confused!

beccalynn715

Are net calories the remaining = thing at the top of our diary page? I'm so confused. My goal is 1300 and I'm usually not meeting it, not trying to starve myself at all just can't seem to get that much in eating healthy foods. I am averaging between 1000 and 1250 I guess. Sometimes I am just over the 1300, but I always have calories left over and I'm under my goal each day. Am I meeting or exceeding 1000 deficit? If it says I have 700 calories left to eat, that's not my deficit, right? That's calories I can still eat and keep the deficit? I just don't get why it says I should be losing and I'm not. I am exercising more than ever and eating clean, haven't lost anything at all this week.

youdontknowwhatyousaw

Yes, that's the amount of calories you can eat to maintain your deficit.

MKEgal

Yes. At the top of my home page (on the web) it has 4 numbers, which are labelled thusly:
goal | food - exercise = net

"Net" is what you think you've eaten minus what MFP thinks you've burned.

Since most people underestimate what they eat, and most machines overestimate what you burn,
it's a worthless number.
For most people, most of the time, just eating at your goal is best.
If you're really hungry at the end of the day once in a while, have 1/3 - 1/2 of your estimated exercise calories
as a snack. Or if you're losing too quickly, have a portion of what you think you've burned on top of your real
calorie goal.

.

I just don't get why it says I should be losing and I'm not.

Because you're not eating less than your body is burning.
It really is that simple.

.

I am exercising more than ever and eating clean, haven't lost anything at all this week.

Define "eating clean".
For me, it means that I wash food before eating it.

For the purpose of losing (or gaining) weight, _what_ you eat is entirely irrelevant.
All that counts are calories.
If you eat less than you burn, you will lose weight.
You could eat only twinkies, or olive oil, or carrots, or turkey, and as long as you eat less than you burn,
you will lose weight.

For health, what you eat is extremely important.
That's why we're supposed to have all the food groups, and a colorful range of foods (esp. fruits & veggies).
It's also easier to feel full / satisfied if you're eating lots of veggies, some fruit, and whole grains,
compared to how you'll feel eating processed foods, high-fat foods, high-sugar foods, etc.


Here are some useful posts.
If you read nothing else on this site, read sexypants.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10012907/logging-accuracy-consistency-and-youre-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819925/the-basics-dont-complicate-it/p1

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/872212/youre-probably-eating-more-than-you-think/p1

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/833026/important-posts-to-read/p1

beccalynn715

OK, well I am weighing and measuring and logging everything I eat, I'm under my calorie goal every day and I'm burning more than I'm eating so I should be seeing a loss.

Even with a percentage margin of error with tracking calories in and out there is no way I shouldn't lose when I am consistently at a large deficit every day. Thanks for the links. Will read them.

MKEgal

beccalynn wrote:

I am averaging between 1000 and 1250 I guess.
Sometimes I am just over the 1300, but ... I'm under my goal each day.
Am I meeting or exceeding 1000 deficit?

I don't know what you mean about the "1000 deficit".
If your goal is 1300, and you're eating 1200, you're eating 100 less than you need.
If you have also exercised an estimated 900 cal that day, your deficit would be 1000 cal.

For women of average height, 1200 / day is the minimum we need to eat to get the essential nutrients.
Unless you're really short, or your doctor is monitoring you & says it's OK, don't go below that.

This is what my doctor & dietician told me: to maintain weight takes about 10 cal/lb/day.
Eating more than that will cause weight gain, eating less will cause weight loss.

When I started, my maintenance would have been 2750. They suggested my initial calorie goal be 1700.
So I was losing at least 2 lb per week. (I started 100 lb over the _top_ of a healthy BMI.)
As I lost weight, hit plateaus, I'd cut 50-100 from that until I started losing again.
Currently I'm at 1400, and the doctor even suggested going as low as 1300, which I think is a bit low (I'm
about 5'10"), but if I need to in order to reach a healthy weight, I will.

beccalynn715

The 1300 is with a built in deficit of 1,000 already built in based on MFP goal of 2 lbs a week, so without exercise if I eat 1300 calories I should be losing. I am also exercising and burning calories and not always eating 1300. I'm only 5'4 and have almost 100 lbs to lose. I have lost 14 lbs so far but was discouraged when I didn't lose any this week. I guess I should just stay away from the scale because that is messing with my head. It will show up there. I read it shouldn't be considered a plateau unless it's been 3 weeks.

beccalynn715

Thank you drunknfreaky

DancingMoosie

Also remember that you will not necessarily lose exactly 2lb every week. You might not lose any this week, but lose 3lb next week. Sometimes, you will even see the number go up a bit before it goes down again. This is all normal. Just stick with it and try to eat as close to your 1300 calorie goal as possible.

