Getting confused over calories, help!

niknak2308

Hi,

I hope someone can clear this up for me as I'm getting rather confused.
So according to MFP, my Basal Rate is 1,444 cals a day.
And I read that 1lb of fat is equal to 3,500cals.
So surely that means that if I ate 500 cals less per day than my BR, (so 944/day)
I would lose 1lb a week?
But doesn't that take me under the magic limit for starvation mode (though I read it's variable)...?
MFP is keeping me on 1200 as the minimum I should have, and I'm finding that I'm earning at least 200cals a day, upto 600 extra on a good day of which I eat most back as I'm normally starving lol.
Besides, I'd like to aim for 2lb a week too so how would I do that - surely not cut out 1000cals a day from my 1,444 limit?

So what do I go with, 944 a day?
1200 a day?
Do I eat back the exercise cals?

HELP!!! :sad:

Thanks

Pebble321

Your BMR is the calories you burn just staying alive, so you need to multiply this by an activity factor (this is why MFP asks if you are generally sedentary, lightly active etc).
Eg. if your BMR is 1444, and you are lightly active you multiply 1444 x 1.375 (I think that's right) and you get your maintenance calories of 1985.
Then you subtract your calorie deficit from this number: 1985 - 500 = 1485.
So, if you are lightly active you should lose 1 pound a week eating 1485 calories a day. This doesn't incude exercise, so if you burn 300 cals a day, you add this to the base amount and can lose 1 pound a week eating 1785 cals/day.

But, you don't have to worry too much - let MFP do the maths for you, eat the NET calories that MFP recommends and (assuming you are logging accurately) you should lose weight steadily.

LethaSue

If it said you get 1444 calories a day to lose one pound a week , then that is what you get each day to use. If you burn more calories then you can use those also. Most people either eat those or eat half back. It never expects you to go below 1200 ever. You do not subtract anything from the number it gave you. If you choose to lose more than 1 lb a week, then adjust your numbers in settings.

SuperSnoopy

I'm still confused!:ohwell:

TavistockToad

Your BMR is the calories you burn just staying alive, so you need to multiply this by an activity factor (this is why MFP asks if you are generally sedentary, lightly active etc).
Eg. if your BMR is 1444, and you are lightly active you multiply 1444 x 1.375 (I think that's right) and you get your maintenance calories of 1985.
Then you subtract your calorie deficit from this number: 1985 - 500 = 1485.
So, if you are lightly active you should lose 1 pound a week eating 1485 calories a day. This doesn't incude exercise, so if you burn 300 cals a day, you add this to the base amount and can lose 1 pound a week eating 1785 cals/day.

But, you don't have to worry too much - let MFP do the maths for you, eat the NET calories that MFP recommends and (assuming you are logging accurately) you should lose weight steadily.

this!

Helloitsdan

Your BMR is the calories you burn just staying alive, so you need to multiply this by an activity factor (this is why MFP asks if you are generally sedentary, lightly active etc).
Eg. if your BMR is 1444, and you are lightly active you multiply 1444 x 1.375 (I think that's right) and you get your maintenance calories of 1985.
Then you subtract your calorie deficit from this number: 1985 - 500 = 1485.
So, if you are lightly active you should lose 1 pound a week eating 1485 calories a day. This doesn't incude exercise, so if you burn 300 cals a day, you add this to the base amount and can lose 1 pound a week eating 1785 cals/day.

But, you don't have to worry too much - let MFP do the maths for you, eat the NET calories that MFP recommends and (assuming you are logging accurately) you should lose weight steadily.

^^^^This!

If you have issues setting macros send me a PM.
I can help!

niknak2308

Thanks for your replies. I guess where I was going wrong was not figuring in the activity level...
I've just updated my Fitness and Nutrition goals and it says that I should stick at 1,200.
And that I can eat my exercise calories as long as I'm still within my daily total?
Does that not seem a bit silly to eat them all back - aside from the obvious health implications
might you not just as well not exercise at all and just stick to 1,200?
Surely if I didn't eat them all back it would add to my weightloss?
In which case how many should you eat back in order to maintain a healthy overall deficit?

Thank you everyone

niknak2308

Thanks for your replies. I guess where I was going wrong was not figuring in the activity level...
I've just updated my Fitness and Nutrition goals and it says that I should stick at 1,200.
And that I can eat my exercise calories as long as I'm still within my daily total?
Does that not seem a bit silly to eat them all back - aside from the obvious health implications
might you not just as well not exercise at all and just stick to 1,200?
Surely if I didn't eat them all back it would add to my weightloss?
In which case how many should you eat back in order to maintain a healthy overall deficit?

