Calorie allowance seems too low !

BlueBaron37

Hi all I have been on this deit 5 days now, not done any exercise. My goal calorie intake is 1200, I have not managed it yet. I have had an 1800 day and yesterday 2100. the other days have been over by 100+ approx and yet I have lost 3 lbs this week.

I notice other people diarys have more calorie allowence. I started to get headaches from lowering my calories, ok today.
I am still aiming for 1200 calories and I'm sure I'll do it before the week up.

Verity1111

Hi all I have been on this deit 5 days now, not done any exercise. My goal calorie intake is 1200, I have not managed it yet. I have had an 1800 day and yesterday 2100. the other days have been over by 100+ approx and yet I have lost 3 lbs this week.

I notice other people diarys have more calorie allowence. I started to get headaches from lowering my calories, ok today.
I am still aiming for 1200 calories and I'm sure I'll do it before the week up.

Hi welcome! You probably honestly lost a lot of water weight from the sounds of it. How tall are you and what is your age and weight?

Sarauk2sf

Hi all I have been on this deit 5 days now, not done any exercise. My goal calorie intake is 1200, I have not managed it yet. I have had an 1800 day and yesterday 2100. the other days have been over by 100+ approx and yet I have lost 3 lbs this week.

I notice other people diarys have more calorie allowence. I started to get headaches from lowering my calories, ok today.
I am still aiming for 1200 calories and I'm sure I'll do it before the week up.

Hi welcome! You probably honestly lost a lot of water weight from the sounds of it. How tall are you and what is your age and weight?

And what did you set your weight loss goal and activity levels up as in MFP?

nz_deevaa

Did MFP set you at 1200 cals? Are you male? Did you set your goals up correctly?

ladyraven68

Hi all I have been on this deit 5 days now, not done any exercise. My goal calorie intake is 1200, I have not managed it yet. I have had an 1800 day and yesterday 2100. the other days have been over by 100+ approx and yet I have lost 3 lbs this week.

I notice other people diarys have more calorie allowence. I started to get headaches from lowering my calories, ok today.
I am still aiming for 1200 calories and I'm sure I'll do it before the week up.

Firstly, you may have MFP's settings wrong, many people set themselves as sedentary, when they really aren't, and many set a weight loss goal that is too aggressive.

Secondly, don't forget that MFP energy estimates don't include exercise, so if you exercise you can eat more calories and still maintain the defict you chose.

I was also on 1200 when I started, but also got the headaches and lightheadedness, so did some research and upped my calories.

I personally don't like MFP's method of eating at the sedentary level and then eating back exercise calories as non-workout days calories are too low, and workout days calories are too high. I prefer to eat the same every day based on my TDEE less a moderate deficit.

Put your info in here - http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/
This gives you the TDEE of your future leaner you at your goal weight,
There is a group here for eating like teh future you - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/3105-eating-for-future-you
or put your current weight as goal weight to get your estimated current TDEE

or here if you have measurements - http://www.skinbodyfitness.com/bmr_bmi_bfp.htm

Then take a deficit of 15-20% from the TDEE.

Good luck

yvonnemctear

Hi, i`ve only been doing this a short while...i am also on 1200 cal limit a day, i did this for a week last month, and suffered terrible headaches...decided to give it another go, this time round, making sure i drink plenty of fluids, it helped loads...sipping water throughout the day, you`ll be surprised just how much you get through, I find it ok to stick to, some days i`m under, some days just over, pretty much evens itself out...but definitely up your fluid intake, will make a difference :-)

IDontLikeRegistering

1200 cal/day is as low as this site will go! I suspect you may have made some mistakes on your Diet Profile. Go back to http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided and check carefully.

Are you using the wrong units? If you're weighing yourself in kilograms then make sure the input fields don't say "lb".

It is also important to log your exercise, especially if you said you have a sedentary job. If you walked 20 minutes to catch the bus to work/school, click the Exercise tab and log it under Cardiovascular! If you walked 20 minutes home again, log that too! You'll find that goal intake rising which will lead to a much more comfortable diet.

One last thing - make sure you drink your eight cups of water a day. If you're suddenly eating massively less food, those headaches could be dehydration.

BlueBaron37

My start weigh was 204 lbs my height is 5,6 1/2 but set to 5,7 here. I'm male aged 45. My profile is set to Sedentary as I drive a cement mixer truck and am sitting most of the day. There is not much physical activity in my daily work really but I do try to jog around but we are talking like 10 yds at max and about 8 times a day. Somedays not even that. Pulling levers and pushing buttons plus driving controls, is really the extent of exercise. I was thinking does changing gears about couple of hundred times a day and pushing clutch pedal and turning the steering wheel on the truck burn some calories. Though it is not much more effort than a car on a modern truck.

As for the lady with headaches I know your body will adjust and they will go may take a week or two.

I do peek at 224 a few years back and hovered around 217 for a long time. I have started my own diet and exercise but couldn't get below 14 stone, in fact 14 st 2 ib that is 196-198. So I thought I give this a MFP a try.

nz_deevaa

MFP won't set a male at 1200 cals, you must have put something in wrong.

You should be eating more than 1800 at a minimum. IMHO.

BlueBaron37

MFP won't set a male at 1200 cals, you must have put something in wrong.

You should be eating more than 1800 at a minimum. IMHO.

