Calories Question.

MonaRaeHill

Um, okay, I've read a bunch of posts about the various and many ways that MFP figures out calories. Unfortunately, it seems to be much more then 30% OFF.

It's got my daily total at 2350 (and that's after I set it up to lose 1 pound a week).

I've NEVER been able to eat that much, without feeling just awful. MFP started me out at 1530, which seems about right. Since I've been walking every day (for 5-7 miles, in the woods), since Oct. 1, it seems to have kept adjusting my daily calories upwards, every week, since then.

I use a fitbit one, and I KNOW that's not accurate (which is why I bought it, unfortunately.........just glad I got it cheap, on Ebay), but I've also got a HRM and after calibrating it to my stride, it seems to only be about 12% different (less) then the Fitbit. I don't set the step counter on that, for just moving around, during the day, so that could very well, be the difference.

My concern is that all the posts say I should eat back my MFP designated calories, but I am post-menopausal, and on several drugs. I can sometimes eat them all back, but for most days, that's far too much food.

At best, in my life, I could only lose 6 pounds a month, and that was when I was 15 years younger, jogging 3 miles 3-4 times a week, and working 4 jobs (2 of which were house-cleaning jobs). I would also have a new set-point (read: plateau), every 5 pounds (or once a month, roughly), when I would take charge and reduce calories a bit more....(couldn't adjust exercise, on account of I was already at full throttle, physically).

My question is that I don't now know what to believe. My gut is telling me that 1500 calories is about what I should be eating, but MFP seems to have gone bonkers (is it basing it's adjustments on my exercise (reported from Fitbit), or is there something else going on?) Should I set up another profile, or change my goals?

I'm happy losing one pound a week, but at this point, I've been stuck at the 5.5 pound weight loss since Oct. 1, for the entire last week (with no change). And that's without adding back in all the calories (which I feel, are excess) from MFP.

I think for my age, weight, life-style, that 1500 is probably about right, like I said. So.........from past experience, I know my cro-magnum metabolism WILL fight me, but why is MFP adjusting upwards every-week? Is that an anomaly?

What gives? Thanks. Mona.

Docpremie

Do you have your Fitbit tied to your MFP account? If so, it's adding in the extra calories. Unlink the 2 accounts & add your own exercise calories to eat back, or switch to the TDEE method, which ever works best for you. The 2 methods should give similar results, but the TDEE methods gives you a consistent daily calorie goal, since your exercise is already figured in & you don't eat back daily exercise calories.

I find my Fitbit to read low, as I can lose on the calories I supposed burn. I know someone else with a Fitbit & a Body Media Fit, and she confirmed her Fitbit read 300-400 calories low on daily calories burned. We've both lost a substantial amount of weight, so I have no idea what to tell you about your Fitbit.

twooliver

Sounds like you know your body pretty well...trust it over what MFP says!!

BTW...my trainers say no to eating back calories...

t

Docpremie

MFP has your deficit built into its calorie recommendations, hence you are supposed to eat back exercise calories, otherwise your daily deficit is too high!

Go4it1985

Unfortunately MFP is not quite accurate in it's calorie recommendations. It told me around 2200 when my BMR is around 1800 or slightly less.

The best way to figure out how much you need/want to eat to lose weight is start at your Base Metabolic Rate (there are plenty of calculators online).

BMR is how many calories your body were to use up if you did absolutely Nothing At all (if you slept all day, were in a coma etc.)

From the usual rule of thumb is to create a deficit of 3500 calories to lose 1/2kg or 1lb. If you want to lose 1kg or 2lbs/week, then you need to create a deficit of 7000 calories and you'll most likely need to incorporate exercising to create that.

Bearing in mind, that you must never intake less than 1200 calories but you said you are not.

twooliver

oh and they have me on 1600 calories a day... feels right to me...

MonaRaeHill

Thanks Silken 555 for the link.

That calculator says my maintenance number is 2450, too! How weird. It even gave that number, when I changed my exercise level to figure less! Well, I like food, so that makes me happy, but I really don't believe I can lose weight with that number. I am going to try and stay around 1600, for the month of November, we'll see what happens. Can someone post a link to the forum link that talks about TDEE? Thanks everyone.

lynn_glenmont

Thanks Silken 555 for the link.

