How many calories work for you?

[Anonymous]

If you have a BMI around 20-22, how many calories do you typically eat per day? I feel like all the online sources telling me how much to eat are way too high. maybe my metabolism is really slow? I'm trying to figure out if the calculators are overestimating what i should be eating?

[Anonymous]

What I've heard is you take the weight you want to be and multiply it by 12.

for example: 125 * 12 = 1500 calories a day

You can't always trust BMI. It doesn't take everything into account.
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I also found this:

Calculate Your BMR
Your BMR is the amount of energy your body needs to function. We use about 60% of the calories we consume each day for basic bodily functions such as breathing.

Other factors that influence your BMR are height, weight, age and sex.

Step one is to calculate your BMR with the following formula:

Women:
655 + (4.3 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)

Men:
66 + (6.3 x weight in pounds) + (12.9 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

Please note that this formula applies only to adults.

Calculate Activity
Step two: In order to incorporate activity into your daily caloric needs, do the following calculation:

* If you are sedentary : BMR x 20 percent

* If you are lightly active: BMR x 30 percent

* If you are moderately active (You exercise most days a week.): BMR x 40 percent

* If you are very active (You exercise intensely on a daily basis or for prolonged periods.): BMR x 50 percent

* If you are extra active (You do hard labor or are in athletic training.): BMR x 60 percent

Add this number to your BMR.

The result of this formula will be the number of calories you can eat every day and maintain your current weight. In order to lose weight, you'll need to take in fewer calories than this result.

As you lose weight, you can re-calculate the formula to assess your new BMR.

[Anonymous]

OP here, I guess my question is does anyone at a "happy weight" find that those calculations are pretty accurate for them? I've found all the calculations before from various different sources. But how many of you find them accurate/not accurate etc?

[Anonymous]

I find that I only lose weight if I eat less than 1500 calories/day.

[Anonymous]

I think those are great guidelines, but it really is very personal.

My BMI is in the overweight category (26). I track most of my food each day and aim for 1,500 calories a day. I'm fairly active (exercise 4-5 times a week). I'm sure my calories fluctuate about 100 or so a day, because while I do track everything and write it down, I know I'm not 100% accurate. I can't eat more than that without gaining weight, though. And I have to eat less than 1,200 to lose.

My mother is pretty thin and fairly active as well. Perhaps due to her age, or the fact she weighs about 125, she can't eat more than 1,200 calories a day.

I heard on a news program that the average woman eats about 1,400 calories a day. I can't believe that's true, since 2/3 of us are overweight. I assume that means an average healthy weight woman eats about 1,400 calories a day.

[Anonymous]

PP, thanks for that input! I'm sort of in the same boat. My BMI is about 24-25 so i'm always on the border. I was tracking my calories as well, and it seems that I can't eat more than 1500/1600 calories without weight gain and I'm sort of active. I walk 30-60 mins everyday, and do other cardio in spurts. I just turned 30, maybe age is slowing me down but I thought I had a few more years before that had a significant effect.

Most calculators (even for age) tell me I should be eating anywhere from 1900-2300 calories a day depending on which one I use. I'm wondering if there is a problem with me metabolically or if those calculators are all just a lot of bung. I do have a thyroid problem but I'm on the appropriate dose of medication so that shouldn't impact my metabolism too much.

I'm wondering if I maybe did more weights if I could boost my metabolism. I don't know how much that effects calorie burn. I want to lose weight but when I try to eat less than for maintanence I tend to binge sometime later in the week because I'm just too hungry. The same happens when I start to exercise heavily. I tend to make up the calories.

Or maybe I'm just used to eating too much! If the average weight woman (I'll make that assumption too) eats 1400/day, then I probably just have to realize that my American overindulgent mind thinks that I need more food than I do!

[Anonymous]

I am 5'5, weigh about 112 and eat 1500 calories a day. I run/ walk 5 days a week and do 10-15 minutes of pilates those days too. I eat A Lot but mostly fruits and vegs with whole grains, yogurt etc. I live by the "volumetrics" way of eating-works well for me and after 3 kids, I feel good about the way I look.

[Anonymous]

what's a volumetrics way of eating?

[Anonymous]

think huge portions of low calorie foods. So for breakfast instead of granola w/ milk have two or 3 cups of cheerios with skim milk. An eggwhite omelet with lots of veggies...lunch dinner huge salads with lean protein. I always add fat to every meal but not a lot so maybe avocado and nuts to salad or salmon, or feta. I eat a lot of raw foods. I began eating like this in college and found it keeps me full and my weight steady. I never go to bed without eating a bowl of fruit with yogurt and usually a low fat ice cream bar.

[Anonymous]

I need to make eating like that a habit!!! thank you for the advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think those are great guidelines, but it really is very personal.

My BMI is in the overweight category (26). I track most of my food each day and aim for 1,500 calories a day. I'm fairly active (exercise 4-5 times a week). I'm sure my calories fluctuate about 100 or so a day, because while I do track everything and write it down, I know I'm not 100% accurate. I can't eat more than that without gaining weight, though. And I have to eat less than 1,200 to lose.

