Totally Confused on How Many Calories to Eat Per Day

I’m 5’8 214 lbs trying to get to around 165-170 lbs even if it takes time. I just started tracking calories on myfitnesspal I feel like I’m eating plenty but I’m hitting right around 2000 calories. I just read though my maintenance calories would be 3,200 per day since I am very active. I don’t see how as I was lifting and eating a lot and gained a lot of weight in the first place. I didn’t keep track of calories but I doubt I was eating more than 3200 per day. I would guess less.

Does this seem accurate

I’m doing cardio and weight training. I know gaining muscle mass right now would be very difficult but I just don’t want to lose muscle mass if possible. But it may be inevitable.

Due to physiological differences, relative differences in perception of activity, possible medication side effects, and many many other things…

Those calorie calculators are basically fucking worthless.

If you’re losing weight keep at it, if you’re gaining eat less move more.

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I’m confused by what the issue is. According to this calculation 2,000 cals/day puts you in the 1-2lbs/week camp, which is a good target for cutting IMO.

You shouldn’t lose any muscle or strength. Eat enough protein.

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This is a great article for how to start out.

How are you defining that?

Can you list everything you ate yesterday?

50 minutes of cardio every single day plus weight lifting every other day.

Here’s everything I ate yesterday. Not perfect I realize with the chik fila and treated myself with the chicken mcnuggets.

p.s. just because protein shake is listed with breakfast and lunch etc… does not mean I had a shake with my lunch or breakfast they were about 2 hours apart.

It alloted me 582 more calories that I could have ate since I added that much in cardio which was just an estimate.

So for 22 hours a day you are sedentary? That will not qualify you as highly active.

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No I walk a lot too in addition to cardio. So you’re saying I’m not active?

Not very active, no. That’s more for people that work physical labor jobs.

Oh well let’s move from that it’s not that important it was just a calculator that estimated how many calories to lose x amount of weight that someone else said was wrong anyway.

If you insist.

You seem to have an opinion that you can’t get off of even when it’s not that important you’ve done this before in my threads. You obviously think very highly of yourself but that doesn’t really help the person you’re supposed to be helping.

You seem to do many things to my friend :slight_smile:

Well arguing repeatedly that someone is not active does what exactly?

I do not feel it has been repetitive. I asked a question, then clarified from there, from there we established the truth, you said to drop it, I agreed to do so because you insisted, and here we are.

The intent was to ensure we establish an accurate activity baseline for caloric intake estimates. Over estimating activity level can lead to overeating.

I ate 1944 calories yesterday, I didn’t add any more calories because I did cardio. I am using cardio to reduce my calorie intake not so I can eat more. It’s in the link I posted.

Awesome dude: I am happy for you.