Calorie goal unrealistic?!

Laura100AC

Heyyy, i've used MFP for a while now but never stuck to it. Mainly because whenever I put in my calorie goal it comes up with 1200 per day. Does anyone have the same calorie goal and do they find it sustainable? All of the others accounts I had in the past I stopped using, because it was a case of I would go over my calories by 100 or so and feel disheartened. Seemed like the only way I could have 3 meals and stay under was through egg whites for breakfast and salad for lunch and dinner.

Thanks in advance for any tips

lishie_rebooted

Please provide the following info:
height
weight
how much you want to lose
activity level
the amount of weight per week you want to lose


Typically MFP gives you 1200cals if you pick 2lbs/week.
I started at 172lbs and 5'7", told MFP I wanted to lose 2lbs/week so it gave me 1200.
With only 30 pounds to lose, I should have picked 0.5-1lb/week.

sijomial

Are you tiny?
Are you setting a fast rate of weight loss such as 2lbs a week?
How many calories would MFP give you if you set your goal to maintain?

PS - Also remember you can earn more calories by exercising.

rcloyd5

Yes, my calorie goal is 1200 as well. You get to more eat more calories if you are exercising. Be sure to use those. I don't bother with the 100 calorie packs of snacks as they are not filling. Choose healthy filling foods. Most vegetables have hardly any calories. Add them to every meal. Stick with it and don't get discouraged!

ma2dagirlz

Heyyy, i've used MFP for a while now but never stuck to it. Mainly because whenever I put in my calorie goal it comes up with 1200 per day. Does anyone have the same calorie goal and do they find it sustainable? All of the others accounts I had in the past I stopped using, because it was a case of I would go over my calories by 100 or so and feel disheartened. Seemed like the only way I could have 3 meals and stay under was through egg whites for breakfast and salad for lunch and dinner.

Thanks in advance for any tips

Hey I have found that it depends on what you are eating (where the calories are coming from) and how much you are exercising..... but a good rule of thumb is to multiply your weight by 7 and that's how many calories you should have for weight loss....... However, sometimes you should have more than that depending on what your individual goals are and how active you are!

Laura100AC

I'm 5 foot 6 and weigh 164lbs. Ideally I want to lose around 40lbs, I exercise twice a week and would like to lose 2 pounds or more at the start of my weight loss.

Do you think that with 40lbs to lose a pound a week would work better?

Tired of giving up on this :noway:

Laura100AC

Yes, my calorie goal is 1200 as well. You get to more eat more calories if you are exercising. Be sure to use those. I don't bother with the 100 calorie packs of snacks as they are not filling. Choose healthy filling foods. Most vegetables have hardly any calories. Add them to every meal. Stick with it and don't get discouraged!

I think the 'healthy snacks' might be where i'm going wrong. Tend to feel like i've wasted calories on things like cereal bars and yoghurts :ohwell:

126siany

I'm 5 foot 6 and weigh 164lbs. Ideally I want to lose around 40lbs, I exercise twice a week and would like to lose 2 pounds or more at the start of my weight loss.

Do you think that with 40lbs to lose a pound a week would work better?

Tired of giving up on this :noway:

Yes, set it to lose 1lb per week.

ErisDyscordia

I'm 5 foot 6 and weigh 164lbs. Ideally I want to lose around 40lbs, I exercise twice a week and would like to lose 2 pounds or more at the start of my weight loss.

Do you think that with 40lbs to lose a pound a week would work better?

Tired of giving up on this :noway:

It might work better for you, since you are having trouble on the low calories you need to sustain losing 2 a week. Nothing wrong with adding some calories back in, as long as you are still eating at a deficit, if it will be easier for you to keep up with it.

Are you eating "good" calories for your calories? I have found that if I am eating lots of simple carbs (pasta, rice, sugar, etc), I am STARVING on 1200 calories. But if I eat lots of protein, healthy fatty acids, and make sure my carbs all come from vegetables and other complex carb sources that I am VERY full on 1200 a day. Vegetables are high in fiber, complex carbs, and low in calories. It is hard for me to eat 1200 calories and not feel full if it includes lots of fiber and complex carbs and plenty of lean proteins (soy, fish, etc).

sijomial

Do you think that with 40lbs to lose a pound a week would work better?

