calorie goals set by myfitnesspal.com

LisaRoloff

I am seriously amazed at the variety of and difference in calorie goals listed for the people that have their food diaries available to share. I know it's likely to do with all sorts of variables such as age, height, how much you want to lose and how fast, but just WOW. Mine is over 2,200 cause I am looking at 200lbs about 1 - 2 lbs a week (I have been told previously that is reasonable). One of my friends is only 1,600. All I can think of is "OMG you poor thing, you must be absolutely starving."

malibu927

If you think that's low, you should see all the people who eat 1200.

Age, height, weight, activity level, and rate of loss are all the factors. When I started, I was set to 1900+ to lose 1.5 pounds a week. Now I'm at 1720 for a pound a week. But I also have an active job and a Fitbit, so today I'll probably be eating over 2000 calories due to how much movement I did at work.

rkcampbell

I am 183 set to 1lb a week and I eat 1500.

mommarnurse

I've never trusted their calculations. If I did, trust me, I wouldn't lose weight. I've been eating at 1600 for a while now and never hungry.

laylabronx

Calorie counting has me skeptical. I have tried it once before and it didn't work well for me. Now giving it a realy shot. Seems to me I don't eat for my body and hunger but by my counting. I think it may make me eat more then I would. But who knows maybe that's a good thing.

My trainer started me at 2000 and she is a true professional. Then I heard 1700, and finally am trying for 1450-1500.

I guess I'll just have to see

LisaRoloff

Maybe that is why I'm never hitting my goal. I'm always under it by 500 to 800 calories. Maybe I will manually change it once I go and see a dietitian. I remember when I was much younger and they tried to stick me on a 1,200 calorie diet. I was starving all the time and all it did was shut down my metabolism.

earlnabby

I started out at 290 lb., sedentary, and MFP gave me 1900 calories a day. Currently at 202 lb., lightly active, I am at 1760 calories. I set it to lose 1 lb. a week but I don't eat back more than 50% of my exercise calories so I have been averaging 1.5 lb a week over the last 16 months.

DebDesautels

Mine was set to 1200 calories based on MFP's calculators and my goal to lose 2 pounds a week. It was a struggle to get enough to eat and frankly I wasn't actually losing any weight. Got advice from a professional and it's now set to 1800 based on my weight and activity level. Once I started doing that, I've actually started to lose weight - hooray! I actually rarely make it to 1800 - probably average 1600-1700. I'm also eating 50% carbs, 20% protein, 30% fats (with limits of 45g sugar and 20g saturated fat). I've added back in whole grains (like wheat bagels, brown rice, barley, etc.). So... I'm eating more, have added (some) carbs back in whereas before it was mostly protein, veggies and fats. AND, I've lost 10 pounds in about 5 weeks. Go figure. And finally it doesn't feel like a "diet" and just a decent way of eating that I can manage forever.

PopeyeCT

MFP is giving my 1490 right now, and that is my biggest motivation to exercise. I'm hungry!

LisaRoloff

PopeyeCT wrote: »

MFP is giving my 1490 right now, and that is my biggest motivation to exercise. I'm hungry!

Yeah, see... I don't think I could manage that. I like food too much. I love flavor. If I tried to cut back that far I would eventually jump off the wagon just in frustration alone. So far what it is giving me seems to be working. When I go and see the dietitian (waiting for the referral to get there so I can make an appointment) I'm going to print my pages and take them with me to show her. that should give her a good baseline to see where I am and we can go from there.

Mediocrates55

I'm 5'4, 130 headed down to 120 to stay at 30 year old. It's got me at 1360 for .5 loss a week. I'm about to start hitting the gym again - recovered from a serious back injury and then broke my damn toe a week into my return. I can't wait to eat more again. Lol 1360 is killing me.

TimothyFish

LisaRoloff wrote: »

I am seriously amazed at the variety of and difference in calorie goals listed for the people that have their food diaries available to share. I know it's likely to do with all sorts of variables such as age, height, how much you want to lose and how fast, but just WOW. Mine is over 2,200 cause I am looking at 200lbs about 1 - 2 lbs a week (I have been told previously that is reasonable). One of my friends is only 1,600. All I can think of is "OMG you poor thing, you must be absolutely starving."