What kind of workouts are you doing? Incorporating some strength training will help you minimize muscle loss as you lose weight.

ultrahoon

Weight loss isn't linear, a week long stall is nothing to worry about. However if you are still concerned, open up your diary and people can give you much more specific advice.

Dnarules

MKEgal wrote: »

beccalynn wrote:

I am averaging between 1000 and 1250 I guess.
Sometimes I am just over the 1300, but ... I'm under my goal each day.
Am I meeting or exceeding 1000 deficit?

I don't know what you mean about the "1000 deficit".
If your goal is 1300, and you're eating 1200, you're eating 100 less than you need.
If you have also exercised an estimated 900 cal that day, your deficit would be 1000 cal.

For women of average height, 1200 / day is the minimum we need to eat to get the essential nutrients.
Unless you're really short, or your doctor is monitoring you & says it's OK, don't go below that.

This is what my doctor & dietician told me: to maintain weight takes about 10 cal/lb/day.
Eating more than that will cause weight gain, eating less will cause weight loss.

When I started, my maintenance would have been 2750. They suggested my initial calorie goal be 1700.
So I was losing at least 2 lb per week. (I started 100 lb over the _top_ of a healthy BMI.)
As I lost weight, hit plateaus, I'd cut 50-100 from that until I started losing again.
Currently I'm at 1400, and the doctor even suggested going as low as 1300, which I think is a bit low (I'm
about 5'10"), but if I need to in order to reach a healthy weight, I will.

You forgot to take into account that the 1300 calorie goal already has a deficit built in. And the 10 cal / lb / day isn't true for a lot of people I know.

PaytraB

beccalynn715 wrote: »

The 1300 is with a built in deficit of 1,000 already built in based on MFP goal of 2 lbs a week, so without exercise if I eat 1300 calories I should be losing. I am also exercising and burning calories and not always eating 1300.

If I'm reading this correctly, you are eating approx. 1300 calories per day and exercising approx. 1000 calories per day and not eating back some/all of your exercise calories. Is this correct? Is your net calories for the day about 300 (1300 eaten - 1000 exercised)?
You should be netting around 1300. If you exercise 1000 calories, you can "eat back" these calories. Most machines overestimate the exercise calories, therefore, eating back about half of the calories is a more reasonable way to go until you know how your body adjusting.
Therefore, if you exercise 1000 calories a day, aim for 1300 calories + 500 exercise calories, for a total of 1800 calories.

Weight loss isn't linear. It may take a few weeks before the weight starts to come off. Your body is adjusting and with the extra exercise you may be retaining water. Once your body adjusts, the weight will come off if you are weighing and logging everything.

Hang in there. It'll happen.

TeaBea

beccalynn715 wrote: »

Are net calories the remaining = thing at the top of our diary page? I'm so confused. My goal is 1300 and I'm usually not meeting it, not trying to starve myself at all just can't seem to get that much in eating healthy foods. I am averaging between 1000 and 1250 I guess. Sometimes I am just over the 1300, but I always have calories left over and I'm under my goal each day. Am I meeting or exceeding 1000 deficit? If it says I have 700 calories left to eat, that's not my deficit, right? That's calories I can still eat and keep the deficit? I just don't get why it says I should be losing and I'm not. I am exercising more than ever and eating clean, haven't lost anything at all this week.

This is an over simplification, but here's the idea

BMR (basal metabolic rate) calories burned if you stayed in bed all day + activity level calories + exercise calories = TDEE (total daily energy expenditure)....or maintenance.

If you set a goal of 2 pounds a week, then MFP takes 1,000 away from BMR + activity level. They don't include any exercise. That way people who cannot exercise...still lose weight.

When you log exercise - you are increasing the deficit. MFP giving you additional calories ideally gets you back to a 1,000 calorie deficit. HOWEVER, calorie burns are estimates, add to that many people underestimate what they eat.

If you think you are correct in your food intake....then eat a % of exercise calories back (start with 50%)....then wait. Tweak this number up or down. Be patient....weight fluctuates naturally.