Hi former Optavia client, can I change the amount of calories?

kmgallant968

Hi, new to the app. Been doing a lot of research after having some success on the Optavia diet which imo isn’t sustainable (low calorie diet less than 1,000). When i was looking to see what calorie intake i should be at i got different answers. Im 43, female at 5’5” and 156 pounds. Want to get down to 140. The app said to follow 1,200. I think that might be too low? Im incorporating walking as my exercise for now (nothing too strenuous i have health issues). I am unsure how to factor that in just yet since i am starting out (i do not have the premium account). Any other Optavia users on here have success switching to calorie counting?

Lietchi

The app gave you 1200 because of the data you entered (and it will never give a woman a goal below 1200, to ensure adequate nutrition).
I'm guessing you're sedentary and/or chose a weight loss rate faster than 0.5lbs a week?

You have two choices:
- use MFP as intended: choose an activity level that doesn't include your exercise +log exercise and get extra calories added to your calorie goal
- use MFP in a different way: factor in your walking up front, include it in your activity level (higher base calorie goal) but then don't log that walking as exercise

1200 does sound too low, I'm your age and height and I would be starving at that intake. Solution is to be more active and aim for a slower weight loss rate.

kmgallant968

Thank you, i was playing around on the app and realize if i add in walking i can get up to 1400 calories. So im gonna aim for between those two and try the walk when i can. I have a desk job and i am active with my kids, house cleaning, etc but everytime i do too much i set myself back bc ill be in too mach pain. Walking is dangerous too if i go too hard, too far. Its embarrassing. I need to incorporate yoga too but i cant find anything i like (they all talk too damn much lol)

AnnPT77

I joined MFP at about your current size. I was 5'5", mid-150s pounds, but older at the time - 59.

Calorie needs vary, but based on my experience I'd encourage you to aim for at most 1 pound a week weight loss for now, and I personally think slower is better once getting down to the 10-ish pounds to lose range. I suspect you'd count as at least as "lightly active" in MFP activity level given kids and house (even with a desk job).

Then, as Lietchi suggests, you can log your exercise when you're able to do it (or sync a fitness tracker and wear it close to 24x7), and eat those calories, too. As a person with a variable exercise schedule myself, I found the MFP method, adding exercise calories separately, to be very helpful. YMMV.

One thing I would say is that since you already have health and mobility challenges, plus a busy life, I suspect that aiming for slow-ish loss would be especially good strategy. I know we all want to lose weight fast, but reduced calories is a form of physical stress. That stress adds that to the pre-existing physical and psychological stresses of life. A high calorie deficit for fast weight loss can make that cumulative stress punitively high, create a "too much" condition in that way.

IMO, it's helpful to set a calorie goal we can stick with and still have energy for everything else. A moderate goal we can stick with relatively easy can get some of us to goal weight by an earlier date than a more extreme goal that triggers compensatory over-eating episodes, breaks in the action, maybe even giving up altogether.

However you go about it, sticking with your new regimen for 4-6 weeks should give you enough personalized data to fine-tune your calorie goal as needed. (Use the assumption that 500 calories per day is about a pound a week, with arithmetic for fractional pounds.) If you still have cycles, compare your body weight at the same relative point in two different monthly cycles to estimate your actual average weekly weight loss. Your own data, over a multi-week period, will give you a more reliable estimate than any so-called calorie calculator.

Best wishes!

escape96

Focus on macros and keep the calories as you indicated between 1250 and 1400.
After Optavia fuelings are done, transition to 40% protein, 40% fat and 20% carb. The MyFitnessPal is great at macros. You can change the settings to see what you have left. Good luck and keep us posted next week,!

rvannorman1008

I am also coming off Optavia - lost 28 lbs (have 100+ to go yet) but needed something sustainable for the long haul - thanks for the person who said macros at 40% protein & fat 20% carbs - I was wondering what to do. 😊