Who statrted at 1200 but raised their goal?

SergeantSunshine_reused

Total Daily Energy Expidenture

I don't know why people use it.

Seems like you BMR (Basic Metabolic Rate) is more important then just add on your excercising calories burned.

BMR helps you figure out how many calories your body burns doing nothing but basic functions (Breathing, sleeping, pumping blood, etc.)

Why wouldn't you use TDEE?
BMR of around 1400 is still too low for me to be eating. Even on my 3k days I dont just exercise the whole day. I have class, 2 labs and such. Using just BMR and exercise would create more error for me

TDEE adds in your daily activity. That burns more calories then you would think

countryclubber

bump

gashinshotan

I started at net 1220 and lost 30 lbs over 3 months but then plateaued... I paid for it though - I lost all my strength and I had bad back aches... since increasing to 1600 and cheating one or two days a week the pain went away and my running speed/endurance greatly improved.... now I'm trying to regain some of the muscle I lost to get cut

elzettel

MFP has had me at 1200 since day 1. If I stick to this I am NOT a happy person to be around. If by chance I am able to get the 1200 one day...I am seriously looking to inhale any carb I can get my hands on the next day! I always eat back my exercise cals which helped me a ton. I'm at that last 5lbs and seem to be creeping up. Recently, I've been feeling dizzy, nausea and generally just not feeling great. I would normally workout 5-6 days/week for about 45min to an 1 hour (longer when training for a 1/2 marathon). My Dr. suggested upping my protein which helps but I didn't quite feel like myself still. I cut back on the workouts and upped my cals but stopped tracking (I still eat healthy but was concentrating on how my body felt rather than the calorie amount). Of course I've gained a few pounds but haven't had any of the other symptoms since (yeah!). Now, I want to get back to tracking to get rid of the recent lbs and lose those stubborn last 5. I've increased my workouts and am beginning to track cals again. I changed my daily intake to 1500 which seems to be ok but I haven't pushed my workouts too hard. In calculating my TDEE it shows 2,321 calories for heavy exercise (which I was doing) and 2,085 for moderate (what I'm at now). I was considering trying Insanity again (had to stop after 1 month due to how I was feeling) but think I should up my calories a bit more for it.

mommyb923

I haven't actually changed my goal, but I make sure I eat every single calorie I earn from working out! I also don't fret if I am within 100 calories at the end of the day. Once I started this, the weight started falling off! I couldn't lose a pound before and then lost 3.5 in 3 weeks! Woot!

This is why I advocate eating and warn against fad diets (particularly low carb). The ranges are there for a reason and your body needs all of these things to function properly! Eat!!

kaylammurphy

I switched mine After looking at the BMR for a person at the weight I want to be, I realized that 1200 calories just wasn't right, so I bumped mine up to 2000 For my height (5'4") I would end up weighing 82.1# on a 1200 calorie diet. Hello anorexia!

DixiedoesMFP

I tried 1200 calories for about 3 days. Man, was I cranky. I generally eat around 1650 calories a day and that is much more manageable. The weight is not coming off superfast, but it is coming off, and I look a lot better.

BMR is important because you don't want to go BELOW those calories, as that as the number of calories needed to perform essential life functions. Mine is around 1430.

TDEE is important because a pretty active person (like Sunshine) can burn a ton of calories in a day and create a huge difference between BMR and TDEE which can be counterproductive. I recently got a Body Bugg and my TDEE is around 2400 most days. That's working a desk job. The majority of my calories burned come from household chores (mopping, etc) and working out for about an hour most days of the week.

rebeccap13

Isn't MFP giving you a TDEE because it asks your activity level? Just curious. I hadn't heard of TDEE and am actually looking at upping my calories from 1300 to see if that helps with losing.

gashinshotan

Yeah I had bad pains at 1220 cals with all the running I was doing.... I lost a lot of fat but I felt sore and sometimes even depressed throughout the day which went away when I increased my cals.

