Starting today and have a few questions

allisonbmerten

Hi everyone,
I just signed up for MFP today and I have a few questions. I'm a former WW member, so I'm trying to figure out how this works in relation to the WW system of points, exercise, extra weekly points, etc... I am 5'3" and weigh 146 lbs. I put in my information and that I would like to lose 1.5 lbs per week. It set me up to eat 1200 calories a day (which, from reading some posts here seems to be the norm for a lot of people) and said I'd lose .8 lbs per week. I certainly don't want to lower my calorie intake from 1200 because I don't think I could survive (well, I could survive but wouldn't be very pleasant to be around). So is that just the most I can lose on this number of calories? And how does the exercise work in terms of getting more calories to eat? And is it recommended to eat the calories burned? Also, is there a weekly allotment of extra "splurge calories" you can save up for a special occasion?

Any info. and advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

vvendy_darling

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1069275-links-in-mfp-you-want-to-read-again-and-again

1.5 pounds a week isn't very realistic for someone your size.

1200 calories is too low, please do not go lower.

lolosensan

As long as you are at a calorie deficit, you will lose. Example: if you burn 200 calories first thing in the morning, you will have 1400 calories to eat during the day. It is recommended you eat back 1/2 your exercise calories AT THE VERY LEAST, so 1300 is probably the lowest you'd want to eat that day. Eating up to 1400 is just fine (going over every once and a while is just fine too! ) NOW. Let me tell you that 1200 is too low, and you should probably be aiming for about a 1/2 lb per week loss at your size.

I started out on here at 1200 and guess how much weight I lost? I GAINED. I did awesome for about 5 days and then the hunger caught up with me and I ate way too much and I then I'd have 2 more good days and then a really, really bad day...repeat.

Since I've switched my goal from losing a pound a week to a half pound, MFP switched me from 1200 cal/day to 1500 and guess what? No more good days and bad days, no more frustration, no more overeating, no more unhappiness, just cruising!! I'm steadily losing weight at an extremely slow pace but I know it's happening! and it sure as hell beats loving myself one day and hating myself the next.

As for the extra splurge calories or whatever, the site is not designed to give you special incentives or anything. It's basically just a big calculator. You should decide to splurge when you really feel like it and be okay with "going over" sometimes. People starting out on here are so freaked out about "going over". Just do it when you feel like it, and stay under the next day. Be kind to yourself.

claucher

I've had some of the same questions. I'm 5'2, 151 lbs. I've lost 3.5 since I started 2 weeks ago. I put in to lose 2 lbs. per week. It says I will lose .9 lbs. per week. I guess I wonder what is the best rate of loss for me too? If I put 1.5 or 1 lb. per week, it's still 1200 calories. But if I put .5 lbs per week, it bumps my calories up. But I would like to lose at least 1 or 1.5 lbs. per week.
I exercise almost every day and eat those calories back. So I am staying at 1200 net or slightly over. I sure wouldn't want to eat less than 1200 calories.

Barbaraann70

I think that MFP sets the calories too low as well. I am 5'7 and have mine set for 1650 and it is very manageable and I don't feel deprived. The weight loss is slower - 5 pounds in a month so far - but I am in my 40s and that just may be a fact of life! I think that if you put your calories too low you are destined to fail or feel miserable.

AlongCame_Molly

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1069275-links-in-mfp-you-want-to-read-again-and-again

1.5 pounds a week isn't very realistic for someone your size.

1200 calories is too low, please do not go lower.

This.


MFP is quite notorious for setting calorie goals FAR too low, regardless of height and weight. For example, it told me to eat 1200, and my BMR (the bare amount of calories I need to LIVE) is 1280. And I am extremely tiny, only 5 feet. So unless you are smaller than me, or bedridden, it is almost a CERTAINTY that you are eating too little. (This can result in lean muscle loss, chronic fatigue, metabolism damage, and bingeing due to over-restriction.)

Go to

http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

and enter your height/weight/activity level.

Subtract 10-20% from the number it calculates for you, and that is the number of calories you should be eating a day in order to lose weight.

allisonbmerten

Thank you so much for this advice. I had no idea about the iifym website and it is a very useful tool. I do agree that 1200 is too low for me, even without exercise. I've been sticking to that for the past 3 days and I feel crappy and deprived. Felt like I was "splurging" by going over by 90 calories last night b/c I was hungry -- and the extra calories were from fish, not anything unhealthy.

So my only other question re: this issue is that when I put in my info. in iifym it give me these options:

Mifflin-St Jeor
Harris-Benedict
Enter Activity Level
Katch-McCardle Body Fat %

Which one should I use? Thanks in advance for your help. Everyone on this board has been super helpful and welcoming.

allisonbmerten

I'm in a similar situation as you in that I wanted to lose 1.5-2 lbs per week, but if I follow this plan it will only have me losing .8 lbs per week. I think I'm just one of those people that needs to see results fast, but I'm going to think of it this way -- I've lost weight quickly in the past only to have the weight come back on. Everything I've ever heard tells me that slow and steady weight loss is better and you'll be more likely to keep it off, so I'm going to try to keep that in mind. It is frustrating when the number on the scale only goes down by .5 lb per week, but if it means more permanent weight loss, I'll take it!

yarwell

if you know your % Body Fat use the Katch-McArdle formula option with that data.

aprilslusher

I'm 5'3" and I started my weightloss journey at 167.4 lbs. I had my weekly loss set at 1lb. When I got to 135lbs I set my goal to lose .5lb a week.

