Does the calorie deficit go down as you lose weight

shonnagaul
shonnagaul Posts: 1 Member
in Introduce Yourself

hi- new here- does MFP automatically decrease your calories as you lose weight?

Answers

  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 19,287 Member

    Hello and welcome, no it doesn't. If you want to recalculate after weight loss, you need to go into the Goals section and re-do the quiz.

  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 10,478 Member

    occasionally it will reset itself, but there’s no rhyme or reason to it.

    Best bet is to do as @Alatariel75 says. Go in and review your Goal settings every so often to force a reset.

    And then keep an eye on it and make sure it stays reset.

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 38,381 Community Helper

    One consideration: IMO, it makes sense to intentionally make calorie deficit smaller as we lose weight. Faster weight loss isn't necessarily better weight loss.

    Researchers think we can only burn a certain number of calories from stored body fat per day, per pound of body fat we have. The implication is that losing slower is more health-promoting as we have fewer pounds left to lose.

    When I got started, I had enough body weight that losing 1.5-2 pounds a week wasn't a problem. By the time I got close to goal, that 750-1000 calorie daily deficit would've been punitive: At that calorie level, I wouldn't get adequate nutrition, my energy would tank, probably I'd lose more muscle than I'd prefer, almost certain my hair would thin, and more. People vary. Those specifics may be just me, but I think the general principle of slower loss as we get lighter is a good idea.

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