Confused about auto goal adjustment

MMGoodSF

I did a quick search for forum topics on this and didn't see much.

I lost another 10 lbs, and MFP adjusted my goals. Originally, I went and customized them based on what my nutritionist wanted, but I've been doing so well that I hardly see the nutritionist anymore (maybe I should go back though..).

So here's the confusion. When I started, I was 5'8" 210.9. Now that I've hit 169, MFP upped my calories from 1300 per day, to 1450 per day. It says my normal daily calorie burn is 1950, but when I do a BMR calculator, it's like 1590. I'm still set to lose a pound a week, but the math doesn't seem right. Even with 4 workouts per week at 50 mins each, I can't see how this makes sense.

The last thing I want to do is backtrack, but I also have never worked with calories in a long-term losing situation, and don't want to accidentally plateau myself by under eating.

Any ideas? Did I explain this properly?

greeneyed84

Your BMR is not what you should be focusing on. I'm sure you walk around so if you're lightly active you're prolly burning 1900 calories a day, with a 500 cal deficit it should be abound 1400 so it sounds right to me.

erickirb

If you BMR is 1590, MFP adds on an activity amount to get maintenance calories as BMR is not maintenance unless you are in a coma. So your maintenance is 1950 so a 500 cal deficit would give you 1450. If you are set at sedentary MFP takes you BMR and multiplies it by 1.2 or something like that to account for sitting, standing digestions, etc, to get your maintenance calories.

Mustangsally1000

For me..they said they were adjusting my calories after I lost 10#, and then that never happened. I don't get that either~

MMGoodSF

So MFP upped my calories because my normal calorie burn is now higher? (Yes, basic answers aren't wasted on me.. I'm really new and don't trust my judgement or knowledge of any of this yet!)

Is this normal? Will my calories be slowly upped until I get to a maintenance place?

foxxybrown

Were you set to lose 1 or 2 lbs a week before because now you are set at 1 lb (1950 - 500 = 1450)?

MMGoodSF

Set at 1 pound now.. and I think it was always 1 pound, even though I somehow lost significantly more.

erickirb

So MFP upped my calories because my normal calorie burn is now higher? (Yes, basic answers aren't wasted on me.. I'm really new and don't trust my judgement or knowledge of any of this yet!)

Is this normal? Will my calories be slowly upped until I get to a maintenance place?

They will slowly go down as you lose weight, you should change your goals to a smaller weekly loss the closer you get to your goal, that will give you more calories.