Calorie goals

MonicaLee92
MonicaLee92 Posts: 222
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey! I know it sets you up here with a 1200 calorie goal and I thought that was really hard and then I started reading on here that that you should be eating more than that. So what are your alls calorie goals?

Replies

  • McLifterPants
    McLifterPants Posts: 457 Member
    I currently eat 1600 calories a day, but am working my way up to 1750 (maintenance).

    The general rule a lot of people on here follow is to find out your TDEE from a website like http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html and your BMR from myfitnesspal, and then calculate a deficit of 500-1000 calories per day depending on your goals from your TDEE, without going under your BMR. If you calculate your TDEE to include exercise, you don't add your exercise calories on MFP, but if you calculate it at "little to no exercise," when you work out you add it on MFP and eat back the calories.

    Good luck!
  • McLifterPants
    McLifterPants Posts: 457 Member
    P.S. The reason I am operating at much less of a deficit is because I am trying to put on muscle, which required more fuel!
  • MonicaLee92
    MonicaLee92 Posts: 222
    Okay! Thank you so much! That really helped me out! :)
  • McLifterPants
    McLifterPants Posts: 457 Member
    Any time!
  • paintlisapurple
    paintlisapurple Posts: 985 Member
    I currently eat 1600 calories a day, but am working my way up to 1750 (maintenance).

    The general rule a lot of people on here follow is to find out your TDEE from a website like http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html and your BMR from myfitnesspal, and then calculate a deficit of 500-1000 calories per day depending on your goals from your TDEE, without going under your BMR. If you calculate your TDEE to include exercise, you don't add your exercise calories on MFP, but if you calculate it at "little to no exercise," when you work out you add it on MFP and eat back the calories.

    Good luck!
    Holy Moley!!!! My BMR was calculated at 1569 so I shouldn't eat under THAT? I can hardly eat the 1200 that MFP calculated for me. I put in that I am moderately active. (I have a toddler and two other children at home...it seems I'm always on the move, gardening, playing with kids, cleaning or whatever) and I do circuit training every other day. The only time I ever notice hunger is if I get a minute to myself (which isn't often I also attend college). I am losing, and feel I'm working very hard at it. I do NOT want to screw this up. I would appreciate any constructive criticism and help that I can get please.
  • allisonleigh11
    allisonleigh11 Posts: 34
    Mine was set to 1500 but i only eat around 1200
  • taylor5877
    taylor5877 Posts: 1,792 Member
    mine is currently set at 2400 (for 500 calorie deficit/day).

    I do about 1000 calories of excercise every weekday (estimate since MFP doesn't calculate for strength training), so my "goal" is probably several hundred calories low. With my current excercise I could probably put away 4000 calories per day and not be gaining any weight.
  • McLifterPants
    McLifterPants Posts: 457 Member
    I currently eat 1600 calories a day, but am working my way up to 1750 (maintenance).

    The general rule a lot of people on here follow is to find out your TDEE from a website like http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html and your BMR from myfitnesspal, and then calculate a deficit of 500-1000 calories per day depending on your goals from your TDEE, without going under your BMR. If you calculate your TDEE to include exercise, you don't add your exercise calories on MFP, but if you calculate it at "little to no exercise," when you work out you add it on MFP and eat back the calories.

    Good luck!
    Holy Moley!!!! My BMR was calculated at 1569 so I shouldn't eat under THAT? I can hardly eat the 1200 that MFP calculated for me. I put in that I am moderately active. (I have a toddler and two other children at home...it seems I'm always on the move, gardening, playing with kids, cleaning or whatever) and I do circuit training every other day. The only time I ever notice hunger is if I get a minute to myself (which isn't often I also attend college). I am losing, and feel I'm working very hard at it. I do NOT want to screw this up. I would appreciate any constructive criticism and help that I can get please.
    There are a lot of differing opinions on this site regarding whether or not you should eat under your BMR. I made my decision not to do so based on the following:

    BMR is Basal Metabolic Rate; the number of calories your body would burn to keep your organs functioning if you were in a coma, basically. No activity at all. In eating less than that, you are not providing your body with the energy it needs to keep functioning. You can lose weight like this, but a lot of it will be muscle. In order to more effectively burn fat, you actually need to BUILD muscle, which required more fuel, especially protein. In my personal experience, eating below my BMR made me tired, cranky, and hungry.

    TDEE is Total Daily Energy Expenditure, which is the calories your body actually uses in your daily life. That is the number that you want to take your deficit from.
  • rose313
    rose313 Posts: 1,146 Member
    My goal is 1500 but I like to eat 1200-1400. I can eat a ton if I eat healthy. It keeps me on track.
  • MonicaLee92
    MonicaLee92 Posts: 222
    Okay! Thanks! I think i'm gonna set mine for 1500 and see how that goes for me.
  • popzork
    popzork Posts: 78 Member
    I met with a dietician today and she recommended I eat 1600 - i was eating about 1200-1400 and not losing.
  • paintlisapurple
    paintlisapurple Posts: 985 Member
    I currently eat 1600 calories a day, but am working my way up to 1750 (maintenance).

