okay....what?

ohheyy125
ohheyy125 Posts: 295 Member
edited January 1 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 22, 5'2, 137lbs trying to get to 125. I have a desk job but work out 4-5 days/week.

My BMR is 1427
My TDEE is 2214

Why is my MFP daily calorie goal 1200?

Replies

  • belladonna786
    belladonna786 Posts: 1,165 Member
    I don't know why, but if you want you can set your goal manually. I think 1200 is MFP default.
  • axialmeow
    axialmeow Posts: 382 Member
    what did you set your expected weight loss/week at? If you did 2 lb/week that might be why
  • shelbyfrootcake
    shelbyfrootcake Posts: 965 Member
    what did you set your expected weight loss/week at? If you did 2 lb/week that might be why

    That was my thought too.
  • Tw1zzler
    Tw1zzler Posts: 583 Member
    Probably because you are small to begin with. I'm 132 trying to lose about 8-10 pounds ( really just lose fat/gain muscle) My calorie target without exercise is between 1200 and 1300. I manually override my nutrition goals, macros & calories. I set my calorie target at 'lay around in bed all day' and then eat back exercise calories.

    I like this site for helping to set targets.

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
  • belladonna786
    belladonna786 Posts: 1,165 Member
    what did you set your expected weight loss/week at? If you did 2 lb/week that might be why


    Oh ya! the 2lbs a week! That's probably why
  • knwitall
    knwitall Posts: 420 Member
    Also, being that you have a desk job, meaning not very active at work (such as myself)... It most likely set you that low because of your activity level.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    I'd suggest subtracting 20% or even only 10% from your TDEE and eating at that. I only subtract 10% from mine now I'm close to goal. 1200 is low and it could leave you hungry or wanting to binge eventually. I was on 1200 myself and it's not a fun way to live if you like food.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    My guess is that you are set to lose 2 pounds a week which is nearly impossible when you have as little weight to lose as you. Try taking 15 to 20% off of your TDEE and use that as your calorie goal.
  • TheMommyWifeLife
    TheMommyWifeLife Posts: 194 Member
    I'm 22, 5'2, 137lbs trying to get to 125. I have a desk job but work out 4-5 days/week.

    My BMR is 1427
    My TDEE is 2214

    Why is my MFP daily calorie goal 1200?

    it is the mfp default, but that is because they want you to net that. you take in 1427 calories, but as you exercise, it will lower that. i would say to take in 1400 and burn 200 or take in 1500 and burn 300!
  • ohheyy125
    ohheyy125 Posts: 295 Member
    WOAH! So it was originally set to 1lb/week, so I changed it to .5lb/week and it jumped from 1200 cals/day to 1900 cals/day. That's a huge jump no?!
  • fldiver97
    fldiver97 Posts: 341 Member
    if you set baseline as lightly (at your stats maybe even moderately active) I guess the 1200 is the 'default' . Log your exercise and you should get a higher level cal for that day and it will show you what your amount for the day is to still have the 1200 as net cals.....
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,458 MFP Moderator
    WOAH! So it was originally set to 1lb/week, so I changed it to .5lb/week and it jumped from 1200 cals/day to 1900 cals/day. That's a huge jump no?!
    It's not if your TDEE is 2200 calories. And since you have little to lose, its better to eat closer to your goal so you dont lose lean body mass.
  • hendinerik
    hendinerik Posts: 287 Member
    I have to say I am doing pretty well with 1800 calories target - with exercise it's doable... Everyone is different though.
    I don't understand how people do 1200 calories unless they burn a ton of calories... but that's just me.

    If it were me I would start at 1600 if not more but I am no Doctor.

    Good luck!
  • porscheparcher
    porscheparcher Posts: 81 Member
    MFP did that for me automatically. Is it not working for you?
  • ohheyy125
    ohheyy125 Posts: 295 Member
    MFP did that for me automatically. Is it not working for you?

    I'm not completely sure because its only week 3 or so that I've really been following things and not cheating, but it's definitely not 1lb/week. More like .5/week if that.

    I still can't believe MPF says to lose 1lb/week i need to eat 1200 calories and to lose .5lb/week its 1900. 700 extra calories daily?!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,458 MFP Moderator
    MFP did that for me automatically. Is it not working for you?

    I'm not completely sure because its only week 3 or so that I've really been following things and not cheating, but it's definitely not 1lb/week. More like .5/week if that.

