When do you change your calorie goal?

kenziedriscoll
kenziedriscoll Posts: 32 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
How often do you change your calorie goal when you've lost weight? I'm just curious. I've lost 10lbs in 3 weeks (yessss!!) Probably water weight, but how long do you stay at your initial calorie goal before you need to go lower to keep losing? I know I'm not there yet, just curious for future reference. I still have 35 more to go to hit my goal weight.

Replies

  • erinc5
    erinc5 Posts: 329 Member
    If I had 35 lbs to go right now, I would put my goal at a 1 lb per week loss. I'd just stick with that until I reached 15 lbs to go and then change my goal to .5 lb per week. I wouldn't worry about adjusting my calorie goal between those two milestones.
  • andrektan
    andrektan Posts: 196 Member
    Sounds like you're doing pretty well so far (congrats!).

    You might want to stick with it for a while and see what your body does. Technically, you shouldn't need to lower it at all, unless you lose so much weight that your TDEE drops significantly or you become less active.
  • kenziedriscoll
    kenziedriscoll Posts: 32 Member
    erinc5 wrote: »
    If I had 35 lbs to go right now, I would put my goal at a 1 lb per week loss. I'd just stick with that until I reached 15 lbs to go and then change my goal to .5 lb per week. I wouldn't worry about adjusting my calorie goal between those two milestones.

    Thank you. I have it set to 1lb per week- I think I've initially dropped those 10lbs just from eating much healthier and jogging daily- so I think I will do what you said and not change it until I've got 15 more to go. Thank you!

  • kenziedriscoll
    kenziedriscoll Posts: 32 Member
    edited June 2016
    andrektan wrote: »
    Sounds like you're doing pretty well so far (congrats!).

    You might want to stick with it for a while and see what your body does. Technically, you shouldn't need to lower it at all, unless you lose so much weight that your TDEE drops significantly or you become less active.


    Ok that makes sense. I'm completely new to this and I lurk these boards frequently. I have seen more times than not about adjusting goals, but not really sure when to, ect. thanks for clarifying that for me!
  • MissusMoon
    MissusMoon Posts: 1,900 Member
    edited June 2016
    Personally I prefer to update my calorie goals every time I lose weight. Every couple of pounds makes a ten or so calorie difference, and I prefer easing into fewer calories rather than have a big jump.

    Once it hits 1200 it doesn't get any lower, so no need to adjust after that.
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,745 Member
    edited June 2016
    The Android app has started doing it automatically - I lost a load of water weight in the first week this time and it knocked 40 calories off my allowance! I don't know if there's a setting to stop it doing this. But I probably approve of it, on balance.
  • Ws2016
    Ws2016 Posts: 432 Member
    I reset it once, when I plateaued.
  • kenziedriscoll
    kenziedriscoll Posts: 32 Member
    Interesting @MissusMoon. Maybe I will do that too. I agree on easing into it. Not sure I need to just yet but I may. Thanks!
  • kenziedriscoll
    kenziedriscoll Posts: 32 Member
    Ws2016 wrote: »
    I reset it once, when I plateaued.

    How long were you doing this before you changed it? I am only 3 weeks in so I think I probably don't need to worry with it right now but that makes sense.

  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
    I only weigh myself when I visit the doctor for other issues, so maybe once every 6-8 weeks. Thankfully, over the last few months, each visit has seen my weight reduced and so then I adjust the stats that then adjusts the calorie goals.
  • MissusMoon
    MissusMoon Posts: 1,900 Member
    kenziedriscoll wrote: »
    Ws2016 wrote: »
    I reset it once, when I plateaued.

    How long were you doing this before you changed it? I am only 3 weeks in so I think I probably don't need to worry with it right now but that makes sense.

    Probably a little more than ten pounds in. It's become a habit for me now. I have a lot to lose and I used to have a lot more calories to work with. I'm still at the point where it's appropriate to go two pounds per week, but that's leaving me at 1320 calories before exercise. If one day there's a 50 plus calorie drop now because I haven't adjusted in a while, it's gonna leave a mark ;) That's why I'm adjusting for every pound. Personal preference. As long as you're losing, do what works best for you.
  • kenziedriscoll
    kenziedriscoll Posts: 32 Member
    Thanks!
  • kenziedriscoll
    kenziedriscoll Posts: 32 Member
    So, I usually just hit the + bottom on my home page and update my weight, however, when I went to my goals (and then current weight) I noticed it UP'd my calories by 30. I'm currently on 1530 a day, but it went up to 1560. I manually changed it back to 1530, but I'm wondering if anyone can tell me why it didn't just stay at 1530.
  • erinc5
    erinc5 Posts: 329 Member
    edited June 2016
    kenziedriscoll wrote: »
    So, I usually just hit the + bottom on my home page and update my weight, however, when I went to my goals (and then current weight) I noticed it UP'd my calories by 30. I'm currently on 1530 a day, but it went up to 1560. I manually changed it back to 1530, but I'm wondering if anyone can tell me why it didn't just stay at 1530.

    I don't know the reason for this, but I also wouldn't worry at all about a 30 calorie difference.
  • kenziedriscoll
    kenziedriscoll Posts: 32 Member
    True dat!! Just curious why my calories increased. But yeah you're right.

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