How many calories are you eating?

khcastro
khcastro Posts: 23
in Introduce Yourself
Hey y'all!!!!

So, quick question, when I was setting up my goals here, I set my calorie daily goal at around 1500. This was aiming to lose 1lb a week. I just had a baby 12 weeks ago, and while I'd like to lose more a week, my weight has been up and down over the last few years, I wanted my weight-loss to be slow, steady, and healthy--more of a lifestyle change. I have been trying to burn 400-600 calories AT LEAST five days a week. I usually try not to eat many or any of my exercise calories. Just curious as to how many calories you all have your program set to--how much weight a week you've been losing--and any advice is greatly appreciated! :)

Thanks!
~*Kristi*~
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Replies

  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
    I eat around 3000 calories daily.
    MFP sets our goals based on a deficit which is a function of how many pounds per week we seek to lose.
    1 pound for me.
    I exercise a bunch as I play hard: tennis, biking, swimming...ect...
    Just be patient; it's not a race.
    Good Luck :flowerforyou:
  • sunnyshine1313
    sunnyshine1313 Posts: 112 Member
    I have mine set to lose up to 2 lbs a week, and it has been pretty consistent. I work out 5-6 days a week, and usually have about 200 or so calories left over at the end of each day as I do eat back some of my workout calories if I am still feeling super hungry. As for advice...if you ever have a difficult day with staying within the calories start each day as a new day and just keep going.
  • TasTam
    TasTam Posts: 84 Member
    I have mine set to lose about 1 1/2 lbs a week and I have averaged about that since the first of the year. I do eat my exercise calories back and I usually am not hungry. I do eat 6 times a day, so I really don't have a chance to feel hungry. I'm eating about 1500 to 1800 calories a day.
  • Celliott411
    Celliott411 Posts: 49 Member
    Hi! I have mine set at 1200 (to lose 2lbs a week) and I've been consistently losing 2lbs a week for the last month since starting MFP. Although, you say you try not to eat back your calories from the gym, but the program is set up so that you DO eat them back. If you eat 1500 calories a day, but you are burning 400-600 calories at the gym, this puts your total for the day under 1200. In that case, your body does not function the way it should and it's going to start holding onto anything you intake because it goes into "survival mode." In this case, you'll probably have a hard time seeing results. Make sure you're eating 1500 calories and if you work out, eat those extra calories as well! Food is good, not the enemy!
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    Set to lose 1/2 lb. a week and am eating 3200 calories a day currently.... I eat back my exercise calories daily..... Best of Luck to You....
  • AzhureSnow
    AzhureSnow Posts: 289 Member
    I try to lose between 1-2 lbs a week, usually averaging around 1.5. I have my base intake at 1650, and I sometimes eat my exercise calories, sometimes I don't. I always try to NET at least 1200 calories a day, period.
  • SPNLuver83
    SPNLuver83 Posts: 2,050 Member
    You need to eat back your cals if you are already set up with a deficit on MFP otherwise you'll have the same problem as before.
  • small_ninja
    small_ninja Posts: 365 Member
    I've set my base goal to 1,400 calories but try to eat around 1,600-1,700 on exercise days (to get a net of around 1,200 calories). I'm not losing that fast coz I don't have much left to go, but the scale's still slowly moving.
  • HauteHauteMami
    HauteHauteMami Posts: 128 Member
    I eat around 1300 to 1400 gross calories before deducting exercise . . . I don't eat back but 25% of the calories I burn . . .
  • wgn4166
    wgn4166 Posts: 771 Member
    Mine is set to lose 1 1/2 pounds a week at 1200 calories. I have been here for about 3 weeks and I have only lost 1 pound.
  • lwagnitz
    lwagnitz Posts: 1,321 Member
    Mine are set at 1200, and I try to exercise 5-6 days a week. I don't eat my calories back because I'm just not hungry... Sometimes it's hard for me to even eat those 1200 calories :/ But I just started last week and lost 5 pounds. I think it was kinda from "cleansing". I didn't eat meat and ate really really healthy foods (all fruits, veggies, and a little bit of cottage cheese or greek yogurt, or some eggs) I was eating bad before so I think that's why I dropped it so quick this first week.
  • amyonkman
    amyonkman Posts: 25
    mine are set at 1240...I think thats for a 1 1/2 a week. Some days I have a hard time meeting it, some days I don't. But its about a 750 deficit for me. I also am not going to eat back my calories burned! That may be a little much, and also if you are nursing thats going to be burning a lot of calories too, so you might want to make sure you figure some of that in too :)
  • jsapninz
    jsapninz Posts: 909 Member
    1250 for my 1 lb a week loss (I am 23 weeks in, and 1 lb from goal!!). I try to get at least 500 cals a week of exercise cals in to eat back as well, but otherwise I am very particular about eating only healthy foods to get all my nutrients in.