I tried 1200 calories for about 3 days. Man, was I cranky. I generally eat around 1650 calories a day and that is much more manageable. The weight is not coming off superfast, but it is coming off, and I look a lot better.

BMR is important because you don't want to go BELOW those calories, as that as the number of calories needed to perform essential life functions. Mine is around 1430.

TDEE is important because a pretty active person (like Sunshine) can burn a ton of calories in a day and create a huge difference between BMR and TDEE which can be counterproductive. I recently got a Body Bugg and my TDEE is around 2400 most days. That's working a desk job. The majority of my calories burned come from household chores (mopping, etc) and working out for about an hour most days of the week.

HoLLyZ82

i too started out at 1200 calories on here and have stalled out for months. i raised it to 1400-1500 now i eat any where from 1800-2400 cals. hoping to see some progress soon my TDEE (i weara bodybugg) on average is 2550

skywa

currently at 1500. previously 1700. my TDEE is around 2100-2200. :P

stephabef

Mine is set at 1351 right now (BMR), but I've had it set as high as 1570 (net, of course) when I was working out/lifting more. I'm battling a sinus infection, so I've been running less, but I'd still never go back to 1200! My body is the most comfortable netting around 1400-1600 cals.

Libby81

I spent about 8 months trying to loose the last 20lbs....eating from 1200, then went to 1350 and then 1500 and bounced up and down 3lbs...whined, cried, complained...you name it. Then one day, I read an excerpt from "New Rules of Lifting Weights for Women" and it totally broke down why eating less and exercising more reeks havoc on our bodies...why I was then in starvation mode and wasn't loosing weight. So based on the information I raised my non-workout caloric intake to 1800 and on my workout days I eat a minimum of 2000 but have gone as high as 2500. I have one cheat day on the weekend where I don't track. It broke down why CARBS ARE IMPORTANT AND PROTEIN TOO...and I adopted the 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat ratios. I eat no less than 30gr of fiber a day. I always drink a protein shake after every workout.

I now lift way heavier, never feel hungry or deprived, I stopped carb binging, and what I have started doing is loosing fat, gaining muscle, have lost inches and the weight loss is pretty steady. So, I am a huge proponent of EATING MORE to WEIGH LESS.

Wow, I just did the calc for my TDEE and it is 2472...so I now see why I couldn't loose a thing at 1200 or even 1600 cals...WOW...I WAS SO STARVING MYSELF!!!

This is the exact reason I upped my calories, I was fine on the 1200 a day but knew I couldn't live on that forever. This book put my mind at ease about working out my correct calorie goals and I too adjusted my macros to 40% carbs, 30% fat, 30% protien and am now eating between 1700/1900 cals per day. I also have days where I go over and days where I stay under, but I don't stress either way anymore. NROLFW changed my whole perspective and I'm so glad

determinedbutlazy

I started at 1500, lost 20lb then went down to 1200 and got STUCK at 24lb (I'm still there.)
I've been going to the gym 3x a week so I assumed I wasn't getting enough calories. I checked my BMR and realised 1200 is WAY too low for me, personally.
I'm coming up to the end of my first week of being back up to 1500, I reallly hope when I weigh in on monday there's a difference.

savdbygrac

How do you calculate your TDEE and your maintenance calories?

Here is a worksheet for Excell:

http://interzone.kicks-*kitten*.net/Calculating_calories.xls

(only fill in the "Only Fill Here" section. Use the section below that for your conversions. Over on the left you'll see BMR, Mainenance, Cut, Gain. The cut is how many to eat to lose, gain is to gain weight. On the right you'll see what your weight movement should look like and the % of your portions should you choose to custom your goals here on MFP) Someone over in Nutrition posted this. He put some time in to it for sure!

LorinaLynn

I started at 1200 because like everyone else in the world, I wanted the weight gone as soon as possible and set it to 2# a week.

Within a month, I realized I rarely lost more than 1# a week, except when I had a 48 hour stomach flu. Fiddling with my settings, I realized that by the math, at the weight I was, it was impossible for me to safely lose 2# a week... that the most I could lose was 1.3#. So I changed it to one pound a week, and got more calories. I had the same weight loss results, sometimes more, on 1350 calories as I did at 1200. And I felt better, too. Always ate exercise calories, too.

