How often do you recalculate your goal?

ghudson92
ghudson92 Posts: 2,061 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am wondering how often I should be recalculating my calorie goal? For context - I started three months ago at 135lbs, I am now 125lbs with a goal weight of 112lbs. I am 5"1 and have been eating 1300 calories a day, logging everything with a food scale and double checking database entries. I go to the gym 3-4 times a week where I am doing a progressive lifting programme. The last maybe three weeks I haven't really seen a shift on the scales, but my clothes are fitting better. Should I reevaluate my calorie goal, or am I just over thinking?

Replies

  • donjtomasco
    donjtomasco Posts: 790 Member
    I constantly recalculate it. If you are losing weight your daily calories to eat will decrease but your MFP calculation will not reflect the decrease unless you hit recalc. Same as if you gain. When I first started doing this and slowed down on the weight loss I did not know why. It was because I was not recalculating. MFP does not automatically recalculate your goals.
  • RelCanonical
    RelCanonical Posts: 3,882 Member
    I usually do it once a month, after I weigh myself and log my weight. I only weigh once a month, so this works for me, I would recommend every 4-5 pounds, especially for us shorties (I'm also 5'1'') where you need to be as accurate as possible because margins are narrow.
  • ghudson92
    ghudson92 Posts: 2,061 Member
    OK, thanks. I will recalculate my goals tomorrow :smile:
  • RAinWA
    RAinWA Posts: 1,980 Member
    I actually never recalculate my goal when I'm losing - because I'm short like you and set at sedentary (I use a Fitbit to add calories) MFP will tell me 1200 no matter how much I say I want to lose a week! I'm just trying to lose around 10 pounds, so I'm set at 1/2 pound a week and it is a very slow process (I'm eating between 1500 and 1600 a day). I can go 4 or 5 weeks with no loss on the scale and then drop 3 pounds overnight.

    Are you eating 1300 net or total? If net, you might look at whether you are calculating your exercise calories correctly.
  • amberellen12
    amberellen12 Posts: 248 Member
    What I did is figure out what my calories were at my goal weight and that’s what I eat. It seems to be working. The weight is going down.
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    I recalculate once a month, and I usually set workout scheduled and goals once a month too.
  • nicsflyingcircus
    nicsflyingcircus Posts: 2,855 Member
    I just have my calories set to 250 less than my goal weight maintenance calories. I figure I can ride the same number all the way to goal and it's self-adjusting as my TDEE drops.
  • ghudson92
    ghudson92 Posts: 2,061 Member
    RAinWA wrote: »
    I actually never recalculate my goal when I'm losing - because I'm short like you and set at sedentary (I use a Fitbit to add calories) MFP will tell me 1200 no matter how much I say I want to lose a week! I'm just trying to lose around 10 pounds, so I'm set at 1/2 pound a week and it is a very slow process (I'm eating between 1500 and 1600 a day). I can go 4 or 5 weeks with no loss on the scale and then drop 3 pounds overnight.

    Are you eating 1300 net or total? If net, you might look at whether you are calculating your exercise calories correctly.

    My calorie goal is 1300. I usually net around 1200. I don't log my exercise as fitbit does it for me, but I know it tends to overestimate. I think I need to face reality and drop to 1200 now I'm only 13lbs out!

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