Calories goals and exercise ?

deeanah
deeanah Posts: 14 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
MFP always tells me to eat 1200 calories which seems low to me based on my tdee. I'm currently 5'3" and 200lbs. I've used other online calculators and none ever show this low. At most I get 1400 calories if I am sedentary and for "extreme weight loss".

What I've done is left the 1200 mfp assigns me, and set my activity level to sedentary and I eat back the calories calculated from my Fitbit activity. I don't want to overeat, but I don't want to starve myself either. Does this seem like a good approach as far as setting a calorie goal? Any guidance is appreciated!

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    deeanah wrote: »
    MFP always tells me to eat 1200 calories which seems low to me based on my tdee. I'm currently 5'3" and 200lbs. I've used other online calculators and none ever show this low. At most I get 1400 calories if I am sedentary and for "extreme weight loss".

    What I've done is left the 1200 mfp assigns me, and set my activity level to sedentary and I eat back the calories calculated from my Fitbit activity. I don't want to overeat, but I don't want to starve myself either. Does this seem like a good approach as far as setting a calorie goal? Any guidance is appreciated!

    That's the way this app is intended to be used. You get a lower calorie target with MFP because exercise is not included in your activity level...you log it after the fact and earn those calories. Other calculators include exercise activity in your activity level and thus the calories are higher.
  • deeanah
    deeanah Posts: 14 Member
    Let me rephrase, the other calculators show those amounts even when I put "sedentary". But I understand what you're saying. At least this way I know it's okay to eat more calories when I have worked out more.

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