MFP reduced net calories after losing 14lbs?

jimmychoo_suz

Hi, I'm pretty new to all this - started with MFP 8 weeks ago and have lost 14lb on 1450cals a day.

Today when I weighed in MFP suggested my calories now reduce to 1370.

I'm 5'8 with a desk job, pretty sedentary but I am trying to establish a regular excercise programme but not really there yet! I try to do 30mins of something 3x a week, even if it's just walking. I do walk over to the town most lunch breaks which is about 20-30 mins round trip. Current weight is 162lbs, goal of 140ish.

Anyway, my question is I have been losing perfectly well on 1450, so do I go with MFPs suggestion of reducing to 1370 or stick with my 1450?

Thanks in advance!

ladyraven68

Hi, I'm pretty new to all this - started with MFP 8 weeks ago and have lost 14lb on 1450cals a day.

Today when I weighed in MFP suggested my calories now reduce to 1370.

I'm 5'8 with a desk job, pretty sedentary but I am trying to establish a regular excercise programme but not really there yet! I try to do 30mins of something 3x a week, even if it's just walking. I do walk over to the town most lunch breaks which is about 20-30 mins round trip. Current weight is 162lbs, goal of 140ish.

Anyway, my question is I have been losing perfectly well on 1450, so do I go with MFPs suggestion of reducing to 1370 or stick with my 1450?

Thanks in advance!

It has reduced because you are now smaller and use less calories moving about, but personally , I'm a believer in eating as much as I can whilst still losing.

if you are happy with the loss you are geting with the 1450 then stick with it.

kleach0923

It changed because your weight did. If you and I did the exact same activity, I would burn more calories because I am heavier. The calorie difference doesn't seem like much, so why not give it a try. If it really isn't working for you, then up it back up.

3dogsrunning

Your BMR, basal metabolic rate - what your body needs to survive - which plays a large role in determining your daily calorie needs, is based on a number of factors, including weight. When you weight less, your body requires fewer calories.
14 lbs is a good amount of weight so MFP has recalculated your daily needs since you need fewer.
Since you appear to be around 15 lbs left to lose (according to your ticker) you could change your weight loss goal to a lower goal per week and give yourself a few extra calories or continue with MFP's new suggestion. 1/2 a lb a week is the recommended goal with less than 20 lbs to lose.
Keep on mind that the last 10 or so pounds are often the hardest to lose.

lauren3101

I would eat even more than the 1450. You have had a good weight loss in a short space of time, as most people do in the beginning, but you are eating below your BMR which will more than likely cause you to stall eventually. Plus, with only 22lb to lose, you should be aiming for a 1lb a week weight loss.

From your stats I worked out that your BMR is 1534 calories. Your TDEE is one of the following:

Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job) 1841
Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk) 2109
Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) 2378
Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk) 2646
Extremely Active (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.) 2915

From what you said I'd put you at lightly active. You need to eat 20% below that figure to lose 1lb a week, so your daily eating goal should be around 1687 cals.

I know you said you are new to this and I've no doubt you will be very unwilling to up your cals as you are having a steady weight loss, but all I can say is that this is the healthy and sustainable way to do it. Too big a deficit for too long often causes weight loss to stop.

I'm also sure you have no idea what BMR and TDEE is either lol. Have a read of this, it explains it much better than I could.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013?hl=road+map+2013

theycallyoumister

MFP did the same thing with me. I manually reset it but then it autocorrected it again so I'm leaving it. I guess I have to put my faith in the system

jimmychoo_suz

Thanks for all the responses so far, it's really interesting to hear other people's opinions.

I have read a bit about TDEE and BMR and am certainly not adverse to the idea of eating more, I love my food! I had thought I was probably sedentary, therefore 1450 probably wasn't far off the 20% method. However, I am understanding that sedentary is probably not what I thought initially. I certainly don't just lie in bed all day!

Lots of food for thought, excuse the pun. I shall mull this all over this afternoon (gotta do something to make the working day go a little faster!)

Another quick question - as yet I haven't really paid that much attention to my macros, apart from drinking more when I've had high salt foods. What do you all suggest is the best ratio? (I know it's down to personal preference but a guideline would be great).

Thanks all

ladyraven68

Thanks for all the responses so far, it's really interesting to hear other people's opinions.

I have read a bit about TDEE and BMR and am certainly not adverse to the idea of eating more, I love my food! I had thought I was probably sedentary, therefore 1450 probably wasn't far off the 20% method. However, I am understanding that sedentary is probably not what I thought initially. I certainly don't just lie in bed all day!

Lots of food for thought, excuse the pun. I shall mull this all over this afternoon (gotta do something to make the working day go a little faster!)

Another quick question - as yet I haven't really paid that much attention to my macros, apart from drinking more when I've had high salt foods. What do you all suggest is the best ratio? (I know it's down to personal preference but a guideline would be great).

Thanks all

Try this - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets


from here - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read

Good Luck.