    BTW, if you lifestyle is set to sedentary like most people MFP is set up for you to eatback your cal burns.
  • Jodibear58
    Jodibear58 Posts: 280 Member
    I'm eating around 1500-1700, but I am exercising about an hour a day. I just bought a new scale and it shows more than my old one, so I am not sure how much I will end up losing a week.
  • graelwyn
    graelwyn Posts: 1,340 Member
    I eat between 2000 and 3000 calories a day, with my exercise, and am set to maintain, which I am currently doing.
    I have always eaten my exercise calories back and lost weight fine doing that.
  • heartofdorkness
    heartofdorkness Posts: 60
    Mine is set at 1680 for a 2lb/week loss. I usually eat back some (rarely all) of my exercise calories, and end up netting 1500/day on average. I've lost roughly 2lbs/week since I started here 6 weeks ago.
  • jwhite1301
    jwhite1301 Posts: 5
    1800 a day... losing 2-3 lbs a week.
  • meeka472
    meeka472 Posts: 283 Member
    I'm losing about 1.5 - 2lbs per week. I eat from 1200 to about 1800 calories per day based on the amount of exercise I'm doing. I don't eat back all my exercise calories but if I'm working out I will eat back some of them.
  • Rosa1213
    Rosa1213 Posts: 456 Member
    I set mine to lose 1 lb per week and I eat roughly 1500 calories every day.
    I exercise 3X a week, so I've been losing a little more than 1 lb per week, because I don't eat back my exercise calories.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
    MFP gave me a number of ~2000 calories a day (thats factoring in the deficit) at losing 1 lb a day. Loggin my daily exercise raises it to anywhere from 2500 to 3000. I normally go over the number that it gives me by 50-100 calories. I'm losing pretty much at the rate it says.
  • sleepyonigiri
    sleepyonigiri Posts: 1
    I'm new to myfitnesspal, but I'm hoping to be able to lose around 10kg eating 1,300 calories a day - hope it works!

    Good luck with your weight loss!
  • DonttrythatwithME
    DonttrythatwithME Posts: 214 Member
    2300 - 4000 depending on what workout im going through i have lost a couple of pounds but have lost inches around my waist and started to put on mass. my diary is open if you want to look for tips?

    p.s are you not hungry on 1500 cals? :S id be starving
  • brittany17love
    brittany17love Posts: 66 Member
    I eat 1200 calories a day sometimes a little more or less.
  • rasp12
    rasp12 Posts: 17
    MFP set up 1460 calories as the goal. I try to get around 1250-1350 range limiting my total starch intake to 2.5 cups per day, 3 fruit, 4-5 vegetables, 3 dairy, 2 (2.5oz) cooked protein, 2 tbsp oil and walking 60 minutes every day with my dog. Heavy duty gardening twice a week helps with the weight loss as well.
  • khcastro
    khcastro Posts: 23
    Thanks everyone. When you're talking about the deficit, what do you mean? I just entered in my current weight and my lifestyle (which at the moment is sedentary as I am on maternity leave/summer break) usually I am on my feet or walking around most of the day. I thought the program totaled all that for you? How do I know if I am eating or that my calorie deficit has been calculated into my settings?

    Thanks!

    Kristi
  • khcastro
    khcastro Posts: 23
    How do I know if my settings include a deficit?
  • milk_shakes
    milk_shakes Posts: 46
    I joined the 13th and have wxercised 5 days a week since. Ive lost 9 ppunds so far but its mostly water weight i assume. To lose 2 a week set at lightly active I'm supposed to be at 1530. I changed that to 1450 until I start Zumba this week. I've been trying to warm up my body by doing a lot of intense but shorter pool workouts so I don't hurt my weak muscles lol. Right now I don't trust that I'm burning as many calories as MFP says I am for the exercise I do, and I do eat back about half my exercise most days but if I'm not hungry I do not. When I start Zumba I will reenter my info and follow mfp's guidelines, and would like to net about 1400/daily... Too high?
  • jsapninz
    jsapninz Posts: 909 Member
    Thanks everyone. When you're talking about the deficit, what do you mean? I just entered in my current weight and my lifestyle (which at the moment is sedentary as I am on maternity leave/summer break) usually I am on my feet or walking around most of the day. I thought the program totaled all that for you? How do I know if I am eating or that my calorie deficit has been calculated into my settings?

    Thanks!

    Kristi

    The deficit or "cut" is the difference between what your body burns normally to stay ar your normal weight and what you are eating to lose weight. For example, if your TDEE (Totaly Daily Energy Expentiture, which is your BMR (basal metabolic rate or calories burned to keep your insides functioning) multiplied by your acitivty level) is 1700 and you are eating at 1300 cals a day, your cut is 400. Go to your My Home> Goals section to see under your "YOUR DIET PROFILE" what your "Daily Calorie Defecit" is. There are 3500 cals in a lb, so divide your defecit by 3500 to see how many days it will take to lose one lb.

    The MFP program will do it for you, but it is still good to know what your maintenance calories are just for your personal knowledge.
  • khcastro
    khcastro Posts: 23
    Thanks everyone. When you're talking about the deficit, what do you mean? I just entered in my current weight and my lifestyle (which at the moment is sedentary as I am on maternity leave/summer break) usually I am on my feet or walking around most of the day. I thought the program totaled all that for you? How do I know if I am eating or that my calorie deficit has been calculated into my settings?

    Thanks!

    Kristi

    The deficit or "cut" is the difference between what your body burns normally to stay ar your normal weight and what you are eating to lose weight. For example, if your TDEE (Totaly Daily Energy Expentiture, which is your BMR (basal metabolic rate or calories burned to keep your insides functioning) multiplied by your acitivty level) is 1700 and you are eating at 1300 cals a day, your cut is 400. Go to your My Home> Goals section to see under your "YOUR DIET PROFILE" what your "Daily Calorie Defecit" is. There are 3500 cals in a lb, so divide your defecit by 3500 to see how many days it will take to lose one lb.

    The MFP program will do it for you, but it is still good to know what your maintenance calories are just for your personal knowledge.

    I'm going to try to figure that out now... Thanks!
  • angrodriguez92
    angrodriguez92 Posts: 193 Member
    I eat about 1200 calories per day. I am super short, so my caloric intake should be small anyway. 5 ft. I do pretty easy - moderate workouts 30 minutes a day.

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