Advice?

Lyndonbearsmommy

I started using MFP a few weeks ago. It set my caloric intake to 1200 calories. I've read the sexypants starting guide, and how to calculate BMR, etc. I changed my goals today, upped my activity level, etc, and it still has me at 1200. Is it better to use the guided method on MFP or manually enter the caloric intake goals? I'm new to this, and I've read how to do certain things, but I'm still learning, so I don't want to mess it up.

trinatrina1984

How much weight do you have to lose? and how much have you said you would like to lose per week? I think if you say you would like to lose 2lbs per week it always goes to 1200ish. what did you calculate your BMR to be?

nutmegoreo

If you are going to override the calories and macros given by MFP, you need to do the manual. Don't worry about messing it up. If you decide to change it back go through the same process and select guided and it will change the settings back to the default.

Lyndonbearsmommy

How much weight do you have to lose? and how much have you said you would like to lose per week? I think if you say you would like to lose 2lbs per week it always goes to 1200ish. what did you calculate your BMR to be?

I'd like to lose 20-30 pounds. Originally, it was set to lose 2 lbs per week, but I changed it to 1. I used this site and it calculated it to be 1300 something. Another site I used calculated it to be 1459.8.

HeidiCooksSupper

Yup, take control over the default numbers. It's very easy to set your own.

I use the various calculations at http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/ to come up with an average number to estimate my TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) and then set my daily calories to 80% of that. You may decide to do something else.

Then note that you can change what you follow in your daily food diary. For example, right now I'm following potassium to help me learn what foods have it and to try to keep my potassium intake above my sodium intake. Other times I track other things to try to learn about the foods I eat and adjust my habits so I don't go too carb and saturated fat happy. You may need to keep track of other things for yourself.

Consider MFP's tools just that, tools -- not a single prescribed weight loss method. The only truism is that to lose weight long haul you must burn more energy than you consume. To gain weight, it's the opposite.

Lyndonbearsmommy

If I follow this (and I'm doing it correctly), I should be eating 1507 a day to lose 1 pound per week. http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

3dogsrunning

How much weight do you have to lose? and how much have you said you would like to lose per week? I think if you say you would like to lose 2lbs per week it always goes to 1200ish. what did you calculate your BMR to be?

I'd like to lose 20-30 pounds. Originally, it was set to lose 2 lbs per week, but I changed it to 1. I used this site and it calculated it to be 1300 something. Another site I used calculated it to be 1459.8.

Do you exercise? If you do, MFP expects you to log that and eat those calories back, which would bring up your number on some days.
I suspect the other site included exercise.

To answer your original question - if you are doing it correctly, you will find that the TDEE method and MFP will put you at the se place pretty much when averaged over the week. The biggest difference is with TDEE you eat the same number everyday, with MFP it varies. It is a matter of preference.

Lyndonbearsmommy

How much weight do you have to lose? and how much have you said you would like to lose per week? I think if you say you would like to lose 2lbs per week it always goes to 1200ish. what did you calculate your BMR to be?

I'd like to lose 20-30 pounds. Originally, it was set to lose 2 lbs per week, but I changed it to 1. I used this site and it calculated it to be 1300 something. Another site I used calculated it to be 1459.8.

Do you exercise? If you do, MFP expects you to log that and eat those calories back, which would bring up your number on some days.
I suspect the other site included exercise.

To answer your original question - if you are doing it correctly, you will find that the TDEE method and MFP will put you at the se place pretty much when averaged over the week. The biggest difference is with TDEE you eat the same number everyday, with MFP it varies. It is a matter of preference.

I do exercise. I do eat the calories back as well. The other site also adjusts for sedentary, light activity, etc. I read about TDEE, but don't remember exactly what that is. I'll have to check into that. I feel like I'm not eating enough, so I want it to be healthy and still lose weight. Trying to figure out the best way to do that.

Lyndonbearsmommy

Yup, take control over the default numbers. It's very easy to set your own.

