Calorie Consumption Question

mathdad41

Per the MFP app I am allotted 2600 cals per day. Do I need to eat all/most of those calories? I can really get by with around 1800. I haven't been seeing the loss lately. I probably do need to be more accurate in my measurements and that will help. Through a conversation with a friend they said I had to try to hit my calorie goal of 2600 each day. Also to "eat" the calories I exercise. Seems to me that a deficit would be better as long as I'm not starving myself. Input is appreciated

jessiferrrb

i think the first thing you should do is tighten up your logging to see if it's accurate. if you're fairly certain that your measurements are off you really have no way of knowing how much you're consuming. your 1800 could actually be closer to 2600 with just a few discrepancies.

try getting a food scale and using it religiously for a week and see where you're at. then tweak as necessary.

janejellyroll

Before concluding that you do or don't need more calories, I would first begin logging accurately so you know how many calories you're actually eating. Making adjustments when you aren't sure what you're adjusting seems unnecessarily difficult to me.

toxikon

What's your height, weight, sex and average activity level (desk-job couch potato? on your feet all day? etc.)?

jflongo

Also, what did you put under settings as far as Normal Daily Activities.

While I am very active as far as working out every single morning, I still set mine to Sedentary, since I sit at my desk a lot working. What did you set as your Goal for loss each week?

mathdad41

I have a scale that I use. Just haven't much the past week or so. I know that I need to tighten that up.

I'm just curious if I am supposed to try to get close to my daily slotted calories? ?Logically being under it gives me more of a deficit leading to better weight loss as long as I'm not starving. Am I correct in assuming that or is my calorie goal what I should strive to hit?

kimny72

mathdad41 wrote: »

I have a scale that I use. Just haven't much the past week or so. I know that I need to tighten that up.

I'm just curious if I am supposed to try to get close to my daily slotted calories? ?Logically being under it gives me more of a deficit leading to better weight loss as long as I'm not starving. Am I correct in assuming that or is my calorie goal what I should strive to hit?

How much weight do you have to lose, and when you set up your account, what is your weekly weight loss goal?

If you set your goal to lose 1 lb per week, and MFP gave you a calorie goal of 2600, then you should eat 2600 to lose 1 lb per week. If you eat less, you will lose faster. If you exercise and don't eat back those calories, you will lose faster still.

The problem is that faster isn't always better. Where that line is for you depends on how much total weight you have to lose and how much your health is a priority to you.

mathdad41

kimny72 wrote: »

How much weight do you have to lose, and when you set up your account, what is your weekly weight loss goal?

If you set your goal to lose 1 lb per week, and MFP gave you a calorie goal of 2600, then you should eat 2600 to lose 1 lb per week. If you eat less, you will lose faster. If you exercise and don't eat back those calories, you will lose faster still.

The problem is that faster isn't always better. Where that line is for you depends on how much total weight you have to lose and how much your health is a priority to you.

I'm 6'5" 355. I'd like to lose 115 more pounds. When I set up my account My goal was for 2lbs a week at lightly active. I've been doing the C25K and have been running 3 days a week with a little weight lifting. I plan to bump up the weights and also to get other exercise on off days from running. My leg was bothering me a little so I had to back off a little on the cardio but am going to hit the treadmill tonight to keep pushing forward with the C25K. I have been dealing with a lot of stress lately and haven't been getting enough sleep. I really notice the effect that has when I try to workout. I hope that aspect of my life will get better. I've kicked around the idea of doing a little yoga (in my basement to avoid embarrassment at this point HA). Figure a good yoga app might help stress, flexibility, etc. and would be a nice change of pace/addition to overall health routine.

AnnPT77

Actually, IMO, your actual weight loss rate matters more than your settings (or your logging accuracy, for that matter). Yeah, I know this is heresy.

Whether you feel satiated/energetic/good is also irrelevant, really. Losing weight too fast creates health risks. Creating health risks is not the smartest thing a person could do, if you ask me. (Possible exception is people under close medical supervision who've been medically directed to lose weight very rapidly because their obesity is a bigger health risk than the fast loss rate.)

I accidentally lost weight too fast ( > 1% of body weight per week) when I first joined MFP, because MFP underestimated my calorie needs. I felt great . . . until I didn't, then it took several weeks to recover.

Accurate logging really matters if you stall or plateau, because it helps you figure out where things are going wrong. If you're losing happily at a sensibly moderate rate without logging, logging is not essential. (I'd do it anyway, because I'm a data geek. )

Your settings matter to get the most accurate starting calorie goal estimate.

Here's a recommended MFP routine: Make your most reasonable guess at MFP settings, without agonizing. Count only your job/daily life in your activity level setting. Target at most 1% of body weight loss per week, less if closer than 50 pounds to goal. Eat to your calorie goal (very close, not way under). If you exercise, estimate it conservatively, and eat those calories back (if you think your estimate is iffy, eat 50% to start). Do this for 4-6 weeks, then adjust your calorie goal based on your actual personal weight loss rate (average loss per week).

Underfueling your body is not a good plan.

kimny72

I would second what @AnnPT77 said.

Since you have a lot of weight to lose, and mfp will not let you set a goal higher than 2 lbs per week, you could probably undershoot your goal a little and be fine. And it's possible if your logging isn't accurate you are eating more than you think. But go by your rate of loss, not by how you feel, as Ann wrote. Good luck

lynn_glenmont

mathdad41 wrote: »

Per the MFP app I am allotted 2600 cals per day. Do I need to eat all/most of those calories? I can really get by with around 1800. I haven't been seeing the loss lately. I probably do need to be more accurate in my measurements and that will help. Through a conversation with a friend they said I had to try to hit my calorie goal of 2600 each day. Also to "eat" the calories I exercise. Seems to me that a deficit would be better as long as I'm not starving myself. Input is appreciated

How long is lately? The answer to a sustained stall or plateau is never "eat more" (assuming your goal is to lose). Eating too little is not keeping you from losing weight.