How much calorie intake is right for me?? - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

#1

MiVidaLoca23 , 12-15-2011 01:26 PM

I have never really tried calorie counting. How do I find out how many calories I should be eating in a day? Do you write down everything you eat and drink? Any tips for a beginner calorie counter?

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#2

mammasita , 12-15-2011 02:10 PM

I posted this about a week ago, but basically....

One pound is 3500 calories.

Calories needed to maintain current weight for a moderately active woman is 12 x <body weight>.

To lose one pound a week, we need a calorie deficit of 3500 calories because 3500 calories is 1 pound.

Using myself as an example:
12 x 202 = 2424 calories a day to maintain my weight at 202 pounds
2424 - 500 = 1924 calories a day to lose 1 pound a week
2424 - 1000 = 1424 calories a day to lose 2 pounds a week

This number lowers as we lose weight. When I reach my goal of 159 pounds, I will need 1908 calories to maintain.

Ultimately though, everyone is different based on their weight and activity level - but the general formula remains the same.

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#3

Fat2Skinny , 12-15-2011 03:02 PM

You can go to fitday dot com to post your food, and it will calculate your calories for you. If they don't have the food you ate, you can custom create a food by getting the info from the package and input it.

You eat as many calories that you need. I do 1200 to 1500 (if I'm still hungry). A lot of doctors suggest that 1200 calories is a good starting point.

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#4

Esofia , 12-15-2011 03:25 PM

A lot of doctors, sadly, don't know squat about nutrition. 1200 would work for someone of my size, but considering the OP's height and weight, it would be far, far too low. Try this calorie calculator, it's a decent one and should give you a good starting point. You will probably have to adjust after a while, that's normal.

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#5

Lyla , 12-15-2011 03:34 PM

There are several formulas that you can use to find your Basal Metabolic Rate, one of the most used is the Harris-Bennedict one, but this one overstimate the amount of calories an overweight person should eat. The most accurate for overweight people is the Miflin one, as follow

Ecuaci�n de Miflin
(10 x WT) + (6.25 x HT) - (5 x AGE) - 161

W = weight (in kilos) 1 kg is 2.2pounds
H = Height in centimeter I'm 5'5" wich is 165 centimeters

Now, this one ONLY calculate de basal metabolic rate, so if you do some excercise you will need to add this to the total of the previous ecuation. if you have a lot of pounds to lose, you can either eat at your Basal Rate number with no problems.

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#6

nat123 , 12-15-2011 03:36 PM

The calorie counter App from 'fatsecret' is really great! I own a blackberry not sure if its available for the iPhone but its worth checking out! Has great list of foods, allows you to track your weight, exercise routine and breaks the foods down in calories, fats, carbs etc... highly recommended! As for how many calories is right for you the previous replies offer some good links!

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#7

Bones1928 , 12-15-2011 03:52 PM

This is one of my favorite calculators. If you say "I want to lose 50 pounds in 8 months" and type in all the pertinent information, it'll give you a list of how many calories you should consume per week to reach that goal. It's pretty cool. It won't let me post a link yet, so... here you have it:

Go to www(dot)healthyweightforum(dot)org/eng/calculators/calories-required

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#8

stimkovs , 12-15-2011 04:03 PM

try googling sparkpeople!! it's an amazing resource!

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#9

lin43 , 12-15-2011 06:08 PM

I like the calorie calculator that Esofia linked you to. Coincidentally, it is automatically set up for the Mifflin-St. Jeor formula that Lyla posted. From what I've read, the Mifflin-St. Jeor formula has been found to be the most accurate one.

Start with that, and then see how it goes. Really, though, the only way you will know what works for you is to experiment. The calculators are useful starting tools, but they are only estimates based on averages.

BTW, I also use the app nat123 referred to. I started out with that one, switched to MyFitnessPal, and am now back to Calorie Count (which is the one linked to fat secret). Other than a more limited database of foods, Calorie Count is better than MyFitnessPal in many other ways, IMHO.

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#10

MiVidaLoca23 , 12-15-2011 07:50 PM

Thank you everyone for the advice and info.. I am going to try all of the links you recomended and see which one works for me.

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#11

ArtyKay , 12-16-2011 01:45 AM

http://www.webmd.com/diet/food-fitness-planner/food-log

This is the one I use...I really like it!

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#12

Lyla , 12-16-2011 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nat123

The calorie counter App from 'fatsecret' is really great! I own a blackberry not sure if its available for the iPhone but its worth checking out! Has great list of foods, allows you to track your weight, exercise routine and breaks the foods down in calories, fats, carbs etc... highly recommended! As for how many calories is right for you the previous replies offer some good links!

This app is awesome!!
I have it in my Iphone and what i really love about it, is that it will select your country automaticly, so is easier to get the common brands. I don't live in the states, and i had a hard time reading everything in the supermarket cause all the apps that i had just have USA local brands that sometimes i don't find here, with this one is easier cause i can check almost everithing from home.

I don't actually use all the features but the 'look the nutrition facts of food' cause i manage all that i need in an excel calculator i created for myself.

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#13

MiVidaLoca23 , 12-18-2011 08:10 PM

I found an app called "Lose It" for android... I'm not sure if it will work on iPhones or BB's but I really like it!!! If you can't find the food you have eaten in their system, it has a barcode scanner that you can use instead of manually putting in the information!

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#14

Tanzinite21 , 12-20-2011 03:54 PM

Thanks for the resources. It helped me find a good starting point

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