Creating a calorie deficient ??

saraabadie71

So I’ve been on MFP forever but just starting to use it regularly and for strict weight loss.....In trying to create a calorie deficient with my BMR 1544, how my calorie should I consume a day????

AnnPT77

saraabadie71 wrote: »

So I’ve been on MFP forever but just starting to use it regularly and for strict weight loss.....In trying to create a calorie deficient with my BMR 1544, how my calorie should I consume a day????

Set up your MFP using the guided setup, following the instructions. It will tell you how many calories to eat per day to achieve the weight loss rate you request. Set your activity level based on your non-exercise life, log exercise separately, and eat those calories, too, to keep the same weight loss rate. (<= There are other ways to do it, but this is the way MFP was designed to work, as the basic method).

Don't select a super aggressive loss rate. Two pounds a week is OK for someone well over 200 pounds, with more than around 50 pounds to lose. If not at that stage, pick a slower rate. (Even if at that stage, losing slower can be more successful because it's easier to stick with for the long time period that any meaningful total amount of weight loss is realistically going to take.)

Stick to that calorie level, logging carefully, for 4-6 weeks. Then, calculate your average weekly actual weight loss, and adjust intake accordingly if needed to achieve your goal loss rate. (If you're premenopausal, compare your body weight at the same relative point in at least two different menstrual cycles, in order to calculate the average weight loss number.)

That's how you can figure out your correct personal calorie deficit level. (Keep in mind that as you get lighter, you'll gradually require fewer calories to move a smaller body through life, so you may need to tweak the numbers a bit, a few months down the road.)

Best wishes!