Calculated my own calories

mbarryteach
mbarryteach Posts: 52 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
What do we think of calculating our own calories. I was at 1530 to lose 1.5 lbs a week but to lose 2 lbs a week it put me at 1260, which seems really low. So I edited my calorie goal to 1350...
Thoughts?

Replies

  • wanttolose40lbs
    wanttolose40lbs Posts: 239 Member
    It depends on what works for you. MFP had me a 1200 calories to lose 1 lb a week and I wasn't losing. Changed my fitness routine and upped my calories to 1450 according to my BMR and I'm now losing 1 lb a week.
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
    What do we think of calculating our own calories. I was at 1530 to lose 1.5 lbs a week but to lose 2 lbs a week it put me at 1260, which seems really low. So I edited my calorie goal to 1350...
    Thoughts?

    Depends on how you arrived at the 1350. and whether you realise that MFP gives you 1260 PLUS exercise calories, not just 1260.

    I don't like the "eat your exercise calories back" method as I prefer to eat the same every day, so I worked out my maintenance calories, and deduct a deficit, and now eat 1500 every day.
  • emsicle_o
    emsicle_o Posts: 162 Member
    I give myself a range, so up to 2000 assuming I do a lot of exercise, but I aim to be around 1500. I'm losing around 2lb per week doing this.
  • sarahg148
    sarahg148 Posts: 701 Member
    Do whatever you need to keep motivated and keep losing. I've adjusted my calories before. I also get in a lot of activity and don't eat all of the calories back, so it evens out. Your body will lose weight at it's own pace. I've sort of given up calculating every single last eaten calorie and exercise calories. As long as I'm in a deficit overall, I will lose weight.
  • sarahg148
    sarahg148 Posts: 701 Member
    I give myself a range, so up to 2000 assuming I do a lot of exercise, but I aim to be around 1500. I'm losing around 2lb per week doing this.

    This is bascially what I do, too. I try to stay between 1500-1800 cal regardless of how much I exercised that day.
  • 99clmsntgr
    99clmsntgr Posts: 777 Member
    I've calculated my own before, once I hit Maintenance, the number MFP gave me still had me losing at about 1/2-pound per week. Not significant, but I really didn't want to lose any more. So, I based my new calories on MFP's input and a couple other online calculators and averaged them all together. It seemed to work out well enough.
  • Morgaath
    Morgaath Posts: 679 Member
    I manually entered my cals at 1500 due to realizing I was averaging 200 cals below my goal (1260), meaning i was getting around 1000 net cals per day. Having it at 1500 means if I still keep hitting 200 low, I at least get 1200, plus it gives me room to eat more on those days I am around good/special food...like a wine pairing.

    If it is all diet diet diet, then it is like working 7 days a week. Sometimes you just need to relax and enjoy to avoid burning out.
  • jeannettemancini
    jeannettemancini Posts: 58 Member
    Issue is, I think, that if you put your own in, as you loose, it doesn't adjust.
  • Morgaath
    Morgaath Posts: 679 Member
    Issue is, I think, that if you put your own in, as you loose, it doesn't adjust.

    No, it wouldn't. You are on custom, meaning you are doing your own thing, and have to be fully in control of it all, as MFP has no guidelines as to why you are doing what you are doing.

    Simple solution is once you make that loss/gain, go to one of the websites that figure out the cals for you, put in all your new data, and find out what it says, and then with that knowledge adjust your customized numbers as you see fit.

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