Knowing your DCN.

fxst78

Some people may not know all the details of their Daily Caloric Needs, and they just go by the calories listed for them by MFP.
There are a few bits of info that it is worth knowing!

As you lose weight your DCN will go down, so the lighter you are, the less you need to survive. You will see this when you enter a weight loss and your calorie allowance decreases.

There are a few things it is a good idea to work out (mostly for motivation)
For ease I will only use the DCN value to explain what I am talking about (using DCN without extra exercise)
There are 3 values that you should be aware of. Your current DCN, your goal weight DCN and your daily cal allowance based on your current weight and weight loss goals. The last one is the only one that will change.

Knowing these three will help you see the bigger picture if you slip up or if you are worried about how you will be able to maintain your losses.
Your current DCN is the number that as long as you stay under you will not GAIN weight. so if you slip up but still remain below this you will slow your loss but you won't gain.

Your Goal weight DCN is the Daily calories you will be able to eat once you reach your goal to stay there (maintenence)
If you have a slip up day but you remain below this number you know that a "day like that" will be ok once you are at your goal and you will still be under your current DCN so still losing.

As and example for me.
I am currently 101.5kg (223 lb) so my DCN is 2595cal
My weight loss calories allowance is 1350cal (to lose 1kg/2.2lb a week)
My Goal weight is 85kg (187 lb) so my Goal DCN is 2311

So I know that when I get to my goal weight my maintenane daily cal allowance will be 2311. If along my journey I have a day where I go over but I stay below the Goal DCN and/or the current DCN I know that it is not the end of the world. It also allows you to recognise what you will be able to eat when you do get to your goal weight.

Hope this all makes sense and can help you keep things in perspective!

OnionCookie

Great info! Thank you.

DrBorkBork

It's helpful, but how do you figure out what your DCN is? Like what would mine be at my goal weight of 148 lbs?

Dawn_2013

Thank you! That is very valuable information! I will make a point of looking up my 3 DCN and make a note. Much appreciated!

bsexton3

It's helpful, but how do you figure out what your DCN is? Like what would mine be at my goal weight of 148 lbs?

They don't give it to you, at least I haven't found it. But, if you go to home and adjust your goals, you can find the answers. Simply have your current weight and have your goal be maintaining. That gives you your high. Second, change your weight to your goal weight, then have it maintain, that will give you that DCN. Finally, set it all back and that will give you your diet DCN.

I am currently set to lose 1 1/2 pounds per week. I also know my daily intake can be between 250 less to 750 higher and still lose weight. I found having 1 1/2 pound per week has actually helped lose weight. I started with 2 pounds, and I was staying under it. It didn't help. Staying 100-200 under the 1 1/2 pound per week actually has helped me lose 2.5 pounds for the past four weeks.

fxst78

In order to find out your DCN values you can use MFP by adjusting values or you can just google it and you will find a heap of calculators online.

gardenimp

This is one of the most confusing things out there. Various calculators out there say I should eat anywhere between 1282 to 1413 calories in order to lose 1 lb a week. At 1 pound a week it will take me a year to reach my goal weight. How ever I have been between 1000 -1200 daily and have not lost anything in 3 weeks. Before you all jump on the "starvation mode" boat, I did experiment last week with upping calories for 2 days (in attempt shock metabolism) I actually gained 2 pounds. I exercise between 3 & 5 times a week (2 weight workouts & rest cardio) I can not up my cardio cause I'm stealling time from things that need to be done as it is. Drinking more water then "recommended"

These are the times that I end up giving up and resigning myself to the fact that I am and always will be fat!

I know you guys understand and that I'm just whining cause I'm frustrated :explode:

fxst78

Gardenimp, this can be a tricky one. You may already be doing this but are you weighing/measuring everything you eat? When i first started counting calories I did it for a while then realised that I was estimating alot and when I actually weighed and measured I was eating almost twice the calories i though I was.

Otherwise I am not sure, if it is all accurate and you are eating around the 1300 cal mark (before exercise) then it might come down to where you are getting those calories from.

naturebaby

:indifferent:

glassyo

gardenimp, you gained two lbs in two days? Did you eat 7000 calories over your maintenance in those two days? Those two lbs could be anything! Sodium, the time of day you weighed, the position of the scale, the position of the moon, TOM...

You should give eating those extra two hundred calories more like two weeks (and some say a month) rather than two days to better evaluate if it's too many calories.

messyhare

I really appreciate this explanation! Thanks!

naturebaby

yeah okay..I finally got it! but it took a day of thinking and working it out! duh not easy for some.

Thanks for this information, it is helpful to me.:flowerforyou:

ChubbieTubbie

It's helpful, but how do you figure out what your DCN is? Like what would mine be at my goal weight of 148 lbs?

They don't give it to you, at least I haven't found it. But, if you go to home and adjust your goals, you can find the answers. Simply have your current weight and have your goal be maintaining. That gives you your high. Second, change your weight to your goal weight, then have it maintain, that will give you that DCN. Finally, set it all back and that will give you your diet DCN.

I am currently set to lose 1 1/2 pounds per week. I also know my daily intake can be between 250 less to 750 higher and still lose weight. I found having 1 1/2 pound per week has actually helped lose weight. I started with 2 pounds, and I was staying under it. It didn't help. Staying 100-200 under the 1 1/2 pound per week actually has helped me lose 2.5 pounds for the past four weeks.

I agree--glad I'm not the only one this happened to! I was at 1400 for 2 lb/wk loss and 1600 for 1.5 lb/wk loss and I wasn't losing at all until I moved up to the 1600 cal/day level, now it's coming off steadily.