StheK

I ignored it the last two times it wanted me to reset it, and I'm still losing at a very good pace. I'll let it adjust itself if I hit a plateau. I see no need to deprive myself otherwise.

Spokez70

I have been losing perfectly well on 1450, so do I go with MFPs suggestion of reducing to 1370 or stick with my 1450?

You could probably be eating more- but certainly don't drop it. MFP along with any other online calculator is just an estimate- two months of real world results trum anything the Internet tells you. If anything I would probably add 100-150 for the next month and see what happened.

dsjohndrow

You lose weight, you eat less. Simple math.

For me I was tired of all the math and deficits, so I just eat the calories for the weight I want to be. That way, when I get there, I won't have to change a thing.

twelfty

"if it aint broke don't fix it"

ETA: my bmr is about 2500 calories a day for my activity level, and i was losing weight eating 3500 calories a day, so... sometimes following what your body is saying and doing is the best way to tell what calories you need and by the sounds of it you have yours on the money

dsjohndrow

Everyone has a different reaction to sodium, carbs, fat and protein. If this is a lifetime habit, I suggest you spend a little less time on losing (which is awesome!) and more time on fitness and healthy eating. Lots of people come here to lose weight, but the real win is in changing your food and exercise to habits to ones which you can grow old with.

Sodium and sugar have a sneaky way of causing effects later on in life. The US guide line is 2,500 mg of sodium but most health and nutrition experts say that 2.000 is better. You'll find salt, fructose and sugar in just about all processed foods; I suggest minimizing them.

When it come to carbs and protein, I try to keep them even. The source of them is important.

Good luck, and congrats on the loss.

mazdauk

I don't really look at the numbers - I just look at how many calories I have left once's I've taken off breakfast and lunch! And then if I haven't got enough for everything else I want to eat I do more exercise.

I know we're not supposed to exercise to eat more..... but if it motivates me to exercise its a good thing! In fact now I'm finding it hard to take a rest day ebcause even if I have calories saved from earlier in the week I hate seeing those red numbers!

I could reset to a more active profile, but I know myself, and I know I wouldn't track my exercise so much and might slip back into lazy ways. What works best for you might be leaving the macros on automatic and exercising more (eating back calories) - or not!

lauren3101

Another quick question - as yet I haven't really paid that much attention to my macros, apart from drinking more when I've had high salt foods. What do you all suggest is the best ratio? (I know it's down to personal preference but a guideline would be great).

A nice, simplified macro goal would be:

Carbs: 40%
Protein: 30%
Fats: 30%

Personally though, I just aim for over 100g protein a day, keep an eye on my sodium intake, and let everything else fall where it may.

donyellemoniquex3

Your BMR, basal metabolic rate - what your body needs to survive - which plays a large role in determining your daily calorie needs, is based on a number of factors, including weight. When you weight less, your body requires fewer calories.
14 lbs is a good amount of weight so MFP has recalculated your daily needs since you need fewer.
Since you appear to be around 15 lbs left to lose (according to your ticker) you could change your weight loss goal to a lower goal per week and give yourself a few extra calories or continue with MFP's new suggestion. 1/2 a lb a week is the recommended goal with less than 20 lbs to lose.
Keep on mind that the last 10 or so pounds are often the hardest to lose.

This

The first week I ate my BMR with little to no exercise, I lost 1.9lbs

FlaxMilk

I say keep eating the amount you are comfortable with until you stop seeing results, then make your adjustments.

linsey0689

It is because now that you have lost 14 pounds your body no longer requires as much calories now that you are smaller. And your calories are now set to the smaller goal if you don't think it is enough you can up it or just exercise and eat back those calories.

Best of luck to you!

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

I don't really look at the numbers - I just look at how many calories I have left once's I've taken off breakfast and lunch! And then if I haven't got enough for everything else I want to eat I do more exercise.

I know we're not supposed to exercise to eat more..... but if it motivates me to exercise its a good thing! In fact now I'm finding it hard to take a rest day ebcause even if I have calories saved from earlier in the week I hate seeing those red numbers!

I could reset to a more active profile, but I know myself, and I know I wouldn't track my exercise so much and might slip back into lazy ways. What works best for you might be leaving the macros on automatic and exercising more (eating back calories) - or not!

Actually, exercising to eat more, and still be at a deficit, is exactly what you should do. I would recommend you keep doing that. Stay active, eat, and enjoy the weight loss process.

FattieBabs

Personally I would not lower it and keep eating at that level for 3 weeks and see if the weight still comes off. If it does, then stick at that weight. If you lower your calories you will give your body more of a shock when it gets back to maintenance. Setting to lose 1/2 pound a week if you are near your goal weight is sensible too. Personally I would not want to get down to the 1200 a day level if I could help it!

Joanne_Moniz

the calories that are given to you to eat each day are called net calories. That figure takes into account the information you gave myfitnesspal, exercise, etc. If you exercise more than what you reported to them you would be exercising, and you log it daily, you will be given extra calories, which you can eat