Thank you everyone

lexiwho

Thanks for your replies. I guess where I was going wrong was not figuring in the activity level...
I've just updated my Fitness and Nutrition goals and it says that I should stick at 1,200.
And that I can eat my exercise calories as long as I'm still within my daily total?
Does that not seem a bit silly to eat them all back - aside from the obvious health implications
might you not just as well not exercise at all and just stick to 1,200?
Surely if I didn't eat them all back it would add to my weightloss?
In which case how many should you eat back in order to maintain a healthy overall deficit?

Thank you everyone

There is a wealth of information in this topic:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/23912-links-in-mfp-you-want-to-read-again-and-again

It explains everything much better than I could ever dream of doing.

BobbyClerici

More is less sometimes. Good luck -- YOU CAN DO IT!

niknak2308

Perfect just what I need! Thanks so much for all our help and motivation! :flowerforyou:

niknak2308

Oh and I probably should have mentioned this before but I never count it so it didn't cross my mind...
I'm also still fully breastfeeding my 1 yr old... I couldn't work out where to add/minus the cals for this so never
bothered and have stuck at 1200...
Just added this as I was wondering if I'm therefore actually eating enough?
My BR plus light activity level calorie allowance comes in at 1877.
So if I minus 500 to lose a lb a week I'm left with 1377... but I'd like to lose a bit more than that hence MFP
putting me down to 1200... but as I'm still breastfeeding does that mean I should add on another 300 - 500 cals ?
So could it be I'm not eating enough?

I mean I'm losing an average of 1lb a week which is constant, but that has gone down a lot from my first month where I lost my first 10lbs...:ohwell:

3dogsrunning

Thanks for your replies. I guess where I was going wrong was not figuring in the activity level...
I've just updated my Fitness and Nutrition goals and it says that I should stick at 1,200.
And that I can eat my exercise calories as long as I'm still within my daily total?
Does that not seem a bit silly to eat them all back - aside from the obvious health implications
might you not just as well not exercise at all and just stick to 1,200?
Surely if I didn't eat them all back it would add to my weightloss?
In which case how many should you eat back in order to maintain a healthy overall deficit?

Thank you everyone

It is not silly to eat back your exercise calories. MFP puts you at a caloric deficit without ever having to workout. Most people suggest creating a deficit of 500-1000 calories for a healthy weight loss. MFP does that without exercise. So when you exercise, and create a larger deficit, you eat them back to maintain a reasonable deficit, not too large. Your net should be the number MFP suggests, so if your is 1200, your net would be Calories eaten - exercise = 1200.
If you aren't eating back your calories and only consuming 1200 calories, a good workout of 300 calories puts you at a net of 900 calories, which can be too low.
There are a number of issues with eating too few calories, it can slow your metabolism over time, making it harder in the long run to lose weight. It can lead to issues with fatigue if your body isn't getting enough to calories. It is also difficult to maintain. Yes, you might lose weight faster at first, but not in the long run.
This shouldn't just be about losing weight as fast as you can, its about feeding your body and being healthy.

Plus, I saw in your last post you are breastfeeding, which I believe is another 500 calories or so a day. So at 1200 calories, without exercise, your body is only getting 700. Add in a 300 calories workout and you are at 400 net calories, far too low for your body. That is starvation.
You can log breastfeeding under food, it gives you a negative calorie.

niknak2308

It is not silly to eat back your exercise calories. MFP puts you at a caloric deficit without ever having to workout. Most people suggest creating a deficit of 500-1000 calories for a healthy weight loss. MFP does that without exercise. So when you exercise, and create a larger deficit, you eat them back to maintain a reasonable deficit, not too large. Your net should be the number MFP suggests, so if your is 1200, your net would be Calories eaten - exercise = 1200.
If you aren't eating back your calories and only consuming 1200 calories, a good workout of 300 calories puts you at a net of 900 calories, which can be too low.
There are a number of issues with eating too few calories, it can slow your metabolism over time, making it harder in the long run to lose weight. It can lead to issues with fatigue if your body isn't getting enough to calories. It is also difficult to maintain. Yes, you might lose weight faster at first, but not in the long run.
This shouldn't just be about losing weight as fast as you can, its about feeding your body and being healthy.

Plus, I saw in your last post you are breastfeeding, which I believe is another 500 calories or so a day. So at 1200 calories, without exercise, your body is only getting 700. Add in a 300 calories workout and you are at 400 net calories, far too low for your body. That is starvation.
You can log breastfeeding under food, it gives you a negative calorie.

Thank you for taking the time to explain that in a way I can get my head around! Especially for the last part. I didn't realise how much the breastfeeding would be affecting me.... Hm.. think I'm going to take the plunge and up my cals to compensate... Seems mad but I'm willing to give it a shot! :laugh: Thanks!