Daily Calorie Goal Question?

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InfinitePoss
InfinitePoss Posts: 60 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Okay, I have done lots of searches and I can't seem to find any consistency so I am hoping someone can shed some light on this for me.

I am 6'2" and when I started MFP about two weeks ago I weighed 260, I am now down to 254 - my goal weight is 195. I have my activity level listed as lightly active and I work out about forty minutes per day six days per week. What concerns me is MFP has my daily calorie goal at around 1900 and this just seems a bit low. I thought most men needed a minimum of 2500 per day and I would think a guy my size would need even more.

Any thoughts on this?

Thanks!

Replies

  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 MFP Moderator
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    1500 is the "bare minimum" suggestion for men, and I was miserable when I tried that... I'm losing far better at my 2000 calories a day and 2 lbs per week loss.... or 3000 calories a day if I was on maintain weight... scary to think that that's a reduction from what I was eating before in order to get my weight to where it went but.... it apparently is.
  • aartirajan
    aartirajan Posts: 1
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    MFP already has done that for you....
    You need deficit of calories to lose weight, so MFP has taken of 500 cals off your daily required chart of ~2400 to bring you at 1900

    Now don't forget the important rule here - you need to add your exercise calories (actually MFP does that once you record it) and make sure you eat your calories or at least 90% of it everyday you workout..

    hope this helps...or did you already include this note in your post
  • gracie2586
    gracie2586 Posts: 69 Member
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    In your profile thing how many pounds a week are you trying to lose that has some to do with what they set your daily goal at i know if i move mine to lose 2 pounds a week they take about 600 of my calories away .
  • ronnio_ron
    ronnio_ron Posts: 61
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    calories deficit is already working, but you need to feed your body enough fuel to make sure it continues to lose weight, hence its important to eat your exercise calories.
  • SteveZT
    SteveZT Posts: 16
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    Okay, I have done lots of searches and I can't seem to find any consistency so I am hoping someone can shed some light on this for me.

    I am 6'2" and when I started MFP about two weeks ago I weighed 260, I am now down to 254 - my goal weight is 195. I have my activity level listed as lightly active and I work out about forty minutes per day six days per week. What concerns me is MFP has my daily calorie goal at around 1900 and this just seems a bit low. I thought most men needed a minimum of 2500 per day and I would think a guy my size would need even more.

    Any thoughts on this?

    Thanks!

    im similar size, weight and my goal is close to yours, and my recommended calories intake by MFP are 1750, the only diff is that I have opted for sedentary daily activities given my office work.
    I started a few days ago with counting calories when I joined but have lost some 50 lb in the last 7-8 months by changing my life style and eating habits.
    Alcohol, soft drinks, processed foods are all out and water, fresh fruit and vegetables and other simple foods are in.
    It was hard at first especially with the drinks and high sugar foods but I started liking water LOL
    and simple foods.

    As for eating your recommended calories and your exercise calories Im still in two minds about this, and would really like to hear a good and plain explanation on this subject.
  • kdelost630
    kdelost630 Posts: 199
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    I've found that MFP tends to make calorie goals low and overestimate calories burned. While everything in weight loss is an estimate, I usually use outside websites to calculate things. Try http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm and see how many calories they tell you to eat. You can always manually change your MFP goals.
  • mel100808
    mel100808 Posts: 23
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    2500 isn't the minimum amount of calories for men, it's the recommended amount.
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 MFP Moderator
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    Make sure you're comparing apples to apples before deciding MFPs suggestion is low for calories... MFPs calorie goal is a goal for you to lose weight ideally at your chosen rate of loss (if it's appropriate for what you have to lose) before lifting a finger in exercise. When you do exercise and log it on MFP you get more calories to eat.

    Some other sites give you a higher calorie goal initially but expect you to "build" all or part of your deficit for weight loss through the exercise... so on those ones you wouldn't be eating your calories back. But on MFP you do..

    same "Result" just applied differently
    IE my dietitian gave me 2400 calories a day, expecting me to workout 500 calories a day to build my deficit for weight loss
    MFP gives me 1900 calories a day, and IF I exercise for 500 calories a day, that day I can eat 2400 calories and have the same deficit I would have if I hadn't exercised.
  • InfinitePoss
    InfinitePoss Posts: 60 Member
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    Thanks for the feedback, it was really helpful. I guess I just assumed that being a big guy and all I would need more calories than what MFP is recommending.

    I must admit though that I am struggling a bit when it comes to finding the right foods to eat to hit my daily calorie requirements and not blow things like sugar and sodium intake out of the water.
  • InfinitePoss
    InfinitePoss Posts: 60 Member
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    Just wanted to bump this and ask a related questions. My weightloss seems to have stalled so I am wondering if I should changed my activity level "sedentary". I am in sales, however, I spend most of my time working the phone or driving to customer visits. I am not doing "door to door" so am not really out walking.

    The reason I chose lightly active is becaue I work out every day and I kind thought with playing with my daughter, and doing stuff around the house, that sedentary would be the wrong choice. Plus when I do sedentary my calorie goal drops to 1660, which just seems a bit crazy. Any thoughts on this?
  • SteveZT
    SteveZT Posts: 16
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    dude, change it to sedentary and then add all the exercises you do daily. That will boost you daily calorie allowance.
    It will automatically add to your allowance as you enter a new exercise.
    try it by going to exercise tab , enter an exercise, and then check back your food dairy :)
    youll see something like *You've earned xxx extra calories from exercise today
    just bellow your score table
  • jreed1920
    jreed1920 Posts: 123
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    Make sure you're comparing apples to apples before deciding MFPs suggestion is low for calories... MFPs calorie goal is a goal for you to lose weight ideally at your chosen rate of loss (if it's appropriate for what you have to lose) before lifting a finger in exercise. When you do exercise and log it on MFP you get more calories to eat.

    Some other sites give you a higher calorie goal initially but expect you to "build" all or part of your deficit for weight loss through the exercise... so on those ones you wouldn't be eating your calories back. But on MFP you do..

    same "Result" just applied differently
    IE my dietitian gave me 2400 calories a day, expecting me to workout 500 calories a day to build my deficit for weight loss
    MFP gives me 1900 calories a day, and IF I exercise for 500 calories a day, that day I can eat 2400 calories and have the same deficit I would have if I hadn't exercised.

    Yes!! Now THIS finally makes sense!

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