Most people select a goal weight, and that determines their calories. Has anyone tried it the other

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Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Your calorie goal is not determined by what you say your goal weight is. It is determined by your stats, activity, and at what rate you tell the calculator you want to lose.

    I could tell MFP I wanted to weigh 120 Lbs or 150 Lbs or 175 Lbs but my calorie target would be the same regardless as it is dependent on my stats, activity, and desired rate of loss.
  • hapa11
    hapa11 Posts: 182 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    CoachJen71 wrote: »
    way around? Select a calorie zone and let your weight fall where it may, just to see what happens?

    Sure. If you set that number to your intake at your desired maintenance weight, you start eating at your proper intak from the start and there is no transition to maintenance.

    So how would that work with MFP? I am 120 with a goal of 110. Do I set my weight in MFP to 110?

  • CoachJen71
    CoachJen71 Posts: 1,200 Member
    It's been almost a year since I asked this, so here's an update on my findings:

    A) The calorie range was too low when I first started, because I was heavier then. And it should have been Net not Gross.

    B) A longtime confusion over eating back only 50% of exercise cals also caused me to cut too hard for a while. I should have ignored that advice and just trusted my Fitbit.

    C) Netting in the 1400 range now seems to keep me in the 130-140lb weight range, but I will need more time to really know for sure. The Trendweight.com line is still shifting a bit more than I would think represents true maintenance.

    D) I did have to step up my activity level as I got smaller in order to get as many gross cals as I would like to eat. (I do eat lighter in the beginning of the week so that I can have heavier cal meals or treats on the weekends. Tried TDEE, but I didn't like the tiny dinners out on the weekends.)
  • ALG775
    ALG775 Posts: 247 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Honestly it's what I'm trying to do... I can't imagine eating less than what I've been eating, so that's where I'm going to stop.

    This makes sense to me. Once we have an idea of how much we eat and we have a chance to experiment with eating at different levels we need to choose something that we can live with for a long time. Essentially the healthiest weight that we can sustain happily. I'm happy to trade a BMI of 25 or 26 with more calories per day than a BMI of 20 or 21.
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
    aDivingBelle wrote: »
    It isn't just getting older lowering your BMR that makes you put on weight. If you think back to how active you were in your teens and twenties ( if you weren't overweight or sedentary ) and how active you are now, there is often a difference. I have issues with my feet and legs so I move less now. I also own a car and my kids are finally old enough that they don't need me chasing them 24/7. You also tend to move toward more sedentary jobs as you get older and more sedentary past times. People just don't think about this stuff, they just think their metabolism alone dropped off the planet. It drops slowly as you lose muscle mass due to aging.

    I am pretty sure I don't eat as much as when I was younger, and do weigh a little more, mostly more muscle as my workouts are "heavier" now. But then thinking about it, I weigh almost as much as my highest healthy young adult weight, 10 stone, which happened the year I had breakfast, lunch, and dinner provided to me, even though I was dancing several hours a day my weight came up, I'd never eaten like that before. So maybe yeah, there isn't really a difference in metabolism but a difference in means - I can afford to eat whatever I want now, that's not been true throughout life.

  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    I suppose that's sort of what I did. I realised I like eating an average of 2100 calories so my weight range is 128-133lbs - (I feel slim at my range). I'm 5ft 2 /46/active.
    I suppose ideally I would like to be 7lbs lighter but I'm just not prepared to eat less than I do now....
  • ARGriffy
    ARGriffy Posts: 1,002 Member
    The problem with a goal of a number is how on earth do you know how you will feel or look when you get there? My goal was 126 but that was omy a number I kind of remembered being when I was 18. I got near it and just got fed up chasing numbers so I maintained after a year of chasing the same 3 lbs around and thought what am I doing?? Just do what feels right!
  • lizzy_satellite
    lizzy_satellite Posts: 112 Member
    shell1005 wrote: »
    Mine is the opposite. I was overweight and not all that active in my teens and 20s. I am now pushing 40 and am the most active I have been my whole life. My TDEE is significantly higher now than it was 10 years ago. I don't see that changing anytime soon.

