Weight-Loss How many calories should I eat?

[Travis Bell]

I have a lightly active lifestyle and currently im underweight. My daily calorie intake is around 1700. My age is 25 years.
I need suggestions for vegetarian options that are high in calorie but are not filling as I don't feel hungry a lot.

 

[siesi]

I found another formula in the book of Dietary Reference Intakes.

Estimated Energy Requirement (kcal/day) = Total Energy Expenditure
Men EER = 662 – (9.53 x age [y]) + PA x [(15.91 x weight [kg]) + (539.6 x height [m])]
Women EER = 354 – (6.91 x age [y]) + PA x [(9.36 x weight [kg]) + (726 x height [m])]

Also (link removed ) make all calculations by using the formula above. Results are very close but I am confused? Which formula is more accurate?

 

[diet_lady]

I found another formula in the book of Dietary Reference Intakes.

Estimated Energy Requirement (kcal/day) = Total Energy Expenditure
Men EER = 662 – (9.53 x age [y]) + PA x [(15.91 x weight [kg]) + (539.6 x height [m])]
Women EER = 354 – (6.91 x age [y]) + PA x [(9.36 x weight [kg]) + (726 x height [m])]

Also (link removed ) make all calculations by using the formula above. Results are very close but I am confused? Which formula is more accurate?

You're right - there is a difference between calculations with Harris-Benedict equation and your formula...

 

[wartiger02]

I have always preferred the method described below to find the number of calories needed to maintain lean body mass. It's super simple and effective. If you're trying to get shredded for a competition or a photo shoot it probably isn't exact enough, but it's good for the average dieter.

Take your current body weight and multiply it by one of the following numbers based on your lifestyle. You use 12 if you lead a sedentary lifestyle where you work a desk job and get little or no exercise, 13 if you are moderately active and exercise often, and 14 if you are very active and exercise vigorously. If you are interested in fat loss subtract 500.

 

[Jayceefit]

Great advice! I also think it's worth noting that if you are dropping weight too fast, you can bump calories up slightly.

You should try to 'diet' on as many calories as possible, as it gives you more wiggle room when fat loss stagnates.

Unless you are severely overweight, a loss of more than 4-5lbs in one week (not counting the first week as you will usually see a large drop) is quite drastic.

As stated in the original post, everybody is different. Personally, I can lose fat on 3000kcals a day, which is a rarity for my size, but I am incredibly active.

 

[carlinannarbor]

Probably the most common questions on the site are about calories: Am I eating enough? Do I really have to eat that many? How many should I eat? What's BMR? What's maintenance? Etc.

Most thin people don't worry constantly about such stuff. My weight loss success came when I wasn't even trying to lose weight, and just decided I HAD to make changes in WHAT I was eating all day long.

It's not really about calories, as much as the TYPES of food you eat.

The body doesn't handle a Little Debbie, the way it handles a can of tuna. One spikes insulin, and gets converted to body fat, while the other heals and repairs the body.

Just eat the foods I call "God foods," and avoid like the plague, the "Man foods," and the weight will drop faster than you ever thought possible -- and you never have to feel hungry.

 

[Trusylver]

No matter your choice of diet, calories still count, there is no shortage of overweight people eating healthy food.

 

[carlinannarbor]

I've found a healthy diet eliminates the need to micromanage calories. Your definition of a healthy diet may be different from mine, but when I really lost the weight, was when I made different food choices. I eat every day to fullness and dont count calories. When I worried about such things, my diet was different, and I was obese.

 

[Denice]

I really think you need to experiment with your own body, for instance I have Hashimoto's disease which is a thyroid condition and even with medication my metabolism is very slow. I live on a farm and I work physically hard every day, break a sweat multiple times a day so I am not sedentary at all. According to some nutritionists and my doctor I should be able to consume 1600-1800 calories a day, well I tracked and logged everything, and I can eat 1100 calories a day when I want to lose, 1300-1400 when I want to stay stationary, and if I eat more than 1400 calories a day I GAIN. your body will tell you and if you keep a log it will help. I really did not want to count calories but I found that I need to in order to insure I continue to lose.