Unrealistic Goal Weights (Long post)

baisleac

No, it is not setting 1,200 as our BMR, the 1,200 is creating a deficit so we can lose weight!
BMR is what your body will burn if you don't do anything.. so obviously you need to eat less than that to lose weight!
for example my BMR is around 1,700 so eating 1,200 means I have a deficit of 500 a day = 3500 a week = 1lb loss a week

WRONG! Try again.

Your BMR is what your body burns doing nothing. You got this part correct.

However, the minute you get out of bed to go to the bathroom, you have burned more than your BMR. Your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the number you subtract your deficit from.

If your BMR is 1700 and you have a sedentary lifestyle your TDEE is 2040 calories. A 500 calorie deficit would put you at 1540.

Your BMR should be the BARE MINIMUM that you consume each day.

CherryOnionKiss

uh, I don't get why eating 1900 cals a day would make me lose weight faster than by getting 1320 cals like MFP suggested. How can you lose weight if you eat more?

SiltyPigeon

Hmmmm... I'm 5'5'' and 122 lbs. My BMR is 1301. Considering my activity level that puts me at 1788.
So... 1200 would put me around a 500 calorie deficit per day.
Sounds about right to me!

For someone your weight and height 500cal a day deficit is massive!
Considering you are already within a healthy weight range for your height a 500cla deficit a day is likely to be eating away at your lean body mass. You would be better off just having a 100-200cal a day deficit perhaps. Faster weight loss is not indicative of the quality of weight loss

I'm lucky to lose 1 pound per week, I only lost 3 last month..... how much slower can I get without calling it "maintenance"?

baisleac

Hmmmm... I'm 5'5'' and 122 lbs. My BMR is 1301. Considering my activity level that puts me at 1788.
So... 1200 would put me around a 500 calorie deficit per day.
Sounds about right to me!

If you are 5'5 and 122 lbs you should not be on a 500 calorie deficit, unless under medical supervision for an unknown requirement.

Rompa_87

Hmmmm... I'm 5'5'' and 122 lbs. My BMR is 1301. Considering my activity level that puts me at 1788.
So... 1200 would put me around a 500 calorie deficit per day.
Sounds about right to me!

For someone your weight and height 500cal a day deficit is massive!
Considering you are already within a healthy weight range for your height a 500cla deficit a day is likely to be eating away at your lean body mass. You would be better off just having a 100-200cal a day deficit perhaps. Faster weight loss is not indicative of the quality of weight loss

I'm lucky to lose 1 pound per week, I only lost 3 last month..... how much slower can I get without calling it "maintenance"?

You are already considered healthy for your height. Why would you want to lose more weight? Wouldn't you be better off maintaining your current weight but focussing more on bf% than numbers on the scale?

kje2011

bump

SiltyPigeon

Hmmmm... I'm 5'5'' and 122 lbs. My BMR is 1301. Considering my activity level that puts me at 1788.
So... 1200 would put me around a 500 calorie deficit per day.
Sounds about right to me!

For someone your weight and height 500cal a day deficit is massive!
Considering you are already within a healthy weight range for your height a 500cla deficit a day is likely to be eating away at your lean body mass. You would be better off just having a 100-200cal a day deficit perhaps. Faster weight loss is not indicative of the quality of weight loss

I'm lucky to lose 1 pound per week, I only lost 3 last month..... how much slower can I get without calling it "maintenance"?

You are already considered healthy for your height. Why would you want to lose more weight? Wouldn't you be better off maintaining your current weight but focussing more on bf% than numbers on the scale?

My personal goal is 120. That's why.
I wonder about my body fat %... but don't have a clue how to figure out what that number is without seeing a doctor. I don't want to go to a doctor (and pay the co-pay) for something that silly and unnecessary. I also don't have a clue how to alter my body fat %.

fiberartist219

If it takes 3500 calories to lose a pound, the 500 calorie deficit a day is what it would take to lose a pound a week.

In the month of July, I lost 3 pounds. At this rate, it will be about a year before I am able to lose 35lbs and hit my goal weight.

If I don't see a few pounds in a month, I probably won't see them at all. I have had bowel movements bigger than the amount of fat that I've lost. I know that sounds gross, but our weight fluctuates with every drop of water we drink, bite of food we eat, and every menstrual cycle. So, if I don't see that scale go down more than a poop, I lose motivation.

I don't expect to lose 30lbs in 3 weeks, but I certainly expect to lose it in a year. If it takes me longer than that, and I have to count calories and lift heavy weights for that long and not see a change, I'm going to be angry and depressed, because life is too short to be logging in all the time to track food. Someday, I'd like to be small again, and get to a point where I can look at my food, know what a portion size is, and eat it without tracking. I don't mind exercising and lifting heavy for the rest of my life, but I sure better see some muscle and not flab because of it. If I look like a blob three years from now, I promise you, I'm going to eat a pile of brownies and not pick up a weight again.