A slow but sustainable weight loss is one hell of a lot faster than giving up because you set your calorie goal to a miserable level.

_runnerbean_

My calorie goal is 1200 also but it is very hard to eat just that. I try to exercise every day to earn extra calories to allow me to eat 1500 per day. Even a half an hour brisk walk makes a difference if you can't get to the gym etc.

Laura100AC

:laugh:

I'm 5 foot 6 and weigh 164lbs. Ideally I want to lose around 40lbs, I exercise twice a week and would like to lose 2 pounds or more at the start of my weight loss.

Do you think that with 40lbs to lose a pound a week would work better?

Tired of giving up on this :noway:

It might work better for you, since you are having trouble on the low calories you need to sustain losing 2 a week. Nothing wrong with adding some calories back in, as long as you are still eating at a deficit, if it will be easier for you to keep up with it.

Are you eating "good" calories for your calories? I have found that if I am eating lots of simple carbs (pasta, rice, sugar, etc), I am STARVING on 1200 calories. But if I eat lots of protein, healthy fatty acids, and make sure my carbs all come from vegetables and other complex carb sources that I am VERY full on 1200 a day. Vegetables are high in fiber, complex carbs, and low in calories. It is hard for me to eat 1200 calories and not feel full if it includes lots of fiber and complex carbs and plenty of lean proteins (soy, fish, etc).

Thanks for the advice :bigsmile: The only time I mainly eat carbs is for breakfast and i'm starving by midday. Do you have any suggestions for a quick filling breakfast? I start work at 7am most days so I don't really have time to cook much :grumble:

Laura100AC

Do you think that with 40lbs to lose a pound a week would work better?

A slow but sustainable weight loss is one hell of a lot faster than giving up because you set your calorie goal to a miserable level.

Incredibly true :drinker:

Pipsg1rl

:laugh:

I'm 5 foot 6 and weigh 164lbs. Ideally I want to lose around 40lbs, I exercise twice a week and would like to lose 2 pounds or more at the start of my weight loss.

Do you think that with 40lbs to lose a pound a week would work better?

Tired of giving up on this :noway:

It might work better for you, since you are having trouble on the low calories you need to sustain losing 2 a week. Nothing wrong with adding some calories back in, as long as you are still eating at a deficit, if it will be easier for you to keep up with it.

Are you eating "good" calories for your calories? I have found that if I am eating lots of simple carbs (pasta, rice, sugar, etc), I am STARVING on 1200 calories. But if I eat lots of protein, healthy fatty acids, and make sure my carbs all come from vegetables and other complex carb sources that I am VERY full on 1200 a day. Vegetables are high in fiber, complex carbs, and low in calories. It is hard for me to eat 1200 calories and not feel full if it includes lots of fiber and complex carbs and plenty of lean proteins (soy, fish, etc).

Thanks for the advice :bigsmile: The only time I mainly eat carbs is for breakfast and i'm starving by midday. Do you have any suggestions for a quick filling breakfast? I start work at 7am most days so I don't really have time to cook much :grumble:

If you have access to hot water try: 1 TBS Almond Butter (1/2 serving), 1/2c Dry Quaker Oats (not instant), and a tbs of honey and cinnamon to taste.

If you like PB you can use that.

I have a microwave at work too so i'll put the ingredients in my bowl, cover in hot water, cover with a paper towel and nuke for 30s. If not, let it sit covered with a plate for a few minutes to soften to your favorite texture.

hearthwood

You'll have days where you go over your calorie goal, and still lose weight. If your setting is to lose 2 pounds a week cut it back to 1 pound a week, and sometimes 1/2 or 1/4 pound a week loss is still a loss.

You can view my diary--I am 1250 calories, and it's taken quite a while for me to take off 10 pounds, but hey it works, I only have 3.5 pounds to go.

You have to stick with it, don't get discouraged and quit. People who quit, end up going back to old bad habits and gain even more weight.

The_Hungry_Atheist

You don't have to have "breakfast" for your morning meal. If you absol feel you need to categorize your foods to a certain time of day then hard boiled eggs are your friend. As well as yogurt, the full fat greek kind.......bacon takes 2 mins in micro to make you can do that while you peel your eggs. Fruit......peanut butter. I do not eat bread so if you do toast.