I hope this helps. :flowerforyou:

ashlando

You don't have a lot to lose and those last 5-10 lbs are always the hardest to come off.

Stick to 1200 calories and definitely eat back those exercise calories (if you have the appetite of course) so you can continue to fuel your body and your workouts.

Good luck!

kilverstone

MFP unfortunately sets the average calorie intake MUCH too low for someone who is trying to lose weight in a healthy manner. You do want to create a calorie deficit for the week, consider this there are 3,500 calories in 1lb. So if you're looking to lose a pound per week, at 1200 calories you are going to be starving your body. Your calorie deficit each day between food intake/exercise would need to equal 500 calories, assuming you were working out 6 days per week. If you are working out 5 days per week the deficit would be slightly higher. You want your calorie intake adjusted to your activity level, if you are moderately active or lightly active you would want to aim for somewhere between 1400-1700 calories. Again if you are doing cardio, strength training and eating healthfully, it is so important to ensure your body is getting the nutrients required to sustain healthy weight loss and muscle building.

Nice2BFitAgain

Hi everyone,
I just signed up for MFP today and I have a few questions. I'm a former WW member, so I'm trying to figure out how this works in relation to the WW system of points, exercise, extra weekly points, etc... I am 5'3" and weigh 146 lbs. I put in my information and that I would like to lose 1.5 lbs per week. It set me up to eat 1200 calories a day (which, from reading some posts here seems to be the norm for a lot of people) and said I'd lose .8 lbs per week. I certainly don't want to lower my calorie intake from 1200 because I don't think I could survive (well, I could survive but wouldn't be very pleasant to be around). So is that just the most I can lose on this number of calories? And how does the exercise work in terms of getting more calories to eat? And is it recommended to eat the calories burned? Also, is there a weekly allotment of extra "splurge calories" you can save up for a special occasion?

Any info. and advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Hello and Welcome! Here are a few threads for you to look through that may help you:

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

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

There is a lot of good and bad info here at MFP - use your common sense, everyone is different, listen to your body and most importantly weigh and track everything as accurately as possible.

Good luck with achieving your goal.

ruffnstuff

I'm so happy to see a new person reach out for help, get sound advice, and actually follow through and listen! You can't imagine (yet) how many threads a day we see where people ask for help but get very bent out of shape when theydon't hear teh answer they want to hear. Good luck to you.

ETA: Thanks for your use of common sense!

LTKeegan

Thank you so much for this advice. I had no idea about the iifym website and it is a very useful tool. I do agree that 1200 is too low for me, even without exercise. I've been sticking to that for the past 3 days and I feel crappy and deprived. Felt like I was "splurging" by going over by 90 calories last night b/c I was hungry -- and the extra calories were from fish, not anything unhealthy.

So my only other question re: this issue is that when I put in my info. in iifym it give me these options:

Mifflin-St Jeor
Harris-Benedict
Enter Activity Level
Katch-McCardle Body Fat %

Which one should I use? Thanks in advance for your help. Everyone on this board has been super helpful and welcoming.

Use any (or all of them) except %body fat (unless you've been tested) It should give you 3 estimates that are probably really close (within 50-100 calories) Pick one, stick to it, don't eat back exercise calories (TDEE already accounts for that) and do it for 2 months. Do the following things as well

- Weigh your food.
- Weigh yourself
- MEASURE YOURSELF
-weight sometimes stalls when hips/waist are shrinking
-Be honest with yourself about eating
- Exercise
- BE PATIENT
- you didn't gain weight in a day, you won't lose it in a day either
- See results. Skip any of the above and you'll be back here asking why you don't see results



Good luck

hillbillyannie

I note any exercise such as mowing the yard but I don't choose to add calories to my allotted amount. I've never seen anything on here about accumulating calories to use at the end of the week but I know from personal experience that sometimes if my weight gets "stuck" if I eat alot on one day I will begin to lose again. I only use this every few weeks as a last resort. This program works if you are consistent and truthful. I gained part of my weight back from not doing these two things.One more thing: weigh and measure your food. Eyeballing it doesn't work. Good luck and welcome.

jlynnm70

I'm a shorty too - 5'0" and currently at 139 (down 13 from beginning of year - 152) I left MFP at my 1200 calories because my activity level at work is NIL - but I don't sweat about going over - more than 100 and I take a double look at what I ate - if its relatively healthy - no worries - if it was a crap ton of junk - well then I try to reevaluate so I don't do it again - at least not too soon. I eat back most exercise calories that I earn, except on Sunday, because we go roller skating and MFP says I burn a CRAZY amount during that time and I don't trust it entirely and I typically don't eat too well that day either - try finding something 'decent' at a roller rink - it's all chips/hot dogs etc.

I used to do WW Momentum - I was the 18 pt. girl with the 35 pts to carry in the week - the old 'rule of thumb' was 1 pt for 50 calories - so if I used 23 pts a day that was roughly 1150 and I was always miserable. By staying between 1200-1300 and eating back my exercise - I feel much less deprived and have been losing a little over a pound a week.

The biggest thing I have found - is that I gave up sodas. I didn't drink diet - so that was a LOT of empty calories.

I recommend giving it some time - playing with the settings to determine the loss/calories and activity level that give you the results you want without wanting to kill the people you love.

Many say that 1200 is too low - you have to decide that. For some it is WAY TOO LOW - for some - not so much and may be about right. I wouldn't go any lower tho.

Good luck to you! Remember even .5 loss is still a loss!

** edited because I mixed up points and calories-- duh!