MFP target is tiny!!!

clareiow

Hi everyone

Not sure if anyone can help but I've just had MFP calculate what it thinks I should eat based on my lifestyle to lose 1lb a week....

And it's put me on the bare minimum, 1200 Cals.

Now I'm well covered size 10 (us size, 14 in the uk) and want to lose a stone and a half. But isn't that a bit drastic? I'm cool if that takes me all year but I'm worried that 1200 Cals is far too close to starvation mode. Plus I'm struggling to get under 1300 Cals at the moment anyway.

How can I do this? Is it possible to stick to?

nickyrobinson

Maybe you should switch to .5 lb/week? I started out there, and only recently switched to 1 lb/week.

Lozze

If you figure out what your BMR and TDEE is that should help. Look for a thread called 'in place of a road map' that explains it more in depth. Or you can click on tools at the top of the page and that will tell you as well. BMR is the minimum you should eat.

yesthistime

I agree with switching your goal to .5 lb per week so that your calorie allowance will be more reasonable.

And if you would like to explore an alternate way to set up your calorie goals on MFP, you can read this:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/538381-in-place-of-a-road-map?error_user_id=1362324&error_username=yesthistime&hl=in+place+of+road+map

clareiow

Thanks guys....Ill have a look!

clareiow

Thanks guys....Ill have a look!

clareiow

Sorry double post

kym117

Hi, I am 5ft and I was a UK size 16/18 when I started MFP and I am sure I set it to lose 1lb a week and it gave me for 1320 for around 4 months then I was on aprox 1250. It is a bit of an adjustment in your eating habits and I can't deny I was hungry for a bit until I got used to living on that amount of calories but you do get used to it and know how to stretch your calories around. I am now a UK size 12 and on 1200 calories a day and some days I struggle but you can up your excersise and eat your calories back so effectively giving me another 200+ calories to consume.I have to say some days I stuggle now to make up my 1200 and my workmates say I am always eating :laugh: My problem now is I am on exactly 1200 calories I don't want to eat under that amount but I don't want to eat way over it so I aim for just over e,g. 1220.
The important thing is not to let you get yourself downhearted try sticking to it for say 2 weeks, if you still struggle then up your calories as you may be more inclined to jack it in and you don't want that.

ladyraven68

Hi everyone

Not sure if anyone can help but I've just had MFP calculate what it thinks I should eat based on my lifestyle to lose 1lb a week....

And it's put me on the bare minimum, 1200 Cals.

Now I'm well covered size 10 (us size, 14 in the uk) and want to lose a stone and a half. But isn't that a bit drastic? I'm cool if that takes me all year but I'm worried that 1200 Cals is far too close to starvation mode. Plus I'm struggling to get under 1300 Cals at the moment anyway.

How can I do this? Is it possible to stick to?

It is possible yes, but you don't have to do it this way. Work out your daily requirements and subtract your deficit from there.
I was also set at 1200 when I started, due to being short, but I couldn't do it for long, it made me I'll.

I am now losing happily at 1600 per day.

One important point- MFP set your calorie target excluding exercise, so it you exercise you can eat back the exercise calories to maintain the deficit MFP has set, so you probably won't be eating just 1200.

Some people prefer to work out their daily expenditure including their exercise activity, you can then manually set the MFP calorie goal and not be worried about eating back the exercise calories.

Good luck.

clareiow

See this "eating back your calories" thing doesn't make sense to me. I've read a thread on here
Explaining why but I still don't get it. Surely it's the calorie count AND exercise that will help you lose weight faster and better. If I ea whatever I burn then it's pointless surely!?

ladyraven68

See this "eating back your calories" thing doesn't make sense to me. I've read a thread on here
Explaining why but I still don't get it. Surely it's the calorie count AND exercise that will help you lose weight faster and better. If I ea whatever I burn then it's pointless surely!?

