A different way to set up MFP goals - that WORKS!

jworb

bump!

CnocNaCu

Sorry, but I just want to remind you that NOTHING is a "one-fits-all" solution.
My BMR is 1247, I'm 52, 143 lbs at a hight of 5.4.
As soon as I eat above my BMR I'm gaining even though I work out EVER DAY for 45 mins.
I 've tried a lot: eating more and exercising more. Eating less, exercising less, change in Carb-protein-Fat ratio.
All I have to do is stick to 1200 and NOT eat calories back. As long as I make sure I eat healthy foods and get my mins and vits it works out fine. I don't eat processed foods, only home cooked, I eat at a ratio 40-30-30, I keep sodium below 1000 and drink more than 8 glasses of water plus herbal teas.
Maybe women over 50 and/or in menopause just can't eat as much as 20-somethings

chicco57

bump

hungryPHATbunny

Bump

stang_girl88

Thanks for info. I am going to give it a shot!

_Kitten_Kate

BUMP
SOOO complicated.
I am going to try to figure this out!!

heybales

BUMP
SOOO complicated.
I am going to try to figure this out!!

another method not so complicated.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/471769-an-easier-way-to-setup-goal-calories-eating-for-who-you-will-become

JeSuisPrest

BUMP
SOOO complicated.
I am going to try to figure this out!!

I found it easier opening up another window and re-setting my goals side my side so to speak, so that I could switch windows while going down the steps. Hope that makes sense! This plan works for me as I have been losing steadily now since January 1, prior to that (before the holidays that is) I was only losing every few weeks.

peacelily0507

Let me start by saying I've been successful with my weight loss journey. I'm 5'8, I went from 190 to 169 using Weight Watchers and then wanted a more accurate (and free) way of tracking what I was eating so i switched to MFP. I then went down to 158 with some bumps along the way - kept trying different things: eating more, eating less - and ultimately hit a plateau, and then gained 4 pounds - eek!

So I went to a nutritionist specialized for runners (as I run typically 35 - 40 miles per week) and I came back with some knowledge that suddenly just makes good sense. Thought I would share

I realize there are LOTS of ways to lose weight and I'm not saying one way is better than the other - but when you have less to lose it gets a little confusing and sometimes it's helpful to hear what's worked for other people - so here it is.

Rules:

1) Figure out your BMR
2) Figure out your maintenance calories before exercise
3) Set up MFP goals to maintain your weight
4) NEVER eat less than your BMR
5) NEVER create a deficit larger than 1000 calories.
6) Aim to eat the same calories every day (at or a little above your BMR) - unless you burn more than 600 calories with exercise, then eat more.

This will allow you to keep a small deficit on your off days, and create a larger deficit on your workout days. You can safely lose up to 2 pounds a week - even if you have less to lose, without being unhealthy and still giving your body the nutrients it needs.

This is how it worked for me:

BMR = 1500
MAINTENANCE CALORIES (without exercise) = 1970
Daily calorie goal for MFP = 1970.
Actual calorie goal = 1600.

If I don't workout at all, I create a 370 calorie deficit. If I burn 200 calories in exercise I create a 570 calorie deficit. If I burn 600 calories I create a 970 calorie deficit.

Anything over 630, I have to start eating more, so one day this week I burned 1200 calories working out (running 10 miles and walking my dog for an hour). My TDEE was 3170 (1970 + 1200). To follow my rule of never creating a deficit larger than 1000 calories, I aimed to eat 2170 calories that day.

By setting up my calorie goal for that maintenance level without exercise, my total remaining calories ends up being my total deficit for that day: For example, this is what my food diary looked like yesterday:

Goal Food Exercise Net Remaining
1970 2127 1123 1004 966

I, too, have heard that you shouldn't net below 1200, but my nutritionist told me that it is safe to net around 1000 on heavy workout days to create a larger deficit as long as I am meeting my nutrient goals.