My mother is pretty thin and fairly active as well. Perhaps due to her age, or the fact she weighs about 125, she can't eat more than 1,200 calories a day.

I heard on a news program that the average woman eats about 1,400 calories a day. I can't believe that's true, since 2/3 of us are overweight. I assume that means an average healthy weight woman eats about 1,400 calories a day.

You should NEVER eat less then 1200 calories a day. Your body will get confused and go into starvation mode where it stores fat and burns muscle.

[Anonymous]

My BMI is 20-21 (5'10" and about 143 lbs).

After my third child, I really did not lose the weight easily like I had before so I completely changed my eating habits.

I also eat very much like the "volumetrics" PP. I never would have used that term as I'm not so familiar with it, but I consider myself to follow the Mediterranean diet - tons of fruits and veggies, lean protein, olive oil, red wine. I prefer vegetables over fruit so I have a huge salad every day, usually for lunch but if not I have it for dinner. I do have a serving of fruit every day too, but I could live on veggies. I still haven't found a vegetable I don't like!

Salads are REALLY filling and you get a lot of bulk, great nutrients, and few calories. Like the PP said, it is important to have at least some fat with it, so I also include nuts or avocado usually, and the only dressing I use is my own homemade viniagrette (olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a bit of dijon mustard, garlic, salt & pepper) that I always keep in a shaker bottle in the fridge. You can get very creative with salads - the combinations of veggies are endless.

Lest you think I'm home making salads all day, I do take salad to work every day for lunch. Place all your chopped veggies in plastic container at night. In the morning add your dressing. Bring romaine lettuce in a separate bag or container (and keep any nuts separate as they get soggy & weird in the dressing). At lunchtime, I just toss it in a large bowl that I keep in my office, and I keep a box of whole grain crackers at work too, so I have a few crackers with it and a glass of water.

[Anonymous]

This is a very timely topic for me, because I have been struggling to lose the last 5 pounds after having my second child two years ago. All of the weight came off by 4 months, except for the last 5 lbs. So I finally started counting calories a few weeks ago. I am 5'10" and 154 lbs, BMI 22. Supposedly, the calories required to support this weight = 2300. So if I want to lose one pound per week, I would have to cut out 500 calories per day, leaving 1800, and I haven't been able to do it. I eat pretty healthy foods (whole grains, nothing fried or processed, no soda or juice, plenty of fruits and vegetables, rarely eat out or drink alcohol), but if I don't eat 2300 calories, I'm starving. I can't imagine eating only 1500-1600 calories! I don't feel like there is much that I can cut out. I guess that explains why I've been this weight for two years now. I only work out twice a week. Maybe if I can find a way to exercise every day (and not eat more) that will tip the balance.

But to answer the OP's question - it seems that the predicted 2300 calories does support my weight of 154.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think those are great guidelines, but it really is very personal.

My BMI is in the overweight category (26). I track most of my food each day and aim for 1,500 calories a day. I'm fairly active (exercise 4-5 times a week). I'm sure my calories fluctuate about 100 or so a day, because while I do track everything and write it down, I know I'm not 100% accurate. I can't eat more than that without gaining weight, though. And I have to eat less than 1,200 to lose.

My mother is pretty thin and fairly active as well. Perhaps due to her age, or the fact she weighs about 125, she can't eat more than 1,200 calories a day.

I heard on a news program that the average woman eats about 1,400 calories a day. I can't believe that's true, since 2/3 of us are overweight. I assume that means an average healthy weight woman eats about 1,400 calories a day.

You should NEVER eat less then 1200 calories a day. Your body will get confused and go into starvation mode where it stores fat and burns muscle.

You should NEVER say NEVER about anything, since everyone is different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think those are great guidelines, but it really is very personal.

My BMI is in the overweight category (26). I track most of my food each day and aim for 1,500 calories a day. I'm fairly active (exercise 4-5 times a week). I'm sure my calories fluctuate about 100 or so a day, because while I do track everything and write it down, I know I'm not 100% accurate. I can't eat more than that without gaining weight, though. And I have to eat less than 1,200 to lose.

My mother is pretty thin and fairly active as well. Perhaps due to her age, or the fact she weighs about 125, she can't eat more than 1,200 calories a day.

I heard on a news program that the average woman eats about 1,400 calories a day. I can't believe that's true, since 2/3 of us are overweight. I assume that means an average healthy weight woman eats about 1,400 calories a day.

You should NEVER eat less then 1200 calories a day. Your body will get confused and go into starvation mode where it stores fat and burns muscle.

You should NEVER say NEVER about anything, since everyone is different.

It's a pretty well known fact that your body goes into starvation mode if you try and survive on less then 1200 calories. If you want to destroy any muscle you have, that's your business. Ask any doctor or dietitian and they'll tell you the same.