MFP recommends 1,200 calories?

courtneylyn1

Hello guys. I started myfitnesspal in the beginning of September due to weight that I gained from a thyroid disease(Hashimoto's). I logged on my goals that I wanted to lose one pound a week. I was given 1,280 calories. I have managed to lose approximately 11 pounds(I believe most of it was fluid retention). On Friday, when I logged my weight and it said that I needed to change my goals because I lost over 10 pounds. When I did what MFP recommended, it told me that I should only be getting 1,200 calories per day. I have managed to do this and I feel fine, but I have read from some people that this will actually mess up your metabolism and make you gain weight. Ever since I got my thyroid disease I have struggled with my weight, and now that I have finally found something that works, I would like to keep it if it is healthy. Please help. I am about 5'5 weighing in at 136 pounds. Thanks guys and gals!

bree1609

MFP gives me 1,200/day too. I think that's the lowest it will give a person because I was eating that before I lost my first 10 lbs. After I lost 10 lbs it said it was going to recalculate my goals but my calorie level didn't change. Stick to 1,200 but make sure you eat your workout calories too. That should help.

Cytherea

When I did what MFP recommended, it told me that I should only be getting 1,200 calories per day. I have managed to do this and I feel fine, but I have read from some people that this will actually mess up your metabolism and make you gain weight. Ever since I got my thyroid disease I have struggled with my weight, and now that I have finally found something that works, I would like to keep it if it is healthy. Please help. I am about 5'5 weighing in at 136 pounds. Thanks guys and gals!

Anything LOWER than 1200 calories a day will mess up your metabolism and make you gain weight. That is the absolute lowest- you'll be fine- MFP will never allow you to have less calories than that. So for me, after I started losing, it has me at losing 1.6 lbs. per week instead of 2 lbs. per week because it won't put me under that 1200 minimum calories daily.

Seriously, the difference between 1200 and 1280 is nothing. It could be one or two bites of something. So if you're more comfortable sticking with the 1280, it isn't going to hurt your weight loss. But neither is going down to 1200, either. You aren't going to see a drastic change in your weight loss either way, really.

springgrl

Seriously, the difference between 1200 and 1280 is nothing. It could be one or two bites of something. So if you're more comfortable sticking with the 1280, it isn't going to hurt your weight loss. But neither is going down to 1200, either. You aren't going to see a drastic change in your weight loss either way, really.

This. Especially considering that most calories burned and at least some of the calories consumed as just estimates.

MzBug

You can always change your goals yourself to remain at the 1280. When you enter your own goals MFP stops giving you that note to change your goals because you lost 10 pounds.

Lyadeia

Also, if you are exercising, you should be eating some of your exercise calories back anyway. Weight loss only stops when your calories get cut so much that you are in starvation mode, and 80 calories won't do that unless as posted before, you are under 1200 for the day.

SHBoss1673

First thing is, people with thyroid conditions should be using a registered dietitian for their advice (I stress, a registered dietitian, not a nutritionist), someone who has experience with thyroid conditions in the past.

Second, MFP never recommends specific calorie deficits, it only takes what goals you want and assigns a calorie amount, thus, what ever you set your goal loss per week at, it will reflect that in calories you can eat, but that doesn't mean you set your goals correctly. I would say your first step is to make sure you have a goal that is indicative of how much weight you are looking to lose. Small amounts to lose mean smaller deficits. But again, this should all be coached and monitored by a nutrition professional as thyroid conditions complicate the body's energy consumption and make it almost impossible for us, as laymen, to give accurate advice.

Put it this way, someone looking to lose less than 20 lbs probably shouldn't have a 1 lb or greater deficit, especially if the body fat % is normal or lower. Having Hashimoto's makes it even more difficult as the metabolic rate is different. But seriously, you should see someone and have them give you recommendations, after that, if you want to come on here and talk about those recommendations, that would be much more productive (IMHO).