1 lbs = 10 calories????

abeare

So I decided to change my profile goals on MFP from a 2 lbs loss to a 1 lbs loss, thinking maybe I wasn’t eating enough calories. My original calorie allotment from MFP was 1200 calories a day, now its 1210 calories! Really!!!! 10 calorie difference a day?!?!

I really don’t understand how 10 calories a day will be the difference between me loosing 1-2 lbs a week?

Any explanations?

melodyg

1200 is the minimum calories MFP will tell you to eat in a day. So... losing one pound a week is taking 500 calories off of maintenance calories. Losing 2 pounds a week is taking 1000 calories off maintenance calories, but most people who don't have a lot to lose won't be able to have that kind of deficit just from changing up food alone.

meggonkgonk

MFP won't let you go below 1200 calories a day no matter what your goals are. to lose 2lbs a week you proly had to be at like 6-700 cals a day (to make a 1000 cal a day deficit) but it wouldn't let you. You proly burn about 1700 cals a day (BMR+your daily activity level- sedentary, active etc). so 1210 would give you a 500 cal deficit which would be 3500 per wk or 1 lbs

NightOwl1

My understanding is that no matter what, MFP won't set your net calories to less than 1200, because 1200 is generally considered the minimum amount of calories a person needs to stay healthy.

So here's what I imagine happened. Based on your height, weight, age, sex, and activity level, MFP estimated the number of calories you needed to lose 2 pounds a week was less than 1200, and just defaulted to 1200 since that's the minimum recommended calorie intake. When you switched it to 1 pound, it moved up to 1210, because 1210 is the actual number of calories MFP estimated was 1210, so it only looked like a 10 calorie increase.

Does my explanation make sense?

SHBoss1673

what people have been saying is correct.

From your profile I see that you have about 30 lbs to lose. From what you said, you changed to 1 lb a week loss, which means that your maintenance calories is 1710 calories (1710 - 500 = 1210).

IMHO even this amount sounds a bit high for the amount of weight you are looking to lose, just going by your goal weight and pictures of you. Essentially, the less you have to lose, the smaller your deficit should be.

I posted a quick and dirty guide to helping you find the right deficit for you, take a quick read through it, maybe it'll help explain a little better and help you focus on the right goal for your situation.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

Ding724

I did this the other day too, only I now have 70 more calories per day :happy:
I was like, "Realllly? 70 more WHOLE calories? Awesome." Hehe
But that also means that i'm taking in 490 more per week...so I guess mine makes more sense than yours!

ashlee954

You weren't set at 2 lbs/wk. That is what you selected but MFP cannot recommend eating less than 1200 no matter what. So if you selected 2 lbs/wk and that would mean that you had to eat less than 1200 then MFP just automatically sets you at 1200. Just to test it out go to change goals and select to lose 2 lbs per week. After you have changed your goals on the goals page look to see at how many lbs/wk 1200 cals/day gives you. It won't be 2.

abeare

what people have been saying is correct.

From your profile I see that you have about 30 lbs to lose. From what you said, you changed to 1 lb a week loss, which means that your maintenance calories is 1710 calories (1710 - 500 = 1210).

IMHO even this amount sounds a bit high for the amount of weight you are looking to lose, just going by your goal weight and pictures of you. Essentially, the less you have to lose, the smaller your deficit should be.

I posted a quick and dirty guide to helping you find the right deficit for you, take a quick read through it, maybe it'll help explain a little better and help you focus on the right goal for your situation.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

Makes much more sense now that i realize the 1200 cals was a default to my profile, but would i then be able to in theory loose more weigh quicker by augmenting my workouts?
I currently do 45-60 minutes of cardio 2-3 times a week and either some form of (Yoga, Pilates, or circuit training) 1-2 times a week. I usually eat most if not all my calories back, should I not be doing this?
As my profile say’s, I’m looking to loose 30 lbs left, and it has taken me over 6 months to loose the 15 lbs that I have. This is a lifestyle change for me, so if it takes me another year and a half to be at my goal weight so be it, but I’d like to know I’m doing everything I can for the stage I’m in for my weight loss journey.