How many calories do you eat?

[random9876]

I am doing MFP in the hope of losing a stone. I'm in my 40s, 5.4, exercise regularly (45 mins a day, but stuff like HIIT) but I am also pretty muscular. I have been eating a about 1500 a day. Is this enough? In the first three weeks, I seem to have lost 9lbs, which seems pretty rapid to me. What do others eat?

When losing my calorie target was 1300. Now I’ve lost the weight and hit target my daily maintenance calories are 1650.

I aim for between 1,300 and 1,500 a day.

How many calories are too much/not enough is usually pretty specific to that person's weight, BMI, calories burned exercising etc.

How much does MP say you should eat to lose at a steady rate (e.g. a lb a week)? I found it pretty reliable at giving an accurate figure you can work to.

It says 1360 (but that’s lightly active, and I do HIIT/spin/weights 5 or 6 days a week. I put the exercise in which pumps up the caps but I have not bee. Trusting quite what it then suggests - ie 1800 cals. I maybe need to experiment a bit

I've cut my calories down to 800-1000 a day😳

I'm not an expert but if you're working out high intensity wouldn't you need more calories than that?

@chan1609 is that even healthy? What do you eat?

I've always aimed for 1,500 when losing weight, but don't worry if I go over. I don't exercise intensely but do try to go on long walks.

It’s hard to know with exercise because I work out hard but am otherwise desk based. So prob burning much less than a waiter or bike courier who does no exercise.800-1000 would break me Chan! I know some people do it short term though

I'm sure there are websites that help you work out how many calories you need when exercising etc

me pers 200-1200 cal, try to aim at like 400-600 though. mainly bc I have a really really slow metabolism, if I eat more than 1200-1300 I gain :'/ i hate my life

I’ve been doing 1200 which has me losing steadily. Some days it’s fine but I’ve been struggling recently and think I need to up it to make it feel less punishing and enable me to stick to it longer.

Think I might do 1500 for a week and see if I still lose something.

around 2000

800 if I am doing something like the Fast Diet or Valter Longo.

0 on some days if I am doing hardcore alternate day fasting.

But I seem to gain weight quickly if I eat more than about 8000-10000 calories per week. So that would be no more than 1500 per day to maintain. Very annoying.

I read somewhere that people who have naturally skinny bodies eat less but also absorb cals from their food less efficiently than those who put on weight quicker. I don't know if this is true but I quite like it. It must mean my body is really efficient

Unfortunately, larger deficits or stricter dieting leads to greater adaptive thermogenesis. In short, your body responds to the lack of calories by becoming more efficient. The stricter you are - the better your body becomes at using energy efficiently and so the less energy it requires.

The way out is, in theory, to slowly raise calories and keep them high - allowing your body time to slowly adjust upwards and grow used to the greater availability of food. There is a fair bit of debate over if, or to what extent, that can be achieved, though.

It's one of the most important reasons why it is so risky to use low calorie diets for people who have not had a history of dieting in the past or who just want to lose a small amount of weight.

1500ish on average. I'm 2.5 stone overweight and have been for 10 years.

I aim for 1300 on non gym days and 1400 on gym days. However, I'm stuck in a bit of a rut breakfast/lunch wise and my low cal choices during the first half of the day mean I struggle to reach my goal and often end up eating between 900 and 1100. Like you I feel I'm loosing weight too fast I just don't know what to snack on that's healthy. I'm not really into snack foods and another meal feels like it would be too much.

I have 1000 - 1200 a day and losing weight. I need to start adding more calories soon as I hit my goal weight this week. Just going to get a bit under first then start increasing to see where my maintenance line is.

I'm doing well with my nutritional balance but always seem to be low in potassium - any advice? I don't really want to include bananas (too many cals) and I already eat a portion of spinach and melon everyday, most days I eat broccoli as well.

I'm also always low in sodium but not sure this is really a problem?

Low sodium and potassium are symptoms of anorexia. Eat the banana. They're 93 calories for a large banana. You can easily fit that in on a healthy diet and make an appointment to see your GP.

About 18-1900 based on my usual level of exercise for a loss of 1-2lb per week. I'm not counting at this precise moment in time but I lost over 4 stone in lockdown following this calorie deficit

I can't bear the tedium of low calories every day, so I do ADF which gives me roughly 1300 per day. I am one day at 2000 and the other at 500. I oddly find the 500 day easier... I'm doing this to lose weight.

@glastogal

About 18-1900 based on my usual level of exercise for a loss of 1-2lb per week. I'm not counting at this precise moment in time but I lost over 4 stone in lockdown following this calorie deficit

Cracking achievement, well done!

Currently eating around 1000 a day to lose about 2/3lb a week. Mix of weights and HIIT 3 times a week. I've dieted twice in the past to lose 2/3 stone both times, since then and the older I get the less I can eat and lose weight. There's no way I could eat 1500/1800 and still be losing weight!

@Frequency it's MFP telling me I'm not getting enough potassium and sodium. Perhaps I just need to swap around some food I'm eating.

I'm going up to my maintenance calorie intake in a few weeks so I'm sure it will improve then.

To add in a banana I'd need to take something out until I start on my maintenance calories, so I'll have a think. I might need to cut out my daily sweet treat!

I guess I was hoping there would be a low cal fix to give me what i need that I didn't know about!

To lose weight?
I aim to eat 1100 which is 500 below my maintaince amount so I can lose 1 lb a week.

(I am small build and only 5ft)