SO CONFUSED

emiliewright

Alright, I am just lost. I am not losing weight so I lowered my calorie goal, and now people are telling me that I dont eat enough...I am MFP illiterate I think...Can someone help me with what my goals should be and what my calories should be?

MissAnjy

What did MFP give you as a daily goal?

emiliewright

The first goal was 1400 cals...not losing so I dropped it to lose more per week and now it is 1200- I am literally starving and still no losing!

rmhand

I used the recommended settings for goals and such and I was honest with activity level and how much I will work out. I figure MFP is smarter than I am when it comes to weight loss since it is working for me and obviously I didn't do the right things in the past.

TheNewDanielle

Ok, you lowered it to 1200 which is probably the lowest you want it to go. If you're working out, you'll get to consume more, which will keep you healthy. I don't think it's a problem if you hit that goal each day. Any lower and you risk not losing weight because it's too low. Mine's at 1270, so I don't think it's wrong. If your body responds well, then you're doing fine. MFP is a guide to help you make better choices, but ultimately it's up to your own body to decide if that number works for it. Good luck!

MissAnjy

Put it back to 1400 and if you exercise, make sure you're eating those back. Make sure your NET is 1400 at the end of the day. MFP has created a deficit for you at 1400 so that's what your body should be running on by days end. 1200 is too little calories for you. You definitely need to eat more than that.

Celo24

The first goal was 1400 cals...not losing so I dropped it to lose more per week and now it is 1200- I am literally starving and still no losing!

First off, be better about completing your diary. Hard to say what may or may not be working if you aren't logging everything.

Secondly, read this and it may clear up why some people tell you that you aren't eating enough: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/188509-my-take-on-exercise-calories-please-read-if-you-are-new

Also, make sure to drink plenty of water and watch the sodium.

Good luck!!

SaraTonin

You should never eat below your basal metabolic rate (what your body needs to function properly). You can calculate that on a website like wolframalpha.com - type your height, age, weight, and sex and type "basal metabolic rate" - it will give you the base number of calories you need to eat, as well as the estimated number that you burn total in a day.

It tells me my base rate is 1360 calories, and if I was sedentary, I would burn 1600 calories a day total. So to lose weight I would eat less than 1600 but more than 1360.

emiliewright

So my BMR says 1544 but MFP has me at 1200 cals per day?

Celo24

So my BMR says 1544 but MFP has me at 1200 cals per day?

Yes. Because your BMR is what your body naturally burns. The 1200 calories goal is to create a deficit in order to lose weight.

CakeFit21

Yeah, I just went back through your diary and it's kinda all over the place. (Please, I'm not attacking) Go with the MFP suggestions and really be diligent with logging and exercise. The program works, but you have to give it some time.

SaraTonin

So my BMR says 1544 but MFP has me at 1200 cals per day?

Yes. Because your BMR is what your body naturally burns. The 1200 calories goal is to create a deficit in order to lose weight.

You should never eat below your BMR, because this starves your body and causes it to burn muscle as well as fat. MFP is trying to set you at an unhealthy deficit. You will lose weight, but it won't be lost healthfully.

emiliewright

So my BMR says 1544 but MFP has me at 1200 cals per day?

Yes. Because your BMR is what your body naturally burns. The 1200 calories goal is to create a deficit in order to lose weight.

You should never eat below your BMR, because this starves your body and causes it to burn muscle as well as fat. MFP is trying to set you at an unhealthy deficit. You will lose weight, but it won't be lost healthfully.

See, now conflicting stories!

smohara

I have been changing my eating lifestyle since Sept. I work with a nutritionist and her recommendation for women in particular, is to cut your carbohydrate intake. I have been trying to keep it about 100 g per day as she suggested. It's hard but I have lost 25lbs. I also do not eat any wheat gluten, so it limits your choices for carbs. I eat mostly strawberries, blueberries and apples. She also says to eat 5 small meals a day (every 2 hours) which has protein, fat and a small (1/2 cup) amount of fruit for your carb. 2 Eggs for breakfast made with butter (1 pat) and1/2 c of berries; AM snack-plain full fat or 2% yogurt with berries; lunch-about 5 oz protein (tuna, salmon, chicken) with 3 oz of tomatoes, 1 c spinach or other greens, onion and 1-2 tbsps of dressing; snack PM,- can be 1 c. of full fat or 2% cottage cheese with berries or a low carb protein bar or protein drink made with 1/2 c berries; dinner- again protein with 1 c. broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower or Brussels sprouts. Avoid the corn and peas. Can have some beans on salad if your numbers allow for it. I started out with 1500 cals/day and now have cut back to 1400 but if I don't lose on my next evaluation I'll to back to 1500.
Good luck and don't give up!

stormieweather

So my BMR says 1544 but MFP has me at 1200 cals per day?

Yes. Because your BMR is what your body naturally burns. The 1200 calories goal is to create a deficit in order to lose weight.

Actually, BMR is what your body burns if you do absolutely nothing all day (ie: in a coma). On top of that, you need to add your activity factor (sedentary, lightly active, active, very active) to determine what you actually burn on a daily basis (this plus other factors equals your TDEE-total daily energy expenditure). The 1200 goal is what MFP will assign as the very lowest you can go in order to meet your stated goals.

