Has anyone changed their calorie goals manually?

Options
SHHitsKaty
SHHitsKaty Posts: 301
in Health and Weight Loss
I am set at 1450 per what MFP told me to eat with a sedentary lifestyle (I work a desk job) but I also workout 5-6 days a week at least 30 minutes each day, cardio, weight training.

I recently hired a trainer and he had me print off of here 5 days of what I was eating and he thinks that with how I am working out with him now that I need to actually be eating 1700-1800 calories so that I'm toning up instead of my body taking away from the muscle I'm trying to build because I'm not eating enough.

I was wondering if anyone else has been told that and how they configured that on here and ALSO how the HECK did you all eat so much while still being healthy about it? I struggle some days to even meet 1450 when I've worked out and gained even more calories to eat.

Any tips? I know there are some things like almonds and the like that you can snack on that are healthy and high in calories but there has to be others as well. I don't want to feel like I'm just constantly eating to eat.

Replies

  • sbrooks0387
    sbrooks0387 Posts: 167 Member
    Options
    do you log your exercise on here? you are suppossed to eat those cals back which i would think would put you somewhere where your trainer wants you to be.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    Options
    do you log your exercise on here? you are suppossed to eat those cals back which i would think would put you somewhere where your trainer wants you to be.

    This.
  • Chrissiecurit
    Chrissiecurit Posts: 74 Member
    Options
    From the My Home tab, click on Goals, Change Goals, Custom. You will be able to change the Calories consumed to whatever you want. =)
  • SHHitsKaty
    SHHitsKaty Posts: 301
    Options
    I do log my exercise on here and my Fitbit syncs with this so if I get any calories burned/exercise from that it also logs into here but I'm NOT eating back my exercise calories because as I said, I struggle to even meet my 1450 goal. I'm just not hungry.

    The only way I know how to eat a lot of calories is what got me to this website in the first place, lol, McDonalds, Wendy's, Taco Bell, lol.
  • SHHitsKaty
    SHHitsKaty Posts: 301
    Options
    do you log your exercise on here? you are suppossed to eat those cals back which i would think would put you somewhere where your trainer wants you to be.

    Also, if I just ate ALL of my exercise calories back, wouldn't there be no deficit? Which is what you want. You want the net calories to be whatever you aim for between working out and eating.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    Options
    So...

    Your trainer wants you to eat more...
    MFP wants you to eat more...

    So... why do you want to change your calorie goals?
  • SHHitsKaty
    SHHitsKaty Posts: 301
    Options
    BECAUSE there would be NO deficit between my working out and what I'm eating. If I eat back ALL of my exercise calories, what have I burned? Nothing.
  • BurtHuttz
    BurtHuttz Posts: 3,653 Member
    Options
    MFP already has the deficit.

    MFP tells you to eat 1500 with no exercise. That's a deficit.

    You burn 300 calories.

    MFP tells you to eat 1800. That has the same deficit as before but you are fueling your body!!
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    Options
    1700 to 1800 sounds more normal to me.
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
    Options
    The deficit is already built in, average woman needs 2000 calories, you're set at 1450 that's a 550 deficit, by not eating your exercise calories you're creating a larger unhealthy deficit
  • hiker359
    hiker359 Posts: 577 Member
    Options
    The average female needs 1800 - 2000 calories to maintain her weight assuming a relatively low level of activity. You get active and start burning more calories and you lose weight. I've learned that it's better to create a deficit through your activity rather than through cutting calories. Working out for an hour 5-6 times a week is a great way to create a deficit and would drop your net calories down around 1500 - 1700 calories assuming you're the average woman I referenced above, which puts you at a good, but not dangerous caloric deficit, which equals weight loss.

    There are calorie dense foods that are also healthy. Add olive oil and saute your veggies. Eat brown rice, sweet potatoes, eggs, peanut butter (the kind without the hydrogenated oil is best), and just about any kind of nuts. Shoot, a PB&J with a full serving of peanut butter yields a good 500 calories. Eat three of those and you've got 1500 calories. Is this really rocket science? You don't have to condemn yourself to a life of salads.
  • _SABOTEUR_
    _SABOTEUR_ Posts: 6,833 Member
    Options
    Unless you told MFP to maintain your current weight you should eat youre exercise calories back. It's already set you at a deficit to lose 0.5, 1, 1.5 or 2 pounds a week depending on what you chose. If you eat less you will lose more muscle than fat and although you may weigh less on the scales you will still look flabby.

