Confused about how many calories

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michellefoye
michellefoye Posts: 18 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Sorry I'm a bit new to this and confused. MFP has my goal set to 1200 calories a day to lose 2lbs per week at lightly active. I feel that this isn't enough calories. I'm always hungry. I workout for 30-60 mins everyday. Other online calculators and my fitbit say to eat anywhere between 1400-1700 calories to lose 2lbs a week. I've been eating 1200 calories a day for the past 3 weeks and my weight keeps fluctuating, only going down 2-3lbs.
I've reduced my intake to 1200 calories per day about 3 years ago and it worked well for me then. I lost about 30lbs. But I feel like it isn't working for me this time.
I think I should be eating more but I'm confused. How is eating more going to help me lose weight?
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
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Replies

  • autisticperidot
    autisticperidot Posts: 5 Member
    edited August 2016
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    Have you inputed your excersize and enabled negative calories in your diary? 1,200 sounds too low, but the diary should recalculate based on this info...

    If you don't eat enough you won't be able to excersize effectively and your quality of health will drop. Sure you would lose weight fast but you have to go about these things in moderation or you could get really sick and lose energy.

    Best wishes!
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    Have you read the stickied "Most Helpful" posts a the top of the forum threads? I think most of the answers to your questions (including the ones you haven't even asked yet!) can be found there...

    In particular I like:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1235566/so-youre-new-here/p1

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10260499/i-like-old-posts-and-i-cannot-lie/p1


    Quick response for you though - 2 lbs/week may be too aggressive of a goal depending how much weight you have to lose, and 1200 cals is definitely too low if you are exercising. You should be eating back some of those calories, but first you need to make sure your calorie goal is appropriate for you.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1

    Lastly, are you logging accurately using a food scale?
  • bemyyfriend0918
    bemyyfriend0918 Posts: 241 Member
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    If you are working out 30-60 minutes a day, I wouldn't really consider that "lightly active" - maybe change that to the next highest option, and see if that calorie amount works better? I know for mine, if I select "lightly active" I get a recommended 1310 calories daily, but if I change it to "sedentary" I get 1200.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    MFP says to eat 1200 + what you burn during exercise. If you have Fitbit & MFP synced, they should end up at about the same point assuming you eat your additional earned calories. If you choose not to, that might be why you're having trouble.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    MFP does not consider your workouts in activity level. That's why you log workouts, and earn additional calories for them. OR use a tracker and have it sync the data on your actual activity to MFP.

    MFP activity level is based on your job/hobbies/regular life not counting exercise.
    bemyyfriend0918 wrote: »
    If you are working out 30-60 minutes a day, I wouldn't really consider that "lightly active" - maybe change that to the next highest option, and see if that calorie amount works better? I know for mine, if I select "lightly active" I get a recommended 1310 calories daily, but if I change it to "sedentary" I get 1200.

  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    PS-eating more will not help you lose weight in the short term. Though being more satiated may help you perform your workouts better. Eating more in the long run helps you to stay the program to reach your end goals rather than giving up, going back to old habits, gaining more weight...
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,012 Member
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    OP, your activity level is for your everyday lifestyle (desk job or on your feet? Long car commute or 15 min bike ride to work? Sit on the couch at home or chase around kids?). Actual planned exercise should be logged, and eat at least some of those calories back. And if you have less than at least 50 lbs or more to lose, 2 lbs per week is unnecessarily aggressive.

    And read the links in @WinoGelato 's post, they're very helpful!
  • bemyyfriend0918
    bemyyfriend0918 Posts: 241 Member
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    StaciMarie1974 wrote: »
    MFP does not consider your workouts in activity level. That's why you log workouts, and earn additional calories for them. OR use a tracker and have it sync the data on your actual activity to MFP.

    MFP activity level is based on your job/hobbies/regular life not counting exercise.
    bemyyfriend0918 wrote: »
    If you are working out 30-60 minutes a day, I wouldn't really consider that "lightly active" - maybe change that to the next highest option, and see if that calorie amount works better? I know for mine, if I select "lightly active" I get a recommended 1310 calories daily, but if I change it to "sedentary" I get 1200.

    I personally do not eat back exercise calories, which is why I use the lifestyle option.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,012 Member
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    bemyyfriend0918 wrote: »
    StaciMarie1974 wrote: »
    MFP does not consider your workouts in activity level. That's why you log workouts, and earn additional calories for them. OR use a tracker and have it sync the data on your actual activity to MFP.

    MFP activity level is based on your job/hobbies/regular life not counting exercise.
    bemyyfriend0918 wrote: »
    If you are working out 30-60 minutes a day, I wouldn't really consider that "lightly active" - maybe change that to the next highest option, and see if that calorie amount works better? I know for mine, if I select "lightly active" I get a recommended 1310 calories daily, but if I change it to "sedentary" I get 1200.

    I personally do not eat back exercise calories, which is why I use the lifestyle option.

    That's great if it works for you, but it's not the way MFP is set up to work.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    So set a more reasonable goal than trying to lose 2 lbs a week? And eat back at least a portion of your exercise calories so that you're using MFP properly.
  • michellefoye
    michellefoye Posts: 18 Member
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    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Have you read the stickied "Most Helpful" posts a the top of the forum threads? I think most of the answers to your questions (including the ones you haven't even asked yet!) can be found there...

    In particular I like:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1235566/so-youre-new-here/p1

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10260499/i-like-old-posts-and-i-cannot-lie/p1


    Quick response for you though - 2 lbs/week may be too aggressive of a goal depending how much weight you have to lose, and 1200 cals is definitely too low if you are exercising. You should be eating back some of those calories, but first you need to make sure your calorie goal is appropriate for you.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1

    Lastly, are you logging accurately using a food scale?