I just check settings I have entered correct, male want to lose 2 lb per week, I also put my exercise goal is 2x100 mins exercise which I ain't managed this week.

kym117

Hi, i`ve only been doing this a short while...i am also on 1200 cal limit a day, i did this for a week last month, and suffered terrible headaches...decided to give it another go, this time round, making sure i drink plenty of fluids, it helped loads...sipping water throughout the day, you`ll be surprised just how much you get through, I find it ok to stick to, some days i`m under, some days just over, pretty much evens itself out...but definitely up your fluid intake, will make a difference :-)

I am on the same and it is surprising when you get used to the system how much food 1200cals a day can contain some days I struggle to meet it! That said and done I have never heard of a male being on 1200 calories a day I would check my settings. Good luck.

Sarauk2sf

My start weigh was 204 lbs my height is 5,6 1/2 but set to 5,7 here. I'm male aged 45. My profile is set to Sedentary as I drive a cement mixer truck and am sitting most of the day. There is not much phyical activity in my daily work really but I do try to jog around but we are talking like 10 yds at max and about 8 times a day. Somedays not even that. Pulling levers and pushing buttons plus driving controls.

As for the lady with headaches I know your body will adjust and they will go may take a week or two.

I do peek at 224 a few years back and hovered around 217 for a long time. I have started my own diet and exercise but couldn't get below 14 stone, in fact 14 st 2 ib that is 196-198. So I thought I give this a MFP a try.

As a guy, there is no way you should be as low as 1200. I am female, 5 6", 44 and before exercise, I am on 1750 to lose weight (I over-rode MFP). However, even without over-riding and at sedentary, MFP never put me that low.

In addition MFP is really 'stingy' on the activity level - I have found that sedentary is pretty much never the right level and using the higher activity level works better to get a better setting.

Sarauk2sf

MFP won't set a male at 1200 cals, you must have put something in wrong.

You should be eating more than 1800 at a minimum. IMHO.

I just check settings I have entered correct, male want to lose 2 lb per week, I also put my exercise goal is 2x100 mins exercise which I ain't managed this week.

As you have less than 50lb to lose, you should set yourself at 1lb a week and up your activity level to lightly active. This should give you a better target.

Do you do any exercise?

BlueBaron37

I do exercise some weeks, but am busy with work most of the time and I get home late some evenings. Never done any last week.

At best I manage gym twice a week. in last 3 weeks I have been gym twice.

treetop57

204 lb, 5'6", 45-year old male has a calculated basic metabolic rate of 1,753, the number of calories your body would consume if you didn't move a muscle, eat, or think all day.

You must have set your activity level to sedentary, which multiples that by 1.25, a daily calorie expenditure of 2191 (before exercise). Then you must have said you wanted to lose 2 lbs per week, which subtracts 1000 calories a day. 2191 - 1000 = 1191. But MFP never sets anyone less than 1200, so that's where you were put.

As your body is telling you, 1200 is ridiculously low for a man your size. I think 2 lbs per week is too aggressive a goal. I'd set it at 1 lb per week, which would put you at about 1,700 net. I'd also recommend eating your exercise calories.

It doesn't do you any good to set an unrealistic goal that you can't follow. If you're like me, you'll just get discouraged and say screw it.

BlueBaron37

As you have less than 50lb to lose, you should set yourself at 1lb a week and up your activity level to lightly active. This should give you a better target.

Do you do any exercise?

I'd rather lose 2 lb a week, I really need too lost it asap.

Sarauk2sf

I do exercise some weeks, but am busy with work most of the time and I get home late some evenings. Never done any last week.

At best I manage gym twice a week. in last 3 weeks I have been gym twice.

So, I would suggest one of 2 approaches:

1) up the activity level to lightly active in MFP and change to goal loss to 1lb a week - then 'eat your exercise calories back' - this is the way MFP is designed to work, or

2) follow the instructions in @ladyraven's post - and just eat the level given in the table from the site based on your activity level (lightly active - as it includes exercise) and donot eat your calories back.

Both should approximate each other in the end.

EDIT: one other suggestion, which may be easier - set yourself at 1900 a day (I used the info you gave and this appears to be reasonable for you) - you can over-ride the MFP settings. If you set yourself at higher calories (but it is still below what you expend a day) then you will have a much better chance of sustaining the weigh loss 'journey' and will be able to be able to go through the day with more energy and have a better chance of getting proper nutrients.

BlueBaron37

Thanks for help, I have decided to leave it just how it is for the whole first week, to get a kick start then up my activie level to lightly active at the end of that period.

Once again thanks for all your help.

Sarauk2sf

Thanks for help, I have decided to leave it just how it is for the whole first week, to get a kick start then up my activie level to lightly active at the end of that period.

Once again thanks for all your help.

You should also consider changing your goal to 1lb a week. You really should not 'force' weight loss - its best to do it in a steady and healthy way.

Good luck

BlueBaron37

You should also consider changing your goal to 1lb a week. You really should not 'force' weight loss - its best to do it in a steady and healthy way.

Good luck

I have some serious blood pressure issues, I got two choices tablets or weight loss and exercise. I don't want tablets and my weight loss program I set myself failed on the whole. So I don't have the choice for relaxed weight loss.

MarincicS

I do exercise some weeks, but am busy with work most of the time and I get home late some evenings. Never done any last week.

At best I manage gym twice a week. in last 3 weeks I have been gym twice.

I don't think your activity level is the same as how often you go to the gym for exercise. I sit on my butt all day every day for my job. Then i like to come home and sit down and have a rest :-). But some people are on their feet all day for work, or have physical jobs or lifestyles (e.g. walk 20 minutes to work or school or bicycle there, coach the kids soccer team and run around the field every day, or even home taking care of the family and running up and down the stairs all day). This is how you gauge your activity level.

Actual exercise should be logged separately and not factored in to your basic activity level.

I have myself rated as sedentary and my FitBit agrees with me.