2500 calories is dieting?? Seriously??

Samerah12

So I'm new to the site and fairly new to actively trying to lose weight. I'm starting at 194 lbs and 5'7 and very active. After setting my activity level at the highest and not logging my normal day to day "exercise" (like cleaning, walking to work and back- about 4 miles) MFP says I can eat 1560 calories. After logging what I consider to be (for me) REAL exercise for the last couple of days the site says I can eat 2500 calories!! 2500!!

Can this be right? Does this actually work? I'd love to hear from other similarly active people who are eating that many calories and losing because I'm just having trouble believing it.

AngBel

I, too, am having a hard time believing it...so I don't eat those calories. Should I be eating that much????

Sissy4EverX3

Mine is set for 2210, and that's with a "sedentary" lifestyle. (I work in an office and am seated most of the day.) I made the decision to start making changes on February 13, but didn't start using MFP until the 19th. So far, I've lost 8 pounds. And I *rarely* eat 2000, much less 2210. I decided to leave it as is for now.

leomom72

the more you work out, and log in, it raises your calorie intake, meaning you burned off those cals, so you can eat them back..i believe it also gauges the number by your height, weight, etc..no worries best of luck

amycal

Did you ever track what you ate before you started to limit it?

I started at 184 and I am 5'6" but 20 years older than you. My current setting is 1420 PLUS whatever exercise I add. I have sedentary jobs. I have lost 20 pounds and gone from a 14 to a 10 by tracking on MFP and exercising. I eat pretty clean too (very little processed food, no trans fat, no HFCS, no artificial sweeteners) I try to get plenty of protein (at least 100g) per day and stick to lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, organic dairy and healthy meats (grass fed meat, non-factory farmed chicken, wild salmon etc).

ShellyMacchi

helpful info *S*

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ladyhawk00/view/mfp-basics-78491

ADJulie

When I started I was told I could eat 2100 calories a day....that wasn't counting any exercise calories. I weighed 264 when I started. There were times that I ate around 2200 to 2300 after eating some of my exercise calories. I have dropped 42 lbs thus far. I didn't believe it would work either but it does. As I have lost weight it has dropped the amount of calories that I am allotted but like today it told me I could eat up to 2200 calories because I have my workout calories. Sometimes I eat my workout calories and sometimes I don't.

Samerah12

I've never tracked what I ate but I don't feel like 2500 calories is limiting at all. I'm eating everything I want to still. Which makes me suspicious of the claim that I'm actually going to lose any weight, despite the fact that this site seems to be working for a lot of people.

fitterpam

What is that you do - minus the exercise during the day to justify an active lifestyle? Active lifestyle typically means you're an athlete, mail carrier or something else where you are running and walking all day with little time to rest. You wouldn't count that as exercise then - those calories have already been accounted for. The way I look at it, if you're a stay at home mom, nurse or waitress, you're at a moderate lifestyle. Then anythign you do extra (that you didn't do before trying to lose weight) is exercise - it either needs to break a sweat, elevate your heart rate to a higher level or stretch out your muscles.

Those should be counted as extra.

You don't want to be double counting your exercise calories or your lifestyle - that will hinder yourself. Basically what you've told MFP is that you burn ~3500 calories just to maintain your current weight. You can try it for a while.....see what happens. Feel free to friend me

tjjohnson66

Yes -- some women can and even eat more. I had my resting metabolic rate tested at LifeTime. It is was 2048, which excludes excercise, and 2662 calories with lifestyle. On average, I burn 500-700 calories in a sixty minute work out and I use a heart rate monitor and watch that tracks it. I actually had to eat over 3000 calories to not lose weight. Although, I stopped working out for two years but I'm back. I'll post the photo of the report in a minute.

Oh and at that time I was 42 years old, 5' 1" and weighed 113 lbs.

fitterpam

Yes -- some women can and even eat more. I had my resting metabolic rate tested at LifeTime. It is was 2048, which excludes excercise, and 2662 calories with lifestyle. On average, I burn 500-700 calories in a sixty minute work out and I use a heart rate monitor and watch that tracks it. I actually had to eat over 3000 calories to not lose weight. Although, I stopped working out for two years but I'm back. I'll post the photo of the report in a minute.

Oh and at that time I was 42 years old, 5' 1" and weighed 113 lbs.

To lose 2lbs a week at that level, you would have had to be consuming somewhere around 1600 calories with lifestyle, which would seem about right. I'm at 1300 before exercise and I'm 240lbs, 5'7 and 31..... Which means my body burns around 2300 cals/day approximately. But she's also set to lose 2lbs a week (1000 cal deficit daily)

Samerah12

Right, right, I meant to convey that I wasn't double counting the normal everyday type of exercise. I walk to work and back everyday (4 miles with hills), am on my feet most of the day and walk the dog about an hour most nights. I'm also the only one doing all of the cleaning for a house with 3 roommates, 4 dogs and 2 cats. Thats the stuff I'm not logging. I'm logging gym trips, curling league, and any other purposeful exercise.

