Setting your goals on MFP

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Kupe
Kupe Posts: 758 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am re evaluating my calorie intake and need some feedback. I have changed jobs from being on my feet to sitting at a desk for most of my work day.
Now when I change from my goals from active to sedentary, which is in line with my daily activities, my intake goes below my BMR. So I am now am more inclined to set it to light activity.
I am struggling to find that happy medium, any thought would be appreciated.

Replies

  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    Change your activity level to sedentary & reduce your goal. (If you're currently set to lose 1 lb. per week, make it .5 lb.)

    Give it a couple of weeks, then reevaluate. Weight loss takes lots of trial & error.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    I have a desk job but still lightly active due to the fact that when I'm home I'm pretty much on my feet chasing around my kiddos and cooking, cleaning, fixing, etc.

    Also, how many Lbs per week is your goal? It might be too fast, especially if you don't have a lot to lose. Also, how far below BMR and what kind of fat storage do you have....obese individuals can handle deficits like that without ill effects for quite awhile...if you're already relatively lean and just looking to drop a few cosmetic Lbs then you need to go very slow. Eating below your BMR for a significant amount of time is going to burn more muscle and you don't really want that.

    Also keep in mind that you're supposed to eat back your exercise calories.
  • florentinovillaro
    florentinovillaro Posts: 342 Member
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    I too went from a physical job to a more office environment. I gained an easy 20 lbs in 6 months which caused a lot of health problems for me.

    My settings are sedentary also. Although I do a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise, 3 times a week and I do weight training for muscle tone (yes I can do more but I recently injured a knee so I'm easing into it).

    Since Dec. 4th, I have been watching my diet, and slowly getting back to active, being out of work and on crutches for 2 weeks. My daily caloric requirements are 2800 and I've restricted it down to a minimum/maximum of 1400 calories (originally at 1800) to prevent starvation mode. As of the 31st, I am at -16 lbs.

    Hope this helps. Friend me if you would like to talk more about it.

    HAPPY NEW YEAR!
  • wahelga
    wahelga Posts: 304 Member
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    I have mine set to sedentary but eat back most of my exercise cals. That way, if I don't move, I don't get to eat much.

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