    The general rule a lot of people on here follow is to find out your TDEE from a website like http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html and your BMR from myfitnesspal, and then calculate a deficit of 500-1000 calories per day depending on your goals from your TDEE, without going under your BMR. If you calculate your TDEE to include exercise, you don't add your exercise calories on MFP, but if you calculate it at "little to no exercise," when you work out you add it on MFP and eat back the calories.

    Good luck!
    Holy Moley!!!! My BMR was calculated at 1569 so I shouldn't eat under THAT? I can hardly eat the 1200 that MFP calculated for me. I put in that I am moderately active. (I have a toddler and two other children at home...it seems I'm always on the move, gardening, playing with kids, cleaning or whatever) and I do circuit training every other day. The only time I ever notice hunger is if I get a minute to myself (which isn't often I also attend college). I am losing, and feel I'm working very hard at it. I do NOT want to screw this up. I would appreciate any constructive criticism and help that I can get please.
    There are a lot of differing opinions on this site regarding whether or not you should eat under your BMR. I made my decision not to do so based on the following:

    BMR is Basal Metabolic Rate; the number of calories your body would burn to keep your organs functioning if you were in a coma, basically. No activity at all. In eating less than that, you are not providing your body with the energy it needs to keep functioning. You can lose weight like this, but a lot of it will be muscle. In order to more effectively burn fat, you actually need to BUILD muscle, which required more fuel, especially protein. In my personal experience, eating below my BMR made me tired, cranky, and hungry.

    TDEE is Total Daily Energy Expenditure, which is the calories your body actually uses in your daily life. That is the number that you want to take your deficit from.

    Thanks for the clarification....but something with my numbers doesn't add up! My BMR is 1569 and my TDEE is 2489 minus say a thousand from the TDEE and I am still under my BMR. Do you know of any calculators out there which might be more accurate so that I can get this straightened out? :noway:
    Edit: I went back to work my numbers again and this time got 2270 for a TDEE I see where my 1290 goal comes in now. (smacking self upside the head*) There is still one thing that I do not understand...should we be NETTING our calorie goal? If so...there is nooooooo way I can do that. I'm stuffed already!
    (Thanks for putting up w/ my craziness.)
  • McLifterPants
    McLifterPants Posts: 457 Member
    I currently eat 1600 calories a day, but am working my way up to 1750 (maintenance).

    The general rule a lot of people on here follow is to find out your TDEE from a website like http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html and your BMR from myfitnesspal, and then calculate a deficit of 500-1000 calories per day depending on your goals from your TDEE, without going under your BMR. If you calculate your TDEE to include exercise, you don't add your exercise calories on MFP, but if you calculate it at "little to no exercise," when you work out you add it on MFP and eat back the calories.

    Good luck!
    Holy Moley!!!! My BMR was calculated at 1569 so I shouldn't eat under THAT? I can hardly eat the 1200 that MFP calculated for me. I put in that I am moderately active. (I have a toddler and two other children at home...it seems I'm always on the move, gardening, playing with kids, cleaning or whatever) and I do circuit training every other day. The only time I ever notice hunger is if I get a minute to myself (which isn't often I also attend college). I am losing, and feel I'm working very hard at it. I do NOT want to screw this up. I would appreciate any constructive criticism and help that I can get please.
    There are a lot of differing opinions on this site regarding whether or not you should eat under your BMR. I made my decision not to do so based on the following:

    BMR is Basal Metabolic Rate; the number of calories your body would burn to keep your organs functioning if you were in a coma, basically. No activity at all. In eating less than that, you are not providing your body with the energy it needs to keep functioning. You can lose weight like this, but a lot of it will be muscle. In order to more effectively burn fat, you actually need to BUILD muscle, which required more fuel, especially protein. In my personal experience, eating below my BMR made me tired, cranky, and hungry.

    TDEE is Total Daily Energy Expenditure, which is the calories your body actually uses in your daily life. That is the number that you want to take your deficit from.

    Thanks for the clarification....but something with my numbers doesn't add up! My BMR is 1569 and my TDEE is 2489 minus say a thousand from the TDEE and I am still under my BMR. Do you know of any calculators out there which might be more accurate so that I can get this straightened out? :noway:
    Edit: I went back to work my numbers again and this time got 2270 for a TDEE I see where my 1290 goal comes in now. (smacking self upside the head*) There is still one thing that I do not understand...should we be NETTING our calorie goal? If so...there is nooooooo way I can do that. I'm stuffed already!
    (Thanks for putting up w/ my craziness.)

    Technically yes, you should be trying to net your goal, which is why MFP adds any exercise calories that you log into your goal. However, if you aren't actively trying to build muscle, it's probably fine not to worry about it too much. Go with how you feel; I certainly never advocate forcing yourself to overeat when you don't feel hungry! Sometimes it's easier to eat more if you spread it out into smaller meals over the day, though, if you find you're consistently under.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories