Cut off for “not enough calories”
Whatsthemotive
Posts: 145 Member
If MFP doesn’t think you are eating enough calories, you get a message saying so. Is the cutoff 1,000 calories? Thanks.
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Replies
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Whatsthemotive wrote: »If MFP doesn’t think you are eating enough calories, you get a message saying so. Is the cutoff 1,000 calories? Thanks.
1200 calories net is the cutoff for a female...1500 net for a male...really shouldn't be eating less than that unless under medical supervision. As it is, 1200 calories is a paltry amount of calories for the vast majority of people. Basically the calorie requirements of a toddler.11 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »Whatsthemotive wrote: »If MFP doesn’t think you are eating enough calories, you get a message saying so. Is the cutoff 1,000 calories? Thanks.
1200 calories net is the cutoff for a female...1500 net for a male...really shouldn't be eating less than that unless under medical supervision. As it is, 1200 calories is a paltry amount of calories for the vast majority of people. Basically the calorie requirements of a toddler.
I can't speak for the male amount but it is 1000 for females. It won't set your calorie budget lower than 1200 but it will let you close your diary at anything above 1000 net.6 -
Thank you. My calorie budget is 1290, and I’m trying to come in below that every day. I have a very narrow range to fit into.
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Whatsthemotive wrote: »Thank you. My calorie budget is 1290, and I’m trying to come in below that every day. I have a very narrow range to fit into.
Why are you trying to come in below a target goal?8 -
Whatsthemotive wrote: »Thank you. My calorie budget is 1290, and I’m trying to come in below that every day. I have a very narrow range to fit into.
Why are you trying to get below 1290? That is very close to the minimum amount that you should be eating anyway.4 -
I think MFP set that calorie goal. And I thought that the goal was to come in below it. Not by a lot.1
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Whatsthemotive wrote: »I think MFP set that calorie goal. And I thought that the goal was to come in below it. Not by a lot.
If you told MFP you wanted to lose weight when setting your goal, it gives you a calorie goal to do that. You don't have to go below it. Getting the alert that you're below 1,000 calories shouldn't be a regular thing.8 -
Ok. Thank you. I have been eating more if I got the alert and going back into my diary and logging the additional food.2
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Whatsthemotive wrote: »I think MFP set that calorie goal. And I thought that the goal was to come in below it. Not by a lot.
If MFP gave you a goal of 1290, then that is your goal to eat. The calorie deificit has already been deducted so you don't have to eat less than that number.
So in other words, if you chose 1 lb a week, MFP determined that your maintenance calories (before exercising) was 1790, and deducted 500 calories off that number.3 -
Thanks. I believe that I did choose 1 pound a week. I appreciate all the clarification.1
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Aside from agreeing with all of the above due to the health risks from under-eating, how tall are you, how much do you weigh and how much are you trying to lose? Also, are you logging exercise and eating your exercise calories?4
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I’m 5’4”, currently weigh 197 pounds
Want to lose 50 pounds. I am logging exercise and those calories log to my diary.4 -
I double checked and I did enter that I wanted to lose one pound a week. And MFP gave me the 1290 calorie count.2
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Sounds a little low but not entirely unreasonable. With exercise it should be giving you a bit more, which you should also be eating (or at least eating a fair percentage of those exercise cals). You definitely shouldn't be trying to eat less than what MFP suggests as a baseline, but make sure that your diary entries are accurate and that you're weighing your food / measuring liquids, particularly butter, oils, nuts and other calorie dense items.
I was intrigued by your comment that you have a narrow range to fit in to. In case it's not clear, MFP calculates your maintenance figure based on the info you give and then deducts 250 cals per 0.5lb per week that you want to lose. So from what you've said, MFP thinks your maintenance is 1790 and it has deducted 500 cals for you to lose 1lb a week. If you did no exercise and ate anything less than 1790 a day, you'd lose weight, albeit perhaps more slowly. However, going slowly is not a bad thing and gives you time to get used to smaller portions and to figure out what keep you feeling satiated etc.
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Please also read this, or at least page 1: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10761904/under-1200-for-weight-loss/p1
It's in the Useful Posts (also referred to as the stickies) at the top of the General Health forum. I've been on MFP long enough to have read several similar posts. It's not worth it.3 -
Thank you. I was confused partly because I get a post saying my diary was under the calorie goal, so I thought that was a good thing. I lost a pound and a half last week so I’m not looking for or getting a rapid weight loss.1
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You should be at or under your calorie goal, that is the purpose. Sounds like your doing a great job. Keep it up!!3
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Whatsthemotive wrote: »Thank you. I was confused partly because I get a post saying my diary was under the calorie goal, so I thought that was a good thing. I lost a pound and a half last week so I’m not looking for or getting a rapid weight loss.
Awesome work!0 -
Whatsthemotive wrote: »I double checked and I did enter that I wanted to lose one pound a week. And MFP gave me the 1290 calorie count.
Just keep in mind that MFP's daily calorie estimations aren't always accurate. I'm maintaining my current weight and it gave me a goal of something like 1570 calories. That surprised me because I wouldn't expect that an adult woman of average height would be given such a low calorie goal, and also I remembered it being higher (around 1800) when I used MFP in the past. I know from experience of maintaining over years that my baseline is around 2000-2100 calories, and then of course if I exercise I have to eat even more, so for me their estimate is really off. So just keep that in mind and, if you find that you're losing more weight than expected, that could be the reason why.2 -
Thanks0
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The recommended wisdom is to eat the number of cals suggested for 6 weeks. Look at your wight at the start and end of that period and calculate your rate of loss. Are you losing at the rate you expected? If so, carry on. If not, adjust a little up or down. It's all based on averages, whereas most of us are not average.
The 6 weeks takes you through one full menstrual cycle (assuming you're female and have cycles). Men can get away with doing this for a month. It allows for fluctuations, of which there will be many, for many reasons.3 -
Thanks. I’ve moved toward trying to get close to the base calories.1
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cwolfman13 wrote: »Whatsthemotive wrote: »Thank you. My calorie budget is 1290, and I’m trying to come in below that every day. I have a very narrow range to fit into.
Why are you trying to come in below a target goal?
Can’t speak for the OP, but I always try to beat my “targets”. You’re right that this is semantically nonsensical - but it pushes my dopamine buttons.
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siberiantarragon wrote: »Whatsthemotive wrote: »I double checked and I did enter that I wanted to lose one pound a week. And MFP gave me the 1290 calorie count.
Just keep in mind that MFP's daily calorie estimations aren't always accurate. I'm maintaining my current weight and it gave me a goal of something like 1570 calories. That surprised me because I wouldn't expect that an adult woman of average height would be given such a low calorie goal, and also I remembered it being higher (around 1800) when I used MFP in the past. I know from experience of maintaining over years that my baseline is around 2000-2100 calories, and then of course if I exercise I have to eat even more, so for me their estimate is really off. So just keep that in mind and, if you find that you're losing more weight than expected, that could be the reason why.
Well, those numbers are based on statistical averages. Some of us are a lot more active than others. For maintenance I get about 1540-1580 calories per day, depending on the calculators for sedentary. I guess most women of a certain age are just a lot more sedentary and have a lot less muscle mass. In reality it's more like 1800 for me. And more when I exercise.0 -
I’m quite sedentary. I have a bum foot and ankle and have pain when I walk or stand. That’s one of my main motivations for losing weight. Less weight=less pain = more mobility = more activity = less pain = more activity = less weight. At this point, my activity level is very light, and my exercise is a chair exercise routine. I don’t drip sweat, but I do break a sweat. And a lot of it is focused on strength and mobility. It burns about 120 calories.
I’ve also seen targets as something to beat. I’m trying to make sure I don’t beat the target by too much. Yesterday I ate more than my food target, by a bit, and slightly less than the food calories with exercise calories added.4 -
As long as your net calories are below your Maintenance calories, you'll be losing weight. You may be losing a little slower than planned, but you'll still be losing weight.
A useful tool is in the app version of MFP where you can see your weekly net average. It's common for people to bank calories and eat (or drink) a little more on a night out (remember those?) or at the weekend. If your average net figure, for the week, is roughly at your goal, you're doing fine.2 -
Whatsthemotive wrote: »I think MFP set that calorie goal. And I thought that the goal was to come in below it. Not by a lot.
If you use MFP to calculate your calorie goal - you should eat at least that much. They have already built in a deficit.
IMO you shouldn't use MFP to calculate your calorie goal. You should use a TDEE calculator that figures your TDEE and BMR and then set your calorie goal manually to something in between those and hit that net calorie goal through what you eat/exercise.1 -
westrich20940 wrote: »Whatsthemotive wrote: »I think MFP set that calorie goal. And I thought that the goal was to come in below it. Not by a lot.
If you use MFP to calculate your calorie goal - you should eat at least that much. They have already built in a deficit.
IMO you shouldn't use MFP to calculate your calorie goal. You should use a TDEE calculator that figures your TDEE and BMR and then set your calorie goal manually to something in between those and hit that net calorie goal through what you eat/exercise.
If someone finds MFP's NEAT easier to use, why not use that? It's just a different way to getting to the same end point. Figuring out my TDEE is functionally no different that getting a base calorie goal based on my regular lifestyle and then adding the calories burnt through intentional exercise and for some of us it's a way better fit.11 -
GrizzledSquirrel wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »Whatsthemotive wrote: »Thank you. My calorie budget is 1290, and I’m trying to come in below that every day. I have a very narrow range to fit into.
Why are you trying to come in below a target goal?
Can’t speak for the OP, but I always try to beat my “targets”. You’re right that this is semantically nonsensical - but it pushes my dopamine buttons.
You get your jollies from undereating?4 -
I had no idea I was creating a controversy with my question. We all want to be healthy.
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