Timeline?

kvitsh

Hello. I'm new.

So, I'm under my caloric limit today and it says if I continue to eat like this, I'll lose three pounds...in FIVE WEEKS? Why five weeks? I picked and want to lose a pound a week.

When I'm under the limit I get the lecture from the system about how if I'm under my body will store fat, etc.

I'm confused.

McKayMachina

Might be a glitch. Check it again later.

vmckenzie82

The system will "lecture" you when you are under your calorie intake for the day only if you are under because you didnt eat as much. You want to eat as many calories as you are allowed (mine is 1200 a day). If you exercise and add calories to your allowed calories, but still eat what you are allowed, it will not lecture you and you will find that your weight loss prediction will increase dramatically.

The system gives you the minimum calories your body needs a day to simply maintain itself and any time you are under that calorie minimum, your body will go into starvation mode and your body will keep everything that you put into your body instead of burning it like you want it to.

does this make sense? Bottom line, if you aren't going to exercise, eat ONLY your calorie daily goal, no more, no less. If you are going to exercise, you buy yourself some more calories to play with if you want to eat something else but as long as you are burning more than you eat, you will lose weight. just dont starve yourself trying to do it.

Purplebunnysarah

If it's telling you that you'll lose less than 1 lb per week despite you choosing that setting and sticking to your calorie goals, it's probably because you're small enough already that your body can't easily sustain a 1 lb/week rate of loss. For instance, if you're very short or if you've got a small weight loss goal (or both).

kvitsh

Thanks. This makes sense. And, I found this part: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/my_goals, which explains it more, as well.