MFP vs. Biggest Loser

MissesOfficer

This website allows me 1,230 calories per day... the biggest loser suggests 7 calories per 1 pound of body weight, which would give me 1,575 per day. I often feel that to stay around 1230 I can't eat ANYTHING and often find myself wanting food... suppose thats a sign that I should up it to the biggest loser's recommendations?

MissesOfficer

This website allows me 1,230 calories per day... the biggest loser suggests 7 calories per 1 pound of body weight, which would give me 1,575 per day. I often feel that to stay around 1230 I can't eat ANYTHING and often find myself wanting food... suppose thats a sign that I should up it to the biggest loser's recommendations?

sixtyinchesoffury

i just upped my calories to 1460 and I feel so much better!!!

it really has helped me cuz i would have a "i blew it" mentality with so few calories I felt likeI could never stay within

you might try it:flowerforyou:

blum0133

Do you think that it depends on what your weight is? If I ate 7 calories for every one pound I would be eating way less than 1200.

tennetubbie

looks like you are doing great with the weight loss---what about earning those extra 40o caloires.

I try to walk for one hour a day---otherwise --like you say---you feel like you are eating rabbit food all day

OTOH you could try BL tactic for a couple of weeks---if the weight keeps coming off---BONUS!!! If not---you will not have used up much time.

FluffnStuff

I use my BMR as a guideline.
MFP set me at 1200 initially (with the desire to lose 2 lbs a week).
My BMR is 1550, so I upped my calories and not only do I feel better, but I lose weight easier. It just may take me a while longer to lose. Something to consider.

:flowerforyou:

MissesOfficer

looks like you are doing great with the weight loss---what about earning those extra 40o caloires.

I try to walk for one hour a day---otherwise --like you say---you feel like you are eating rabbit food all day

OTOH you could try BL tactic for a couple of weeks---if the weight keeps coming off---BONUS!!! If not---you will not have used up much time.

I often do not eat back all of my burned calories... maybe that would help

MissesOfficer

I use my BMR as a guideline.
MFP set me at 1200 initially (with the desire to lose 2 lbs a week).
My BMR is 1550, so I upped my calories and not only do I feel better, but I lose weight easier. It just may take me a while longer to lose. Something to consider.

:flowerforyou:

My BMR is 1777.... seems a bit high... but maybe somewhere in the middle would be ideal.

omid990

This website allows me 1,230 calories per day... the biggest loser suggests 7 calories per 1 pound of body weight, which would give me 1,575 per day. I often feel that to stay around 1230 I can't eat ANYTHING and often find myself wanting food... suppose thats a sign that I should up it to the biggest loser's recommendations?

only 7 calories per pound? that would mean that i should be eating 966 calories...:noway:

MissesOfficer

This website allows me 1,230 calories per day... the biggest loser suggests 7 calories per 1 pound of body weight, which would give me 1,575 per day. I often feel that to stay around 1230 I can't eat ANYTHING and often find myself wanting food... suppose thats a sign that I should up it to the biggest loser's recommendations?

only 7 calories per pound? that would mean that i should be eating 966 calories...:noway:

Yes, one place I read 7 and another it was 8... but its somewhere right around there. I don't know the ins and outs of this or how it works... it may increase after you've lost a certain amount or something... not totally sure.. didn't read the book first hand just read the reviews on google about the 7-8 calories per pound thing. I am curious though.

MissesOfficer

http://rebeccascritchfield.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/science-behind-the-biggest-loser-diet/

hmo4

that's bull-i can't live on 960 cals! stick with mfp. if you're hungry up it a couple hundred. i upped it to 1400 and broke my plateau!

aymie24

I think it must depend on how much weight you have to lose. I am about 40 lb overweight and at 7 calories per pound, I'd only be eating 1113 calories. MFP alloted me 1200, and with 9 servings of vegetables per day, I can stay within that range but I am so sluggish! I think I am going to play around with increasing carbs and upping my calories a bit too.

worldlywanderlust16

So I actually attempt to eat my BMR per what my doctor says it is; which is like 1900 calories. I started my lifestyle change on April 4th and I have seen great results. I fill that 1900 calories with complex carbs and a lot of vegetables. I have noticed slight changes in how I feel especially when I get up in the morning; instead of hitting the alarm five times I only hit it once. :laugh:


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Easy Calorie Counting

blum0133

Yeah I think you are better off going with your BMR. I would only be eating 791 cals if I only ate 7 cals per pound...that CANNOT be healthy.