As I got closer to my goal weight, I switched to .5# a week, and lost the promised .5# a week. That was around 1500 calories. But I noticed more changes to my body shape and size with less pounds loss in that time. And even more changes when I upped my protein. Then amazing changes when I started adding heavy weights instead of 5# dumbbells.

I stayed around 1500-1600 (always plus exercise calories) until October when I went on maintenance. Maintenance is around 1700 for me. Since then, I gained a few pounds, but continued to get smaller.

The jeans I bought in October are baggy on me now, and I weigh about 8# more. At this point, I don't care what the scale says at all.

megs2003

I discovered the Olivia Method today (you can look for it in the Search) and think I am going to start that tomorrow after my weekly weigh-in. I've only been on 1200 calories for a week and half and the first week was fine, but this week I was totally exhausted and then ended up caving more than once on treats. It just didn't feel like enough, so starting tomorrow I'll be upping.

mixedfeelings

I find I can stick to 1200 calories a day easily, I find I eat plenty and can workout for a couple of hours and not feel hungry, my goal is 1420 but my doctor, who also said he knows nothing about nutrition suggested I should cut down to 1000 calories. I have a lot I want and need to lose, around 70lbs in total, I've been sticking to around 1200-1400 calories a day, slightly more some days, exercising around 5 days a week, between 30 - 120 minutes at a time but I am barely losing anyway weight. I'm scared to eat more because I've put on all my weight eating not much more than 1600-1800 calories.

mikellsmom

I started at 1200 a month and a half ago. For the first month I lost 12lbs then nothing. I was exhausted everyday after my workouts. I was burning like 1000 calories a day. Last week I bumped up my calories to btw 1400 and 1600 a day. When I weighed in today I had lost 2.5lbs this week... Raising my calories has given me more energy, and I am able to do more in my workouts. Really freaked me out to raise my calories, but it is working for me...

rudegyal_b

i started with 1200, it stopped working about 3 months later, went up to 1300, then 1400. then i got a bodymedia and can eat over 2000 cals on a work day and still maintain a 250 cal deficit

scapez

TDEE followers - eat back exercise calories or no?

jmvmisc24

I started off with 1200 was actually never hungry and kept under goal but i decided to up to 1500 calories and I acutally see the same amount of fat loss.

itsjustdawn

I raised mine to 1600, but I work out at least once a day 6 days a week, and rarely eat what I burn, but just because I am not hungry. I'm losing

Libby81

How do you calculate your TDEE and your maintenance calories?

Here is a worksheet for Excell:

http://interzone.kicks-*kitten*.net/Calculating_calories.xls

(only fill in the "Only Fill Here" section. Use the section below that for your conversions. Over on the left you'll see BMR, Mainenance, Cut, Gain. The cut is how many to eat to lose, gain is to gain weight. On the right you'll see what your weight movement should look like and the % of your portions should you choose to custom your goals here on MFP) Someone over in Nutrition posted this. He put some time in to it for sure!

fantastic thanks for the share

1sweetpea70

Im 5'4, started mfp at 152lbs. Im down 10. Ive been here faithfully for 25 days. I started at 1200 and since it hasnt been very long, ill stay where im at and see how i do for another 25 days.

xginanax

bump

SammyPacks

I started at 1200 calories back when I started in April... now I'm at around 1900+ calories! 8D!!!

lisamvan

I started out at 1550 cal a day and wasn't seeing any weight loss. Changed it to 1800 and I lost 2 lbs in a week or so. I'm going to leave it there and see what happens this next week....*shrugs*

jadedone

I am set at 1700. I eat between 1550-1800 depending on my level of exercise for the day or week.

I tried 1200 for a couple of days. #epicfail.

I was starving and nauseated. If I made it through the day, I woke up ready to eat my arm and craving beef.

I vote for higher calories.

reddcat

Bump. interesting discussion