I use the various calculations at http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/ to come up with an average number to estimate my TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) and then set my daily calories to 80% of that. You may decide to do something else.

Then note that you can change what you follow in your daily food diary. For example, right now I'm following potassium to help me learn what foods have it and to try to keep my potassium intake above my sodium intake. Other times I track other things to try to learn about the foods I eat and adjust my habits so I don't go too carb and saturated fat happy. You may need to keep track of other things for yourself.

Consider MFP's tools just that, tools -- not a single prescribed weight loss method. The only truism is that to lose weight long haul you must burn more energy than you consume. To gain weight, it's the opposite.

I used a calculator for the TDEE and calcualted 80%, and it's pretty in line with what the other site had when I calculated BMR and subtractions for losing 1 lb a week. I think I'll change to that. Thanks for the advice.

3dogsrunning

How much weight do you have to lose? and how much have you said you would like to lose per week? I think if you say you would like to lose 2lbs per week it always goes to 1200ish. what did you calculate your BMR to be?

I'd like to lose 20-30 pounds. Originally, it was set to lose 2 lbs per week, but I changed it to 1. I used this site and it calculated it to be 1300 something. Another site I used calculated it to be 1459.8.

Do you exercise? If you do, MFP expects you to log that and eat those calories back, which would bring up your number on some days.
I suspect the other site included exercise.

To answer your original question - if you are doing it correctly, you will find that the TDEE method and MFP will put you at the se place pretty much when averaged over the week. The biggest difference is with TDEE you eat the same number everyday, with MFP it varies. It is a matter of preference.

I do exercise. I do eat the calories back as well. The other site also adjusts for sedentary, light activity, etc. I read about TDEE, but don't remember exactly what that is. I'll have to check into that. I feel like I'm not eating enough, so I want it to be healthy and still lose weight. Trying to figure out the best way to do that.

TDEE is in one of the links in the Sexypants thread - setting calories goals and macros link I believe.
It is Total daily Energy Expenditure - that is the number of calories your body needs to survive, plus daily activity plus exercise. This is the number you would maintain at. You create a deficit from this number.
Your link above figured TDEE for you and created a deficit to give you 1500 calories to lose a pound a week.

MFP gave you 1300 a day. If you exercise and add on top of that you should come out fairly close to 1500 on average depending on what you do.

Lyndonbearsmommy

Another stupid question: I changed my goals, but there is no save button. What the heck am I missing?

nutmegoreo

How much weight do you have to lose? and how much have you said you would like to lose per week? I think if you say you would like to lose 2lbs per week it always goes to 1200ish. what did you calculate your BMR to be?

I'd like to lose 20-30 pounds. Originally, it was set to lose 2 lbs per week, but I changed it to 1. I used this site and it calculated it to be 1300 something. Another site I used calculated it to be 1459.8.

Do you exercise? If you do, MFP expects you to log that and eat those calories back, which would bring up your number on some days.
I suspect the other site included exercise.

To answer your original question - if you are doing it correctly, you will find that the TDEE method and MFP will put you at the se place pretty much when averaged over the week. The biggest difference is with TDEE you eat the same number everyday, with MFP it varies. It is a matter of preference.

I do exercise. I do eat the calories back as well. The other site also adjusts for sedentary, light activity, etc. I read about TDEE, but don't remember exactly what that is. I'll have to check into that. I feel like I'm not eating enough, so I want it to be healthy and still lose weight. Trying to figure out the best way to do that.

If you feel like you are not eating enough, maybe calculate your TDEE and subtract 250 from that, but don't eat back exercise calories because that is figured into the number. Or set MFP to lose 0.5lb/week. MFP calorie burns for exercise tend to be a bit high, so maybe eat only 50-75% of those back. These should be pretty close to even.

Whichever method you chose to do, the important point is to do what you are able to stick with. If you are always feeling hungry, it is going to be much harder to stay with it.

nutmegoreo

Another stupid question: I changed my goals, but there is no save button. What the heck am I missing?

There should be a green save button toward the bottom of the screen. Perhaps try reentering it.