What should I set my calorie goal to?

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Replies

  • debrakgoogins
    debrakgoogins Posts: 2,033 Member
    Bwilty7 wrote: »
    You can lose weight consistently being in a deficit- however, I'd argue you'd lose it faster and more efficiently by avoiding adaptation. I've been getting a lot of "woos" from people who think they know everything because someone told them or they read it on this forum...I had to seek out information and do my own experiments to derive my opinions.

    "Cycling through phases" every twelve weeks sounds more like adaptation than simply eating what you enjoy in proper amounts. You are getting woos because you are pushing broscience. People who have been here, losing weight by counting calories, have also done their research to seek out information and derive their opinions.
  • magnusthenerd
    magnusthenerd Posts: 1,207 Member
    Bwilty7 wrote: »
    Well, I must be a medical/physical anomaly. When I started my journey at 290lbs and 29% BF, my BMR was 2055kcal measured by InBody Scan, not some chart. Now, at 250lbs and 17% BF my BMR is 2340kcal, again measured by InBody Scan.

    I'm not sure how you derive a must in there as there are several other hypotheses up to explaining the observation. Variance in instrumental results or instrumental error are just as, if not more, likely to explain it. A very common issue is that BMR measurement isn't accurate if you aren't at maintenance as adaptive thermogensis will have set in. If you had been losing weight when you had your first scan, that could explain it - in fact it seems rather likely as BMR calculations for 290 lbs with 29% body fat is actually a BMR of 2387.
  • egbert2016
    egbert2016 Posts: 37 Member
    MikePTY wrote: »
    Put your stats into MFP, select sedentary as your activity level, and set your proposed loss to half a pound a week. Theme at back your execise calories as well when you do it.

    FYI as an update, this is what I did and I am almost 2.5 pounds down (143 to 140.6 today). :)

    Peachvine, that's fantastic! I am the same height and am also within 15 pounds of my goal. I have read several posters on MFP suggest that when you get this close to goal, you should reduce the deficit to the 0.5 lb/week (just like MikePTY suggested). It's great to hear back from you and hear that it's been working for you! I've been on a maintenance plateau for a while, and this week I changed my settings to 0.5/week. It was great timing for me to read your post and I hope to experience the same success that you have! Thanks for the inspiration.
  • peachvine29
    peachvine29 Posts: 400 Member
    edited April 2019
    egbert2016 wrote: »
    MikePTY wrote: »
    Put your stats into MFP, select sedentary as your activity level, and set your proposed loss to half a pound a week. Theme at back your execise calories as well when you do it.

    FYI as an update, this is what I did and I am almost 2.5 pounds down (143 to 140.6 today). :)

    Peachvine, that's fantastic! I am the same height and am also within 15 pounds of my goal. I have read several posters on MFP suggest that when you get this close to goal, you should reduce the deficit to the 0.5 lb/week (just like MikePTY suggested). It's great to hear back from you and hear that it's been working for you! I've been on a maintenance plateau for a while, and this week I changed my settings to 0.5/week. It was great timing for me to read your post and I hope to experience the same success that you have! Thanks for the inspiration.

    :) I'm so happy to inspire! Yesterday I was 140 (which marks exactly 60 lbs. lost) and today I am 139.6, haven't seen that in years! (I know daily fluctuations don't matter much at all and they don't bother me when they go up, but these were nice numbers to see). It is working, I am set at sedentary but honestly I get up from my desk so much and walk on my breaks I think I actually burn more and am losing over my goal. I tried doing lower calories but I was just too hungry.

    Good luck, press on!!!
  • sagegrl81
    sagegrl81 Posts: 2 Member
    A nutritionist told me to eat more protein and drink more water while reducing carbs. Maintain the same calories. The protein is harder to burn but also keeps you full longer and helps prevent binge eating.
  • peachvine29
    peachvine29 Posts: 400 Member
    Another update. Today I am 138.4 lbs., but I've been as low as 137 as of last week. Still losing weight. I am so much happier and less hungry though just by raising my calories to 1,500. I was thinking about it and I have yet to binge eat in many weeks. I feel much better emotionally (no shame or guilt) and feel happy to hit my goal every day, and it's not too hard. Just wanted to say!