Hello :) Hope you all are doing well. I need advice.

ItsMeDua

Once you put in your current weight and goal weight, do you just follow the calories and macros MFP recommends you or do you make up your own? (Please see the images attached). P.s: I was going to go for the Keto diet but no more. It comes with a lot of side effects and deprives you of basic and healthy things like fruits and milk. I feel it can cause one many problems in the long run, especially women. And you need to take so many other supplements along with it and need to test your ketoses levels.. too strict and risky too.

snowflake954

You can try this, but your daily calorie goal is low and many people have a hard time staying within it. I'd put in .5 kg per week which will give you more calories daily. It may not be as hard. Get a digital food scale so you can weigh and measure all your food. If you exercise MFP will give you more calories for that day. Good luck.

HeliumIsNoble

I leave the macros on the default and focus on the calories. I don't want to go low-carb, and I definitely don't want to go low-fat, so leaving it on the default lets me see at a glance whether I'm getting enough fat for my nutritional needs.

My calorie goal is a lot higher than that though. What loss rate did you pick?

ItsMeDua

Thank you so much both. This means a lot. I chose 1kg a week but now I’m going to change that to 0.5kgs per week as per @snowflake954’s advice. Also, do you both recommend the Keto diet. I believe it has countless side effects and it really deprives one of basic foods like milk and fruits. It can be harmful especially in the long run. Do you’ll agree? And yes I have a grams/oz counter and it’s so helpful! Alhumdulilah. And I’m 5’6 tall and currently 72kgs, so do you’ll recommend me to increase my carbs from that or decrease them? If possible, please advice me on the division of the macros. Also, does following these default MFP calorie and macro goals ensure you will lose weight (of course you must cut down on the sugar and eat as clean as possible) or does this only help you record your food and stay within the limits? Thank you so much! @HeliumIsNoble @snowflake954

ItsMeDua

Update:

Luciicul

It depends on what type of diet works best for you and your goals. I altered the MFP settings to match my offline plan. I have it as more 40%/40%/20% for carbs protein fat, so fewer carbs and fat and more protein. But I don’t sweat it if the macros come out a bit differently day to day, a little more or less here and there. E.g. On a day I eat something like eggs the fat proportion will go up, but other days it will be lower.

But every person is different; I had my gall bladder removed which means I shouldn’t eat too much fat as my body will have a harder time breaking down fats than most people.

MFP suggests you eat back exercise calories, but I don’t really do that.

HeliumIsNoble

I don't follow the keto diet and I never ever will.

I've lost weight WITHOUT changing my carb consumption and l expect to lose more.

To lose weight, all you need to do is eat less. That's the calories. You don't need to eat clean for it.

However, paying attention to what you eat (for example, including fruit and vegetables) will affect how well you feel as you lose weight, and your long-term health.

ItsMeDua

I feel those are a lot of carbs. Shouldn’t I decrease the carb limit?

Chef_Barbell

ItsMeDua wrote: »

I feel those are a lot of carbs. Shouldn’t I decrease the carb limit?

Carbs arent the enemy. Eating too much is.

ItsMeDua

Thanks a million girls! I’m benefiting so much by knowing your experiences and getting your advices. I’m new to the community feature of MFP and I’m amazed by its benefits. Is there a way I can connect with you all on MFP? Thank you so much again. I’m so happy with all the advice 😊 I want to make sure I work hard and get the results. Sometimes we work hard but on the wrong things, as in our goal is nice but our direction is wrong. May Allāh (God) constantly guide us all, Aameen.

HeliumIsNoble

ItsMeDua wrote: »

I feel those are a lot of carbs. Shouldn’t I decrease the carb limit?

Don't worry about the carb limit. Focus on finding foods that won't take you way over your calorie goal, and won't leave you feeling really hungry by lunchtime.

You are very close to the ideal weight range for your height already, so aim for slow weight loss.

ItsMeDua

Thank you so much 😊

HeliumIsNoble wrote: »

ItsMeDua wrote: »

I feel those are a lot of carbs. Shouldn’t I decrease the carb limit?

Don't worry about the carb limit. Focus on finding foods that won't take you way over your calorie goal, and won't leave you feeling really hungry by lunchtime.

You are very close to the ideal weight range for your height already, so aim for slow weight loss.

emilysusana

I have my calorie intake set to 1200 but I exercise every day and actually eat around 1500/day. I don’t restrict carbs, but the way I eat to stay full on that amount (which is working great— I’m not hungry), winds up being a bit lower than the default setting for carbs, a bit higher for fat. I’m not fixated on that... I focus on calories and also on preparing yummy food. In the evening with my family I’ve usually reserved enough calories to have some pasta or bread with dinner (sometimes French cheese because we’re francophiles) and even dessert. Last night, my husband made lemon bars. All within my calorie limit.

I’d never do keto. I did South Beach many years ago and felt like garbage. With what I’m doing now, I’ve never felt better. I don’t feel like I’m dieting (except for the whole food scale thing, but oh wel!)

snowflake954

HeliumIsNoble wrote: »

ItsMeDua wrote: »

I feel those are a lot of carbs. Shouldn’t I decrease the carb limit?

Don't worry about the carb limit. Focus on finding foods that won't take you way over your calorie goal, and won't leave you feeling really hungry by lunchtime.

You are very close to the ideal weight range for your height already, so aim for slow weight loss.

