Working out how many calories per day?
 

How did you work out how many calories you should be sticking to each day?

I've been using the Food Focus website which says for my height and weight it should be 1341.

But have just signed up to livestrong/myplate which says it should be 1530...

That's quite a difference isn't it?! Can anyone help? I'm 5'6", 206lbs and at the moment I lead quite a sedentary lifestyle...

I usually recommend going to http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm as a starting ground, work it 100% for a few weeks then tweak as necessary.

Good luck :hug:

Ditto!
 

I have some limitations to how much exercising I can do because of my arthritis so you could say that I am sedentary. However, since you signed up at livestrong.com, which I also belong to, go to the link where it says Fitness and there you can see that even walking through the house picking up things (yes, that is how it is listed!) burns calories. You might actually be more "active" than you realize. The "comfort" that I got from that is even pushing the broom across the floor chasing "Cheerios" is burning something. Maybe, not a marathon, but something. It also said that it was higher for me than what I am currently following. As long as you are losing what you feel is a good amount for you, I would follow what you feel you can do.

Good luck!:hug:

Keep in mind that you're burning calories every day, not just by working out, but also in the activities you do - vacuuming, etc. etc. It's all based on calories in vs calories out. You have to burn more than you consume in order to lose weight.

On average, during my workouts I can burn anywhere from 400 to 900 calories dpending on my workout. As you begin working out more and more, you will begin to burn more calories throughout the day as your body becomes more efficient.

Ok so maybe I'm not exactly sedentary, I'm doing the usual housework, entertaining my toddler etc... I probably burn off more than I think!

I just think its a really high number of calories... when I was dieting a few years ago my limit was 1200 but then I suppose I'm heather than that now.

I'm confused that it can vary by about 200 from website to website through..!

This past Xmas I invested in a heart rate monitor. It's great for giving info on how many calories I burn during exercise. You can also wear it like a watch throughout the day to get an idea of how many calories you body burns naturally. Pretty cool. Polar is the company that I have. I got it from the sporting goods store. The best investment I ever made.

Age, height, and starting weight all play a huge role in what you can get away with eating. Part of the way my mother always screwed me up was by putting me on whatever diet worked for her, even though she's 30 years older than me.

People can often lose at higher calories than they think, as long as they are honest calories.

First, you have to remember that your daily average is NOT your average day. One "cheat meal" a week can add 200 calories a day to your average, but many people remember the other six days of the week--their average days--and think they eat "about 1200 calories a day".

I average 1700 calories a day and lose a little less than two pounds a week. However, that's a true average--I do NOT eat off plan, and while I do have one planned "indulgence" meal a month, that counts as part of that daily average of 1700--on an average day, I eat more like 1625-1650.

Second, nibbles and tastes add up. It's shockingly easy to eat without thinking about it. I have NIGHTMARES about being halfway through a brownie and being like "How did this happen?". A hundred extra calories a day is a gain of 10 lbs a year, and a hundred calories is about 3 nibbles.

Last, all that matters is that you are consistent. You pick a number (I recommend higher rather than lower) and do your best to accurately eat that many calories. If you lose 1% of your body weight a week and feel good--not cranky or absent-minded or light headed or tired--then you are eating the right amount. If you lose weight but are starving--any of those things I listed mean you are starving--then you need to eat a little more (like 50-100 calories) and/or change what you are eating to stuff that fills you up (for me, protein). If you are not losing weight or losing it slowly, you need to eat less and/or exercise more.

I mean, if I found out tomorrow that my food scale was broken and I was eating 4000 calories a day, I wouldn't suddenly get fat--it would mean that I was also burning 5000 a day. As long as I am consistent and getting results, I know I am doing what I should.

Thanks everyone - have decided to go for 1400 for a week or two and see how I get on...

And I am logging EVERYTHING!!!

:carrot:

Good luck!