I have a 460 deficit at 1250 per day, for a 1 pound loss. If I put that I wanted to lose 2 pounds, MFP would still assign me 1200 calories because any lower would potentially be unsafe.

SaraTonin

When you eat below your BMR, you lower your metabolism.

You will lose weight, yes, but you will also burn muscle as well as fat. This is not healthy or sustainable.

"If you've noticed that every year, it becomes harder to eat whatever you want and stay slim, you've also learnt that your BMR decreases as you age. Likewise, depriving yourself of food in hopes of losing weight also decreases your BMR, a foil to your intentions. However, a regular routine of cardiovascular exercise can increase your BMR, improving your health and fitness when your body's ability to burn energy gradually slows down."

Lexie71

My recommendation is to ignore what a computer that can't think tells you to do and listen to your body. If you are physically hungry you need to eat. If you are not physically hungry try to figure out why you want to eat and take care of whatever the issue is.

kpospisil

MFP is probably telling you 1200 cals per day because you've set an unrealistic goal.. 1 - 2 lbs per week is realistic.. (I know we'd all like to lose more than that )

If you're not losing are you being honest with yourself about what you are eating.. I know I wasn't .. I was in denial.. log everything..

Look for lower calorie options to what you are eating so you can eat more..

One thing I discovered was my blood sugar was out of whack and that made me constantly hungry.. I was eating way to many carbs.. since I've cut back and have that under control I find I don't feel as hungry and I've started to lose weight!.. eat lots of veggies (they are low calorie & very filling) lean meats, fruit and complex carbs.. (ie brown rice, whole graim breads & pasta, etc)

Good luck.. :-)

nehushtan

See, now conflicting stories!

That's right... but in this case there is a simple answer.. Celo is right and Sara is wrong. You have to eat below your BMR -- that is the essence of the program! If you ate your BMR you would never lose weight!

Karin is also right... I looked at your diary and there are days when you have recorded nothing, and other days when you have recorded so little that I have to believe you ate more than you recorded.

Logging what you eat -- everything that passes your lips and teeth and enters your esophagus -- is the HEART AND SOUL of this program. Look at the "success stories" on this site and you'll see the ones who have made it a true habit. It needs to become second nature to you, so I recommend recording each meal or snack as soon as possible after eating it, and doing this for a straight 90 days. It helps to have an app on a smart phone for this. I don't but I'm around computers all day long anyway.

SaraTonin

See, now conflicting stories!

That's right... but in this case there is a simple answer.. Celo is right and Sara is wrong. You have to eat below your BMR -- that is the essence of the program! If you ate your BMR you would never lose weight!

Karin is also right... I looked at your diary and there are days when you have recorded nothing, and other days when you have recorded so little that I have to believe you ate more than you recorded.

Logging what you eat -- everything that passes your lips and teeth and enters your esophagus -- is the HEART AND SOUL of this program. Look at the "success stories" on this site and you'll see the ones who have made it a true habit. It needs to become second nature to you, so I recommend recording each meal or snack as soon as possible after eating it, and doing this for a straight 90 days. It helps to have an app on a smart phone for this. I don't but I'm around computers all day long anyway.

No - BMR is NOT your maintenance calories. BMR is your BASE calories. The essence of the program is to eat below your maintenance level to lose weight, not to starve yourself.

sarahazelnut99

lol lets give up together and go get Chinese food!!! lol, i havent seen any results either and i bumped up my work out too

robin52077

See, now conflicting stories!

That's right... but in this case there is a simple answer.. Celo is right and Sara is wrong. You have to eat below your BMR -- that is the essence of the program! If you ate your BMR you would never lose weight!

Karin is also right... I looked at your diary and there are days when you have recorded nothing, and other days when you have recorded so little that I have to believe you ate more than you recorded.

Logging what you eat -- everything that passes your lips and teeth and enters your esophagus -- is the HEART AND SOUL of this program. Look at the "success stories" on this site and you'll see the ones who have made it a true habit. It needs to become second nature to you, so I recommend recording each meal or snack as soon as possible after eating it, and doing this for a straight 90 days. It helps to have an app on a smart phone for this. I don't but I'm around computers all day long anyway.

No - BMR is NOT your maintenance calories. BMR is your BASE calories. The essence of the program is to eat below your maintenance level to lose weight, not to starve yourself.

YES, what SaraTonin said.

Its answers like what nehushtan just said that SCREW PEOPLE UP so BAD here.

BMR is what your body uses just to beat your heart, expand your lungs, reproduce cells, etc. The calories you would need to prevent starvation EVEN IF YOU WERE IN A COMA.
MFP then ADDS to that based on what you chose as your activity level, (which is almost never really sedentary), you should choose lightly active or active, MFP sets these numbers a tad too low.

This new number is your TDEE. MFP then SUBTRACTS 500 cals a day from your TDEE if you chose 1 lb a week, and THAT is your daily goal.

you need to EAT ALL those calories to LOSE that 1 lb a week. It is a goal to REACH for healthy weight loss, not a goal to "stay under". If you are UNDER, you are making that deficit TOO big since it is ALREADY 500 calories.

I eat 1700 to LOSE and 2200 to maintain and I weigh 105....

nolasaints

One more thing to consider if you're eating your exercise calories back is not to overestimate those calories. After I got a heart rate monitor I realized that the machines at the gym and MFP were way off when calculating calories burned. Good luck!