Mfp lies about cals to eat one you lose enough weight

InvisibleVeganUnicorn
InvisibleVeganUnicorn Posts: 200 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So I started Mfp 70 lbs heavier and was given 1560 cal to eat at first but now that I've JUST GOTTEN TO ONEDERLAND I realized that My calorie allotment did not go down. Now I understand why Mfp cannot recommend going under a net of 1200 a day, but they at least shouldn't lie and still say I can lose 2lbs a week at 1200. I figured to keep losing at a good pace I need to net under 1200 cal

NOW DON'T GO ALL STARVATION MODE CRAZY ON ME

I believe in it just as much as other people on here but I was wondering... Can I net under 1200 as long as I eat several hundred more calories than that and just burn them all off? I mean, I'm still eating and fueling my body for the exercise, I'm just burning it up.

Let's just make it clear, I will always eat more than 1200 and never net less than 1000... Which isn't that big of a deal right?

Any advice from people that have ran into this?

I know you can manually set calorie limits and I adjust my goals every time I have absolutely any weight loss.

I figure out what to eat by taking my BMR and subtracting 500 (which is what Mfp does because they figure even sedidentary people burn an extra 500 a day.) so at a weight of 150, I would have a BMR of 1509 so I would net 1009 at the minimum before I switch into maintain mode. So I would eat like 1500 but burn 500 working out.

Replies

  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    1200 isn't a magic number, the minimum safe calories for every person will vary based on their metabolism. 1200 calories is considered the minimum amount of calories with which you can meet all your individual nutrient recommendations. I don't advocate low calorie diets, and I don't really want to advise you that it's ok to eat under 1200- just here to inform about where the number came from. There are people, generally very small people and people who have disease-suppressed BMR's, that can meet all their nutritional requirements at less that 1200 calories- most adults need more calories than that. But 1200 isn't a magic number.
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
    you can edit your goal and put a number lower than 1200.
  • MiCool90
    MiCool90 Posts: 460 Member
    MFP isnt lying....

    your calorie goal isnt changing as you lose weight?

    is sounds like you are not re-applying your goals to change the calorie allotment
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
    and i didn't finish reading your post so nevermind, lol.

    a lot of people just dont know you can edit it.

    carry on!
  • happyfeetrebel1
    happyfeetrebel1 Posts: 1,005 Member
    Each time you lose 10 lbs and 'track it', MFP asks you if you want to recalculate. There is an option ( I believe) to stop it from asking that question, I wonder if you accidentally clicked it.

    Otherwise, it will recalculate for you :)
  • nickyrobinson
    nickyrobinson Posts: 161 Member
    If you have a goal of 2 lb.week, you might consider reducing that to 1.5 lb/week.

    Also, go estimate your BMR. That's more important than the (somewhat arbitrary by necessity) 1200.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    MFP isnt lying....

    your calorie goal isnt changing as you lose weight?

    is sounds like you are not re-applying your goals to change the calorie allotment

    If you have your calorie set to 2 lbs/week, the deficit is 1000 cals/day. If your TDEE is less than 2200- say for example your TDEE is 1900, then at 1000 cal deficit your total would be 900 calories, except MFP won't give anyone a default calorie number less than 1200- so it defaults to 1200. Lose weight, and say your TDEE becomes 1800, so 800 with a deficit, MFP will still give 1200. That's why it doesn't change.
  • brian1229
    brian1229 Posts: 28
    Try it and see. The deficit may be too much for one person, but fine for another. Give it a whirl!
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
    As you get closer to your goal, generally your weight loss rate will slow -- that's because you cannot cut calories beyond a certain point without it damaging your body. You are probably going to accept that 2 pounds per week isn't always going to be realistic.

    I'm not stuck on any certain number, but I do think it's hard to get the nutrients you need on less than 1,200 and still be active.

    MFP isn't lying to you -- they are just setting it up so you don't damage your body.
  • KRaemondH
    KRaemondH Posts: 120 Member
    I do about 1250 to 1350 everyday and I burn well over that but I also do the majority of my burning during workout in the morning (my morning) and I do the eating and calorie consuming after that and throughout my day. some days i am a little hungrier so i eat a little more. I don't feel starved I don't feel sick and I don't look anorexic or ubber skinny!