    As for eating the extra calories, just carry around a bad of mixed fruit and nuts you can buy from the whole foods section. A small bag of those (40g) is about 200-300 calories and definitely good for you. You can just graze on them throughout the day and you won't even notice.
  • Dayquasar
    Dayquasar Posts: 182 Member
    Options
    Do you have your goals set to lose weight or maintain? If your already set to lose then eat back your excercise calories since you will already be at a deficit. Think calorie dense, like beans, whole grains, and starchy veggies like potatoes, corn, etc. Also I have adjusted my goals manually I believe carbs are important, protein doesn't have to be insane, fat ,sodium, and cholesteral should be lower, also upped my sugar for fruit and fiber. Message me if you have any more questions about the detail on what I have set :) Also if you are working your muscles it tells your body that those are important since you use them and will not get rid of them, cardio to lose fat, weights to strengthen and burn calories at rest.
  • ce4131
    ce4131 Posts: 2 Member
    Options
    I changed my calorie amount based on what my dietician said (from 1400to 1600) and I was having trouble eating all of those calories too at first. I broke my day down into 3 meals of 400 calories plus two snacks of 200 calories. I add beans to eggs for breakfast and also add them to salad for lunch, add a tablespoon of flax seed to almost anything (for 50 calories). You can also add cheese to salad for extra calories and pretty soon, you are eating plenty! I had start by physically writing down my meals in advance to make sure I was planning enough calories. My dietician is always talking about adding nutrient dense foods like whole grain, nuts/seeds, beans, avocados. I've found that if I add those things, I end up with enough calories plus have lots of fiber and I keep full.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    Options
    I do log my exercise on here and my Fitbit syncs with this so if I get any calories burned/exercise from that it also logs into here but I'm NOT eating back my exercise calories because as I said, I struggle to even meet my 1450 goal. I'm just not hungry.

    The only way I know how to eat a lot of calories is what got me to this website in the first place, lol, McDonalds, Wendy's, Taco Bell, lol.
    Fast food is not the only food that is high in calories. Nuts, cheese, seeds, nut butters, oily fish, avocados, full fat dairy products, olive oil added to salads, cooking with oil, smoothies, protein shakes, nut milks, dark chocolate. You don't have to pick either a diet consisting of lean chicken and steamed vegetables or McDonalds. There is a whole world of tasty, nutritious food in between.
    BECAUSE there would be NO deficit between my working out and what I'm eating. If I eat back ALL of my exercise calories, what have I burned? Nothing.
    That's not how MFP works. It gave you a calorie goal with a deficit built into it. It gave you that goal based on the assumption you would log additional exercise and eat those calories back. If you do no exercise, you should still lose. Otherwise, it would have given you a higher calorie goal - more like the one your trainer has recommended. You can follow what MFP recommends (which you're not currently doing since you don't eat your exercise calories back) or you can follow what your trainer recommends, or you can find your own way. The biggest calorie deficit you can achieve is not necessarily the best though.
  • db1106
    db1106 Posts: 42
    Options
    I have found setting your goal at 1 pound a week in the selection and adding 100-200 calories in the customization page works good for a cutting phase. Not too drastic of a deficit so you try to preserve your muscle mass.

    Also, the macros MFP recommends need to be changed depending on what you are trying to do. At minimum, I recommend a 40 carb / 30 protein / 30 fat ratio for starters and you can queek it from there depending on what your goals are.
  • OMGeeeHorses
    OMGeeeHorses Posts: 732 Member
    Options
    Whoa...I am having trouble eating 1.600 a day!! I am about to get back into exercise (injury had me unable to walk for a little) I never knew this eat you calories back ( shows how well I follow things ;) ). Now I know why my body was so hungry all the time!!!
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Options
    Yeah, you probably burn 2000 or more calories a day (I burn around 2600) so 1700-1800 is at a deficit.

    Eat more dairy, 1%, 2% or even whole. Red meat. Whole eggs. Bananas. Protein shakes. 1800 shouldn't be hard if you eat more calorie dense food.
  • zaph0d
    zaph0d Posts: 1,172 Member
    Options
    Yes lots of people do this.

    1. Calculate TDEE (use this for example http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html)
    2. Subtract a reasonable deficit like 20% or 500 calories
    3. Enter that total as calorie target
    4. Profit???
  • SHHitsKaty
    SHHitsKaty Posts: 301
    Options
    Thanks for all the responses. I guess I never really saw it that way as that I had already factored in the deficit when it was calculated already. Makes sense now that everyone has explained it.

    And thanks to the people who supplied the tips on calorie rich foods that are still healthy. I'm kind of a picky eater so it's gonna take some trial and error. For example, everyone says peanut butter, but I can't stand peanut butter, so unfortunately, that's out of the equation.

    Thanks to all though!

Categories