FluffnStuff

Just remember BMR is the basic basic amount of calories your body NEEDS to function (if you were immobile...aka laying in bed doing nothing but have your organs function).
BMR is NOT taking into account ANY "physical" activity.
So, you really should be eating even MORE then BMR suggests.

For me, it was a middle ground....1200 cals and grouchy OR 1500 cals and tolerable.
Fiddle with it, see what works and what doesn't.

We (generalizing here) are USED to "starving" to lose weight... yet, America is one of the fattest nations. Maybe, just maybe....it's cause we are doing it wrong.

:huh:

Just a thought.

hiddensecant

If you think your body needs it, go for it. Or maybe you can bump it up in small increments to find your happy medium.

sassiebritches

I personally was at 1200 and not eating exercise cals and lost, then I got to eating the cals and lost nothing, went back to 1200 and not eating cals and plataued. It was when I upped my cals to 1450 and exercise cals (1900 some days), that I broke the plateau and started losing again. I have not been real good about exercise these last 3 weeks but still have not gained back, in enough time to still lose. I was still sort of paying attention to what I ate. So rarely over in cals, and if I was it was never above my BMR at rest.

This is not a perfect science, you need to find what is good for you. I was able to stick to 1200 cals without the exercise cals and after about 4 weeks began feeling ill, turns out it was likely not enough to keep me going with all the working out I was doing....the deficit may have been too high. So now that I eat like I said, more and the exercise, I feel great.

Try it

July

I think you should find out the number of calories you should eat to maintain the weight you want to be. Then, eat that many calories. It will be slower, but easier.

SHBoss1673

yeah, 7 calories is generic, it's a very loose guideline, it doesn't hold for all ratios. For example, someone with a high muscle to fat ratio will need more per pound (low body fat %)

Remember the basic rule guys, the higher your bmi the bigger the deficit you can afford guys. Someone with a bmi over 30 can afford a 9 or 10 calorie per pound deficit, but someone with a bmi of around 24 needs far lower.

for example, I need 15 calories per pound. but I'm trying to maintain (my BMI is 23.5 and my body fat % is 11.5) but for someone my size with a body fat % (a male) of about 15 would need about 13 calories per pound to keep them at about a 500 calorie a day deficit. calories per pound is a difficult way to look at it because it doesn't hold true for everyone.


FYI BMR is a vaccum number. I wouldn't depend on it for much. It doesn't take into account basic functions. It only takes into account what you need for your organs to function. It doesn't take thermogenesis or nerve function or daily activity. if you want to know your maintenance calories multiply BMR by about 1.3 and that should be pretty close (within 100 calories or so)

xfluffyfrogx

I felt like I was starving with the amount of calories MFP gave me. I changed mine and gave myself an extra 150 calories. It made me feel a whole lot better. Some days I don't even use those extra but its the mind of matter thing knowing that they are there.
Whatever you do you don't want your body to feel like its being starved.

chrissyh

This website allows me 1,230 calories per day... the biggest loser suggests 7 calories per 1 pound of body weight, which would give me 1,575 per day. I often feel that to stay around 1230 I can't eat ANYTHING and often find myself wanting food... suppose thats a sign that I should up it to the biggest loser's recommendations?

only 7 calories per pound? that would mean that i should be eating 966 calories...:noway:

Remember that Biggest Loser is set up for extreme amounts of weight to be lost not for the last 10 pounds.

FluffnStuff

BMR may be a vaccum number, but it's a good starting point for those who are taking in too few calories who are complaining they are hungry all the time or can't eat anything. It's also a good starting point for those who have been in "diet mentality" for years...even decades and eating OVER 1200 is "just too much" for them.

MacMadame

This website allows me 1,230 calories per day... the biggest loser suggests 7 calories per 1 pound of body weight, which would give me 1,575 per day. I often feel that to stay around 1230 I can't eat ANYTHING and often find myself wanting food... suppose thats a sign that I should up it to the biggest loser's recommendations?

It can mean anything... hunger has a lot of causes. It could mean you need more fuel. It could mean you are eating too many carbs. It could mean you aren't drinking enough water. It just depends on what else is going on.

Rather than going with anyone's plan, why not add in 100 calories at a time until you find a good balance between feeling hungry and not losing weight?