EDIT: Bagel with cream cheese...bacon egg cheese bagel...all these take 5 mins to make if you have a micro and toaster.

lishie_rebooted

:laugh:

I'm 5 foot 6 and weigh 164lbs. Ideally I want to lose around 40lbs, I exercise twice a week and would like to lose 2 pounds or more at the start of my weight loss.

Do you think that with 40lbs to lose a pound a week would work better?

Tired of giving up on this :noway:

It might work better for you, since you are having trouble on the low calories you need to sustain losing 2 a week. Nothing wrong with adding some calories back in, as long as you are still eating at a deficit, if it will be easier for you to keep up with it.

Are you eating "good" calories for your calories? I have found that if I am eating lots of simple carbs (pasta, rice, sugar, etc), I am STARVING on 1200 calories. But if I eat lots of protein, healthy fatty acids, and make sure my carbs all come from vegetables and other complex carb sources that I am VERY full on 1200 a day. Vegetables are high in fiber, complex carbs, and low in calories. It is hard for me to eat 1200 calories and not feel full if it includes lots of fiber and complex carbs and plenty of lean proteins (soy, fish, etc).

Thanks for the advice :bigsmile: The only time I mainly eat carbs is for breakfast and i'm starving by midday. Do you have any suggestions for a quick filling breakfast? I start work at 7am most days so I don't really have time to cook much :grumble:

Definitely set to 1lb/week, readjust as when you've lost half.

Eggs are quick.
Hard boil them and eat them on the go.

2% yogurt or cottage cheese
A protein shake or a smoothie with protein powder in it (like PB, chocolate protein powder, banana, ice, milk or coffee, ice, milk, chocolate protein powder, greek yogurt)

A combination of fat and protein will keep you fuller longer which is why I've suggested the foods above.
Fat won't make you fat and typically (not all always), a low fat/no fat variation of a food (yogurt, greek yogurt, PB), the fat is replaced with sugar to keep the flavor the same. And you won't always be as full as long on a 0% yogurt as you would a 2%.

hearthwood

Everyone is scared to death to eat Peanut Butter, but it is a real hunger killer during the day. I use all natural Skippy smooth peanut butter with honey. If I get hungry a tablespoon of it, is the cure to keep me going. It's got to be all natural peanut butter.

silentKayak

Slow and steady wins the race. Find the lowest calorie goal you can stick to and still be at a deficit. Better to lose slowly and find something you can live with than to give up.

My calorie goal is 1440 and I'm often under that by 200 calories or more (with little to no exercise). Before I started measuring I would have said that I'm always hungry and I was probably eating 2500 calories or more on a typical day, because I was eating the wrong stuff and didn't even know it.

Focus on healthy foods you love - salad, stirfry, green veggies, low-sugar fruit (berries, melon), fish, turkey, etc. Make those the bulk of your meals every day, and you should still have room for a small amount of "treats". From my experience, though, carbs you hungrier, so the more you give up starchy food and sugar, the easier it may be to stick to your goals. Weird but true.

cwolfman13

I'm 5 foot 6 and weigh 164lbs. Ideally I want to lose around 40lbs, I exercise twice a week and would like to lose 2 pounds or more at the start of my weight loss.

Do you think that with 40lbs to lose a pound a week would work better?

Tired of giving up on this :noway:

Yeah...1 Lb per week. I had 40 to lose and that's what I did. Just think....in about 9 months or so, provided you are consistent, you will be about 40 lbs down. Dietary adherence is a wonderful thing...what good is a 2 Lb per week loss rate goal if you give up and can't stick with it?

Also realize that you're supposed to eat back exercise calories with MFP (adjusted for estimation error) as that activity isn' (shouldn't be) included in your activity level. Do some exercise along with a more reasonable loss rate goal and win.

Laura100AC

:bigsmile: Thank you for all of the advice!

I've now changed my goal to a pound a week and it's giving me 1390 calories a day which I know I never go over anyway :glasses:

Definitely need to up my meals and cut out the pointless snacks though :frown:

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