Are the calorie recommendations here very off?

leahgoldgirl

I am a 30 year old, 5 foot tall woman, who is a little shy of 116 lbs and about 22% body fat. I am trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle and also lose about 4-6 lbs, so that my abs and the rest of the muscle definition I have been working hard for show a bit more. My goal is to lose about 1/2 lb per week and MFP is telling me that in order to do that, my net calories have to be around, 1,210 per day. This seems VERY low.

I understand that I am small and that I work a desk job, but I also workout at least 45 minutes per day (intense circuit/interval/strength training), and play 1 hour + of football 2-3 times a week. My diet is almost entirely whole, healthy foods. I would estimate that my average calorie count, if I am not tracking it, is around 1,800 to 2,000 calories and I have not been higher than 118 lbs in 6 years.

I feel that 1,210 net calories is very low and pretty dangerous. It also doesn't match what the TDEE calculators are telling me (around 1,900 per day to maintain, so about 1,500 to lose).

I also feel it is counting my calorie burn on the low side (270ish for almost an hour of non-stop movement circuit/interval training with weights and cardio).

Is this an issue others have had?

Have the recommendations been accurate or inaccurate for you?

dad4192

For me it was spot on. I started at 252lbs and a 1500 calorie a day diet. When I got closer to my goal it got as low as 1300 a day. It worked very very well for me but I never looked at my TDEE either. Now that I am at my goal, for me to maintain it tells me I need 2220 a day and I never even get close.

Greenrun99

You have to remember that MFP expects you to log your exercise calories.. so 1210 + your exercise calories for the day. (Would probably put you at your 1500 or higher depending on activity)

MinnieInMaine

What Greenrun99 said.


Or...


MFP also gives you the option to custom set your goals.
Since you know your TDEE already, go by that. For 1/2 piound per week, you should go with 1650

3500 cal per pound, 1/2 of that is 1750 divided by 7 = 250,
TDEE of 1900 - 250 = 1650

In this case your TDEE should include exercise activity so you wouldn't log exercise and eat back calories.

If you'd like to get a more accurate calorie burn calculation, you might want to invest in a good HRM (heart rate monitor) like Polar or Garmin ones with chest straps. They don't work great for weight training calorie burns but they work very well for cardio calorie burns.

BlueBombers

No idea, I don't log my food and I don't calculate my calories.

candylilacs

Sometimes the MFP exercise numbers are off, but you can put in your own calorie numbers provided you remember them.

It's also NET calories, so you can eat 1600 calories and work off 350 and be pretty close to your target. If you disagree, then eat how you think you should and check your progress, if it's not showing weight loss, then you probably have to drop some calories.

FrnkLft

My metabolism is actually kinda quick I guess (or so I'm told by other people who don't loose weight like I do... but I'm pretty sure aren't as strict or physical as I am). But either way, it actually tended to under-estimate how much I was burning. But I exercise 5 times a week, and bust my *kitten* when I lift, so...

Really the best thing for you to do is start with its recomendations, make sure you are being scientific about the way you account for calories in and calories burned during exercise, and make adjustments after you have a feel for it. This will work for you.

leahgoldgirl

I am logging my exercise as cardio, so that it gives a calorie count and I stick with that and it does give me a "net calorie" reading. I suspect I burn more than it says I do, but at the same time, I have never worked out to burn calories, so I'm not sure. I work out to feel good.

FrnkLft

I am logging my exercise as cardio, so that it gives a calorie count and I stick with that and it does give me a "net calorie" reading. I suspect I burn more than it says I do, but at the same time, I have never worked out to burn calories, so I'm not sure. I work out to feel good.

If you endup burning more than it says you do, then just consider that a bonus.

leahgoldgirl

I also should mention, that unless I go out to eat, I know my (close to) exact calorie counts. Most people underestimate what they eat by 25%, so I'd be more interested to know how the accurate the recommendations have been for someone who is actually measuring/ weighing food.

According to the MFP calculator, I exercise off about 270 - 700 calories per day (without things like walking, because I don't count that as exercise). Assuming the 270 exercise related calorie burn day, that means to stay in my goal, I am eating about 1,500 calories. 1/2 cup of oatmeal with a few raisins, a banana, a grapefruit, 1 serving of almonds, a mixed green salad with 4 ounces of grilled chicken, a tablespoon of shaved Parmesan and 1/4 serving of dressing, 2 teaspoons of peanut butter, 4 ounces of grilled salmon, a little chipotle cream (made with yogurt), some arugula, a cup of steamed broccoli, a peach and 1 beer add up to 1, 500 calories, if not more. It's not a lot of food. I think people really misjudge portions when they don't measure, think they are eating 1,500 calories and are really eating 2,000+.

__Di__

I am a 30 year old, 5 foot tall woman, who is a little shy of 116 lbs and about 22% body fat. I am trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle and also lose about 4-6 lbs, so that my abs and the rest of the muscle definition I have been working hard for show a bit more. My goal is to lose about 1/2 lb per week and MFP is telling me that in order to do that, my net calories have to be around, 1,210 per day. This seems VERY low.