When you set up your MFP you made a choice of losing 1lb 2lb etc, and MFP deducted your deficit of 500 or 1000 calories. If you then exercise you are making that deficit larger, and for some that is unhealthy. MFP assumes that when you said 1lb a week, you meant a lb a week, so it tells you to eat back burned calories to maintain the 500 deficit.

That is the way MFP works, you should get the "remaining" calories as close to zero as possible, otherwise you net calorie intake could be too small.

I prefer to work out my own TDEE (or get someone to do it for me) than rely on MFP's one size (1200) fits all approach.

clareiow

Right so if my daily calorie limit is 1200, and I exercise to burn 300, I must eat 1500?
If I eat 1500 I'll lose more than if I stick to 1200?

My logical mind can't work that out!!

sherry9300

At first it doesn't make sense, but soon enough, if you're anything like me, you'll think it's the greatest thing in the world. I hate non exercise days because my calories are so restricted. Right now I've upped to 1430 (.5 lbs per week loss, per MFP) and then anything else is mine to eat as well. If you burn 300 calories, you can eat them all back. I usually eat back at least half. Once I get a HRM I may eat back more, but for now I'm assuming my cals burned estimates are on the high end.

But yes....eat back your calories. Once you see it works it will completely change the way you look at weight loss.

SuffolkSally

Yes you will. Exercise raises your metabolism, so you'll burn more (slightly on the other hand, muscle weighs more than fat, so people who do a lot strength training will be slimmer and smaller because they lose fat, but they may still weigh the same!). If you up your exercise and reduce your calories, your body may react to the stress by clinging grimly to every calorie and although it does seem paradoxical you may in fact be giving your self a harder battle.

Like everything on this website there's huge disagreement, but that's the way I understand it!

I'm on 1200 a day too, and it's possible but a bit miserable. If I eat back my exercise calories I get more food, more choice, and more of the things I like, so apart from getting used to the routine of weighing and measuring, I haven't found it hard at all, certainly haven't been hungry.

squishycow7

go to tools and figure out your BMR.

you should probably be eating at least that number so you don't feel tired/icky and get decent nutrition.

MFP gives 1200 as an absolute baseline - your goal is probably set to 2lbs/a week which is HARD and nearly impossible unless you are seriously overweight.

try eating at your BMR as a better starting point!

edit to add - you don't have to "understand" the eating back exercise calorie thing. just trust it. if you've dieted before by "starvation" methods, and you're STILL HERE? guess what - it's time to try something new.

clareiow

Well my BMR is 1372, sounds more manageable.

I used to do a lot of Atkins, me and carbs don't really get on so it suited me. But as with all diets you know, you end up craving the things you shouldn't have, and so it goes back up.

Initially I went from 159 down to 136. Back up to 155, and now, so slowly, down to 147. I know that through healthy eating and exercise it might actually STAY off!!

Bodhizephyr

There are about 3500 calories in 1lb of fat. So why don't you calculate what you eat now and cut down by that a week?

1200 is really not as bad as it sounds. If you factor in exercise it will be more than that. its the net calorie intake not the gross. I think as well, most people are given 1200. You don't have to be exact with it either.

It's about what you eat aswell. Salads are practically free. Maybe we need a 'how do you do 1200 calories' post to help people out?

em9371

Right so if my daily calorie limit is 1200, and I exercise to burn 300, I must eat 1500?
If I eat 1500 I'll lose more than if I stick to 1200?

My logical mind can't work that out!!

you were saying 1200 is low - that is based on no exercise so total intake and net are both 1200.
if you exercise 300 away, your net is only 900 which is like only eating 900 which you wouldnt do as you said 1200 was too low. Eating less doesnt always mean you lose more, at some point your body will stop releasing fat as its not getting enough fuel.
MFP is designed for you to eat back exercise cals as it gives you the deficit before accounting for exercise. If you choose a higher activity level so that exercise is already included, you will get a higher cal allowance so will work out the same overall as eating back cals.

if your BMR is 1376, you should net AT LEAST that much, but eat BELOW your TDEE in order to lose. With a stone and a half to lose, you should be aiming for 0.5lb per week loss, so at the very minimum (using sedentary) your maintenance cals would be 1651, for other activity levels this would be higher. Minus 250 for 0.5 loss = 1401. This is NET so any exercise cals should be eaten in addition to this.