    I think this is the case for me too, I didn't get active until I was in my very late 30s. At 44 and 5'3" my TDEE is over 2000
  • tahxirez
    tahxirez Posts: 270 Member
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    Sarauk2sf wrote: »
    CoachJen71 wrote: »
    Sarauk2sf wrote: »
    I am a little confused by the assertion 'Most people select a goal weight and that determines their calories'. How does goal weight determine calories (other than an indicator of a reasonable deficit to select). I think I must be missing something.

    No, that was what I meant. I am still in the process of losing, so am still looking at things from that point of view.

    Then I am still confused and I still have the question as to how does goal weight determine calories?

    If I understand the OP...

    She has a bottom line as to how low she will go one her calories...1400-1600. At some point she will stop losing weight and that is the weight she will be satisfied with.

    I feel the same way...I won't eat any less than 1600 (preferably 1800) calories again. So if I stop losing before I reach where I would like to be...I will just settle for that weight instead of lowering my calories.

    So I have been struggling lately about what my goal weight will be and I think you just solved my problem! I lost from about 195 to about 125 and I haven't been able to decide if I want to keep going. I will just eat to where I'm satisfied (probably about 1600 to 1800 a day) and let it happen on its own...whew I feel better :)


  • frannyupnorth
    frannyupnorth Posts: 56 Member
    I started off with something similar. I worked out my weight at my target BMI and then calculated the BMR using Harris Benedict equation at that weight and use that as my MFP target.

    I always eat at least my future BMR and try not to exceed what my approximate TDEE would be at that weight, not always, but this is all about the long game.

    My thinking is that I'm teaching myself how to eat for the rest of my life. Obviously I will hit maintenance very slowly using this method, but in my way of thinking I'm already eating at future maintenance and that should make it easier for me to stay there when I get there. I will no doubt have to do some tweaking as well, as those BMR calculations are just a guide.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    CoachJen71 wrote: »
    Tried TDEE, but I didn't like the tiny dinners out on the weekends.)

    I do TDEE, and I also bank calories for the weekend.
  • upoffthemat
    upoffthemat Posts: 679 Member
    I guess I plan on making sure my activity is high enough to allow me to eat what I want, but I am lucky enough to be a fairly tall guy and can still eat a good amount. I know eating in the 1200 -1500 range forever sounds pretty hard forever, but if it was that or fat I would do it.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    I'm actually planning this for maintenance. I'm planning to reach a goal weight, then eat to my comfort without going overboard and let my weight settle where it wants to settle. My aim would achieve a good balance between my level of effort and my comfort level. I mean what's the point of reaching a goal weight if maintaining it will be too difficult and uncomfortable? How long would I last muscling it through? Since my goal weight is a range not a number I'm expecting to be fine with it wherever it falls as long as I can maintain it long term.
  • CoachJen71
    CoachJen71 Posts: 1,200 Member
    ahoy_m8 wrote: »
    CoachJen71 wrote: »
    Tried TDEE, but I didn't like the tiny dinners out on the weekends.)

    I do TDEE, and I also bank calories for the weekend.

    How does that work, exactly? I had thought TDEE was eating at maintenance daily?
  • CoachJen71
    CoachJen71 Posts: 1,200 Member
    frannyupnorth wrote: »
    My thinking is that I'm teaching myself how to eat for the rest of my life. Obviously I will hit maintenance very slowly using this method, but in my way of thinking I'm already eating at future maintenance and that should make it easier for me to stay there when I get there. I will no doubt have to do some tweaking as well, as those BMR calculations are just a guide.

