OK to change Goals because I'm not reaching them?

jaysull21
jaysull21 Posts: 58
in Health and Weight Loss
I just reset my goals because I have not been able to reach my calorie goals for the past month. I was set on 1/lbs per week, and through the summer I did great with that, but with my kids' schedules, since Sept I have not been able to: A) exercise at the time I had been , which was working well for me, and B) keep my late night cravings in check. I am working on both of these things right now. I feel that the exercise was the biggest help in my weight loss, as I'm a very sedentary person. So now I set MFP for 1/2lb a week.

But I'm looking at this differently, when June 30 gets here, I can re-adjust my schedule , and go crazy again trying to get to my goal weight. I'd put on the weight semi-gradually over the years so I would be ok with sort of a 'maintenance mode' over the Winter. I would be ok with maintaining my current weight until June, truth be told.

Is this bad? I'm still logging my cal's, and instead of 1600ish net cals, I'm looking at 1800ish. I just figure that there's no sense in putting a goal in there that I am not going to reach. Why make goals unattainable?

Just looking for some affirmation here.

Replies

  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
    There is nothing wrong with editing your goals so you are able to still make progress.

    Progress is progress, whether it's 2lbs a month or 4lbs a month.
  • elliej
    elliej Posts: 466 Member
    1800 is massively unlikely to be maintenance cals for you... Have you done a TDEE calculation to get to that or just trusted MFP?
  • jaysull21
    jaysull21 Posts: 58
    1800 is massively unlikely to be maintenance cals for you... Have you done a TDEE calculation to get to that or just trusted MFP?

    1870 - That's my MFP Calc for my new goal of losing 1/2 lb per week at my current weight (I gained back 3 lbs). I've looked at TDEE calcs and I come in around 2100ish I think?
  • jaysull21
    jaysull21 Posts: 58
    1800 is massively unlikely to be maintenance cals for you... Have you done a TDEE calculation to get to that or just trusted MFP?

    Also, I'm curious unlikely how? Do you think It should be higher or lower?
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Totally ok, in fact it's great IMHO. For the amount of weight you have left to lose, 1/2 a pound per week is very reasonable and healthy.

    1800 is unlikely maintenance for you because of two things. 1) You're a man so the minimum daily calories are 1500-1800 depending on the source. 2) You look like a pretty athletic guy so lean body mass alone means you need more calories to maintain your physique. Honestly though, it's hard to say for sure without knowing your stats.

    A TDEE of 2100 sounds about right, assuming you're being honest/accurate with figuring your activity level.
  • jaysull21
    jaysull21 Posts: 58
    Totally ok, in fact it's great IMHO. For the amount of weight you have left to lose, 1/2 a pound per week is very reasonable and healthy.

    1800 is unlikely maintenance for you because of two things. 1) You're a man so the minimum daily calories are 1500-1800 depending on the source. 2) You look like a pretty athletic guy so lean body mass alone means you need more calories to maintain your physique. Honestly though, it's hard to say for sure without knowing your stats.

    A TDEE of 2100 sounds about right, assuming you're being honest/accurate with figuring your activity level.


    Its deceiving from that one picture. I did choose the one of few I felt I looked ok in . I am 5'9" 177 right now. The only bit of muscles I have are in my calves from running so much over the summer. I don't lift. Anything. Ever. Maybe a burrito. I'd lift a burrito.

    Regarding honesty and activity level, I didn't do jack squat before I started running this summer. I have a desk job and until recently did not do anything at all for exercise. I always choose the most sedentary for those reasons. When I ran in the summer (ran 27 days in July), I would count my exercise cal's and eat them back. From June to the end of August I went from 195 to 174 so I assumed I had things right.
  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 Member
    I read it as 1800 was what MFP recommended for him to lose 0.5lb per week. And that of course would be with exercise calories on top of that. That sounds about right to me.

    And OP, to answer your question, yes that's perfectly okay.
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
    The important thing is that you are still on and still logging. Too many people fail to realize you can t readjust your expectation and keep losing.
  • hannah_ryann
    hannah_ryann Posts: 259 Member
    I think it's totally okay. As long as you're still logging and being honest and accountable for everything you're eating, this data you get from changing your goals to a lower loss per week will help you hone in on your true calorie needs to lose X amount of pounds per week. I am also toying with the idea of going into a maintenance mode for a few weeks because my progress has stalled as well.
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
    I change my goals all the time. Of course, I haven't lost any weight in 7 months, so maybe I'm not the best example. :ohwell:
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
    That's totally fine - whatever works for you. I have only about 30 left to go so I am doing .5/wk as well. I just broke my stall as I was overestimating my TDEE - now I have it figured out correctly and will also be dropping my intake over the winter to compensate for less activity though I will be picking up weight lifting so depending on how that goes I may not have to adjust much.

    I maintain on 2100 at my current activity levels. I'm on 1800 gross atm but will be dropping to about net 1200/1300 over the winter. Do what works for you, just keep logging.
  • CamillaHerold
    CamillaHerold Posts: 60 Member
    Note how many people said ok but "keep on logging"... very good advice. Another good one: by continuing to log, you build more useful data about what results in weight loss and what doesn't. To these things I add, consider what "goals" mean to you. Do you want your goal to be just out of reach, making you always have to work harder and do more? Or do you fare better by reaching and exceeding a goal? Definitely make new goals; but be honest with yourself about just how hard you are willing to work. You describe yourself as a person who only runs for exercise. Look around on this site and you will find many people who started out like you but the became well-rounded athletes in the process of losing weight. They became people who are willing to work very hard and push beyond their comfort zone. You can only cut your calories so much, but you sure as heck can exercise all day, and a million different ways, if you have the drive and the will to do so. Best of luck to you in finding the right goals to get you where you want to be!
  • jaysull21
    jaysull21 Posts: 58
    I think it's totally okay. As long as you're still logging and being honest and accountable for everything you're eating, this data you get from changing your goals to a lower loss per week will help you hone in on your true calorie needs to lose X amount of pounds per week.

    This is what I was hoping for.

    Thank you all for your replies. And Camilla, that was very deep and thought provoking.

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