How did you first set your calorie goal?

MeIShouldB

I'm wondering how everyone knew what calorie goal to set when they got on here. I used the jillian micheals website. You answer all of these questions and enter your info and it creates a plan for you including a calorie goal. I redid it today and filled in that my problem is a plateau. I don't know if it's best to go with her calorie goal (which is 512 calories than the one I have here) or just stick with what MFP gave me. Any advice?

carriek99

I've also noticed that the Jillian Michaels one is low. You might just try experimenting with the two numbers to find where you can lose weight at, at the rate you would like to lose it. Personally, if ate the low calories recommended by Jillian's website I would be fighting low blood sugar and headaches and be crabby all the time. I know, I've tried it!

ladyraven68

Initially I went with MFP's allowance of 1200, but I was dizzy, lightheaded, cold, headaches......you get the picture

Then I checked several sites, including Fat2fit, fitness frog, and a few others, they all told me that my TDEE was just over 2000, so I switched to 1600 and lost 21 lbs.

MeIShouldB

I've also noticed that the Jillian Michaels one is low. You might just try experimenting with the two numbers to find where you can lose weight at, at the rate you would like to lose it. Personally, if ate the low calories recommended by Jillian's website I would be fighting low blood sugar and headaches and be crabby all the time. I know, I've tried it!

Jillian gave me 1832 and MFP gave me 1380

mryak750

added a zero to my weight.....its the easiest formula and works

concordancia

I've also noticed that the Jillian Michaels one is low. You might just try experimenting with the two numbers to find where you can lose weight at, at the rate you would like to lose it. Personally, if ate the low calories recommended by Jillian's website I would be fighting low blood sugar and headaches and be crabby all the time. I know, I've tried it!

Jillian gave me 1832 and MFP gave me 1380

JM's number is total, MFP expects you to eat back your exercise calories.

2credneck208

Initially I went with MFP's allowance of 1200, but I was dizzy, lightheaded, cold, headaches......you get the picture

Then I checked several sites, including Fat2fit, fitness frog, and a few others, they all told me that my TDEE was just over 2000, so I switched to 1600 and lost 21 lbs.

This!! I was set at 1200 and was constantly tired and had head aches so after 3 weeks I upped to 1600.

fastfoodietofitcutie

I had my RMR tested and eat a few hundred calories under that. I personally feel that's the only way to get an accurate picture of how much you are burning. My RMR came in 700 calories less than what the BMR calculators said.

MeIShouldB

I've also noticed that the Jillian Michaels one is low. You might just try experimenting with the two numbers to find where you can lose weight at, at the rate you would like to lose it. Personally, if ate the low calories recommended by Jillian's website I would be fighting low blood sugar and headaches and be crabby all the time. I know, I've tried it!

Jillian gave me 1832 and MFP gave me 1380

JM's number is total, MFP expects you to eat back your exercise calories.


I usually don't eat my exercise calories. Seems pointless to work those calories off and eat them back.

MeIShouldB

I had my RMR tested and eat a few hundred calories under that. I personally feel that's the only way to get an accurate picture of how much you are burning. My RMR came in 700 calories less than what the BMR calculators said.

What is a BMR? RMR?

retiree2006

added a zero to my weight.....its the easiest formula and works

To present weight or the weight you want to get to?

MeIShouldB

Initially I went with MFP's allowance of 1200, but I was dizzy, lightheaded, cold, headaches......you get the picture

Then I checked several sites, including Fat2fit, fitness frog, and a few others, they all told me that my TDEE was just over 2000, so I switched to 1600 and lost 21 lbs.

I just did all the calculations on fitness frog
TDEE 2976
BMR 2788
RMR 1708

mryak750

added a zero to my weight.....its the easiest formula and works

To present weight or the weight you want to get to?

To present weight....I drop 200 cals to speed up the results...never going over the weight I added a zero to

lewcompton

BMR + 10% + half of exercise calories is a decent place to start...

retiree2006

Thanks...that's what I thought.

Grognit

I came here with no knowledge other than what I had heard all my life. Just don't eat so much. I set an aggressive 2 lb a week goal with 25 lbs to lose and lost very little and was starving and cranky all the time. Read the IPOARM thread and now am eating 1600 calories a day which is my TDEE with 15% subtracted. I haven't weighed myself this month - won't until the 25th but I am down inches and I am still getting to enjoy the things I enjoy - some beer, wine, dessert.

I knew nothing about "fitness" when I got here. I was always the skinny fat smoker. I still need to lose about 19 lbs but at 43 - I am the healthiest I have been my entire life.

cwolfman13

I initially set my goal to lose 2 Lbs per week on MFP. I had already lost about 10 Lbs on my own just cutting out certain things and eating better...I didn't really have any idea how many calories I was eating. I lasted about a week and determined that 2 Lbs per week wasn't going to be sustainable for me and that I'd ultimately end up failing because it was too restrictive for me. I dialed it back to 1 Lb per week loss goal.

I didn't exercise at all initially...then started exercising just so I could eat a bit more. I'm a former athlete but hadn't done much exercise in about 15 years...I fell in love with it all over again. I no longer exercise to eat back exercise calories or for the calorie burn for that matter, I now have fitness goals that have absolutely nothing to do with my diet or weight loss. I use the TDEE method now and it incorporates everything so it's just easier for me to plan my days.

It's pretty much been an exercise in trial and error and a great learning experience overall. I know so much more about health, fitness, and nutrition than I ever thought I would. I'm just 13 Lbs shy of my goal now...when all is said and done I will have dropped 40 Lbs.

MeIShouldB

sorry, there was a typo. My numbers are

TDEE 2976
BMR 1725
RMR 1708

Bssh

As soon as MFP told me I'd need to eat 1200 cals to lose weight, I burst into tears and knew I'd not succeed for long. It was simply too little food for me and I didn't want my body to get used to eating so little. So I Googled TDEE calculators, worked mine out and ate at 10-15% cut of it. 1800-2000 cals a day. Boom! I could stick to that. Set that as my calorie goal and have lost 50+ lbs over the year.

jessbixl

I have mine set at 1,530 is that too low? I've always wondered if I should up it or leave it..Sometimes it's hard not to go over so maybe I should up it?? hmm..

cebiginalaska

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013 calculate your TDEE

taso42

There's a great writeup on this very topic http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

jenilla1

I used MFP to set my goals. I figure I'm on MFP, why the heck not use it? I set it for 1 pound a week and it gave me something in the 1300's. When I got close to goal I switched to 1/2 pound a week and I had something like 1480. I have been on maintenance forever now at 1700 plus exercise cals. The whole time I've used MFP I followed it as instructed and had success at every step. It takes a while at 1 pound a week but it works and it's easy to stick with.

ETA: I think where a lot of people get into trouble is trying to lose too aggressively. The calories for aggressive weight loss are really low and it's not easy to sustain that. I mean, I wasn't very big to begin with, and if I'd set my goal to 2 pounds a week the cals would have been crazy low and it just wouldn't have worked.

pinkraynedropjacki

I knew what my BMI HAD to be in order to be healthy. I set it that & left it at that. I got there easy & then some.