to sustain this would be difficult so i'm not going to be too upset if i dont quite reach it but i'd like to get close. I also have read from many nutritionists and from many dieting clubs that 2lbs per week is a healthy amount to lose and that 1200 calories is a healthy amount to be eating, so i'm suprised that so many people are disagreeing with this.

    My confusion I think was when i was trying to work out what that means for me personally in terms of calorie intake, was around which figure to use (TDEE, BMR etc..)

    Anyway, I'm not going to be silly about the whole thing. If I'm not getting what i need from the 1200 cals, i'll just have a re-think :-)

    Thank you for all your comments x
  • Martina_Who
    Martina_Who Posts: 172 Member
    to lose 1lb you need a calorie deficit of 3500

    so either eat less or exercise more or a combo of both :-)


    An average woman needs 2000kcal per day but obviously depending on your body/height/activity level that varies, you can google for a BMR calc that should give you your daily calorie needs!


    Good Luck :)

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