Maintenance for me, without exercise, would be about 2300. For me to lose 2lbs a week on 2200 calories, I would have to burn an additional 900 calories.

shadow2soul

So many factors go into that calculation.
I'm 5'4.5" and currently about 139 lbs.
MFP says 1200 a day, set to lightly active and 1.5 lb's per week loss (yes I know that is a tad bit faster then advised for what I have left to lose).
My 30 day average intake is 1902 and I'm averaging 1.4 lbs per week ATM.

wick3tgirl

i'm really frustrated at my bmr (1247) and tdee (1554), so with a 15% calorie reduction i get a measly 1303. im 161.5 cm and currently at 56.3 kgs. yeah, cardio helps and i can't wait 'till i start to lift heavy as soon as i move to the BFs and get my hands on some heavy weights. life is just too busy at the moment to fit weights into the regiment #excuses

SezxyStef

I haven't use MFP as it was designed in almost 2 years...started again to see if my jawbone is accurate.

At 150...5 ft 7, 42 and 1/2lb a week...1470...when I was heavier 1lb a week it was 1460....hehe...not a biggy.

I am quite active anyway so I can eat up to 2100 calories usually based on my jawbone...I don't but I could.

lemurcat12

I get 1400 with a .5 lb goal using MFP method and lightly active; 1220 if I use sedentary. Obviously trying to lose 1 lb/week would get me 1200 either way and I still wouldn't really be losing that much.

Using my own calculations and the TDEE calculators, my maintenance without exercise is about 1550, and when I'm as active as I aspire to be it's maybe 2200. (I don't use MFP method, though, but TDEE method.)

So the idea of losing 1-2 lb/week at 2200 is pretty dream-like. (I've been maintaining around that level or a bit less, but want to get back to losing.)

I'm on the shorter side, though: 5'3 and 125.

wick3tgirl

yeah, mfp gives me 1200 for 0.5kg and Ive done that for almost the entire first 4 months of the year, I'm over it. Ive reached the first goal weight for my nyc holidays. now nice and easy, no rush. yes the additional 100 kcal doesnt seem like a lot - I hate tall ppl :P

xLyric

MFP gave me 1220 to lose 2lbs a week; I'm 5'9'' so it's not like I'm tiny. I lost 40lbs and felt fine. If I felt hungry I exercised and was able to eat more. It's not as outrageous as people make it out to be. If you want to use MFP's calculations but don't feel you're eating enough, either move more or lose weight at a slower pace, both will give you more calories.

sineadt84

I'm at 1200 and it's tough. I am hungry a lot and i actually struggle to fit 3 meals plus snacks in that come in under 1200 calories but I've only been at it a week so it will get easier especially as I get used to the cooking and the meals. I've just cut out all junk (crisps, biscuits, cake in work when there's a birthday) and I will have a cheat meal once a week.

LisaRoloff

I'm actually finding that if I go back to the type of foods that Mum grew up on during WWII and rations, they are actually less calories. I got some of those cheap Aldi's burgers thinking they were pre measured, how bad could they be? almost 400 calories each. Really bad. But then I have some beef hearts we got before mummy got sick because she was going to stuff them and I found a recipe to make or rather cook them like steaks. Came out fantastic, and really low calories. I had a 10 oz heart steak and it was only just over 400 calories. Next time I will split the steak with daddy. Also, I have a meat grinder so I am thinking ground beef heart instead of standard ground beef.

globug68

Its very interesting. I was going to a weight lose clinic they had me set at 1700 eating small meals every 2-3 hrs. I started back with MFP the calculation here is 1440 and I seem stuck the scale is barely moving if at all. I did lose a bit on the 1700 what I may do is go in the middle say 1400-1600 see what happens.

JanetMMcC

I'm at 1200. Started less than a week ago, trying to lose a pound a week. Sedentary, 5-5 (used to be 5-7.5. Getting old can be a b!tch).

Some days are easier than others. Sunday was difficult. I went over on everything but fat. Today, wound up with enough extra calories for a bag of popcorn, thanks partly to walking more'n a mile from and then back to the car repair shop (if anyone wants a recommendation for a good, honest mechanic on New Orleans' west bank, lemme know) and partly to missing breakfast.

I'm worried it's gonna be harder over the long haul.

im_simply_karen

MFP has me set at 1350 b/c I'm 150 with 1lb lost per week. So far, I am always full at the end of the day