That calculator says my maintenance number is 2450, too! How weird. It even gave that number, when I changed my exercise level to figure less! Well, I like food, so that makes me happy, but I really don't believe I can lose weight with that number. I am going to try and stay around 1600, for the month of November, we'll see what happens. Can someone post a link to the forum link that talks about TDEE? Thanks everyone.

You shouldn't expect to lose weight with a maintenance number. Maintenance means staying at your current weight. If the calculator you used was accurate, and the information you gave it was correct (e.g., regarding your activity/exercise level), you should average between 1 1/2 and 2 lbs (or about 3/4 of a kilogram) loss a week if you eat about 1600 calories a day.

funkim55

Go to WebMD; it calculates your calorie intake based on age and lifestyle. Are you trying to maintain weight or lose it?

I find my 1200 calorie intake works well for my age and light activity lifestyle. Plus I calculate 5 pounds weight loss per month, even though I told MFP that I wanted to lose 2 pounds per week. This week I made my goal, but usually I lose 1.5 pounds per week!!

Docpremie

Here's a link to the thread called "In Place of a Roadmap," which is a great guide to the TDEE-deficit method. It's the revised link, so it's a little shorter read than the original. I'm not sure what's up with all the added extra filler from the internet, it didn't used to look like that--maybe MFP changed some of forum internet coding???

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet?hl=in+place+of+a+roadmap

elyelyse

Even though the basics are the same for all of us...the only way you are really going to get the right answer is trial and error. You don't want to eat too little and cheat yourself out of the calories and nutrition that you need...but you want to stay in a deficit. Exactly where that sweet spot is is something only you will be able to determine. (not as helpful as the other specific replies, which definitely have merit...just adding that after considering our options, you just have to try what seems best for you and see what happens.

mockchoc

Sounds like you know your body pretty well...trust it over what MFP says!!

BTW...my trainers say no to eating back calories...

t

:laugh: Yeah if you aren't doing what MFP is designed for then you do eat them back. Tell them to go check the sight out.

Stage14

Thanks Silken 555 for the link.

That calculator says my maintenance number is 2450, too! How weird. It even gave that number, when I changed my exercise level to figure less! Well, I like food, so that makes me happy, but I really don't believe I can lose weight with that number. I am going to try and stay around 1600, for the month of November, we'll see what happens. Can someone post a link to the forum link that talks about TDEE? Thanks everyone.

You shouldn't expect to lose weight with a maintenance number. Maintenance means staying at your current weight. If the calculator you used was accurate, and the information you gave it was correct (e.g., regarding your activity/exercise level), you should average between 1 1/2 and 2 lbs (or about 3/4 of a kilogram) loss a week if you eat about 1600 calories a day.

This. You should be eating somewhere around these numbers: 1450 (to lose 2lbs a week) 1950 (to lose 1lb a week) or 2100 (to lose 1/2lb per week). If you go this route, you do not need to log your exercise and eat back your calories (though you can log them at 1 calorie burned if you want to be able to see what workouts you did when). You can also stick with the 1500 and eat back exercise calories if that's easier or your workout routine varies a lot from week to week. Listen to your body and be patient with results.

Also, weight loss is not linear. It's completely normal for some to go several weeks without losing. This is not a plateau and you don't need to change things up just because you go a week or two without losing. In fact, sometimes that can be worse because your body is constantly trying to readjust to the changes. Stick with a calorie goal for at least a month and if you still haven't lost weight or inches, adjust it from there.

Stage14

Unfortunately MFP is not quite accurate in it's calorie recommendations. It told me around 2200 when my BMR is around 1800 or slightly less.

The best way to figure out how much you need/want to eat to lose weight is start at your Base Metabolic Rate (there are plenty of calculators online).

BMR is how many calories your body were to use up if you did absolutely Nothing At all (if you slept all day, were in a coma etc.)

From the usual rule of thumb is to create a deficit of 3500 calories to lose 1/2kg or 1lb. If you want to lose 1kg or 2lbs/week, then you need to create a deficit of 7000 calories and you'll most likely need to incorporate exercising to create that.

Bearing in mind, that you must never intake less than 1200 calories but you said you are not.

No. You do not use your BMR to create a calorie deficit. Your BMR is the minimum you should try not to go below. You create a deficit from your average daily expenditure.

angie007az

Listen to your body. I hardly ever clean my place anymore. I stop when I'm no longer hungry. You know how good food tastes when you are hungry? When it starts to become just eating because it's there... that's when you need to stop.