MFP Auto-Calculations

Whiskeytub

So, I started using MFP to track my calories a few weeks ago and it's worked really well. I've lost half the weight I wanted to lose and I lost it a little bit faster than I meant to, but I'm not going to complain about that.

Now, here's where I'm confused. When I entered my most recent weight, MFP asked me if I would like it to recalculate my plan for me. I agreed, and after a few seconds MFP came up with a daily caloric intake goal of 1200 calories. Up until now I have been on a 1310 calorie plan and it has gotten much easier as I learn which foods make me feel full for longer and which foods have a surprising number of calories to the point they're not really worth eating (I'm looking at you, cereal). I excersize a lot and while I have gotten a lot more comfortable maintaing a 1300 net calorie diet without wanting to fall over, I can not imagine going down by another 100 calories per day.

My question is, why did MFP recalculate my calories in this way? Will I stop losing weight if I don't listen to them (I immediately went back and manually reset my calories to 1300)? Should I rethink my goals now?

JenMc14

The less you weigh, the less you need to consume. It takes more calories to fuel a 200 pound body than it does a 150 pound body. 1200 really is the minimum you should go. Your loss may slow, but I think you'll be fine at your old level, even eating back most exercise calories. Your loss will slow as your near your goal anyway, for most people. Your body tends to hang on a bit to those last few pounds, especially if you're in, or close to, the healthy range and the last few are just vanity pounds.

focuseddiva

As you lose -- and the less you have to lose -- you have to eat less. So MFP is basically telling you that.

However.

Eating 1300 cals a day will still produce a weight loss for you, I am sure. Especially if you exercise and don't eat back your cals burned.

I think it's WAY more important to stick with the calorie level you can reasonably deal with if it produces a loss. Your loss may slow a but, but you will still lose. FAR worse to go down to 1200, find you are starving, and then you start throwing food in your face that you don't want (I'm looking at you as well, cereal).

Sounds like you found a calorie level that has worked for you. STAY WITH IT. That's what I say. Even if the weight loss slows (and it will if you are close to your goal), don't risk being hungry and then overloading on calories. Stay the course, sister. Or brother. I don't know your gender but I'm assuming you're female b/c of the calorie level.

rduhlir

If MFP went down to the minimum, that is usally a sign that it is time to re-evaluate your weekly loss goal. It might be time to lower that, for example if you have it set to 2 lbs, then put it to 1 lb. The more weight you lose, the slower it comes off. That might be your problem.

red_road

The less you weigh the more of a deficit it takes to lose weight. For me i think every 10 pounds or so my calories go down. This is why a lot of people switch to 1/2 pound a week goals when they get closer to their goal weight because it is more practical. For example when i first started i could lose 2lbs a week eating a decent amount of calories now though... -36lbs i would need to eat less than 1000 calories to lose 2lbs a week. The lower calories are just a side effect of success, you dont have to lower your calories but as you get closer to your goal weight loss will slow down, this is normal and healthy.

Whiskeytub

Thanks for the responses, and you are right on about the vanity pounds. I quit smoking a while ago and gained about 10 pounds, which I have lost now, but I figured while I was at it I may as well see if I could peel off a few of the pounds I've put on over the last few years. It took a few years to put them on, it's no big deal if it takes a while to get them off, especially if I'm not feeling like I'm starving myself the whole time. It's going to be hard to go from seeing such strong results to seeing smaller ones, but the key is to keep it all in perspective.