Confusion on Calculations

Bella77wolf

Hi, I registered a while ago on this site but never really used it. Would like to start now but confused on how the main page of my page is set up. The calories consumed and burned. Says I can eat 1200 calories plus what I burn in exercise when I exercise. But then that means that the days I don't train I only eat 1200 calories, that seems awfully low. Maybe I am not reading it right. Advice please?

EvgeniZyntx

Probably set your loss too high. Or your activity level too low.

lemurcat12

You will probably get a lot of responses from people more knowledgeable at this than me, but here are some thoughts.

If you are a not especially large woman and put in that you want to lose 2 lbs per week and are sedentary, you will get 1200. This is just math--if you subtract 1000 calories a day from maintenance, as you do to get a 2 lb/week loss without exercise, that's a lot off a number that's not huge to begin with.

Couple things about this:

Minus 2 lbs/per week is a goal for people with lots to lose, so if you don't (it seems you don't), you are probably better off with .5/week or 1/week.

You probably aren't sedentary. The definition focuses on your job and after playing around with it some and attaching my fitbit and just seeing results over time, it seems to me that it basically assumes you aren't active at all other than that. I walk around a decent amount (like most people, I expect) and even on days when I wouldn't log any exercise time tend to get generous adjustments based on my fitbit for that reason. What I think this means is that most people should be at least lightly active, even though the description is misleading.

editorgrrl

Your profile says you want to gain 7 lb.? Edit it here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker/home

If you have 25 or fewer lbs. to lose, then set your goal to .5 lb. per week—which is way more than 1,200 calories. You can do that here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided Log everything you eat accurately & honestly. Weigh your food.

Your calorie goal has your deficit built in, but no exercise. Log your exercise, and eat back your exercise calories for a few weeks. If you're not losing, start eating back half your exercise calories.

Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

Bella77wolf

Hi,
My initial goal back when I first joined was to gain 7 lbs however where I am today is different. I weigh 117 lbs and would like to go down to 106 to 108 lbs. Mostly lose body fat. I do have a desk job but then at night I train. I find the activity factor definition is indeed misleading. I went back to change the goal, thought I had already done that, seems there are a few different places I have to make the same changes. guess I will have to try to make some time to get more familiar with the site.

Bella77wolf

Hm, I just went to 'My Goals' and changed my activity factor. Yet when I go back to my home page it still only shows that I can have 1200 calories but on another screen it is marked I can have 1580 calories, now I am really confused

Branstin

You have to change it in your diet profile via your "Settings".

yarwell

Hm, I just went to 'My Goals' and changed my activity factor. Yet when I go back to my home page it still only shows that I can have 1200 calories but on another screen it is marked I can have 1580 calories, now I am really confused

What is the loss rate you set ? Try 0.5 lbs/week and report back. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided

Bella77wolf

Hi, I did change it to .5lbs per week. It's the 'my goals' screen that is confusing me. Just not sure how to read it. In that section it shows 1580 calories but then shows calories consumed and calories burned. The calories consumed there is the same number it shows me I am allowed on the My Home Page tab.

sorry, I know I must sound silly for not understanding the logic.