where is this "weight x 7" thing coming from?

Hey guys, I'm just getting caught up with the forums after Thanksgiving, and I have seen the advice to multiply your weight times 7 to get your daily calorie intake about 4 separate times.  To be fair, it just happens to work at my weight (215 x 7 = 1505), but as someone already pointed out, if you are in a normal weight range, this method would most likely have you eating too little.  Where the heck did this come from?

Hell if I know -) I thought the guideline was something like 12 to 14 times to maintain. Then reduce that for weight loss.

OTOH rules of thumb are dangerous IMHO.

I found this out on the 'net:

Women To Maintain Weight - Multiply your weight (in pounds) by 12
This is a rough estimate of daily calories needed to maintain weight.

To Lose Weight - Deduct 500 calories from this figure
This gives you a rough estimate of the daily calories needed for you to lose about 1 pound per week.

Are you sure this is right? I have been trying to stay around 1000 cal and still have trouble losing.  With this calulation I can add another 336 cal. to my diet. Please confirm if this is correct.

well, you're supposed to eat more than 1,000 cal regardless, silly.

Yeah, what Saro said.  Eating too little slows your metabolism and makes it harder to lose weight.

What's annoying is that every time I lose a bit I have to cut the cals again, according to the above calculations.  Today I burn 1704, in 5 lbs (down, I hope!) 1644... etc.  At 1644 - 500 = 1144, and going down, I'm gonna end up in starvation mode, won't I?

*dizzy*

Oh, and weight x 7 would allow me only 944 cals a day.

*faints from hunger*

 jwatt1 you might want to check the thread called something like 700 calories and obese. Something like that. Going too low can be worse then eating a little too much.

If memory serves, the x7 calculation came from the Biggest Loser cookbook, and maybe their website. So, I wouldn't give it too much clout.

Hi, I am new here.

I response to "how many calories should one consume?", I think the website provides a very good calculator. The daily consumption depends on your body needs and how active you are. I think 1000 is way too low. I agree it would slow your metabolism and make youi regain weight in the long run.

Galya

No one should eat less than 1200 calories per day. Doing so will decrease your metabolism over time. If 1200 calories isn't doing it for you for weight loss you're going to have to up the exercise!

I am new also to posting.  According to the one website I should be eating 1180 calories to lose weight.  I have been eating between 1100 and 1300 a day and I'm not losing and I have been doing 30 minutes of cardio exercise a day.  Any hints for me?

futuremrshaifley wrote:
Women To Maintain Weight - Multiply your weight (in pounds) by 12
This is a rough estimate of daily calories needed to maintain weight.


Huh?  Are you sure this is right?  This seems so odd.
For example, I currently weight 390 lbs.  If I wanted to maintain this weight (which I *don't* but just for sake of example here), using your equation, I would have to eat 4680 cals/day!  To lose weight, I should eat 3680 cals/day to lose 2 lbs a week..... yet on this site with the tools, it tells me that I should be eating 2036 cals a day to reach my goal by 9/30/09 and that I am currently burning 2900 cals/day (sedentary).  I have been consuming approximately 1700 cals/day.  If I went based on your info and calculations, I am eating WAY too little, however if I eat 3600 cals/day (again, based on that info) I am going to gain weight, am I not?  I mean, 3600 cals = 1 lb.  If I have that 7x a week, thats gonna be a weight GAIN, not a weight LOSS.  Especially if I am only burning 2900 cals/day (as sedentary - not taking into effect any exercising I do).