Confused at calorie consumption

Nicelshe
Nicelshe Posts: 13 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Help

MFP tells me to lose 2pound a week I should have 1200 calories
My gym instructor tells me I should have 1500 calories to 1600 calories - if I exercise to add those calories to it and eat the exercise calories also.

There is a big difference, which should I listen to

I am 34 years old
Have an office job so sat down all day
I am 152 pound
I am 5ft 5.5 inches

Please help I want to lose weight but I dont know how many calories I should be eating to do so

Thanks

Nic

Replies

  • nuanwc
    nuanwc Posts: 7 Member
    Hi!

    I think whenever you initially enter your info on MFP and select 2lbs a wk it will always start you off at 1,200cal. It's based on the idea that without exercise, you need to consume at least that many calories to stay in a healthy and not send your body into starvation mode yet still lose. It's important to remember the difference btwn your daily calorie goal and net calories. The latter determines the former. If you notice, everyday you start with your net calories and after adding food you go over into the red; then when you add exercise to your report, your daily goal increases back into the green allocating for more food. It should, but you aren't eating the calories back as many misinterpret. *It will never give you more calories to eat than your net goal allows.*

    I wrote all that to say that if go to your "my home" tab, click goals, see your fitness goals, and it has a net goal of 1,200 calories projecting a 2lb weight loss per wk, you are more than able to eat 1500-1600 calories a day, but will need to burn at least 300-400 calories respectively to create a 1,000 daily calorie deficit (1,000*7=7000cal=2lbs/wk)

    It started me out with 1,200 calories but when I looked under my fitness goals, that was actually projected to only be a 1.2lb weight loss a wk. So I played with the numbers until the projected weight loss said 2lbs (a really neat feature b/c all the values change to show you what differing net goals would look like). I'm a bit ambitious right now and going for 2.5lbs a wk so I need a deficit of 1250 calories a day (MFP says 1230 calories will do but knowing that 2.5lb is 8750 calories, that's 1250 a day) . My net is 530 calories a day and I usually eat 1200-1230 calories and burn 700 calories 6 days a wk. (Sundays are my cheat day.)
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Hi!

    I think whenever you initially enter your info on MFP and select 2lbs a wk it will always start you off at 1,200cal. It's based on the idea that without exercise, you need to consume at least that many calories to stay in a healthy and not send your body into starvation mode yet still lose. It's important to remember the difference btwn your daily calorie goal and net calories. The latter determines the former. If you notice, everyday you start with your net calories and after adding food you go over into the red; then when you add exercise to your report, your daily goal increases back into the green allocating for more food. It should, but you aren't eating the calories back as many misinterpret. *It will never give you more calories to eat than your net goal allows.*

    I wrote all that to say that if go to your "my home" tab, click goals, see your fitness goals, and it has a net goal of 1,200 calories projecting a 2lb weight loss per wk, you are more than able to eat 1500-1600 calories a day, but will need to burn at least 300-400 calories respectively to create a 1,000 daily calorie deficit (1,000*7=7000cal=2lbs/wk)

    It started me out with 1,200 calories but when I looked under my fitness goals, that was actually projected to only be a 1.2lb weight loss a wk. So I played with the numbers until the projected weight loss said 2lbs (a really neat feature b/c all the values change to show you what differing net goals would look like). I'm a bit ambitious right now and going for 2.5lbs a wk so I need a deficit of 1250 calories a day (MFP says 1230 calories will do but knowing that 2.5lb is 8750 calories, that's 1250 a day) . My net is 530 calories a day and I usually eat 1200-1230 calories and burn 700 calories 6 days a wk. (Sundays are my cheat day.)

    Netting 530 calories!!! Wow - this is really bad advice

    The reason MFP (and the trainer at your gym) ...... have bigger net values (at least 1200) ..... they actually want you to lose weight in a "HEALTHY" manner.

    Weight loss is NOT linear. The smaller you become (closer to goal) ... the slower weight will come off. Your trainer KNOWS this. The reason MFP (and your trainer) asks you to eat your exercise calories back ..... they assume you want to lose FAT and not muscle. Very low calories diets will cause your body to shed ALL weight ....... muscle included.

    When you net below 1200 (consistantly) ... your body will use existing muscle mass for fuel. The end result ... you will be happy with the number on the scale .... but you may not have lowered your body fat percentage.
  • nuanwc
    nuanwc Posts: 7 Member
    My advice to her wasn't bad at all. I encouraged her to eat the 1500-1600 and burn to reach the 1,200 net if she so desired. That was the whole point of the 1st paragraph, to eat what it says b/c the deficit is build in and you will lose by eating rather than not. Sharing what I'm personally doing is something different altogether. Not to mention that I am on a very specific plan for a very limited amount of time before I move into weight training and will recalculate everything. I eat all day everyday. Food is fuel and I will never endanger my health to reach a number. I have no interest in being skinny-fat. I care more about strength and toning.
  • kaervaak
    kaervaak Posts: 274 Member
    2lbs of weight loss per week is too aggressive for most dieters. Unless you have a lot (as in 50ish lbs or more) of fat to lose, you should go with a more modest weight loss per week target.
  • twinmom14ek
    twinmom14ek Posts: 174 Member
    Check out this thread--it lays it out in a logical way. MFP calorie goals seem to run a bit low based on this guidance.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    As an FYI, I used this to up my calories for the past week and jump-started my stalled weight loss...and didn't feel like I was starving.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Check out this thread--it lays it out in a logical way. MFP calorie goals seem to run a bit low based on this guidance.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    As an FYI, I used this to up my calories for the past week and jump-started my stalled weight loss...and didn't feel like I was starving.

