Mfp set calories too much?

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shans34
shans34 Posts: 535 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Mfp set my calorie goal per day to 1800 in order to lose 2lbs per week. I find that it's too much, that I won't lose weight set at that amount. I try to be as accurate in my recordings as possible and just in case, I try to eat under my calorie goal by 200 cals daily. On the exercise front, I do at least an hour of exercise everyday. Yoga, free weights, tension bands, sit ups etc.
My point, I don't feel that I can lose weight following the recommended amount of calories. Does anyone else feel that mfp is offering too many calories for weight loss?
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Replies

  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    edited April 2017
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    No. What is your height and weight?

    I'm 5'9", 172 lbs, 42 yoa female and I'm losing, slowly and steadily, on 2075 calories per day.

    ETA: How long have you been eating like this? How much weight have you lost?

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    Nope. You'd have to have been eating much more than 1800 calories if you need to lose.

    When I started I was given 1900 to lose 1.5 a week. And it worked.
  • jessiferrrb
    jessiferrrb Posts: 1,758 Member
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    have you been eating 1800 and not losing? and if so for how long? or are you just guessing that it is too much, it's hard to tell from your post.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    A wise rabbit once said, "She who eat the most and still loses, WINS!"

    I miss that wise rabbit
  • shans34
    shans34 Posts: 535 Member
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    I was eating 1800 and found that I wasn't losing. I adjusted to 1200 and I was loosing but always hungry. I'm 5'7 large build and 282lbs currently. I'm struggling to find a right balance.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,976 Member
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    Can you open your food diary - set it to Public here:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings


    1800 sounds reasonable if you are significantly over weight.



  • __TMac__
    __TMac__ Posts: 1,665 Member
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    You wrote that you "feel" it's too high. Feelings about food are what got a lot of us into this mess. Consider that your feelings may have lead you astray in the past, and may be doing the same thing now.

    Give MFP's (math and science based) suggestion a couple of weeks to work.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
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    malibu927 wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    A wise rabbit once said, "She who eat the most and still loses, WINS!"

    I miss that wise rabbit

    She reincarnated, but I can't remember the new name.
  • Stella3838
    Stella3838 Posts: 439 Member
    edited April 2017
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    shans34 wrote: »
    I try to be as accurate in my recordings as possible and just in case, I try to eat under my calorie goal by 200 cals daily.

    How do you track your foods? Do you weight solids and measure liquids? For everything you consume? "Trying" doesn't work as well as "doing". There's a good chance if you aren't measuring accurately, you're eating more than you think.

    ETA: On my active days, I eat 1800-1900 calories and I'm 5'3" 140lbs. I lose about .5 to 1 pound a week.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
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    shans34 wrote: »
    I was eating 1800 and found that I wasn't losing. I adjusted to 1200 and I was loosing but always hungry. I'm 5'7 large build and 282lbs currently. I'm struggling to find a right balance.

    Are you using a food scale, weighing and logging everything?

    6ltuwp1lwge1.jpg

    This video shows why a food scale is so crucial...

    https://youtu.be/XpHykP6e_Uk
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    shans34 wrote: »
    I was eating 1800 and found that I wasn't losing. I adjusted to 1200 and I was loosing but always hungry. I'm 5'7 large build and 282lbs currently. I'm struggling to find a right balance.

    You shouldn't have any problems losing on 1800 calories if your logging is accurate (i.e. not eyeballing amounts, selecting correct database entries, etc)...particularly if you're doing something active every day.

    My wife can drop about 1 Lb per week on 1800 and she's only 5'2.5" and 125-130 Lbs.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
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    shans34 wrote: »
    I was eating 1800 and found that I wasn't losing. I adjusted to 1200 and I was loosing but always hungry. I'm 5'7 large build and 282lbs currently. I'm struggling to find a right balance.

    How long of a time frame does your statement above encompass?
  • jessiferrrb
    jessiferrrb Posts: 1,758 Member
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    i think 1200 is probably too low for you, i would be starving on that and i'm your height and weigh about 200. i lose on 1600. i lose slowly but that downward trend is there and i'm happy on it. i recently switched to 1300 during the week so i can indulge more on the weekends but on my 1300 days i eat back ALL my exercise calories.

    i would see if you can tighten up on your logging, experiment with different macro percentages for satiety and bump your calories up to at least 1500. 1500 accurately logged calories when you eat mindfully may be a good middle ground for you.

    *by "mindfully" i mean paying attention to what meets your nutritional as well as emotional goals. some people feel better on low carb, others when they combine fats with proteins. it's really individual and can be tough to find the sweet spot.
  • veronikamellon
    veronikamellon Posts: 42 Member
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    I'm sorry but I think the answer is pretty obvious. You jumped 600 calories, so go somewhere in the middle, like 1500 or 1600 and see how it goes.
  • shans34
    shans34 Posts: 535 Member
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    Thank you for your help. I set my calorie goal to 1500 a day. I do measure everything, but I don't have a food scale to weigh. I follow the technique Chris Powell set in his book about using your hand to measure and I have small hands. My food diary should be open to the public, I opened it. Thanks for your help.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    edited April 2017
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    shans34 wrote: »
    Thank you for your help. I set my calorie goal to 1500 a day. I do measure everything, but I don't have a food scale to weigh. I follow the technique Chris Powell set in his book about using your hand to measure and I have small hands. My food diary should be open to the public, I opened it. Thanks for your help.

    I would urge you to get a food scale. They're $10-$20 at Wal-mart or Target. I found it amazingly eye-opening, especially for peanut butter and ice cream. Did you watch the food scale video above?
  • Stella3838
    Stella3838 Posts: 439 Member
    edited April 2017
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    Food scales are cheap. Got mine for like $13. The only way you're really going to know what you're eating is to measure/weigh. So, if you decide to reduce your calories and still don't lose, you likely are going to need to really tighten up the tracking.

    ETA: You really should watch that video @quiksylver296 posted. It's crazy how much variance there can be.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,976 Member
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    Yeah, I took a quick peek at your food diary for the last few days. "a quarter of a bologna sandwich...." :huh:

    Absolutely agree that accurate logging and 1500-1600 calories will help you a lot. Plus - eat a little more on days you get an hour of exercise.
  • shans34
    shans34 Posts: 535 Member
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    I watched the video, thank you. I will invest in a food scale soon.

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