    My doctors (I have two the normal everyday one and the woman's health one) and they both agree, and research shows, a person who once was overweight and consumed daily a large amount of calories will have to go on a restricted diet to lose weight along with exercise. (Of course). ONCE THAT PERSON HITS A HEALTHY WEIGHT and is stable they CAN NOT go back to eating the calorie amount they used to without gaining the weight back. The restriction can be heightened SLOWLY and slightly but your body will always THINK and fat cells with always THINK that you should be at your highest weight. so in turn it will ALWAYS try to get you back to that weight. Eating on a restricted diet AS LONG AS YOU ARE NOT STARVING YOURSELF and you are getting the right amount of nutrition, vitamins and water intake you will be fine. Consulting a doctor would be a wise choice but if you can't afford to using estimated BMR and Caloric intake is a good guideline, yet not always what you SHOULD be at. But its a great start :)
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    After you set your goals, MFP tells you your projected weight loss. For me, 1200 calories is supposed to cause about .2 lb weight loss a week. (It is usually much more.) But you can find out exactly what they project 1200 calories will do for you.
  • athensguy
    athensguy Posts: 550
    The net goal calculated here is just a rough estimate.

    MFP thinks I should be gaining 1.3 lbs per week at my manually set net, but I've maintained my weight for the last 6 weeks at this net. To calculate my new net goal, I used the last 6 weeks of actual intake.

    *ETA: I also looked at fat2fitradio, which is even more inaccurate for me. It says I should have gained 8.5 lbs over the last 4 weeks.
  • Swissmiss
    Swissmiss Posts: 8,754 Member
    I have mine set at 1000 because I know that I will accidently eat about 200 more calories.
  • ezramedic
    ezramedic Posts: 119
    I calculated my BMR and input that as my calorie goal - it was significantly higher then what MFP suggested, and sure enough, when I ate my BMR, I lost more weight (and I was happier!)

    I'm pregnant now, and I am still counting my calories. I was 161lbs (5"7) when I got pregnant and now, at 18 weeks pregnant, I am 160lbs.

    My Dr is happy, I am happy - and I'm eating 1600 calories a day (and not currently exercising more then a 1.5 mile walk each day)
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    You can't really say it's "lying" when the information is right in front of you if you go to your "goals" page.

    On the right hand side of the page, it will tell you your calories burned from daily activity, your net calorie goal, and your projected weight loss based on those numbers.
  • olong
    olong Posts: 255 Member
    Try it and see. The deficit may be too much for one person, but fine for another. Give it a whirl!

    I agree! You sound like you're mindful of going about your journey healthfully, so "give it a whirl".

    Different people's bodies respond differently. See how your body responds... you may be pleasantly surprised or disappointed. What may work at one weight may not work at another weight. This is especially so when one has "stalled" and a change-up helps to break that stall.
  • SueGremlin
    SueGremlin Posts: 1,066 Member
    You should demand your money back.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member

    I figure out what to eat by taking my BMR and subtracting 500 (which is what Mfp does because they figure even sedidentary people burn an extra 500 a day.) so at a weight of 150, I would have a BMR of 1509 so I would net 1009 at the minimum before I switch into maintain mode. So I would eat like 1500 but burn 500 working out.
    Your BMR is what you would burn if you were comatose in bed all day long - so creating a deficit below that isn't a good idea. :tongue: Someone else mentioned your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure), which varies based on your activity level - that's the one you want to create the deficit from.

    For myself, I know my BMR and my TDEE, and aim to eat between those two numbers, and specifically to never NET below my BMR. The body needs fuel to function, and even more if you're exercising. Eating below your BMR may show you some weight loss for a time, but in the long run, you're not doing yourself any favors.

    I found this topic to be very helpful in setting up my custom numbers: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    I'm near my goal, so my weight loss at this point is slow, but I'm 44 years old, about 5' 8", and I eat around 1800 calories a day, depending on exercise. I always net above my BMR, which is around 1400, and I'm still losing the fat! Check out that topic - great info there.

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