This is what my day off looked like:

Goal Food Exercise Net Remaining
1970 1600 0 1600 370

I averaged a deficit of 870 last week and I lost 4 pounds (but I'm always a range so this could be more like 2, but I'm back where i was - 158). I'm having enough energy for my workouts, and feel like I have complete control of the deficit I create each day. On thanksgiving, I ate 2888 calories and still had a deficit of 657.

Anyway, it's working which makes me VERY happy It's just another way to work with MFP if you're looking for a change - that's nutritionist approved.

wow I feel pretty stupid but I cannot follow that at all...I'm glad you found something that works and I'd be willing to try but I have no clue how to figure out the numbers like that

my BMR is 1323.4

right now mfp has me at 1200 cal/day to lose 1.5-2 lbs/week (which isn't even happening

maintenance according to mfp is 1550

anyone bored enough to help me lol

buckeyerunner

Let me start by saying I've been successful with my weight loss journey. I'm 5'8, I went from 190 to 169 using Weight Watchers and then wanted a more accurate (and free) way of tracking what I was eating so i switched to MFP. I then went down to 158 with some bumps along the way - kept trying different things: eating more, eating less - and ultimately hit a plateau, and then gained 4 pounds - eek!

So I went to a nutritionist specialized for runners (as I run typically 35 - 40 miles per week) and I came back with some knowledge that suddenly just makes good sense. Thought I would share

I realize there are LOTS of ways to lose weight and I'm not saying one way is better than the other - but when you have less to lose it gets a little confusing and sometimes it's helpful to hear what's worked for other people - so here it is.

Rules:

1) Figure out your BMR
2) Figure out your maintenance calories before exercise
3) Set up MFP goals to maintain your weight
4) NEVER eat less than your BMR
5) NEVER create a deficit larger than 1000 calories.
6) Aim to eat the same calories every day (at or a little above your BMR) - unless you burn more than 600 calories with exercise, then eat more.

This will allow you to keep a small deficit on your off days, and create a larger deficit on your workout days. You can safely lose up to 2 pounds a week - even if you have less to lose, without being unhealthy and still giving your body the nutrients it needs.

This is how it worked for me:

BMR = 1500
MAINTENANCE CALORIES (without exercise) = 1970
Daily calorie goal for MFP = 1970.
Actual calorie goal = 1600.

If I don't workout at all, I create a 370 calorie deficit. If I burn 200 calories in exercise I create a 570 calorie deficit. If I burn 600 calories I create a 970 calorie deficit.

Anything over 630, I have to start eating more, so one day this week I burned 1200 calories working out (running 10 miles and walking my dog for an hour). My TDEE was 3170 (1970 + 1200). To follow my rule of never creating a deficit larger than 1000 calories, I aimed to eat 2170 calories that day.

By setting up my calorie goal for that maintenance level without exercise, my total remaining calories ends up being my total deficit for that day: For example, this is what my food diary looked like yesterday:

Goal Food Exercise Net Remaining
1970 2127 1123 1004 966

I, too, have heard that you shouldn't net below 1200, but my nutritionist told me that it is safe to net around 1000 on heavy workout days to create a larger deficit as long as I am meeting my nutrient goals.

This is what my day off looked like:

Goal Food Exercise Net Remaining
1970 1600 0 1600 370

I averaged a deficit of 870 last week and I lost 4 pounds (but I'm always a range so this could be more like 2, but I'm back where i was - 158). I'm having enough energy for my workouts, and feel like I have complete control of the deficit I create each day. On thanksgiving, I ate 2888 calories and still had a deficit of 657.

Anyway, it's working which makes me VERY happy It's just another way to work with MFP if you're looking for a change - that's nutritionist approved.

wow I feel pretty stupid but I cannot follow that at all...I'm glad you found something that works and I'd be willing to try but I have no clue how to figure out the numbers like that

my BMR is 1323.4

right now mfp has me at 1200 cal/day to lose 1.5-2 lbs/week (which isn't even happening

maintenance according to mfp is 1550

anyone bored enough to help me lol

buckeyerunner

Let me start by saying I've been successful with my weight loss journey. I'm 5'8, I went from 190 to 169 using Weight Watchers and then wanted a more accurate (and free) way of tracking what I was eating so i switched to MFP. I then went down to 158 with some bumps along the way - kept trying different things: eating more, eating less - and ultimately hit a plateau, and then gained 4 pounds - eek!

