Going OVER my calorie goal

hem8787

I have seen so many posts on this site with people complaining that they are having "such a hard time" eating all of their recommended calories given to them by MFP. Is it it just me or are some people having the opposite problem? Do I just have a really low goal? I'm 5'6", started at 142 lbs, now down to 135lbs, goal weight is 120lbs. My lifestyle is listed as sedentary on my fitness profile because I have 40 hour/week desk job. I go to the gym 3-4 times per week for about 45 minutes .I am not overweight by any means, but I do have a lot of extra body fat. MFP gives me 1200 calories a day. I find it nearly impossible to not go over that goal! The only time I am under my goal is if I go to the gym, even then I end up around 1100 calories for the day. I am also a vegetarian so I like to think that I eat pretty healthy. No, I'm not the type of vegetarian who lives on cheese and french fries. I make good food choices. Anyone else having this problem?

gostumpy

IMHO, if you exercise at all, or do anything other than laze around all day, you need to specify a higher activity level...

I started at low, goal was 1340 calories per day... That made me eat like a bird, and I was tired / hungry all day...

I upped my activity level and now I'm shooting for 1870 calories per day, which I can actually be close to or under, whilst still having the energy to DO things!

gostumpy

And do you have "Lose 1 pound per week" selected?

It's recommended for a reason!

-edit-

To answer your question, yes, you have a really low goal!

hem8787

I used to have 1 lb a week selected and it was 1240 calories per day. I changed it 1 1/2 lbs per week and now it is 1200 calories per day. I get what you mean about upping my activity level, I thought about doing that. However, I have been netting around 1400-1500 calories a day and have only lost 6 lbs in 3 1/2 months. So if I up my activity level and then follow that calorie goal, I'm pretty sure I won't lose any weight at all and will probably gain weight.

rainbowbow

You should be consuming between your BMR and TDEE. 1200 calories and lose 1-2 pounds per week is only for those that have a significant amount of weight to lose. You should realistically be consuming -20% your TDEE or hell, at least your BMR. I would say you definitely have a "low goal". =\

Your estimated BMR is: 1,394 calories/day*
*BMR based on the Mifflin - St. Jeor equations. Please remember that even the best BMR calculators provide only a best guess and should be used as a guide only.


Assuming you are sedentary your body needs 1672 calories per day to maintain its weight. That means you can safely create a 250ish deficit per day or lose .5lbs per week.

Best of luck!

I've also been a vegetarian my entire life

therealkittymao

I had the same problem! I think MFP is great when you are first starting out, but after a while you have to start really setting your own goals really carefully. If I stay under 1200... girl. I get *****y.

SkettiGurl

I have the same problem as you but I exercise so I can eat a bit more. However...as you are the same height as me and I don't think I'd ever dream of getting down to 120lbs...why don't you do strength training to tone your body giving you the appearance of lower body weight. It's not always about the numbers.

moran1917

i do find it all funny. none of us got here because we had trouble eating.....so why all of a sudden is it hard to eat 1200 calories when a month before you started you were probably between 2000-4000????? i think it is more "normal" to struggle a bit to make the daily calorie goal thinking it is too low and wanting some more. :drinker:

UrbanRunner81

1200 isn't enough food for most people. Change your goals and your activity level. You are more active than you think.
Eat over your BMR by at least 200 calories (your net) figure it out here: http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/
After you calculate it there is chart below of how many calories to eat daily with your activity level.

You will lose weight gradually and face less plateaus this way.

maureen173

YES! I was just thinking that I have this problem almost every day! Also vegetarian and also cook and eat really fresh whole foods, lots of beans, vegetables, olive oil, no processed food or refined flours or sugar, and YET, I still go right up to the limit of my calorie goal, and sometimes go over. And this is WITH exercise! I can't believe that a refined, processed snack is good for you just because it only has 100 calories. But a lot of the really healthy foods I eat apparently have a lot of calories. I am learning about moderation and realizing that I should measure out a serving size of nuts for example and only eat that. But I find that hard and somewhat unsatisfying. I do find when I'm busier, I tend to snack less, and that exercise tends to curb my appetite, plus it gives me a buffer so I can eat more and still lose weight, so I'm learning my patterns. But I I feel for you - I've read those posts (about having a hard time eating enough) with skepticism and fascination. i can't imagine having that "problem"!

mamagooskie

I have no problems eating my goal calories whether it be 1200 or 2000+

I love to eat and I find ways to eat them, I'm vegan and the hardest thing I would find is keeping my macros in check.

emeralz

Another thing to keep in mind is, for example with me: I can do everything you are doing exercise wise but burn twice the calories you do because I am a lot heavier than you. which would make my daily intake more than yours.

So My daily intake is supposed to be 1200 as well, I average 1000(closer to my usual intake)-1400(on a good day) calorie intake. However, after I do all of my workouts for the day, my daily intake is well over 2000. I work out 2 times daily and on average burn 1500-1800 calories daily. It is at that point, that I can't eat the suggested. . So if they are heavier than you are, they are burning more calories for the same exercise you do so their intake is higher than your's would be.
Which is why I rarely go by that intake.. I can't wrap my brain around why they are telling a bigger girl to eat more.. lol.. But I at least try to get as close to the 1200 as possible..

Another example: For me, I wasn't an overeater. I am overweight because my body was starving and storing the calories I did get in me. I used to only one time a day, and at night... Now that I am eating 3 sometimes 4 times a day, I am so full by the end of the day, making it hard to get the 1200 in me.