The "Olivia Method" - the cool new way to set up your MFP go

CyberEd312

Maybe I am not reading this right, but how is this any different than setting your BMR by MFP and setting it to sedentary and then whatever you want to lose (mine is set to 1.5 lbs. lost a week) this then give me my daily caloric intake (with my deficit already built in to lose 1.5 lbs a week) and then when I exercise, i eat those calories back. Doesn't that get the same results??? If not please explain... My deficit (set by MFP is 750 calories less a day) which even when I eat back my exercise calories, I try to stay when 250 calories of that 750 calorie deficit which gives me a 1000 calorie deficit for that day. On days I take off exercise then my deficit is already built into my MFP calories so I just eat to my net...

Ok, so for me, if I were to set my calories the MFP way, with a sedentary setting it would have me at 1776 calories a day to maintain. If I wanted to set it up so that I lost 1.5 pounds a week, it would have me eating 1200 (less than 1.5 pounds a week because it won't go below 1200 - to lose 1.5 pounds a week I would have to eat 1,026 which isn't safe). If I choose 1 pound a week, it gives me 1276. Now for someone like me who runs a lot, i would have to eat VERY little on my off days, and then eat quite a lot on my long run days, still only running a smallish deficit. I could choose not to eat all my exercise calories to create a larger deficit, but it would be unclear how many I could not eat back without forcing my body into panic mode.

By doing it this way, I have a minimum safety number I need to hit, and then I can see the deficit I'm creating, making sure to keep it in a safe zone of less than 1000. If I want to reach a greater deficit, I know how much I need to work out to achieve it.

For people who have less to lose, and women in particular, it is harder to work the numbers when it caps off at 1200 net. It's a way for us to lose weight at a noticeable rate without being unhealthy.

Ok makes more sense for those that are getting put under 1200 calories daily, I don't have that problem lol and probably never will. My BMR (calories remaining) with my deficit figured in still leaves me with 2480 calories to consume daily and that is before you start adding in my exercise calories are figures in. I will pass this on to a few friends that are closer to that 1200 a day number.... Thanks.....

rosied915

Maybe I am not reading this right, but how is this any different than setting your BMR by MFP and setting it to sedentary and then whatever you want to lose (mine is set to 1.5 lbs. lost a week) this then give me my daily caloric intake (with my deficit already built in to lose 1.5 lbs a week) and then when I exercise, i eat those calories back. Doesn't that get the same results??? If not please explain... My deficit (set by MFP is 750 calories less a day) which even when I eat back my exercise calories, I try to stay when 250 calories of that 750 calorie deficit which gives me a 1000 calorie deficit for that day. On days I take off exercise then my deficit is already built into my MFP calories so I just eat to my net...

WOW~ just wanted to Congratulate you on your outstanding success!! I read your story and you are quite an inspiration to all of us here!! Would you think about posting here with us sharing some of YOUR secrets? Congratulations again!

So, Good Morning Everyone!

As far as Group, Weekly, etc goes~ I vote for whatever keeps this going!

olivia3263

Ok, I created a group. Here it is: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/1170-olivia-method

cruzanna

bump

Charlotte012

bump

joclougherty

Ok, I created a group. Here it is: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/1170-olivia-method

Joined!

kikkipoo

Thanks Olivia. You've become an instant icon!

kikkipoo

Bump because this is exactly what those of us who are trapped in MFP's 1200 minimum calorie nightmare need.

getsveltEagain

So my numbers would be:
BMR = 1580
1580 * 1.3 = 2054
(1580 + 1000) - 2054 = 526

So I would set my calorie goal to 2054 and then eat about 1554 a day to lose half a pound. But that is a half a pound a day right?

With the exercise I would do something like this.... If I burn more than 526 on a given day I would eat the surplus. For example, if I burn 750 calories I would eat 224 making my day total 1778.

edit: I am currently 170 lbs, 5'3.5", female, and 30yrs old. On an average day (according to my Bodybugg) I burn 2000/2100 calories (24hr day/midnight-to-midnight)

Not half a pound a day - gosh, that would be amazing, wouldn't it? Amazing but not so safe. It takes 3500 calorie deficit to create 1 pound loss. If you average 500 calories a day, that equals 1 pound lost in a week (500 x 7). So if you create a 500 calorie average deficit everyday for 7 days, you'd lose a pound.

Thanks for the reply... I thought that half a pound a day was too extreme!? Did the math with the exercise make sense?

Iceskatefanrn

This looks completely fascinating, and I'm just now starting a more intense gym-committment routine, but I just can't read-digest this right now! Plan to really STUDY it later on!

Thanx for sharing!

:drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

Ice

kit548emt

I've always been so confused by all of this, and read a lot of information on it but the way you explained it made more sense to me (after I read it a few times lol ) I've set mine to calculate that way. I'm anxious to see how it works out.

Thanks for the info!!!

DoubleE615312

bump for saving....

HealingMe

Oh gosh, this method just seems really confusing. Isn't there a way I can set up my MFP to show me EXACTLY how many calories I can eat and still lose at least 2 lbs a week? Trying to remember how many calories to leave in the green just seems to complicated.

pbaker8307

Bump

palak126

Is it OK to net less than 1200 calories per day?

My numbers-
BMR: 1274
Maintenance: 1656
Max exercise burn w/o eating back calories: 618

So if I eat 1274 and burn 618 (to get a max deficit of 1000) that would put my net at 656 calories. Is it okay to net less than 1200??

kerrbear20

bump. im going for this

sjpowell24

To much for my Mummy Brain..... Bugger!!!

Soon2BeMrsThomson

Help!!

I know my targets etc are set up all wrong and this is why I'm not losing just maintaining which is not good as I have a long way to go to my target (168lbs) - I'm 5'7 and weigh 264lbs - MBR is 1984 and I do 3 x sessions a week earning 500 cals a time. What should I set my targets at to lose 2lbs per week?

Any help would be much appreciated!!

Thanks

Donna x

I would say the same for you as well. If you have more to lose, it's easier to create a 1000 calorie deficit before exercise, so I would stick with the traditional MFP goals, and eat your exercise calories to create that deficit. Just set up MFP to lose 2 pounds a week

Thanks for your help Olivia, much appreciated!!

olivia3263

Is it OK to net less than 1200 calories per day?

My numbers-
BMR: 1274
Maintenance: 1656
Max exercise burn w/o eating back calories: 618

So if I eat 1274 and burn 618 (to get a max deficit of 1000) that would put my net at 656 calories. Is it okay to net less than 1200??

Apparently it is. You get scolded by MFP if you eat under 1200 actual calories when you complete your diary, but you don't when you net under 1200. This is something that tripped me up to, but if you think about it, the only way for someone with a low BMR to get a decent deficit is to net under 1200 (using exercise of course, and making sure to eat at least your BMR). I would still go by how your body feels. I can only go about 3 days netting that low and then I feel yucky, so I have to spend a day or two with a smaller deficit and I feel better.

kikih64

Might give this a try. Thanks for the post!