Should I be updating my profile to reflect recent weight loss?

MTgal477

Hello! So, I've lost 38 pounds since January with a calorie goal of 1250 and I'm wondering if I need to update my profile to my new weight now and see if it changes my caloric intake? I've come to a stall this last month and I'm thinking that maybe I need to increase my calories now? Or do I leave my settings the way they are and just push on? And, if I do update my weight, etc., will I lose all the previous weight loss data/charts/etc.?
Thanks!

queenliz99

How close are you to your goal?

MTgal477

queenliz99 wrote: »

How close are you to your goal?

I think I'd like to lose 20-30 more pounds

queenliz99

Have you read this?

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/113609/relatively-light-people-trying-to-get-leaner/p1

Congrats on your weight loss so far!!

MTgal477

Thank you! I haven't read that before, but I'll do that

benevempress

You should be updating your current weight in MFP every 10 pounds or so. This will keep your calorie amounts appropriate for your new body size (as we burn less calories the lighter we are). Under My Home>Goals>View Guided Setup (on the website) you can leave your starting weight the same, but enter your current weight and goals and it will recalculate for you. You will not lose your data or charts by doing this. I don't know how many pounds per week you are using for your deficit number, but keep in mind, MFP will not give you a goal of less than 1200 calories (for a female) because it is difficult to get all of the nutrients you need on less calories than that. So if you are currently eating 1250 calories with a 1 pound per week goal and you change it to 2 pounds per week or you have lost enough weight that 1 pound per week (500 calories per day deficit) would put you below 1200, it will still show 1200.

queenliz99

benevempress wrote: »

You should be updating your current weight in MFP every 10 pounds or so. This will keep your calorie amounts appropriate for your new body size (as we burn less calories the lighter we are). Under My Home>Goals>View Guided Setup (on the website) you can leave your starting weight the same, but enter your current weight and goals and it will recalculate for you. You will not lose your data or charts by doing this. I don't know how many pounds per week you are using for your deficit number, but keep in mind, MFP will not give you a goal of less than 1200 calories (for a female) because it is difficult to get all of the nutrients you need on less calories than that. So if you are currently eating 1250 calories with a 1 pound per week goal and you change it to 2 pounds per week or you have lost enough weight that 1 pound per week (500 calories per day deficit) would put you below 1200, it will still show 1200.

At this point in her weight loss, it doesn't really matter. MFP won't let you go below 1200 calories per day, so 50 calories less is a moot point. She will need to get more accurate with calorie counting however.

Lounmoun

mntnwmn477 wrote: »

Hello! So, I've lost 38 pounds since January with a calorie goal of 1250 and I'm wondering if I need to update my profile to my new weight now and see if it changes my caloric intake? I've come to a stall this last month and I'm thinking that maybe I need to increase my calories now? Or do I leave my settings the way they are and just push on? And, if I do update my weight, etc., will I lose all the previous weight loss data/charts/etc.?
Thanks!

Yes, you should tell MFP you lost weight. On the web site go to myhome and then check in to enter your weight and any other measurements you want to track. On the app go to progress and then the plus sign to add your current weight. https://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/en/portal/articles/1027450-how-do-i-record-my-weight-and-other-measurements- You do not lose data.
MFP should adjust your calories down not up to maintain your rate of loss- with the minimum being 1200.
If you are less than 20 lbs overweight now you probably want to change your rate of loss to .5 lb a week though so your calories won't change as much. It is normal for weight loss to slow as you reach a healthy weight.
If you have not lost any weight at all for 3+ weeks you might also want to check the accuracy of your logging. Use a food scale if you are not. Make sure the entries you are choosing from the database are correct.

benevempress

queenliz99 wrote: »

At this point in her weight loss, it doesn't really matter. MFP won't let you go below 1200 calories per day, so 50 calories less is a moot point. She will need to get more accurate with calorie counting however.

It doesn't matter if she plans to keep eating 1200-1250 calories forever. But if she wants to slow her rate of loss or have a better estimate of maintenance calories or if someone else who is eating more calories reads this post, having the right weight DOES matter.

For example, if a woman is eating 1750 calories and inputs a lower weight, she might get a reduction in calories that would get her weight loss back to where she wants it. At 1250 there isn't much room for reduction, hence my comment that your deficit might shrink from what you think it is if you are lighter and you input a new weight.

On the question of whether she should change the amount of calories she is eating because she isn't losing at the rate she'd like to, I agree. To get back into losing when you believe you are eating 1250 but aren't losing, tightening up the logging is the place to look.

queenliz99

benevempress wrote: »

queenliz99 wrote: »

At this point in her weight loss, it doesn't really matter. MFP won't let you go below 1200 calories per day, so 50 calories less is a moot point. She will need to get more accurate with calorie counting however.

It doesn't matter if she plans to keep eating 1200-1250 calories forever. But if she wants to slow her rate of loss or have a better estimate of maintenance calories or if someone else who is eating more calories reads this post, having the right weight DOES matter.

For example, if a woman is eating 1750 calories and inputs a lower weight, she might get a reduction in calories that would get her weight loss back to where she wants it. At 1250 there isn't much room for reduction, hence my comment that your deficit might shrink from what you think it is if you are lighter and you input a new weight.

On the question of whether she should change the amount of calories she is eating because she isn't losing at the rate she'd like to, I agree. To get back into losing when you believe you are eating 1250 but aren't losing, tightening up the logging is the place to look.

true

MTgal477

I'm so confused!!! Hahaha. I was under the impression that I had to INCREASE my calories as I lost more and more weight, not decrease them in order to lose more. Also, for the record, I'm only about 5'3" (on a GOOD day) so I'm not relatively lean or small in any way. I still weigh about 160. I do however have a pretty muscular body and I'd like to keep that muscle tone. I try to exercise 5-6 days a week, mainly high intensity elliptical or a walk/run on the treadmill (for only about 30 minutes).

MTgal477

And I'm pretty good with my logging. I scan everything I eat, if it has a label, and if there's not a label I try to find the food in the database that has the highest calories and just go with that. Also, sometimes I prelog my food for the day and when it comes time to eat it, I only end up eating some of it, not all of it, and I don't go back in and adjust my food, I just leave it. So I feel like I'm logging way higher calories than what I'm actually eating most days....

MTgal477

Thanks for your input @queenliz99 @benevempress @Lounmoun