why is this so hard to grasp?

Dol10

I think its a dumb idea to consume what you've just burned. Just because you burn 300 calories (or whatever the amount) doesn't mean you should go out and eat an additional 300 to meet your daily goal. That's just plain stupid.

Say you are at a 1200 daily goal, eat 1200 calories, burn 300.. You're now at 900 calories for the day. Doesn't mean go out and eat an additional 300! Because in the end, you're still consuming 1500.

Just my two cents.


209 Days Straight on MFP. Holla.

Trilby16

"As a general rule of thumb, the number of calories a person can consume that will not result in a weight gain or loss is determined by multiplying a person's weight by 15. Thus, a 200 pound person will maintain this weight by consuming 3,000 calories per day. (200 X 15 = 3,000) Similarly, a 100 pound person would maintain his/her weight by consuming 1,500 calories per day. (100 X 15 = 1,500)
Interestingly, this is one of the reasons it is easier for a person to lose weight in the early stages of a diet. If a person weighs 200 pounds at the start of a diet, he/she will lose weight by restricting their calories to 2,700 calories per day because this is 300 calories less than the 3,000 necessary to maintain a weight of 200 pounds. However, when this person reaches a weight of 180 pounds, he/she will no longer lose any weight on a 2,700 calorie diet because this number of calories will maintain a weight of 180 pounds. (180 X 15 = 2,700) Therefore, in order to continue losing weight, this person will have to further reduce the number of calories consumed each day."

Read this on the web and it makes a lot more sense to me than "Eat more to lose more" which has never worked for me at all.

Also, the OP is not looking to maintain, she is trying to lose, and she is only slightly overweight. Diet is differrent for different people. My 20 YO son who is 6'2" can eat me under the table and stay skinny. We are NOT ALL THE SAME!

Dol10

We are NOT ALL THE SAME!

Right, my maintenance is at 2400 calories. My friend who's nearly identical in height/weight has a maintenance of 1800.

Trilby16

This is not the popular answer here, but in my book, you don't weigh enough to be eating more than, say, 1400, 1300, if you want to lose weight. Maybe eat back half your exercise calories. You are just not overweight enough to lose quickly, or to lose anything on 2400 per day!

I have to say this is bad advice 1300 calories is only enough to maintain a 97lb weight. It may be ok for 1-2 weeks to jump start a weight loss, but even then its not recommended.
you mention "lose quickly" If all she wants is to lose the weight quickly then gain it back sure this will work, but for a life long change even 1900 is not a sustainable level. This is why 95% of people who lose weight gain it back, the yo-yo diets that are not sustainable. When you do it right it may take longer but it will last longer also

You misquote me. I said she is not overweight enough to lose quickly. Not "if all she wants to do it lose quickly..."

haroon_awan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqsk5wQA09k&NR=1&feature=endscreen
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

barneco

Seriously, this is getting way too complicated.

If all you want to do is lose size, here is the recipe. This is what MFP does well because it's based on generalities over a long period of time. If you get into the minutiae you will drive yourself crazy because every bit of it is very difficult to actually measure(calories burned, calories in EVERYTHING you eat, your actual BMR...etc).

Do this and you will lose size:

SETUP:
1) set your activity level as sedentary
2) enter your weight
3) enter your goal - i suggest lose 1 pound per week -
4) MFP will tell you how many calories you can eat during the day...it's that big number at the top of the page

PRACTICE
5) Enter everything you eat during the day.
6) Enter any exercise you do during the day.
7) Make sure your "calories remaining" stays >= zero. This means you burned more than you ate, in a ratio that will roughly result in losing 1 pound per week.
8) DON'T CHEAT.

Don't overthink it. Don't try to trick the software. Do this religiously for 1 month and when your pants aren't tight any more you'll see that it's working, become addicted, and then have to buy new clothes.

ldrosophila

Seriously, this is getting way too complicated.

If all you want to do is lose size, here is the recipe. This is what MFP does well because it's based on generalities over a long period of time. If you get into the minutiae you will drive yourself crazy because every bit of it is very difficult to actually measure(calories burned, calories in EVERYTHING you eat, your actual BMR...etc).

Do this and you will lose size:

SETUP:
1) set your activity level as sedentary
2) enter your weight
3) enter your goal - i suggest lose 1 pound per week -
4) MFP will tell you how many calories you can eat during the day...it's that big number at the top of the page

PRACTICE
5) Enter everything you eat during the day.
6) Enter any exercise you do during the day.
7) Make sure your "calories remaining" stays >= zero. This means you burned more than you ate, in a ratio that will roughly result in losing 1 pound per week.
8) DON'T CHEAT.

Don't overthink it. Don't try to trick the software. Do this religiously for 1 month and when your pants aren't tight any more you'll see that it's working, become addicted, and then have to buy new clothes.

Best advice...KISS (keep it simple sally)