MFP Calorie recommendation vs what you do

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delonda1
delonda1 Posts: 525 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I am playing around with calories and trying to see what works

I up'd to 1628 and lost about 2lbs in a week...great! but I calculated that same thing in to MFP and they said i should eat 1200 calories... and then i lowered the weight loss and they up'd it to 1300 but i still feel like I'll be hungry. I don't know what to follow??

how many people have just gone with the MFP recommendations and been fine? or have you generally used your own guidelines
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Replies

  • rahrahrita
    rahrahrita Posts: 225 Member
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    I go by MFP calorie recommendations because it's the same as what I've calculated using other methods. The only macro I don't go with is protein, I haven't figured out how to change it, but I eat waaaayyy more protein than it recommends here.
  • delonda1
    delonda1 Posts: 525 Member
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    I go by MFP calorie recommendations because it's the same as what I've calculated using other methods. The only macro I don't go with is protein, I haven't figured out how to change it, but I eat waaaayyy more protein than it recommends here.

    what other methods have you used? i used fat2fit and got the 1628 so my numbers arent correlating
  • jaireed
    jaireed Posts: 333 Member
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    They gave me 1200 calories and I stick pretty close to it. If I workout and I feel hungry I eat more. I don't eat all my calories back. It's been working for me so far. I think you have to figure it out for yourself. You don't want to eat too few calories where you feel tired or weak or irritated. That's never fun. Eat healthy meals and snacks when you're hungry.
  • jaireed
    jaireed Posts: 333 Member
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    I also eat a ton of protien :)
  • raevynn
    raevynn Posts: 666 Member
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    I figured out my own caloric needs, and went into "Goals" and selected "Custom", and put in my own.
  • ProjectTae
    ProjectTae Posts: 461 Member
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    I set my goal to 1lb a week and it put me at 1650 cals a day, I used to do the 1200 cals a day but I didn't have enough energy.
  • hiker282
    hiker282 Posts: 983 Member
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    I got a Body Media Fit on Monday and it gave me almost 500 calories more a day than MFP, and I've noticed my weight going down a lot more quickly. I think MFP has a tendency to shoot too low.
  • 2fit4fat
    2fit4fat Posts: 559 Member
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    Mfp had me at 1200 i lost a few pounds and plateud. I was slso grumpy and tired and on edge no matter what, even when i switched macros around. After a few months.ive settled.on 1640 and lost.weight better than i did at 1200 eithout all the bad ""side.effects"
  • 2fit4fat
    2fit4fat Posts: 559 Member
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    Wow sorry for all the typos... Still getting used to my new phone. I also use an hrm and eat back most of my exercise.cals and.dink at least nine glasses of water a day... I dont count fruit or any other drinks or anything toward my water :-) and drink more the days i workout. I also add more cals if my son nurses one day, and i base it on how often he ate that day. :-) good luck it was hatd to be patient and figure out my exact numbers but.its been so worth it!!
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
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    Seems the general consensus is that MFP is low. I agree. BUT, in their defense, part of it is that the explanation for activity level isn't very clear. My advice is up your activity level until it matches your other site, if you want to use MFP still.
  • imbanter
    imbanter Posts: 72 Member
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    You can't change them on the app, you have to go to the website. Go to my home, goals, change goals, custom.. Theres where you can change your goals for carbs, protein, fat, etc.
  • Baurus
    Baurus Posts: 27
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    I just set my own amount of calories.
    My BMR is 1850, my TDEE 2500, so i'm currently at 2000 kcals for day and i'm burning almost 500 calories everyday with sport. So actually my net is 1500 kcals.
    Lost 13lbs in 50 days :D
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
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    MFP gave me 1200. It was too low for me and made me feel ill.

    I am now eating at 1600.
  • IamJacksColdSweat
    IamJacksColdSweat Posts: 106 Member
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    I've heard from many different people that the calories that MFP assigns are on the low side and I find that to be true. It says I should be at 1340 but I upped mine to 1500 and I feel a lot better.
  • runnercheryl
    runnercheryl Posts: 1,314 Member
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    I was using another site long before I joined MFP. That other site had me at 1200-1300 calories, which I was used to. When I joined MFP, it gave me the same figure, so I carried on.

    After reading the forums a lot, I realised that I probably wasn't being the healthiest I could be, and whilst I wasn't starving myself and was netting as I was supposed to, I wanted to be sure I was fuelling my body properly, so I did the sums myself and I'm now on 1626. I haven't seen any changes in my rate of loss, but I've got much more defined muscle now. My stomach looks rounder and fatter, but underneath it I can feel solid muscle, and my legs are looking much slimmer and more defined. On top of that, of course I feel more healthy and energetic, it's even easier to follow because I feel like I'm eating CONSTANTLY, and it's giving me the health I need to get out and work on my fitness.

    My health has always been my priority, and weight is just a measurement of that, so I'm glad I checked my numbers again and made the changes.
  • RiverTom
    RiverTom Posts: 216 Member
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    I recommend the follow calorie calculator. Especially great if you know your body fat percentage. You can add it under "Advanced options" ...

    http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm
  • niknak0508
    niknak0508 Posts: 430 Member
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    I go by MFP calorie recommendations because it's the same as what I've calculated using other methods. The only macro I don't go with is protein, I haven't figured out how to change it, but I eat waaaayyy more protein than it recommends here.

    if you go to "my home" and click on goals, then choose "change goals" and then "custom" you can change everything :-)
  • em9371
    em9371 Posts: 1,047 Member
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    I go by MFP calorie recommendations because it's the same as what I've calculated using other methods. The only macro I don't go with is protein, I haven't figured out how to change it, but I eat waaaayyy more protein than it recommends here.

    what other methods have you used? i used fat2fit and got the 1628 so my numbers arent correlating

    The difference will be due to exercise. Mfp expects you to log and eat back exercise on top of the 1200, fat2fit includes it already. My numbers are pretty much the same both ways.
    I'd say set your goal to 1lb based on what you have left to lose, or go by the fat2fit numbers :-)
  • Rawrbyn
    Rawrbyn Posts: 109 Member
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    I was at 1240 calories and was always hungry.. I felt like I never ate enough, and was stressed about going over. I upped my activity level, and changed my goal to 1lb a week. Now, my calories are 1840! I started dropping weight again, and I feel so much better.
    It's not MFP, it's user error. :)
  • em9371
    em9371 Posts: 1,047 Member
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    I was at 1240 calories and was always hungry.. I felt like I never ate enough, and was stressed about going over. I upped my activity level, and changed my goal to 1lb a week. Now, my calories are 1840! I started dropping weight again, and I feel so much better.
    It's not MFP, it's user error. :)

    This!!
    A lot of people get too low cals from choosing the wrong activity level or too high a goal, mfp can only work from the numbers you give it!!!!

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