I'm doing this to see results. If I can't see results, I'm not going to do it.

Taking a dump is not the result I want either. I need to see FAT loss, and it's not going to happen without some sacrifice.

That being said, I don't starve myself. I would be angry or lightheaded if I were starving. I'm not. I might feel a little grumble in my tummy, but there is a huge difference between hungry and starving.

yanicka

uh, I don't get why eating 1900 cals a day would make me lose weight faster than by getting 1320 cals like MFP suggested. How can you lose weight if you eat more?

If your body feel you are in danger, (IE starving) it will slow down things in order to survive as long as possible. First to go with be muscles mass since muscles use more energy (you will see a weight loss here) so with less muscles, your metabolism goes down. Then it will slow down lateral system, (digestion, hair and nail growth, the energy used by the brain) since you have no control over those system..... you will plateau. You have to find that magical point where your body is comfortable to lose weight. It does not think you are starving. The problem is that point can change for a multiple of reasons.

The human body is really complexe. Less calories = more weight loss is true when you have 100 pounds to lose but not when you try to lose the last 10 pounds.

springtrio

I know I'm one of MANY on this site but I am TERRIFIED of putting more than 1,200 calories a day into my body. It's more of a psyhological issue than anything (at least for me it is) because I dread the disgusting person I was back then. I see it on here day in and day out...while many of you may be health advocates many of the women including myself are seeking help for our issues, but being condescending about it isn't going to help when it's not a nutrition issue. It's something I'm trying hard to break because I am a runner and would eventually like to do a marathon, and quite possibly work up to ultramarathon. I know that til I get past my fear of food, it's not going to happen.

veganbaum

But as another poster said, why should I force myself to eat if I am not hungry and I am eating healthy, whole foods? That doesn't seem right. I know I can up my calories with legumes, nuts, and nut butters, but that seems silly unless I am using it to meet nutritional needs such as daily calcium and iron. (I'm really being serious, though. I don't understand how it could be healthy to force yourself to eat if you're not hungry. And I'm not a skinny person with some psychological issues about calories. I still have about twenty pounds to lose to be in my healthy weight category, but I eat until I'm not hungry, not until I'm stuffed.)

P.S. That wasn't a comment towards the poster above, I typed that before I saw your post! Just saying that I'm not like that (because I recognize there are many people who really are and could use support for that issue) and I can find it hard to hit 1200 calories many days because of what I eat and I'm not hungry.

ambie35

This is what I love so much about the forum feature on mfp. I was all for 1200 cals when I joined. It wasn't until I started eating my exercise calories back that I really started to lose and then thanks to the forums I realized setting my goals to 1lb a week was wrong from the start. I switched to 1/2 pound upped my cals and lost my last 5 pounds in a month.

yanicka

But as another poster said, why should I force myself to eat if I am not hungry and I am eating healthy, whole foods? That doesn't seem right. I know I can up my calories with legumes, nuts, and nut butters, but that seems silly unless I am using it to meet nutritional needs such as daily calcium and iron. (I'm really being serious, though. I don't understand how it could be healthy to force yourself to eat if you're not hungry. And I'm not a skinny person with some psychological issues about calories. I still have about twenty pounds to lose to be in my healthy weight category, but I eat until I'm not hungry, not until I'm stuffed.)

P.S. That wasn't a comment towards the poster above, I typed that before I saw your post! Just saying that I'm not like that and I can find it hard to hit 1200 calories many days because of what I eat and I'm not hungry.

Adding healthy oils (olive or even better coconut) is a good way to add calories easely

Imagine, you eat more = you feel better = you have a nice skin = you have more energy = you can train harder = you can up your metabolism = you eat more and that way you won't gain back the weight you lost when you go to maintenance

It's quite a beautifull thing

TakeOne

I saw a professional and asked what I should be eating.... They have a chart for height/weight that says what your minimum calories is...

I can't eat less than 800... They say it's because my body has so much stored up fat that it lives off of, that's why I don't have to eat as much as someone who's a lot more fit and don't have the fat to live off of.

So my advice to people, is to see a professional if you have questions.

A professional what?! In all of my nutrition can exercise physiology classes I learned you should not got lower than 1200 a day unless (regularly) medically supervised.

Bahahahaha!! Your reply cracked me up :laugh: :noway:

LorinaLynn

But as another poster said, why should I force myself to eat if I am not hungry and I am eating healthy, whole foods? That doesn't seem right. I know I can up my calories with legumes, nuts, and nut butters, but that seems silly unless I am using it to meet nutritional needs such as daily calcium and iron. (I'm really being serious, though. I don't understand how it could be healthy to force yourself to eat if you're not hungry. And I'm not a skinny person with some psychological issues about calories. I still have about twenty pounds to lose to be in my healthy weight category, but I eat until I'm not hungry, not until I'm stuffed.)