So I went to a nutritionist specialized for runners (as I run typically 35 - 40 miles per week) and I came back with some knowledge that suddenly just makes good sense. Thought I would share

I realize there are LOTS of ways to lose weight and I'm not saying one way is better than the other - but when you have less to lose it gets a little confusing and sometimes it's helpful to hear what's worked for other people - so here it is.

Rules:

1) Figure out your BMR
2) Figure out your maintenance calories before exercise
3) Set up MFP goals to maintain your weight
4) NEVER eat less than your BMR
5) NEVER create a deficit larger than 1000 calories.
6) Aim to eat the same calories every day (at or a little above your BMR) - unless you burn more than 600 calories with exercise, then eat more.

This will allow you to keep a small deficit on your off days, and create a larger deficit on your workout days. You can safely lose up to 2 pounds a week - even if you have less to lose, without being unhealthy and still giving your body the nutrients it needs.

This is how it worked for me:

BMR = 1500
MAINTENANCE CALORIES (without exercise) = 1970
Daily calorie goal for MFP = 1970.
Actual calorie goal = 1600.

If I don't workout at all, I create a 370 calorie deficit. If I burn 200 calories in exercise I create a 570 calorie deficit. If I burn 600 calories I create a 970 calorie deficit.

Anything over 630, I have to start eating more, so one day this week I burned 1200 calories working out (running 10 miles and walking my dog for an hour). My TDEE was 3170 (1970 + 1200). To follow my rule of never creating a deficit larger than 1000 calories, I aimed to eat 2170 calories that day.

By setting up my calorie goal for that maintenance level without exercise, my total remaining calories ends up being my total deficit for that day: For example, this is what my food diary looked like yesterday:

Goal Food Exercise Net Remaining
1970 2127 1123 1004 966

I, too, have heard that you shouldn't net below 1200, but my nutritionist told me that it is safe to net around 1000 on heavy workout days to create a larger deficit as long as I am meeting my nutrient goals.

This is what my day off looked like:

Goal Food Exercise Net Remaining
1970 1600 0 1600 370

I averaged a deficit of 870 last week and I lost 4 pounds (but I'm always a range so this could be more like 2, but I'm back where i was - 158). I'm having enough energy for my workouts, and feel like I have complete control of the deficit I create each day. On thanksgiving, I ate 2888 calories and still had a deficit of 657.

Anyway, it's working which makes me VERY happy It's just another way to work with MFP if you're looking for a change - that's nutritionist approved.

wow I feel pretty stupid but I cannot follow that at all...I'm glad you found something that works and I'd be willing to try but I have no clue how to figure out the numbers like that

my BMR is 1323.4

right now mfp has me at 1200 cal/day to lose 1.5-2 lbs/week (which isn't even happening

maintenance according to mfp is 1550

anyone bored enough to help me lol

If your BMR is 1323, then that should be your approximate calorie intake goal on any given day, never going below. That will give you a deficit of 227 calories each day. Say today you exercise and burn 500 calories doing so. You will increase your defict to 727 calories for that day. Let's say tomorrow you go crazy and burn 1000 calories exercising, then you would have a calorie deficit of 1227. You should eat an additional 227 calories that day, so that you aren't exceeding a calorie deficit of 1000/day. It gets confusing when you try to use MFP. She is saying that you should set your "MFP goal" to 1550, but your real goal is 1323, not 1550. Because then you can see your total deficit that you created each day in the "remaining" column, and if it is greater than 1000 (say 1227) then you will easily be able to see that you need to eat another 227 calories.

I think

Tara4boys

I switched to this method last week and really like it! Thanks!

paulahenn

Now that I'm exercising more this sounds like a much better way to calculate.

aprilreed67

Bump

jmaffett

bump

jeepzilla

bump for later..

chellekoren

bump. I like this.

clairetillman

Bump

_Kitten_Kate

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

I found this site that will calculate the info for you.

natalieg0307

bump