This. You don't have much to lose so it will take awhile and you'll need patience. If you like carbs, you can eat them. You have to find out what you can eat within your limit that won't leave you hungry. Some people up their protein, especially if they're exercising. Trial and error. Keto is not for everyone. It's a fad diet right now and so there is information everywhere. I don't follow it--I live in Italy and we eat Mediterranean, so carbs are important for us. I don't think it(keto) will give you health problems, some people swear it has great health benefits, but for me, it's impossible long-term. You will lose weight staying within your calorie goal. Try to be as accurate as possible.

kshama2001

ItsMeDua wrote: »

Thank you so much both. This means a lot. I chose 1kg a week but now I’m going to change that to 0.5kgs per week as per @snowflake954’s advice. Also, do you both recommend the Keto diet. I believe it has countless side effects and it really deprives one of basic foods like milk and fruits. It can be harmful especially in the long run. Do you’ll agree? And yes I have a grams/oz counter and it’s so helpful! Alhumdulilah. And I’m 5’6 tall and currently 72kgs, so do you’ll recommend me to increase my carbs from that or decrease them? If possible, please advice me on the division of the macros. Also, does following these default MFP calorie and macro goals ensure you will lose weight (of course you must cut down on the sugar and eat as clean as possible) or does this only help you record your food and stay within the limits? Thank you so much! @HeliumIsNoble @snowflake954

Macros are personal. I know vegans who are happy and healthy on 60% plus carbs and people doing keto happy and healthy on 5% or less carbs. You can change the MFP default macros to whatever suits you best.

So you have 26 pounds or 12 kg to lose? Do change your weekly weight loss goal to 0.5 kg / week.

Keep in mind that you will not lose weight consistently. Many women retain water when they ovulate and premenstrually. Because of this, I compare myself to last month, not last week.

With a consistent calorie deficit, yes you will lose weight over time.

ItsMeDua

Thanks a lot. Yes, 26 pounds. And I have changed my goal to 0.5 kgs now. Please also note that I have an under-active thyroid for which I take medication. And I also take the Bamboo Silica Capsule for hair growth, good skin and nails. With MFP, is exercising a condition for losing weight? 😊

kshama2001 wrote: »

ItsMeDua wrote: »

Thank you so much both. This means a lot. I chose 1kg a week but now I’m going to change that to 0.5kgs per week as per @snowflake954’s advice. Also, do you both recommend the Keto diet. I believe it has countless side effects and it really deprives one of basic foods like milk and fruits. It can be harmful especially in the long run. Do you’ll agree? And yes I have a grams/oz counter and it’s so helpful! Alhumdulilah. And I’m 5’6 tall and currently 72kgs, so do you’ll recommend me to increase my carbs from that or decrease them? If possible, please advice me on the division of the macros. Also, does following these default MFP calorie and macro goals ensure you will lose weight (of course you must cut down on the sugar and eat as clean as possible) or does this only help you record your food and stay within the limits? Thank you so much! @HeliumIsNoble @snowflake954

Macros are personal. I know vegans who are happy and healthy on 60% plus carbs and people doing keto happy and healthy on 5% or less carbs. You can change the MFP default macros to whatever suits you best.

So you have 26 pounds or 12 kg to lose? Do change your weekly weight loss goal to 0.5 kg / week.

Keep in mind that you will not lose weight consistently. Many women retain water when they ovulate and premenstrually. Because of this, I compare myself to last month, not last week.

With a consistent calorie deficit, yes you will lose weight over time.

lemurcat2

Exercise is good for health, but MFP is set so you can lose without exercise. If you do exercise you log it and get more calories.

Strudders67

The only condition for losing weight is to eat fewer calories than you expend. However, you may find that 1200 calories isn't a lot - doing some exercise will give you more calories.

lorrpb

I lost 145 lbs using MFP macros. Calories affect weight loss, not macros. Be sure you weigh your good on a digital good scale and log accurately.

rheddmobile

It sounds like you're making a good decision for yourself regarding keto. It's not necessary to lose weight, but it is helpful for some people who have medical reasons to reduce carbs, or who just find it a satisfying way of eating which helps them stay within their calorie budget. If your personal preferences are such that you would find it restrictive, it's not for you and there's no reason to try it!

As far as exercise is concerned, you don't need to do exercise to lose weight, but it does allow you to eat more calories per day while staying within your goals, and strength training will preserve your lean muscle mass while you eat at a deficit. It's also essential for health. If you don't currently exercise very much, just a few minutes a day is better than nothing! It doesn't have to be going to the gym, either - any activity counts, such as walking, dancing, or playing sports. Finding something you enjoy which keeps you active is a great way to improve your fitness over the long term.

Re: thyroid - if your medication levels are right, this shouldn't be a factor. Getting those levels correct can make a big difference in how easy it is to lose weight though!

MurrayElliot

As an adult male, I don't find 1200 calories as restricting as some are suggesting here. 5'11", 168lb (76Kg). I have around 400-500 calories in morning/afternoon and 700-800 calories for dinner and in the evening. Almost all home made food from fresh products and pretty low on carbs and usually low on Fat. Losing approx 1lb per week with very little exercise. This is the second time I've gone through a weight loss exercise with MFP, last time was 6 years ago when I lost 2 stone (28lb or 13Kg) in 3 months using the same process with no ill effects.