    I still can't believe MPF says to lose 1lb/week i need to eat 1200 calories and to lose .5lb/week its 1900. 700 extra calories daily?!

    Double check your numbers.. you might of had it set at 1.5 lbs per week. But 1900 calories would probably be better for you, especially since you don't have much if anything to lose. Also, don't worry about weight so much. Just concentrate on cutting fat. You can do that with heavy weight lifting and a small deficit (1800-1900) and a higher protein diet to ensure you minimize lbm loss. Maintaining muscle is critical as this is what fills out your skin to make you look better.
  • ohheyy125
    ohheyy125 Posts: 295 Member
    Double check your numbers.. you might of had it set at 1.5 lbs per week. But 1900 calories would probably be better for you, especially since you don't have much if anything to lose. Also, don't worry about weight so much. Just concentrate on cutting fat. You can do that with heavy weight lifting and a small deficit (1800-1900) and a higher protein diet to ensure you minimize lbm loss. Maintaining muscle is critical as this is what fills out your skin to make you look better.
    [/quote]

    yeah your right, I decided I'm going to just focus on eating healthy and working out. I used to eat around 1500 or 1600 calories/day but it was all junk and I NEVER exercised. I'm just going to make much healthier choices and focus less on calories and I'm doing the gym 4-5 days/week for about an hour so.. things should just kind of work themselves out I guess.
  • T1mH
    T1mH Posts: 568 Member
    yeah your right, I decided I'm going to just focus on eating healthy and working out. I used to eat around 1500 or 1600 calories/day but it was all junk and I NEVER exercised. I'm just going to make much healthier choices and focus less on calories and I'm doing the gym 4-5 days/week for about an hour so.. things should just kind of work themselves out I guess.
    Good on you for realizing this. People so often think they can eat whatever junk they want as long as they stay under their calorie goal and be ok. It's healthier to eat more calories of good stuff than less calories of junk.
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    You set it to lose 1.5 lbs less a week. Roughly, 3500 calories = 1 lb. 500 calories a day + or - will equal that. So 700 calories is entirely logical and just about any other site would give you a similar change with such a big change in goal. (Not said in a snarky tone. :smile: )
  • ohheyy125
    ohheyy125 Posts: 295 Member
    You set it to lose 1.5 lbs less a week. Roughly, 3500 calories = 1 lb. 500 calories a day + or - will equal that. So 700 calories is entirely logical and just about any other site would give you a similar change with such a big change in goal. (Not said in a snarky tone. :smile: )

    Well it was actually 1lb/week originally but...I'll just go with it
  • Jkmumma
    Jkmumma Posts: 254 Member
    MFP is pure math, no biochem
  • EatClean_WashUrNuts
    EatClean_WashUrNuts Posts: 1,590 Member
    Your BMR, calculated correctly is 1557.
    Eating, alone, to lose 1 pound a week is 500 calories perday LESS. It has been highly studied that that is unsafe and unhealthy to eat below 1200 calories/day. MFP's default for this reason as a lowest is 1200 calories.

    So, but your *kitten* on your burns to increase your TDEE and eat up!
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    Did you change your activity setting? I can't see any reason why it would change 700 calories a day for .5 lb difference a week. Are you positive you were set to 1 lb?
  • gingerjen7
    gingerjen7 Posts: 821 Member
    Probably because you are small to begin with. I'm 132 trying to lose about 8-10 pounds ( really just lose fat/gain muscle) My calorie target without exercise is between 1200 and 1300. I manually override my nutrition goals, macros & calories. I set my calorie target at 'lay around in bed all day' and then eat back exercise calories.

    I like this site for helping to set targets.

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
    Interesting; I used that calorie calculator and it told me to eat 1198 calories. Kind of contrary to what everyone else says.
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    I played around with your stats on MFP's profile; I didn't get any of your same numbers. The only time I got anywhere near 1900 (1940) was when I put in maintain on active. Can you tell us exactly what you have in?

    Most of the jumps were from 1200 to 1400 or something like that.
  • ohheyy125
    ohheyy125 Posts: 295 Member
    i screwed up. I hit the gain instead of lose. So i went from lose 1lb/week (1200 cals) to gain .5lb/week instead of lose. It all makes sense now.....
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    Glad that worked out! :wink: :flowerforyou:
This discussion has been closed.

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