Too few cals? What to do

free3reeder

MFP is going really well for me and I think I've lost a couple of pounds since starting. When I started, I was about 128lbs and I'm fluctuating but am around 126 now. I'm quite short - 5'4" and pre-pregnancy, I was about 118lbs (I've gone up and down up to 145lbs). It's been about 3.5 weeks since i started - not long I know but I am not feeling too much of a difference like I do usually after a couple of weeks of dieting.

I want to get back to pre-preg ideally but I'm wondering if MFP has calculated too few calories for me. I know sometimes you need to eat more to lose effectively. It's given me 1200 based on a ligh activity level. I do between 20-30 minutes of cardio every day (jogging/zumba). I am 30 years old.

I am still abit of a novice but I know it can take some experimenting to find a cal level that works. I was wondering what I could try?

amnsetie

Have you set to lose half a pound a week? this is what I recommend for you, as you don't have a lot to lose. then remember to log and eat back most of your exercise calories. You'll be fine. your goal before exercise should then read over 1200

free3reeder

I've just changed it to 1/2 pound per week. I don't mind the slower weight loss as long as this means i'll lose steadily and keep it off. I've now got 1590 cals per day. Seems like a lot after 1200!

1ConcreteGirl

Alright, you said you were new to this, so please forgive me if I explain something you already know. But with under 25 lbs to lose, your body is probably not going to make weight loss easy for you at 1200 cals. Just guessing, but you probably set your weight loss at 2 lb/week, because everyone does. Faster is better, right? Wrong. There is a limit to how much fat you can lose without also taking lean body mass (muscle) with it, and for someone with under 25 lbs to lose, that limit is around 0.5 lbs/week. If you lose more than that, your LBM will also come off with it, leaving you looking less "toned" when you hit your goal weight. Yes, it will take longer, but you will look and feel better about yourself by taking it more slowly.

MFP pretty much automatically sets calories for everyone to about 1200 calories. But that isn't always the way to go because the number of calories people should eat depends on each person. Weight loss is a simple matter of math.

The number of calories you should be eating relates to two things: BMR and TDEE. You'll see those abbreviations all over this site. You said you are really new to this, so forgive me if I over-explain things and don't take it as an insult.

Calories are a unit of energy. Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the number of calories (amount of energy) that it would take to fuel your body if you were in a coma: that is, the bare minimum energy required to make your organs function and keep you breathing.

TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is your BMR plus however many calories you use walking around, talking, getting the mail, whatever. So the total amount of energy in calories that you use in your normal daily life. Go to scooby's workshop website I have included below and figure out your TDEE (just follow the instructions). TDEE tells you how many calories you should be eating to maintain your weight at its current level.

To lose weight, you should be eating about 10-15% BELOW your TDEE. So if your TDEE is 1800 calories, you should be eating around 15% fewer calories to keep your body functioning efficiently and still lose weight. 15% of 1800 is 270, so subtract that and eat 1530 calories to lose weight.

Now, if you go to the gym and burn 200 calories and enter that into MFP, it gives you 200 extra calories that you earned-- you should try to eat those calories because that creates 200 calorie deficit on top of a 270 calorie deficit, so at this point you're 25% under TDEE which isn't giving your body enough calories to function efficiently.

If you end up eating over your calories on any day (doesn't matter whether you work out or not for this), by say 100 calories, you are fine, because remember, to maintain your weight you have to eat your TDEE and your calories are set at 270 under TDEE, so you still will lose weight. Maybe not as much as you wanted or as fast as you wanted, but you're still under.

So basically, you have a buffer zone. Once you figure out your TDEE, you can eat all the way up to that point and not gain any weight. TDEE is usually a lot higher than people expect, so once you figure it out for your weight/height, etc, don't freak out. Simply subtract 15% from that, make that number your goal, and don't freak out if you eat a little more, because you still have all that wiggle room up to TDEE.

Hope that helps, and I apologize if I explained anything you already know, but it's important to understand the way this works to be successful. Good luck!