    Thank you for the excellent advice. These threads are great and answer all my questions.
    I'll be making changes for sure. I guess I'm just impatient and want to lose as fast as possible. I know thats not the right way to do it.
  • Carolina_trail_rider
    Carolina_trail_rider Posts: 13 Member
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    1200 is way too few calories a day. You're showing your metabolism down.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    michellefoye wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Have you read the stickied "Most Helpful" posts a the top of the forum threads? I think most of the answers to your questions (including the ones you haven't even asked yet!) can be found there...

    In particular I like:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1235566/so-youre-new-here/p1

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10260499/i-like-old-posts-and-i-cannot-lie/p1


    Quick response for you though - 2 lbs/week may be too aggressive of a goal depending how much weight you have to lose, and 1200 cals is definitely too low if you are exercising. You should be eating back some of those calories, but first you need to make sure your calorie goal is appropriate for you.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1

    Lastly, are you logging accurately using a food scale?

    Thank you for the excellent advice. These threads are great and answer all my questions.
    I'll be making changes for sure. I guess I'm just impatient and want to lose as fast as possible. I know thats not the right way to do it.

    This is a common issue when people first start. Once someone makes up their mind to lose weight, we all want it gone as fast as possible. The problem is that by rushing and creating too large of a calorie deficit, there can be a number of adverse effects including:

    Difficult to adhere to - people give up because it is too hard
    Loss of lean body mass - creating that dreaded "skinny fat" look
    Fatigue, hair loss, brittle nails, sallow skin, etc

    One of my favorite quotes around this place, is "the winner is the one who eats the most and still loses". For what it's worth, I started out at 5'2 and 153 lbs, lost most of my weight in about a year eating b/w 1600-1900 calories, and am now maintaining around 118-120 with a TDEE of 2200. It was a moderate pace and never felt particularly challenging, I actually eat more now that I've lost weight than I did before I started, because I focused on increasing my activity level from what was very sedentary when I was overweight to averaging 15K steps/day and now lifting as well.
  • AlanBardgett
    AlanBardgett Posts: 7 Member
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    1) 1200 calories is the recommended Minimum for women. (1500 for men)
    2) The maximum recommended weight loss rate is 1% of your weight per week. This rate is AFTER the initial 3 weeks of dieting.
    3) Looks at weekly weight loss averages, not individual weeks. I try to weigh in only once a week, the same day, the same time. Keep in mind you are looking to loose fat, not weight. We all have the pesky "weight variables" that make it harder to keep track of fat loss (water and "various stomach contents").
    4) I personally don't eat more due to exercise.
    5) I've seen it said "Don't try to loose the weight all at once. You didn't add it on in month, don't try to loose it in a month." Constant progress is what you want to see.
    6) Yeah, you're going to feel hungry for the first couple months. Well, part of it will be "I want to eat", not that you are actually hungry.
    7) Once you've been dieting for 8 weeks, take a look at your average weightloss. If the last 3 weeks are more than 1% of your body weight, add in more calories. I recently had to do this. Take the number of pounds over what your 1% limit is and multiply it by 500. That's your additional daily calories. You can do an adjustment the otherway as well, but don't go below 1200 calories (as a woman).
    8) One thing that has kept me going is WRITING PROGRESS DOWN! Use the check ins, use the reports.
    9) Always record accurately. You don't have to get down to the last estimated calorie, but the cookie you sneak in still adds calories even if you don't record it.
    10) Initially, measure everything. Inaccuracies add up.
    11) You'll get the initial big weight loss. Don't lose heart when your weight loss slows down. Its progress you want to see.

    And lastly KEEP IT UP! Its always disheartening seeing a status quo on the scale, but where would you have been if you hadn't been dieting/exercising? Most of the time the no loss week is just due to weight variables and the next week turns into a big loss.
  • sllm1
    sllm1 Posts: 2,114 Member
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    Change to 1 pound per week. Definitely.
  • michellefoye
    michellefoye Posts: 18 Member
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    Thanks all for the advice. One question I forgot to ask. My fitbit says I burn 2800 calories daily on average. How many calories should i actually be eating then?
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    michellefoye wrote: »
    Thanks all for the advice. One question I forgot to ask. My fitbit says I burn 2800 calories daily on average. How many calories should i actually be eating then?

    In the APPS menu above you can sync your FitBit to MFP. Because MFP knows you want to lose weight, because you gave MFP an activity level.....the sync will compare the 2. The number of calories you get back should be how much you can eat. You might want to enable negative adjustments to capture any low activity days.

    For many FitBit users the calories are spot on, for others the adjustments are too much. It's going to depend on your type of activity, logging practices, etc. There are lots of estimates.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users
  • AlanBardgett
    AlanBardgett Posts: 7 Member
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    michellefoye wrote: »
    Thanks all for the advice. One question I forgot to ask. My fitbit says I burn 2800 calories daily on average. How many calories should i actually be eating then?

    I recommend sticking with 1500 for 3 weeks. Adjust off average weight loss for those 3 weeks. Increase/decrease by 500 calories per pound.

    Lose 1 + 2 + 0? Average is 1 pound a week, don't change.

    Lose 2 + 3 + 1? Average is 2 pounds a week, desired 1 pound a week, add 500 more daily calories.

    Don't go below 1200.
  • billglitch
    billglitch Posts: 538 Member
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    if you are always hungry try LCHF

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