MFP just increased my calories from 1400cals to 1500cals?

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Chaagy
Chaagy Posts: 109 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi y'all,

So, when I started MFP 4 weeks ago, it suggested a 1400cal diet for me. I've now lost 13.7lbs (about 3.4lbs average per week). I was expecting MFP to perhaps lower my calorie goals as I lost weight, because that's what I've read MFP will do over time, as you lose weight. So this morning I entered my new weight, and I think I fiddled with some other goal items, but didn't change anything except my weight, and now my calorie goal is 1500cals - 100 cals more?

I was wondering if anyone knows what goes into the calculation. I was thinking MFP is taking into account my average loss per week (higher than my goal of 2lbs per week - not that I'm complaining at the loss). So MFP Math Department thought, this guy could use a few more calories, and upped my calorie intake.

I'm feeling pretty good on the 1400 calorie diet, to be honest. I'm managing well, my mental state is good, and my strength and energy I feel have never been better. So I'm wondering the 2 things:

1) Why did MFP up my cal intake? Was it because I've been losing more than 2lbs?
2) Should I do what MFP says and up my cal intake, even though I'm feeling good? Should I stay at 1400cals? Maybe do something in-between for awhile? Am I overthinking this? Is 100 calories a day even going to make a real difference?

Replies

  • absoluttalent
    absoluttalent Posts: 40 Member
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    Sometimes mfp confuses things. I've had mine readjust my goals before.

    Check your activity, weight loss goals, and current weight settings. If they still look right, change your goal and activity to something else. Save. Then go back and change it back to what you want.

    Worked for me
  • Chaagy
    Chaagy Posts: 109 Member
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    Thanks for the advice. I actually just did that, checked everything, all my goals are the same as before, and then updated my profile. Now it's put me on a 1280cal diet. That's crazy for me. :)

    I'm a burly man, with burly man needs.

    I'm going to go back to my 1400 cal diet, it's been working, I see no need to change it right now.
  • c613477
    c613477 Posts: 296 Member
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    Chaagy wrote: »
    Thanks for the advice. I actually just did that, checked everything, all my goals are the same as before, and then updated my profile. Now it's put me on a 1280cal diet. That's crazy for me. :)

    I'm a burly man, with burly man needs.

    I'm going to go back to my 1400 cal diet, it's been working, I see no need to change it right now.

    Wait did you accidently change your profile to be female? No way it should go under 1500 calories for a guy. Something is wrong for sure...
  • chandanista
    chandanista Posts: 986 Member
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    Mine's glitches twice in the last month, bumped me up once then way down. I manually adjusted it and check every morning before logging now.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
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    I think there's an error somewhere, minimum default for males is 1500 calories to ensure you are meeting basic nutritional needs. Losing more than 3lbs per week at your weight is really far too aggressive..
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,224 Member
    edited January 2016
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    You are a man, you should not be eating less than 1500 calories. If MFP is giving you 1280, you are setting too aggressive a weight loss goal. When I did this before I did a 1450 calorie diet, then joined MFP and unwisely followed the recommendation of something in the 1200-1300 range. I lost, lost quickly in fact, but I also lost a lot of lean mass, and struggled to keep the weight off largely because I didn't take the time to learn how to eat at a proper level.

    My approach this time is actually quite different. I am eating more or less at the calorie level I will be eating at to maintain when I am finished. I say more or less because I have enough to lose that eating right at my goal maintenance would be too big of a deficit right now, so I am actually eating a bit more than that. I will likely in the next month or so be able to go to my goal maintenance calories. My thinking is that what I am doing as I lose weight is teaching myself to eat at maintenance at the weight I want to be. When I get there, there is no going to maintenance calories, I just keep eating the same way. The other thing I consider is that as I get closer to my goal, my deficit will automatically decrease rather than having to change my goals to decrease my weight loss goal as I have less to lose.

    This approach is not my own though, it is from Fat2Fit.com, and I have used their TDEE calculator to get my calorie goal. http://www.fat2fittools.com/tools/bmr/

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