Here is the calculator. Set your activity level as lightly active: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

free3reeder

That is so helpful, thank you! I've read about TDEE and BMR but until someone explains it regarding your own situation, it's hard to get your head around! I've used the link you sent (thanks for that, much more comprehensive than others I've found) and worked out I need about 1587 cals a day to lose at 0.5lbs a week.

Thank you again! Really helpful reply

BelleRache

Hi there - sorry to thread-butt but this is just what I came onto here to ask about.

I'm still fairly new to MFP (this is my first board post) and I have been wondering the same thing. I am 5' 5", currently 136lb and looking to be 125 or thereabouts (as long as I can get back into my skinny jeans!) I've set my goal for the recommended 1lb loss per week, said that I am 'lightly active' (I think that's accurate for me) and they have given me a calorie goal of 1320. I really struggle to stick to this and enjoy it - I eat almost entirely whole, unprocessed foods and get lots of fruit & veg, but it gives me just over 300 cals per meal and then 300 cals of milk for drinks, fruit and small snacks. I know I'm not huge and don't need to lose much but I just don't feel like I'm eating very much. I have to use exercise to give me enough extra calories to make my meals more interesting and to enjoy meals at the weekends with my husband when he is home.

I've just calculated my BMR on several other sites and it comes out at just over 1400 cals. Is it right to be eating less than my BMR in net cals?

I think 1500 cals would be a much more realistic and sustainable calorie intake for me. I've currently lost 3.5lb in two weeks so it is coming off, and maybe too quickly (although it doesn't feel like it!).

I think I might just have answered my own question!

sandradev1

Hi there - sorry to thread-butt but this is just what I came onto here to ask about.

I'm still fairly new to MFP (this is my first board post) and I have been wondering the same thing. I am 5' 5", currently 136lb and looking to be 125 or thereabouts (as long as I can get back into my skinny jeans!) I've set my goal for the recommended 1lb loss per week, said that I am 'lightly active' (I think that's accurate for me) and they have given me a calorie goal of 1320. I really struggle to stick to this and enjoy it - I eat almost entirely whole, unprocessed foods and get lots of fruit & veg, but it gives me just over 300 cals per meal and then 300 cals of milk for drinks, fruit and small snacks. I know I'm not huge and don't need to lose much but I just don't feel like I'm eating very much. I have to use exercise to give me enough extra calories to make my meals more interesting and to enjoy meals at the weekends with my husband when he is home.

I've just calculated my BMR on several other sites and it comes out at just over 1400 cals. Is it right to be eating less than my BMR in net cals?

I think 1500 cals would be a much more realistic and sustainable calorie intake for me. I've currently lost 3.5lb in two weeks so it is coming off, and maybe too quickly (although it doesn't feel like it!).

I think I might just have answered my own question!

Yes, I think you are right. IConcreteGirl's explanation is brilliant. Unfortunately MFP gives an onscreen message when people try to eat below 1200 cals but lets so many people set their calorie goal below their BMR without any warning whatsoever, which I believe to be totally misleading and irresponsible. MFP has a BMR calculator under the App tab which has your data already input, so it would be an easy task for MFP to incorporate this into their programme.

Great that you have already started to lose, but like many people your loss may stall if you are eating at a too steep calorie deficit. When you increase your calories it may take a little time for your body to adjust so stick with it for a few weeks before many any further decisions.

Good luck :flowerforyou:

BelleRache

Thanks

I'm glad I can safely add in a few more calories - I don't want to eat loads more and still expect to lose weight, just a bit of leeway so I can enjoy things. I used to do weight watchers and although it worked I got fed up counting points - counting calories is not much better! I won't do it forever though, once you get an idea of what you can eat, it's a bit easier. I think the weight's gone back on cos I just got lazy!

I do think it's a bit wrong for MFP to allow anyone to eat below their BMR as it seems to be rather unhealthy to do that. As you say, if they have an app to work it out, why not make that part of the initial goal-setting section?

Will enjoy the extra 200 cals today - ooh what to have??!!!