I feel that qualifies me for active? Or maybe I should bring it back down to moderately active?

What is that you do - minus the exercise during the day to justify an active lifestyle? Active lifestyle typically means you're an athlete, mail carrier or something else where you are running and walking all day with little time to rest. You wouldn't count that as exercise then - those calories have already been accounted for. The way I look at it, if you're a stay at home mom, nurse or waitress, you're at a moderate lifestyle. Then anythign you do extra (that you didn't do before trying to lose weight) is exercise - it either needs to break a sweat, elevate your heart rate to a higher level or stretch out your muscles.

Those should be counted as extra.

You don't want to be double counting your exercise calories or your lifestyle - that will hinder yourself. Basically what you've told MFP is that you burn ~3500 calories just to maintain your current weight. You can try it for a while.....see what happens. Feel free to friend me

Samerah12

Ah HA! I need a heartrate monitor... Thanks!

Yes -- some women can and even eat more. I had my resting metabolic rate tested at LifeTime. It is was 2048, which excludes excercise, and 2662 calories with lifestyle. On average, I burn 500-700 calories in a sixty minute work out and I use a heart rate monitor and watch that tracks it. I actually had to eat over 3000 calories to not lose weight. Although, I stopped working out for two years but I'm back. I'll post the photo of the report in a minute.

Oh and at that time I was 42 years old, 5' 1" and weighed 113 lbs.

significance

That sounds like moderately active to me. If you're not sure, you can check by setting the rate at "sedentary" and adding as exercise everything you do in a typical day. That ought to give you the same calorie allowance as setting the rate to whatever it should be and logging only the "extra" exercise.

NatalieWinning

That sounds like moderately active to me. If you're not sure, you can check by setting the rate at "sedentary" and adding as exercise everything you do in a typical day. That ought to give you the same calorie allowance as setting the rate to whatever it should be and logging only the "extra" exercise.

There you go, that would prove it for the most part and put your mind at ease.

fitterpam

That sounds like moderately active to me. If you're not sure, you can check by setting the rate at "sedentary" and adding as exercise everything you do in a typical day. That ought to give you the same calorie allowance as setting the rate to whatever it should be and logging only the "extra" exercise.

On your feet all day (but not necessarily walking most of that 8 hours), I'd be setting to lightly active (same as a nurse would be). It's double counting if you include the same activities in your lifestyle (walking the dog, walking to work, etc.) as you do in your exercise. I'd put to lightly active/moderately active, and then include all the walking you do too as exercise (because it will vary day to day in most cases and it's not prolonged (most of your day) activities. Agree with above. That's the most reasonable way to do it

Good luck and remember, just see where you are in 2 weeks. If it's not working, you can always modify it.

EricInArlington

I have 2300 a day, If I go and play golf walking 18 holes I will have 4500 for the day. Just keep in mind just eat at least 1200 and your all good

dino1147

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

There are several "must reads" at the beginning of the general diet and weight loss forum.

Mustangsally1000

I just joined as well, but when I put in all my info, it gave me a goal of 1200 calories per/day. My my "new leaf" program
gives me a bit over 1600 calories. They guy in charge of the new leaf program here said 1200 isn't enough, and to go with what
new leaf said. Having said that, if you have a good work out and burn off some calories, those get added into your daily requirement. I thought 1600 sounded like a lot, so I'm thinking 2500 sounds like way too many! Did you recalculate?

aippolito1

If you were eating 4000 calories before, then YEAH 2500 calories is dieting. And just think of it this way... if you work out and burn 500 calories, you jus used up 500 calories you ate so it's like you didn't eat them at all. Your body uses fuel when you work out so if you use the fuel you already put in your body, obviously you need to fill up again!

Also, 1500 calories sounds like an awful lot to be burning. If you don't have a heart rate monitor, you should get one, because it's the most accurate way to tell how much you're burning - you could be overestimating.

tanniew78

I've never tracked what I ate but I don't feel like 2500 calories is limiting at all. I'm eating everything I want to still. Which makes me suspicious of the claim that I'm actually going to lose any weight, despite the fact that this site seems to be working for a lot of people.

While this is true to some extent, you wont lose if you eat 2500 calories worth of McDs or any other convenience food product. I have been losing massive amounts of weight by eating healthy foods. Most of my calories come from vegetables and some fruits. I feel like I am eating all day. Recently I have added nuts as a snack one or two times a day. Almost ALL of my foods are homemade. And I eat between 1800 and 2800 cals. Depending on the day. If I dont eat the nuts, its around 1300-1400 a day.

And I am losing like a fiend! I love it. Im not deprived. I can still have some chocolate and whatnot... Just have to account for it and try to eat clean the rest of the day....

ETA: I rarely eat back the exercise cals. I cant even eat my recommended amount very often.