So I was just on a website that calculates you BMR and RMR to find out what calorie intake I should be taking in. I roughly figured I am eating about 1350 calories a day. I go to the gym 5 days a week (weight training, cardio), walk my dogs for half an hour 2 times a day (sometimes I miss a day or 2), and ride my horse 4-5 times a week for about 30-60 mins.

The RMR says that my resting metabolic rate is 1522 calories a day
For Moderate Activity which is 3-5 days of Moderate exercise I am suppose to be eating 2359 calories. Even if I am suppose to come down from that a bit to lose weight that's A LOT of calories. I am eating 1000 less than that now (less than my supposed resting metabolic rate!) and doing all the exercise listed above!

What should my calorie intake be?

I am female, 20 yrs old, 5'4. My weight when I started 3 weeks ago was 169 (don't know what it is now)

I'm no expert... just been doing this for a while and been quite experimental with my body...
I'm about 30lbs heavier than you - and over 20 years older... and I get about 2200-2400 calories a day and manage to lose weight... I walk probably 40 miles a week, and do weight training 4x a week...

I don't think that 2000 calories is an unrealistic goal... Eating well magazine a few months back, had a very uncomplicated sane approach - it was take your current weight and multiply by 15 to get your mainteance calories and if you want to lose weight multiply by 12... and adjust a little bit if you need to.

You want a calorie range that's realistic and managable - plus gives you a little bit of play if you need it... By starting with a really low calorie range, you don't have anywhere to go with it - by starting higher, you've got room to adjust...

That seems kinky to me... That puts me at shy of 4k calories for losing, and even on some of my worst days, I don't know if I have hit that much.

I did say i didn't know what I was talking about most days...

you'd be surprised how quickly calories can add up when you're not paying attention... the formula might not be right for everyone but it seemed to keep me int he same range as the harris benedict formula

it just seems rediculously high to lose weight on. I may try to up mine slightly (it may be higher than 1350 anyways (it was hard to determine how many cups of chicken I eat and such) but I don't think it's any lower than 1350) but I am not gonna eat 2000 calories a day!

Harris Benedict puts me at about 13 calories per pound for maintenance, but I don't do nearly the exercise you do. Based on the calories I eat (which I'm usually good about tracking) and the rate I lose at, I'd guess 13.5 per pound would be maintenance for me. But 15 per pound is only an extra 225 calories a day for me, so your exercise in excess of mine would easily account for that.

I hear ya! I was blown away with those charts too.

I currently consume about 900-1100 calories per day. I'm not trying to keep my calories super low, it's just that I eat very healthy (plain chicken breast, plain fish, green veggies, fruit, fat free cottage cheese, potato, whole wheat pasta and bread and at least 10 glasses of water daily). I also consume 2 protein shakes daily. I work out five days per week on top of walking my dog and other than that I'm very energetic and active person.

I'm never hungry and I'm losing weight so I don't think there is anything wrong with my calories intake.

If you are losing weight, not feeling hungry and feeling pretty healthy, not really any point changing your calories intake if you are happy with it as it is.

Thats just my 2 cents But, I'm no expert.

Thanks, I can't beleive you have the energy you do with only that amount of calories. I do sometimes get quite tired at the end of my week and I think that has to do with not eating quite enough I coulnd't imagine eating that little. Do you think it's a difference in motabolism?

I'm really not sure. Apparently my metabolism is 12% above the average for my age, height etc...

A few people have tried to lecture me on eating so few calories but, it's not like I'm trying to starve myself, I eat six times per day.....well at least I did, now I eat four times and drink two protein shakes. Like yesterday I had:

Breakfast: Protein shake (made with fat free milk)- 200 CALORIES and a small bowl of Cheerios (with fat free milk)- 140 CALORIES

Snack: Half cup grapes- 60 CALORIES

Lunch: Can of tuna (the one on water not vegetable oil)- 110 CALORIES

Snack: Half cup of fat free cottage cheese- 80 CALORIES & banana- 105 CALORIES 615

Dinner: 1 small plain chicken breast- 120 CALORIES , half baked potato (no butter or topping)- 160 CALORIES , veggies- 22 CALORIES

=902 CALORIES

Btw, those calories may not be totally accurate, I get my info from the net and most of the sites have conflicting info.

Recently I have been having two protein shakes per day, one for breakfast and one after my workout so add another 200 CALORIES on

Again, I'm never hungry and eat small portions at regular intervals. Don't get me wrong, some days I will go a little higher, often I'll eat more veggies, just so happens yesterday I didn't. I'm very firm as far as my eating habits go. This works for me and I feel great. Everyones body is different, do what feels good for you.

This Friday is naughty day! Sausage Gravy and biscuits here I come!!!!




What are you eating?

Hmm,
If you go to my Journal on the journal page it lists what I eat every day.

I'm about to go to my belly dancing class. I'll check it out later this evening

Thanks.

Why not? For fear of gaining weight? Most women are so scared to eat over 1500 cals a day its ridiculous. Like 2000 is some ridiculously insane amount of calories. I like Mals advice, why start low, because as you lose, youll have to readjust, and it only gets lower.

What are you...a pigeon? I can easily eat 900 cals a meal.

Ha! No...no...not at all. No pigeon here

Did you read what I ate yesterday? I by no means starve myself. I just eat small portions on regular intervals and I eat my food plain which I actually like.

Like I said, it's not for everyone. Some people need more calories, I don't. Each to their own What I do works for me and I'm happy with it.

Hi fellow Albertan.

Realize the numbers are a guide...you may be 100-200 below or above that.

Also realize that being in deficit 300 calories a day would mean only one lost pound every 10 days. Why not aim for something like 1700. It is easily sustainable and will bring about greater losses.

Realize that the reason why people have their jaws drop with these numbers is because they are bad at calculating what they eat. The main culprits are:

a) juice
b) sauces
c) restaurant/fast food

with c) being the worst. I dont know how many people I've had discuss this and SWEAR that they are at 1200-1500 calories a day only to find out that their meal at their favourite restaurant (usually like a turkey burger or a salad with fries with ranch or something, plus a drink) is 1500 calories by itself. There is your calorie deficit for the week.

Michael

In comparison, when I start dieting/cutting, I begin at 2500 calories a day, and have no problem losing 3 lbs every 14 days doing so.

Michael