A little confused...

LMP1979

Just have been trying to sort out all of the information I have been reading on effective and correct weight loss. I've read thread after thread and Googled articles. I have read over and over that BMR is baseline what my body needs to just function and I don't even wanna go into the S-word arguement.

My base question is, if my BMR is 1410 per MFP, why does MFP set me at a 1200 calorie intake? What should I really be following?

Using an average from other caloric needs calculators:
Maintenance level should be: 2064 Calories,
Fat Loss: 1650 Calories. (Quite the jump from 1200 Calories.)

I don't need to lose a ton of weight, but it took me just over a month of exercising my rear off for myself to even lose a pound. I exercise 4-5 times a week for 30-45 minutes. Drink water religiously. I've re-evaluated and adjusted my food intake twice and cut sodium, carbs and saw some change in weight loss (6lbs so far after three months). I really try to eat back my exercise calories and realized that I've had trouble meeting net calories on some days which I am still attempting to improve upon.

Height: 5'5"
Weight: 153
Goal: 145 (135 would be great, but baby steps)
Medium Frame
Activity level: desk job


Opinions, comments, ideas? Thanks!

frogtox

It seems like mfp gives most people about 1,200 calories. If, after doing your own research, you feel like you need more you can go in and change your daily caloric goal. It sounds like you have... it can't hurt to try, right? And as far as meeting your calorie goals, I've found that adding a couple high-calorie snacks like nuts can help add good calories.

We are fairly similar with respect to starting weight and final goals. I'm at 7 pounds in two months... six pounds in three isn't BAD since that's about half a pound a week avg. Those of us who don't have a lot of weight to lose need to be more patient, I've decided.

When you work out, are you reaching a high intensity? Fat burning begins after 40 minutes, so if you can extend at least one of your workouts to be an hour that may help. Weight training builds muscle, which increases your fat-burning ability.

MzBug

Mfp will set your goal calories based on your BMR, activity level and how much you selected to lose per week. If you set it to lose 1 lb a week it will create a 500 cal a day deficit, if you chose 2 lbs per week it will create a 1000 cal deficit per day. The lowest MFP will set your calorie goal is 1200 because to go below that you can not get the NUTRITION your body needs to function correctly. MFP will set your calorie goal so you will lose the weight WITHOUT exercise. If you choose to exercise you will need to consume enough calories to get you back up to the suggested NET level of 1200 per day.

Remember your BMR is what you need just to exist in a coma like state, with NO ACTIVITY AT ALL. Once you get out of bed, move around, do the dishes etc. etc. etc. you are burning calories. If you put in that you have a sedentary activity level (desk job) MFP will ADD in calories to cover your daily activity needs. That is the difference between the 1410 and the 2064 numbers. After that you need to SUBTRACT the 500-1000 cals to create the deficit to lose weight. Some weight loss calculators will only set the deficit to 500 per day for a 1 lb a week loss. Some will tell you that you should eat X # of calories and then BURN OFF X # of calories thru exercise to reach your goal. You have to read the fine print on how each calculator works.

Sometimes your body will not function in accordance to what ever calorie calculator you use. Each person is an individual and each have different needs. The calculators are just averages. You may have to play with the numbers to find your "sweet spot" for weight loss. MFP set mine at 1200 to start, and after 6 weeks I stopped losing. After consulting with a dietician I upped my base calories to 1400 and started losing again. I have averaged between 1300 and 1400 NET calories per day and have been losing consistantly since. Trial and error hun, trial and error. The closer you are to your goal weight the harder it is to lose the weight also.

Good Luck!

LMP1979

Those of us who don't have a lot of weight to lose need to be more patient, I've decided.

I hate that rule...lol !!!! I do interval training for most of my workouts. I have seen toning results and am very happy with that. Able to do my pushups. ☺ Have come off the scale obsession and understand that how my clothes fit and how I feel is more important. I have to remind myself that three years ago, I was 20 lbs heavier than I am now. Big picture, big picture!

Remember your BMR is what you need just to exist in a coma like state, with NO ACTIVITY AT ALL. Once you get out of bed, move around, do the dishes etc. etc. etc. you are burning calories. If you put in that you have a sedentary activity level (desk job) MFP will ADD in calories to cover your daily activity needs.

I understand having a caloric deficit. Twelve hundred is what doesn't make sense to me. If my BMR for my body just to survive is about 1400, and my sedentary daily activity needs at roughly 1850 - just the difference there is already a large deficit. Why set the deficit at 1200 if a body cannot even meet its very baseline needs at that, regardless of activity level? Any weight loss is essentially because the body isn't functioning healthy. By what you say above, then anybody whose caloric intake is set at their BMR should be losing weight by leaps and bounds then, no? I am pretty much at the decision you mentioned you took, and will up my base to about 1400 and see what that does.

After reading this gal's post below - just got to thinking about a few things. This is mostly my concern - of whether what I am doing is healthy long term habit for my body or not.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/174065-starvation-mode-is-real-and-ugly

So many people seem to feel that **I am losing weight = therefore I am healthier** when the more I learn about healthy weight loss the more I feel that statement can be so wrong.

Thanks guys!