Is it bad to set your weekly goal

towardaminime

weight loss at less than you really want to lose so you don't ever go over your calorie allotment for the day? I am short so if I set my goal at 2 lbs a week, MPF gives me 1210 calories a day. I have over 100 lbs still to lose. I hate it if I just barely go over and my status reads that I have completed my diary but does not add the words "and was under her calorie goal." I don't think I can consistently stay under 1200 calories and get enough protein, vegies, and fruit. I tore the tendons in my ankles so am not able to be more active right now.

cwolfman13

Why wouldn't it be?

JeromeBarry1

I've had my weight loss goal set at 0.5 lb per week since I started and most weeks have lost more than that.
I did this on purpose because I wanted my daily calorie target to be high enough that I could easily stay under it. It's a psychological device to make me think this is easy.

AliceDark

I think there's a huge mental difference between aiming for 1200 and eating 1300 vs. aiming for 1400 and eating 1300, even if there's no physiological difference. At the end of the day, it's all about finding what works for you, so you should do anything that makes staying in a deficit easier for you.

The other thing to remember is that your rate of weight loss can change over time. For now, why not aim for 1 pound or even 0.5 pounds to give yourself time to adjust and start racking up some wins? You can always increase your rate of loss later if you want.