P.S. That wasn't a comment towards the poster above, I typed that before I saw your post! Just saying that I'm not like that (because I rcognize there are many people who really are) and I can find it hard to hit 1200 calories many days because of what I eat and I'm not hungry.

Because just like our brains and bodies had a disconnect that caused many of us to eat too much and thus, our weight gain, we sometimes have that same disconnect when it comes to eating enough.

My brain and/or body thought that woofing down 10 fun sized Butterfingers at a time was a good idea. I'm not going to trust that same brain and/or body to tell me that I'm meeting my nutritional needs. It obviously doesn't know what's what! :laugh:

Eating more has been the missing link for me. Every other time I had a weight loss attempt, I underate, and inevitably got frustrated with either the lack of results or feeling tired, so I quit. This time, eating enough, it's been a breeze. This is the first time I've ever had to think, "Am I done? Should I go on maintenance now?" I never got to that point before. Ever.

veganbaum

But as another poster said, why should I force myself to eat if I am not hungry and I am eating healthy, whole foods? That doesn't seem right. I know I can up my calories with legumes, nuts, and nut butters, but that seems silly unless I am using it to meet nutritional needs such as daily calcium and iron. (I'm really being serious, though. I don't understand how it could be healthy to force yourself to eat if you're not hungry. And I'm not a skinny person with some psychological issues about calories. I still have about twenty pounds to lose to be in my healthy weight category, but I eat until I'm not hungry, not until I'm stuffed.)

P.S. That wasn't a comment towards the poster above, I typed that before I saw your post! Just saying that I'm not like that and I can find it hard to hit 1200 calories many days because of what I eat and I'm not hungry.

Adding healthy oils (olive or even better coconut) is a good way to add calories easely

Imagine, you eat more = you feel better = you have a nice skin = you have more energy = you can train harder = you can up your metabolism = you eat more and that way you won't gain back the weight you lost when you go to maintenance

It's quite a beautifull thing

I appreciate you responding. And I do understand that sometimes upping calories can lead to more weight loss. However, I have lost 36 pounds and kept it off for nine months. I know I can maintain, I just need to lose the rest. I am also against adding what I consier empty calories such as oils, I would rather eat the real thing, like olives and avocado and get the oil from the food. I eat healthfully and feel good, just need to get this last bit of weight off. I just don't see how forcing myself to eat when I am not hungry is a good thing?

achasnis

Question: (And possibly a ridiculous one at that)

So lets say, you are taking in 1200 calories a day (starting today) forever. Are we saying out body will never "get used" to the intake? We will just live the rest of our lives in a starvation mode? Our metabolism will continue to be low and even if we are weight training, we will gain no lean body mass?

This is a serious question of mine....

So a recommended intake of calories for me at 5'6" and 164 lbs, while switching between weight training and cardio EVERYday would be what? (Also, I do make sure to keep my fat and sugar levels low, and did manually boost my protein intake%)

I'm sorry, I just don't seem to be understanding.....:embarassed:

annmrie

My doctor has been on me to lost weight for over six months now, and she put me on a 1200 calorie diet. It took me a while to get into it very steadily, so now that i truly am dieting and have done so for over a month I sometimes can't even get myself to eat 1200 calories! (though I'm sure I would go over if I hadn't been counting throughout the day.) I do find myself a bit more easily fatigued, but the confidence I've gained by simply getting back in touch with my body has been much greater.

Rae6503

I also am tired of every one trying for 1200 calories a day. I like "diets" that are easy. I won't stick to it if it's not. Actually I like "diets" that aren't diets. I like "diets" that are eating well, enough, but not too much. This is my normal life. I could easily eat this way forever and probably will.

I've been trying for 1750 net and have lost 8lbs in 3 months, which is great to me.

Rompa_87

I also am tired of every one trying for 1200 calories a day. I like "diets" that are easy. I won't stick to it if it's not. Actually I like "diets" that aren't diets. I like "diets" that are eating well, enough, but not too much. This is my normal life. I could easily eat this way forever and probably will.

I've been trying for 1750 net and have lost 8lbs in 3 months, which is great to me.

You are awesome Rachel.

This is the mentality of a successful dieter. Studies show that the faster people drop weight the more likely they are to put it back on because they see their goal as reaching a certain weight instead of living a healthier lifestyle. Anyone can lose weight quickly. Doing it properly in a slow and controlled manner which involves keeping lean body mass, exercising that bit more and eating 100-200 calories less a day than their requirements is harder inititally but guarantees they will keep it off in the long run and lose great in the process/

yanicka

I also am tired of every one trying for 1200 calories a day. I like "diets" that are easy. I won't stick to it if it's not. Actually I like "diets" that aren't diets. I like "diets" that are eating well, enough, but not too much. This is my normal life. I could easily eat this way forever and probably will.

