How come my 5-week est. weight loss isn’t 10lbs if I eat 1200cals a day?

Sbaphomet

I’ve been eating around 1200 calories every day and my MFP predicted weight loss is less than 8lbs in 5 weeks. How come? I have my goal set to lose 2lbs a week; so it should be est 10lbs. I’ve been eating a lot of carbs, but I don’t think that would hinder my loss as long as I’m calorie counting. What’s going on?

amusedmonkey

If you looked more closely when you created the account, you would have noticed that even when you choose 2 lb, the website doesn't allow you to set your calories for 2 lb loss because it would be unhealthy. It caps it at 1200 calories as the absolute minimum. It simply means that, in your case, a 2lb loss a week is not healthy so your calories have been set to lose about 1.5 lbs.

ceiswyn

What’s going on is that it’s not actually possible for you to lose 2lb a week.

This happens when in order to lose 2lb a day you would have to eat less than 1200 kcal. But 1200 kcal is the minimum amount a woman should eat for adequate nutrition, so MFP won’t give you a lower goal.

How much do you have to lose? You should probably be aiming for more like 1lb a week.

sugaraddict4321

Keep in mind that when you complete your diary, the number it gives you is only an estimate, and even then it calculates as if every single day is exactly like that day. I don't know about you, but I never eat exactly the same foods in the same amounts every day. Also remember that weight can fluctuate a lot depending on sodium consumption, water retention, elimination (or not), and time of the month for the ladies.

If you're seeing the scale go down consistently, even in smaller numbers than you'd like, you're moving in the right direction.

amusedmonkey

Just wanted to add that I agree with @ceiswyn. 1 lb a week is likely a much more appropriate goal for you.

emilysusana

Most people’s bodies don’t burn enough on an ordinary day to lose 2 lbs a week without exercise. And MFP based your calorie amount on just that— how much you’d burn on a normal day without exercise (it factors in the lifestyle-based activity level you choose, your height, age and current weight). As others have said, if the loss rate you select would bring you below 1200 calories, it gives you 1200 calories.

I’m 5’2 and if I set it to lose 2 lb/week, it gives me 1200; if I set it to lose 1.5 lbs/week, 1200; 1 lb/week: 1200. Losing faster than 1 lb/week, for a person with my stats, is not optimal for health.

NovusDies

emilysusana wrote: »

Most people’s bodies don’t burn enough on an ordinary day to lose 2 lbs a week without exercise. And MFP based your calorie amount on just that— how much you’d burn on a normal day without exercise (it factors in the lifestyle-based activity level you choose, your height, age and current weight). As others have said, if the loss rate you select would bring you below 1200 calories, it gives you 1200 calories.

I’m 5’2 and if I set it to lose 2 lb/week, it gives me 1200; if I set it to lose 1.5 lbs/week, 1200; 1 lb/week: 1200. Losing faster than 1 lb/week, for a person with my stats, is not optimal for health.

I am not sure how you determined the bold. If the weight loss level is appropriate why would most people not lose 2 pounds a week if their average calorie deficit was 1000 calories per day or 7000 calories per week without exercise?

Dilvish

Fast weight loss (2lbs per week) is definitely doable but you will gain it all back. It is statistically proven. It may take up to 2 years but once you end your 1200 calorie a day regimen, the weight will slowly come back, especially if you are big on carbs.

Whenever your body has excess carbs that re not being burned, it gets stored as fat so if you are just using caloric restriction without exercise, you won't see a 10lb drop in weight in 5 weeks. If you do it will likely be water weight, not fat.

Losing weight and keeping it off requires a change in both eating habits and exercise.

sardelsa

Dilvish wrote: »

Fast weight loss (2lbs per week) is definitely doable but you will gain it all back. It is statistically proven. It may take up to 2 years but once you end your 1200 calorie a day regimen, the weight will slowly come back, especially if you are big on carbs.

Whenever your body has excess carbs that re not being burned, it gets stored as fat so if you are just using caloric restriction without exercise, you won't see a 10lb drop in weight in 5 weeks. If you do it will likely be water weight, not fat.

Losing weight and keeping it off requires a change in both eating habits and exercise.

Any excess calories .. carbs, fat, protein can get stored as fat. And a calorie deficit even without exercise will lead to fat loss (perhaps some muscle loss as well without training and adequate protein). When I am in a surplus to gain muscle with higher carbs (300-400g+) I gain very little fat actually.

lemurcat2

NovusDies wrote: »

emilysusana wrote: »

Most people’s bodies don’t burn enough on an ordinary day to lose 2 lbs a week without exercise. And MFP based your calorie amount on just that— how much you’d burn on a normal day without exercise (it factors in the lifestyle-based activity level you choose, your height, age and current weight). As others have said, if the loss rate you select would bring you below 1200 calories, it gives you 1200 calories.

I’m 5’2 and if I set it to lose 2 lb/week, it gives me 1200; if I set it to lose 1.5 lbs/week, 1200; 1 lb/week: 1200. Losing faster than 1 lb/week, for a person with my stats, is not optimal for health.

I am not sure how you determined the bold. If the weight loss level is appropriate why would most people not lose 2 pounds a week if their average calorie deficit was 1000 calories per day or 7000 calories per week without exercise?

I think she's saying that most people don't have maintenance TDEEs of 2200 or above if they are also sedentary and don't exercise.

I think she's probably right for women, but not for men.

Younger, taller women and those with lots to lose might be exceptions, of course.

lemurcat2

Dilvish wrote: »

Whenever your body has excess carbs that re not being burned, it gets stored as fat so if you are just using caloric restriction without exercise, you won't see a 10lb drop in weight in 5 weeks. If you do it will likely be water weight, not fat.

As a general rule, this is untrue.

If you are eating consistently at a 1000 cal deficit, you will lose 2 lbs/week, mostly fat, whether you are getting that deficit in part from exercise or not.

I think it's better to exercise (and that OP is likely not able to have a 2 lb/week deficit without eating too little), but this assertion that you made is not accurate, and seems to be based on a misunderstanding as to how weight loss works.

Carbs don't magically lead to added fat in a deficit (and fat is actually more easily turned to fat than carbs, not that it matters if you are in a deficit).