    That works if you don't have a lot to lose. As I mentioned in my update, I started too soon and underate for that current weight. Otherwise, it was a pretty good plan. :)
  • CoachJen71
    CoachJen71 Posts: 1,200 Member
    makingmark wrote: »
    I know eating in the 1200 -1500 range forever sounds pretty hard forever, but if it was that or fat I would do it.

    I keep reminding myself that. LOL
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    When I decided to never diet again to lose weight I did change my macro that cut out off of my cravings and just eat until I feel stuffed. Over time I am down from my peak 250 pounds to 200 pounds eating all I want to eat and have maintained there for the last year.

    So I did neither way but just adjusted my macro and let the weight and number of calories be self adjusting after my self regulated eating order returned.

    From my understanding unless we have developed an eating disorder for some reason CICO is automatically managed to yield the best human health.
  • wonko221
    wonko221 Posts: 292 Member
    CoachJen71 wrote: »
    "Sarauk2sf wrote:
    Then I am still confused and I still have the question as to how does goal weight determine calories?

    I thought people work out what their healthy weight should be for their height/age/frame etc, then either MFP or a TDEE Calc would give them an idea of what their possible calorie intake should be to maintain that weight?

    I did that way.

    I first was using my current TDEE - 500 cal to figure out a daily goal, and sticking to that.

    But as i went forward, and noticed how slowly the goal crept down as i lost weight, i decided, just for fun, to punch in my goal weight and calculate TDEE. I saw that it was really close to my current TDEE-500 goal.

    What occurred to me then is that if i could simply build the habits to eat that many calories each day, i would be "in maintenance" before i'm even at my goal weight.

    It has slowed down my loss some, but i feel good, i feel like the lifestyle is easily sustainable, and i suffer way less anxiety about going out for a meal or otherwise splurging infrequently, since i know my generally healthy habits will balance it out.
  • mmmpork
    mmmpork Posts: 133 Member
    I calculated sedentary TDEE for my target weight, that came to about 1600 cals. By making that my target, I'll know how much I'll need to eat to maintain once I get there. It does mean that weight loss will really slow down for me as I get closer, but I'd rather do that than feel like I'm on a diet. Also, the idea of "exercise calories" is a myth. Most things grossly overestimate how many calories you actually burn, and research has shown our bodies have an upper limit on how many calories you can burn from exercise. Your body starts compensating to prevent you from crossing that limit. That's with cardio though, I haven't seen similar studies done on strength training. Also be aware, a lot of the BMR formulas out there tend to overestimate your calories as well. It's really tricky so you just have to experiment. I'm currently 210 lbs, down from 225. Jan-March I did 1600 calories per day. April, I bumped up to 1800 and stalled. So far this month, I went back to 1600 and have started seeing weight loss so that's my magic number right now. I'm 5'6 for what it's worth, and my target is 145-150 lbs. Once I can hit that and maintain it, I can decide if I want to try for lower.
  • positivepowers
    positivepowers Posts: 902 Member
    shell1005 wrote: »
    aDivingBelle wrote: »
    It isn't just getting older lowering your BMR that makes you put on weight. If you think back to how active you were in your teens and twenties ( if you weren't overweight or sedentary ) and how active you are now, there is often a difference. I have issues with my feet and legs so I move less now. I also own a car and my kids are finally old enough that they don't need me chasing them 24/7. You also tend to move toward more sedentary jobs as you get older and more sedentary past times. People just don't think about this stuff, they just think their metabolism alone dropped off the planet. It drops slowly as you lose muscle mass due to aging.

    Mine is the opposite. I was overweight and not all that active in my teens and 20s. I am now pushing 40 and am the most active I have been my whole life. My TDEE is significantly higher now than it was 10 years ago. I don't see that changing anytime soon.

    At 53 I'm much more active than I was in my 20s and 30s, but that's because I gained weight in my 20s and 30s and now I have to move around - a lot - to mitigate the damage. If I weren't concentrating on moving my *kitten*, it would be widening even faster than it did in my 20s and 30s.

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