I've been trying for 1750 net and have lost 8lbs in 3 months, which is great to me.

I do not DIEt too, I have been doing this for the last 9 months and missed one day when I had 1 day surgery. My signature say it all

CherryOnionKiss

uh, I don't get why eating 1900 cals a day would make me lose weight faster than by getting 1320 cals like MFP suggested. How can you lose weight if you eat more?

If your body feel you are in danger, (IE starving) it will slow down things in order to survive as long as possible. First to go with be muscles mass since muscles use more energy (you will see a weight loss here) so with less muscles, your metabolism goes down. Then it will slow down lateral system, (digestion, hair and nail growth, the energy used by the brain) since you have no control over those system..... you will plateau. You have to find that magical point where your body is comfortable to lose weight. It does not think you are starving. The problem is that point can change for a multiple of reasons.

The human body is really complexe. Less calories = more weight loss is true when you have 100 pounds to lose but not when you try to lose the last 10 pounds.

So I can I figure out how much I have to eat each day in order to lose 30lbs?

CherryOnionKiss

because so for I didn't lose a single pound. Which depresses me a damn lot. I've been trying since 5 months

baisleac

uh, I don't get why eating 1900 cals a day would make me lose weight faster than by getting 1320 cals like MFP suggested. How can you lose weight if you eat more?

If your body feel you are in danger, (IE starving) it will slow down things in order to survive as long as possible. First to go with be muscles mass since muscles use more energy (you will see a weight loss here) so with less muscles, your metabolism goes down. Then it will slow down lateral system, (digestion, hair and nail growth, the energy used by the brain) since you have no control over those system..... you will plateau. You have to find that magical point where your body is comfortable to lose weight. It does not think you are starving. The problem is that point can change for a multiple of reasons.

The human body is really complexe. Less calories = more weight loss is true when you have 100 pounds to lose but not when you try to lose the last 10 pounds.

So I can I figure out how much I have to eat each day in order to lose 30lbs?

It's going to change over the course of that 30 lbs. For now, I'd aim for a pound a week. In 10-15 lbs, I'd lower to 1/2 lb per week.

yanicka

uh, I don't get why eating 1900 cals a day would make me lose weight faster than by getting 1320 cals like MFP suggested. How can you lose weight if you eat more?

If your body feel you are in danger, (IE starving) it will slow down things in order to survive as long as possible. First to go with be muscles mass since muscles use more energy (you will see a weight loss here) so with less muscles, your metabolism goes down. Then it will slow down lateral system, (digestion, hair and nail growth, the energy used by the brain) since you have no control over those system..... you will plateau. You have to find that magical point where your body is comfortable to lose weight. It does not think you are starving. The problem is that point can change for a multiple of reasons.

The human body is really complexe. Less calories = more weight loss is true when you have 100 pounds to lose but not when you try to lose the last 10 pounds.

So I can I figure out how much I have to eat each day in order to lose 30lbs?

Love this site

http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

It calculate your BMR and how many calories you should eat. (their numbers include your exercices calories so no need to eat them if you use it)

Good luck

yanicka

because so for I didn't lose a single pound. Which depresses me a damn lot. I've been trying since 5 months

If you open your diary, it will be easier to help you

espinozAgal

I put all my stats into MFP, and it gave me 1200 a day to lose weight. If that's what it's teaching me...that's what I'm going to do.

CherryOnionKiss

Thanks for the site! now I know how much I should eat!

patrick323

HEADACHE!!!!

I can see, if you're a reasonably fit person or one with little to lose that perhaps you might be engaging in such calculations. If you're a person looking to lose fat, well....it's clearly about calorie deficiency.

I'm set at 2310cal/day (2lb per week loss by this site as it's maximum goal).
I typically intake an average of around 1500.
I exercise anywhere from 500 on a light day to 1500 on a heavy day.
My net is often under 1,000.

I eat when I'm hungry which is often. I eat healthy low cal foods. I feel great. I'm losing an average of 1.5 pounds a day on days of multiple workouts. I have PLENTY of "beef" beneath my fluff so for now, i'm not so concerned about BMI.

I cant see how this could be harmful let alone that these calculations be a major concern for most people on this site. Eat when you're hungry. Eat the right things. Seems simple enough. We can think of a billion mathematical equations (some necessary and simple) but I think eating the right foods (when hungry) combined with plenty of activity will result in your body telling you how many calories it needs. I prefer to listen to my body than an equation any day.

yanicka

I put all my stats into MFP, and it gave me 1200 a day to lose weight. If that's what it's teaching me...that's what I'm going to do.

Then you have to eat your exercice calories