    Thank you for this link .... lots of really good information there.
  • Nicelshe
    Nicelshe Posts: 13 Member
    Thanks everyone :-)
  • mfs1011
    mfs1011 Posts: 8 Member
    Your gym instructor wins this one - if you are burning the calories in the gym you can eat a bit more. Its tempting to go all out to lose weight but remember you're running a marathon not a short sprint. To sustain the diet you need to be comfortable with it longer term. Don't deny yourself calories, just work them off. Good luck
  • beachlover317
    beachlover317 Posts: 2,848 Member
    Check out this thread--it lays it out in a logical way. MFP calorie goals seem to run a bit low based on this guidance.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    As an FYI, I used this to up my calories for the past week and jump-started my stalled weight loss...and didn't feel like I was starving.

    Thank you for this link .... lots of really good information there.

    This ABSOLUTELY! This will get you very close to the number your trainer gave you. It has worked for me. I still lost about 1.5 pounds a week and I feel fantastic.! Good luck.
  • flsl
    flsl Posts: 75 Member
    Just an aside. I think some of us underestimate the calories we eat every day, so maybe thats why myfitnesspal is a little lower?
    (I shouldnt speak for them! Just what I say to myself)

    (Like I nibble when am cooking, or grab a small handful of dried fruits/nuts and rarely put in those calories)
  • 2hobbit1
    2hobbit1 Posts: 820 Member
    Check out this thread--it lays it out in a logical way. MFP calorie goals seem to run a bit low based on this guidance.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    As an FYI, I used this to up my calories for the past week and jump-started my stalled weight loss...and didn't feel like I was starving.


    ^^^^^^^ This is absolutely the best thread on how to set you calorie targets. One other thing to consider - at your current height and weigh you are in a healthy BMI range. You might benefit more from changing your goals to a body fat % rather than a weight goal. Strength training will change your shape for the better. You can loose many inches without much weight loss. I am a 60 year old with stats similar to you - I have made significant size reduction without weight loss by starting to lift weights 3 times a week.. Look at the New Rules of Lifting for women or the strong lifts 5x5 for women groups good info there as well.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    How often do you workout and what do you do for workouts. We can run numbers once you provide that.
  • Nicelshe
    Nicelshe Posts: 13 Member
    At the moment I go to the gym and do a workout there 3 times a week which includes

    5 minutes rowing - warmup
    10 minutes walking fast uphill
    10 minutes crosstrainer level 8 out of 10
    weights for around 20 minutes and then 40 crunches

    I also do total abs class once a week for 45 minutes, 1 yoga class and 1 zumba class

    I then swim fast for around 20 minutes 2-3 times a week.

    I am new to all this exercise but im not in too bad shape

    The main concern with my weight is it all sits around my stomach - I look around 4 months pregnant!!! The rest of me is toned and slim!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    Ok, so everything you said, tone & slim, just means cutting body fat. Based on your stats i would have you eat 1800 calories totaly daily. You would not have to eat back exercise calories as its in your tdee. Now the big thing is you should do a lot more weight training (3 days a week) and make it heavy so you fail around 8-12 reps; preferably on the lower end of that. The heavier the weight with good form the better. The other 2-3 days you can do yoga, zumba or other cardio classes. I also generally such you set your macros at 35% c, 40% p, and 25% f.

    If you would need a lifting program look into strong lift 5x5 or new rules of lifting for women.
  • Nicelshe
    Nicelshe Posts: 13 Member
    Ok, so everything you said, tone & slim, just means cutting body fat. Based on your stats i would have you eat 1800 calories totaly daily. You would not have to eat back exercise calories as its in your tdee. Now the big thing is you should do a lot more weight training (3 days a week) and make it heavy so you fail around 8-12 reps; preferably on the lower end of that. The heavier the weight with good form the better. The other 2-3 days you can do yoga, zumba or other cardio classes. I also generally such you set your macros at 35% c, 40% p, and 25% f.

    If you would need a lifting program look into strong lift 5x5 or new rules of lifting for women.

    Thanks Psulemon, thats great advice

    I will amend my figures on here and get training. :-)

    PS just amended goals and I am going to have to review the food I eat as my carbs are very high and my protein and fat low. I eat a mainly veggie diet (no fish either) but do eat chicken breast - but not often enough .................hmmm food for thought - thanks again

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