MFP Recommended Calorie Intake - Too low??

swilson75
swilson75 Posts: 12 Member
edited September 20 in Health and Weight Loss
I have been wondering if my MFP recommended calorie intake is a little too low. The reason I'm thinking this is because I haven't had the energy I should have when exercising. I have found my last few exercises difficult. I realize that there are different calculations out there for BMR, and have found the one MFP is using to be the lowest. On top of that, I often tend to come a little under my calorie limit because it's just a mindset of not wanting to see my calorie intake in the RED.

With that being said, I have lost a good amount weight in the first week and a half, but I do need my energy level up so that I want to and feel that I have the energy to exercise.

At what point should one be choosing "Sedentary" as their activity level for the calculation of the BMR? Yes I work at a desk job during the week days, however I have two little kids that keep me busy in the evenings and on weekends I'm certainly not sitting and relaxing all day. Also, I try to exercise atleast 4 days a week. For someone like myself, should I be choosing Light Activity? It would provide me approximately 100 calories extra per day. Maybe that would help in providing me that little boost of energy that I need.

Another thought is that maybe I need to ensure to eat my full recommended Carbs each day. I noticed that some days even if I fulfill the calorie intake, I have still been under the recommended Carbs.

Thanks!

Replies

  • becky9188
    becky9188 Posts: 8 Member
    I would say you are definitely not in the sedentary category. As far as the calories, I'm actually a little bit of the opposite of you. Since I started eating healthier i find it difficult to meet the recommended calorie intake but i find that when my diet is higher in protein i have more energy to get through my workouts. hope this helps!

    Good Luck!
  • JustAmy
    JustAmy Posts: 291
    Are you eating your exercise calories??? If not, that would explain why you are so run down ~ not to mention 2 kids and a job! LOL

    good luck!
  • mmccurrach
    mmccurrach Posts: 50 Member
    I have been worried about the energy level I would have at 1200 but I seem to have more energy (although I am not working out like I should). I don't know if it's helping or not, but I have been taking sublinual 2500 mcg b-12 tablets.
  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
    Yep, if you're feeling run down, you probably need to eat your exercise calories.
    I'm at 1200 and haven't been eating my exercise calories because I still have a lot of weight to lose & I can get away with that. But lately I've been increasing the intensity of my workouts and I was starting to feel tired. I exercise every day so I always have the extra calories. I started eating at 1365 (my goal weight's bmr) this week and increasing my protein intake quite a bit while lowering my carb intake and I've felt *so much* better and stronger.

    Also, what rate did you set to lose? 2 pounds a week is generally viewed as too aggressive and unhealthy for anyone who isn't obese. So, maybe try setting your goals at 1 pound or 0.5 pound a week. You'll get more calories that way and you'll feel a lot better.
  • HeatherMN
    HeatherMN Posts: 3,821 Member
    I found that MFP calculates calories too low for me by almost 800 calories! To find a better calculate for calories, I've used the Medica website (only works if you have Medica insurance) as well as dailyburn.com. Daily Burn and Medica gave me the same calories.

    When going by MFP's guidelines I was gaining weight, but as soon as I manually adjusted my calorie goal based on Medica's recommendation, I started losing weight again. I tend to be on the go alot and need the extra calories to keep up! As for exercise calories, I only eat mine if I feel hungry or need an energy boost.

    Good luck!
  • swilson75
    swilson75 Posts: 12 Member
    Thanks for all the responses. My goal was set to only lose 1 lb a week and I was given 1220 calories because I set myself at a sedentary level. Personally, I don't think I would ever consider myself sedentary, but because I work at a desk most of the day, and that's what was shown as examples of sedentary, I decided to go with that.

    I lost 4 lbs in the first week using MFP. I am more aware of what I am eating and I'm making changes where I can (like swapping coffee cream for milk, etc). I have easily lost weight in the past (roughly 1 lb per week) by just being more mindful about what I eat , not eating out, etc and exercising at least 6 days a week. This is the first time I've ever actually counted my calories, and I think it can become a little obsessive.

    I don't think I ate all of my exercise calories on those days that I worked out. I guess I just have to prepare myself to eat enough when I know that I'm going to workout. Maybe even a protein bar or shake. I think when my workouts are tough, it's my body telling me that I haven't eaten enough of the proper foods to give me the energy I need. I also have to remember that I seem to build muscle rather quickly when working out regularly, and that my body just may require more calories.

    In the meantime, I will check out what Medica and Daily Burn suggests as my calorie intake and maybe I will readjust my MFP goals and see how that goes.

    Thanks!
  • HeatherMN
    HeatherMN Posts: 3,821 Member
    I also thought I should be sedentary because I also sit at a desk all day but I'm so active after work, that I don't think it was a fair assessment of my activity level! Good luck and just remember no matter what, listen to your body. If you're hungry and you've already gone over for the day, eat a fruit or veggie and if you're not hungry, then don't eat quite as much that day. Experimentation and finding what works for you will be the only way you can successfully keep the weight loss long-term! It's all about balance.
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