I used to eat 1650 / net 1200. Due to injury I had to stop exercising, netted 1650 and lost more. I now eat 1950 / net 1600 and lose more than when i was netting 1200 :-)

Ifthis post goes into more detail to take into account body fat, number of workouts etc:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/538381-in-place-of-a-road-map

MaraDiaz

Edited because Em beat me to it!

clareiow

I think a thread on the best way to eat 1200 is a great idea!

I find dieting easier on days I'm At work as I pre-prepare food for it. I have porridge for breakfast, some kind of salad and a yogurt for lunch and then a fairly standard dinner. I try not to waste calories on dressings and sweet drinks.

I think I'm worrying about it a lot at the moment because I can't exercise thanks to a groin strain, so no exercise means no leeway. Six weeks until my holiday and want to be as trim as I can!!

Hope everyone else's weightloss is going well and Easter doesn't ruin too many diets!!

SuffolkSally

Did you up to 1372?

I ditched yoghurts as not worth the calories, and very substantial salads including things like brown rice, beans, lentils, pasta etc with fish or chicken for protein, and find the extra bulk and the extra protein really helps.

Good luck, be good to hear how you get on.

Bodhizephyr

Be careful with Yoghurts - they tend to be very high in sugar even if they are low in fat!

Bodhizephyr

I think a thread on the best way to eat 1200 is a great idea!

I find dieting easier on days I'm At work as I pre-prepare food for it. I have porridge for breakfast, some kind of salad and a yogurt for lunch and then a fairly standard dinner. I try not to waste calories on dressings and sweet drinks.

I think I'm worrying about it a lot at the moment because I can't exercise thanks to a groin strain, so no exercise means no leeway. Six weeks until my holiday and want to be as trim as I can!!

Hope everyone else's weightloss is going well and Easter doesn't ruin too many diets!!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/562302-a-day-in-your-1200-calorie-intake

mlang1955

And it's put me on the bare minimum

I felt the same way when I first began MFP. My calories total was 1340 to lose 1/2 pound per week. I did not think it was possible. However, with healthier eating I discovered that it is very possible. My diary is open for all to see so please take a look.

I set my goal for only 1/2 pound because I did not want to feel deprived or hungry. I figured that I would fail if the diet was too restrictive. Also, I usually eat back the majority of my exercise calories and do not stress if I go over my calorie limit ocassionally. Getting more calories to eat is a great incentive to exercise plus the exercise helps firm everything up. Additionally, I log everything and weight almost everything I eat. In the beginning I checked the calories for many, many foods as I have discovered some errors in the database.

Today after 12.5 weeks, I have lost 15.4 pounds and have exceed my goal of losing 15 pounds.

Bottom line: Trust the system. It works!

Good luck and welcome to MFP.

mlang1955

Be careful with Yoghurts - they tend to be very high in sugar even if they are low in fat!

Dannon Oikos Greek Nonfat yogurt is the only yogurt I eat. Calories=80; Fat=0; Sodium=50mg; Sugar=6g; Protein=15g.

I have found most other yogurts to be very high in sugar and do not eat them anymore.

mamagooskie

I'd do .5 lbs per week.

mandylooo

Be careful with Yoghurts - they tend to be very high in sugar even if they are low in fat!

Dannon Oikos Greek Nonfat yogurt is the only yogurt I eat. Calories=80; Fat=0; Sodium=50mg; Sugar=6g; Protein=15g.

I have found most other yogurts to be very high in sugar and do not eat them anymore.

Rachael's Organic are relatively low in sugar. But yeh, hate that thing where they make things low fat and then cover it with sugar.