I understand that I am small and that I work a desk job, but I also workout at least 45 minutes per day (intense circuit/interval/strength training), and play 1 hour + of football 2-3 times a week. My diet is almost entirely whole, healthy foods. I would estimate that my average calorie count, if I am not tracking it, is around 1,800 to 2,000 calories and I have not been higher than 118 lbs in 6 years.

I feel that 1,210 net calories is very low and pretty dangerous. It also doesn't match what the TDEE calculators are telling me (around 1,900 per day to maintain, so about 1,500 to lose).

I also feel it is counting my calorie burn on the low side (270ish for almost an hour of non-stop movement circuit/interval training with weights and cardio).

Is this an issue others have had?

Have the recommendations been accurate or inaccurate for you?

The recommendations for myself have been just fine, however, if you feel you want to eat more, do so. Providing you keep track of what you are consuming and you are at a deficit, you will lose weight.

rallen540

I am 5-10 - 290. It tells me I need 2,520 cal a day. Seems high to me.

leahgoldgirl

I am 5-10 - 290. It tells me I need 2,520 cal a day. Seems high to me.

That actually seems pretty spot on to me, for someone of your height and weight.

skylark94

I am 5-10 - 290. It tells me I need 2,520 cal a day. Seems high to me.

Sounds pretty close to me. I'm 5'4", 128 pounds and aim for 1800-2000 calories. I'm still losing weight.

Fayve

It sounds like you're very well educated on your own health and eating habits. Yes, the number you got seems low based on your activities and lifestyle. Some people have suggested adding your exercise calories on top, but I find that a little redundant and confusing.

If you're confident you've been eating a consistent amount of calories for years, how about you try cutting that by 100-200 a day to start. See how you feel, how your body responds, and go from there?

VictoriaA3

3500 calories a week = 1lb weight loss. If you've been eating 1800 and staying the same then you need to cut 250/300 calories a day to loose half a pound a week. So 1500 calories would probably do it. Like others have said, you add your exercise calories on top. Also 1200 is fine, do it for a week and see what your weight loss is and adjust it accordingly. :-)

peniculala

For me they were super high. I was actually disappointed when I started using my heart rate monitor and saw an enormous drop in calories burned! But, I've realized all that matters is that I"m moving and losing. Doesn't matter what MFP, or any other program thinks. I'm using a fitbit now and except for concerted exercise, it's pretty accurate.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

It's low for me. I had to bump it up to active and I'm really not all that active. Eventually I switched to the TDEE method because it's easier.

ladynocturne

This thread... is like... a unicorn to me..

That is all.

SarahIluvatariel

I thought it was pretty off, for me. After a month, I averaged the total calories I ate in a day, and compared it to what MFP told me to eat for losing 2lbs / week. By the average actual calories I was eating, it should have been a 2.5 loss / week, when comparing to MFP's guess of my daily burn. But it was more. My scale was showing a 3.5 lb loss each week. So..... Something didn't add up, and I'm not sure what. But I wasn't complaining.

My advice to you, since you're pretty much maintaining, right now, is to eat what you have always been eating, and log everything (including exercise) for a good while (several weeks?). Then figure out what your average net is, from the reports on MFP. That'll tell you your approximate TDEE (assuming you maintained). Then create your own deficit goals from that.

BrendaLee

From my experience, I'd say it's moderately to highly accurate -- certainly accurate enough to live with and do well on.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

This thread... is like... a unicorn to me..

That is all.

Agreed. It's so beautiful.

pjacademy

MFP tells me 1200 calories at 190 & 5'8.

I net my BMR instead. 1600.

leahgoldgirl

I am pretty much maintaining, but I've upped my strength training a lot in the last couple of months, because I got a new job, it's fun, but stressful, and there's a gym in the building that's as close to free as it gets, so I go there for 45 minutes everyday to decompress and relax a little so I don't start screaming gibberish at my coworkers or accidentally tell off a client.

I look, at about 116, pretty close to how I looked at about 112 a year and a half ago, when I was carrying less muscle, but walking/biking 2-3 miles 2x per day (commuting to work - I drive now) and playing sports. My clothes fit about the same too. I'd love to get back to 110-112ish, with the muscle I have put on... it would be my ideal. That said, I'm not entirely sure it's possible without making myself miserable.

The reason I started tracking is that I have to assume my changed body composition and the type of exercise I'm doing, affects what my calorie burn is and I can't really base it off of what I've done in the past. Perhaps this is incorrect.

Either way, I'm curious how the recommendations have panned out for others. It looks like most people have found them helpful.

I'll try this for a couple of weeks, but I hate being hungry and have no desire to look drastically smaller than I currently look, so if I see a loss in energy or am constantly thinking about my grumbling stomach, I'm adding back some calories to my net.