Correctly update your profile as you lose weight
Mathguy1
Posts: 207 Member
Hi everyone,
During my intial week on this website, I noticed something that may cause people to plateau. If this has been posted elsewhere, I apologize for repeating this information.
Anyway, here goes....
As you lose weight, please remember to first go to the "Weigh in" section of your homepage and update your current weight. I imagine this is nothing new as we all look forward to doing so. However, there is something else one needs to do that I think many people are not aware of. After updating your weight in the weigh in section, you need to go to the "goals" section and update them. This will recalculate, based on your current weight and your goal/week, how many calories you need to consume each day (each lb dropped lowers your caloric need/day by about 10.). It would be great if the website did this automatically when you "Weigh in" your new lower weight. Since it doesnt, what may be happening is that your food table is still displaying your original caloric needs and not your current (based on your lower weight).
Also, after you enter a new weight in the "Weigh in" section and after updating your goals, there's one more thing to remember. In the Exercise log, if you are one to "copy from date", after copying it, you need to re-enter your time. This will recalculate the number of calories burned based on your updated weight. If you dont, it'll just copy the minutes exercised and calories burned from that earlier (and when you were heavier) date. Remember, as you lose weight, not only does your required calories become less, so do the number of calories/minute that you burn while excercising.
Not doing so may explain why some people are at a plateau. Many might be consuming the same number of calories that they did when they were heavier as well as thinking they are burning the same number of calories during excercising.
During my intial week on this website, I noticed something that may cause people to plateau. If this has been posted elsewhere, I apologize for repeating this information.
Anyway, here goes....
As you lose weight, please remember to first go to the "Weigh in" section of your homepage and update your current weight. I imagine this is nothing new as we all look forward to doing so. However, there is something else one needs to do that I think many people are not aware of. After updating your weight in the weigh in section, you need to go to the "goals" section and update them. This will recalculate, based on your current weight and your goal/week, how many calories you need to consume each day (each lb dropped lowers your caloric need/day by about 10.). It would be great if the website did this automatically when you "Weigh in" your new lower weight. Since it doesnt, what may be happening is that your food table is still displaying your original caloric needs and not your current (based on your lower weight).
Also, after you enter a new weight in the "Weigh in" section and after updating your goals, there's one more thing to remember. In the Exercise log, if you are one to "copy from date", after copying it, you need to re-enter your time. This will recalculate the number of calories burned based on your updated weight. If you dont, it'll just copy the minutes exercised and calories burned from that earlier (and when you were heavier) date. Remember, as you lose weight, not only does your required calories become less, so do the number of calories/minute that you burn while excercising.
Not doing so may explain why some people are at a plateau. Many might be consuming the same number of calories that they did when they were heavier as well as thinking they are burning the same number of calories during excercising.
0
Replies
-
Thank you! I never even thought about the goals...silly newbie!0
-
I thought of this when I recalculated my goals yesterday and it said 1490 in stead of 1540. Thanks for posting this!0
-
This happened to me early on actually. I was entering my weigh-in, but thought the site would automatically re-adjust my goals. It meant I spent a month eating at almost maintenance instead of aiming for the '1-lb-per-week' amount.
Ah well - I'm glad I sorted it out early on.0 -
MFP asks me every tine i lose 10lbs if i want to recalculate my goals
because i manually change my carbs / fat / protein ratio from what MFP gives as standard, and because i weigh every day, I dont want to have to reset my carbs / fat / protein ratio every time i weigh in - its hard enough doing it every 10lbs0 -
thanks for posting this
0 -
I do this after every 5 lb lost. Glad you posted this...I knew to do these things already, but I'm sure many do not.0
-
I have a bit more to add...or a side note.
When you adjust your goals, the calorie goal will not change by 10 for everyone. Also, every weigh in and goal update may not affect your calorie goal. It will depend on you.
For example, my calorie goal has not changed in about 10lbs and I update my goal profile at least every other weigh in. When mine does change, it changes by about 30.
So basically, the number and how often your calorie goals change is not going to be standard for everyone but it will change so make sure you are updating!0 -
One problem though (I think - I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong!) is that is doesn't just change your calories from that day onwards, it changes all of your past ones too. So if you lose a lot of weight and change your goals as you go along as you should you will end up with the earlier weeks looking as though you went way over on calories, even though you may have been within your goal at that time.0
-
Excellent post.
Also, don't be setting Goals that are too aggressive. Use this as a guide:
If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.
Otherwise, we all tend to choose "Lose two" - because, you know, we want instant gratification.
But choosing too aggressive of a goal will lead to weight loss plateaus and can make it much more difficult to stick to the plan when you start feeling deprived and hungry. If you feel deprived and hungry, you're doing it wrong.0 -
Meh. I manually UPPED my calories instead of reducing them and had results. Why suffer through hunger and *****iness because of hunger when you can eat more and strength train?0
-
thanks for the tip, ill update mine now0
-
Thank you so much for posting this. I have just updated mine 0
-
One problem though (I think - I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong!) is that is doesn't just change your calories from that day onwards, it changes all of your past ones too. So if you lose a lot of weight and change your goals as you go along as you should you will end up with the earlier weeks looking as though you went way over on calories, even though you may have been within your goal at that time.
The best way around that would be to print out your journals about once a week or so... or before you update your goals. Keep them in a notebook or something... or there may be a way to save everything to your computer that I don't know about lol. That way you have a copy without the goals being changed.0 -
If you're on a 1200 calorie diet though, which is what I'm on, that's the lowest you should go so you can't lower your calorie intake. I just know I'll be losing less as time goes on each week. Also MFP will adjust for you after you lose 10 pounds. At least it has asked me if I wanted to adjust my goals or not.0
-
Good point I push for the highest of 2lbsExcellent post.
Also, don't be setting Goals that are too aggressive. Use this as a guide:
If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.
Otherwise, we all tend to choose "Lose two" - because, you know, we want instant gratification.
But choosing too aggressive of a goal will lead to weight loss plateaus and can make it much more difficult to stick to the plan when you start feeling deprived and hungry. If you feel deprived and hungry, you're doing it wrong.0 -
thanks0
-
Meh. I manually UPPED my calories instead of reducing them and had results. Why suffer through hunger and *****iness because of hunger when you can eat more and strength train?
That's my girl! Lol. I just upped to 2000 per day and lost 3 pounds. That's how we do!0 -
Meh. I manually UPPED my calories instead of reducing them and had results. Why suffer through hunger and *****iness because of hunger when you can eat more and strength train?
My goal is 1800 but I love being able to get in a good workout and eat 2000+ calories a day. I'm never hungry and I still lose 2 pounds a week!0 -
Thank you so much for this post without it I'm absolutely sure I would be lost to why I wasn't losing the amount of weight I wanted :happy:0
-
Thanks for the tip! I didn't realize this and it has helped me!0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.8K Introduce Yourself
- 43.9K Getting Started
- 260.3K Health and Weight Loss
- 176K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.6K Fitness and Exercise
- 428 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153.1K Motivation and Support
- 8.1K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.4K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.8K MyFitnessPal Information
- 15 News and Announcements
- 1.2K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions