The MFP goals wizard and you (YES you!)

SHBoss1673
SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
So one thing that I think people miss about MFP is the fact that the goals calculator is a "dumb" calculator. In other words, it doesn't care about what your numbers are in relation to what a healthy deficit is. The only governor it has is a 1200 calorie floor.

In other words, If you tell MFP you want to lose 2 lbs a week when you go through the goals wizard, it'll give you a 1000 calorie deficit (unless that 1000 calorie deficit brings you below 1200). It doesn't care whether you only have 12 lbs to lose and 1000 calories is NOT right for you, it'll still do it. It doesn't care that a 1000 calorie deficit will be unhealthy for you, and it doesn't care that you don't know this, it'll still try to get you there if you tell it to.

So I say this, before you decide to lose "as much as I can as fast as I can" really try to research into what a healthy weight loss SHOULD be for you, and stop being so impatient. If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right! Take your time, and DAMN IT be HAPPY with yourself for making good decisions, and stop worrying so much about a 1 lb weight loss!
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Replies

  • fitandhealthy
    fitandhealthy Posts: 82 Member
    Here here! :flowerforyou:
  • missouri_rain
    missouri_rain Posts: 560 Member
    Bravo!
  • TCASMEY
    TCASMEY Posts: 1,405 Member
    Totally agree! I think slow and steady as you figure out what works for you and your body!
  • lina1131
    lina1131 Posts: 2,246 Member
    Oh come on BANKS! Start talking sensible. You know that there is nothing wrong with dropping 50 pounds in one week so I can look good for my 10 year reunion. :smokin:
  • pitapocket
    pitapocket Posts: 287 Member
    Well said, I love reading your posts.
  • indybrown
    indybrown Posts: 31
    Completely agree! I still want to be able to ENJOY my food each day and feel as though I'm getting enough without starvation. I realize that I can change my "goals" and probably lose it faster but then I don't want to burn myself out week after week either. I'm average 1.5 lbs a week in weight loss and am VERY happy with this.
  • HealthierMamasita
    HealthierMamasita Posts: 1,126 Member
    Ok.. I'll listen to you THIS time.:huh:
  • spatialdisplacement
    spatialdisplacement Posts: 4
    Here, here:
    I've tried as fast as possible, foodwise; it not only didn't work, it caused a whole slew of medical problems, starting with a massive influx of cortisol, the fat making hormone. Seriously though, slow and steady with a 1000 calories food deficit is one thing. I supplement it with exercise. I tend to burn 2000 calories daily... sometimes I overeat, but not that much any more. It works. Everytime you stress out your body, it produces Cortisol in defense, and it's an acid, hence the fat protection.

    Slow and steady -- avoid the Cortisol Dulldrums!
    :drinker: COFFEEEE!!!
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
    who me ? 00020472.gif
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    That reminds me of the other little thing I don't like.

    When you are at a deficit, and you go over the calories MFP alots you for the day, you ARE NOT overeating, you are just reducing your deficit. Until you go over your maintenance calories, you did NOT over eat. Remember that, it's a small but important distinction.

    If you feel like you need to eat a little more today (for whatever reason), well, go for it (but still try to eat healthy). It's not going to hinder you unless you massively over eat (and even then, you're talking tenths of pounds usually, insignificant in the grand scheme).
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    Great post...and the subsequent one too.
  • Destined
    Destined Posts: 116
    Well said!!!
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
    When I was admitted to the hospital for what they thought was passing out (glucose or heat stroke) I spoke with no less than 6 doctors and 5000 nurses....Ok 50 maybe :laugh: .

    Each asked me about diet, each rolled their eyes when I said I was in deficit. The convos went like this

    ER Dr. McCreepy "Your on a fad diet?" :grumble:

    Me "No, I eat 1200 calories plus all exercise calories earned each day. I am losing about 1/2 pound a week and average 1500 healthy calories a day. My cholesterol went from 287 to 187 and BP and glucose are steady"

    Dr :huh: " Well, good for you. Most ppl do it all wrong and this is all RIGHT!"

    There were some derivitive of this conversation with my Neurologist, 2 Cardiologist, General floor doc...also Stroke specialist, the nutritionist and every nurse that came on duty. SOME of the nurses took MFP info from me and I hope to see them here!!

    My point is each person said I was in such good shape to go into emergency surgery BECAUSE my body was healthy and not WEAK from not eating correctly.

    Slow and steady makes you HEALTHY!:drinker:
  • savvystephy
    savvystephy Posts: 4,151 Member
    Yay! Great post.. hopefully the people who need to read this, read it! :smile:
  • kcdrake
    kcdrake Posts: 512
    Bravo!:drinker:
  • Alleghany
    Alleghany Posts: 200
    So very true!

    So this is my story. When I first started in April, I was abiding by a 1200 cal-per-day regimen and lost weight pretty quickly. I was really excited…and really misinformed. I did some reading (several of your old posts, among others, Banks :flowerforyou: ) and became enlightened. I’m 5’ 4.5” (yeah…I make that .5” really count, lol :wink: ), currently breastfeeding a 4-mos-old and it’s a wonder I didn’t lose my milk! I’m now trying to eat 1,600 – 2,000ish cals per day & you betcha, I’m eating those exercise cals!!! I’m not losing 2lbs every week (not even losing every week) but I’m seeing some wonderful changes in the mirror. If I had more to lose, I’m sure I’d still be losing a lot each week w/1,600 – 2,000 cals per day. It makes me so sad now when I see someone’s food diary and they’re consistently below 1,200. Yeah, you’ll shed weight at first w/1,200 but will soon stop and have to cut cals even more since you will have slowed your metab way down. That’s a downward spiral I was lucky enough to avoid! I just want to shout from the rooftops to people, "EAT, EAT, EAT YOUR CALS!!!" but I figure they wouldn't listen and if they really want to get the right info, they'll see it in these threads. I’m now trying to eat pretty much the way I plan to the rest of my life - no "diets" for me.

    Good luck to everyone on their journeys! :flowerforyou:
  • NykkieC
    NykkieC Posts: 622 Member
    BUMP!
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    the thing is, it's not so much that I don't think someone will lose weight with a super large deficit, they probably will (continually, although probably not as much as they thought they would), but there's a lot more factors that they are neglecting by doing so. Foremost is the fact that eventually, a large deficit will affect your ORGANS. Yes, that's right, your organs WILL be affected, maybe not noticeably at first, but for the same reason a frog won't jump out of a pot of water if you heat it slowly to boiling, you won't notice the affects of reduced body function. Because it's happening slowly and incrementally. Just because it takes a year to go from 100 % liver function down to 65% liver function, doesn't mean your doing it any better, and you're stressing the rest of your body, destroying tissue, and ultimately weakening your immune system. Systemic failure is inevitable.

    Ever notice how people addicted to Heroin have really bad teeth? That's because of the lack of appetite (most addicts eat very little, and badly when they do eat), it's NOT a direct result of the drugs, extreme example? Maybe, but noteworthy none-the-less.
  • immacookie
    immacookie Posts: 7,424 Member
    Well said!!

    This is the first site I have been a member of (and I've been a member of a lot of diet/fitness/etc sites) that has actually EXPLAINED that you need to eat your exercise calories, and WHY. That is something I have never done before, and my weight going up and up over the last 3 years has apparently been proof (even though eating good and working out).
    Now I just have to find the right balance for ME. :drinker:
  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
    Bump...

    Preach it, brother...preach!
  • junebug523
    junebug523 Posts: 196
    Is it okay to admit that I have an MFP crush on you? :tongue: 'Cause I just can't help it!
  • PJilly
    PJilly Posts: 22,176 Member
    Yay! Great post.. hopefully the people who need to read this, read it! :smile:
    I agree, Stephanie. It's frustrating when there's so much misinformation on here as well. I'd hate to be new and trying to sort through all the confusion. Thank you, Banks, for doing what you do to try to help people as much as you can. You must feel sometimes like you're banging your head on a brick wall.
  • Laceylala
    Laceylala Posts: 3,094 Member
    That reminds me of the other little thing I don't like.

    When you are at a deficit, and you go over the calories MFP alots you for the day, you ARE NOT overeating, you are just reducing your deficit. Until you go over your maintenance calories, you did NOT over eat. Remember that, it's a small but important distinction.

    If you feel like you need to eat a little more today (for whatever reason), well, go for it (but still try to eat healthy). It's not going to hinder you unless you massively over eat (and even then, you're talking tenths of pounds usually, insignificant in the grand scheme).

    I like this. This should be a thread of its own. I forget this too and so do many people on here.
  • MFPfriend
    MFPfriend Posts: 1,121 Member
    I agree completely.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    Is it okay to admit that I have an MFP crush on you? :tongue: 'Cause I just can't help it!

    Heh, I'm flattered (I think). :wink:
  • melodyg
    melodyg Posts: 1,423 Member
    *Clap clap clap clap clap* Yay, great post (both of them) :) And I must say that I feel much better this time around (and less hungry) than last time I used a "weight loss plan" that basically gave me 1200 calories a day. And... I'm losing more weight this time around (though, admittedly, that could be because I have more to lose...)
  • rcatr
    rcatr Posts: 374 Member
    Actually...I set my base calorie intake to 100 so i could lose like, 20 pounds a week....no? anyone?....*cue crickets* :laugh:

    Great post! :bigsmile:
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    Actually...I set my base calorie intake to 100 so i could lose like, 20 pounds a week....no? anyone?....*cue crickets* :laugh:

    Great post! :bigsmile:

    Thank you! rcatr everyone. Remember the 7:30 show is completely different from the 11:30 show. Try the veal!
    :tongue:
  • callie365
    callie365 Posts: 689
    Kudos.. keep it coming!
  • Rhaeven
    Rhaeven Posts: 123 Member
    Thanks for the great post, I hope everyone who needs it, reads it. Though I rarely make it to my goal for calories, I am eating, and eating all the time now. I eat whenever I am hungry. I am blessed, incredibly blessed to have my BF/Personal Trainer who has brains enough to remind me to eat instead of starve myself. I have a big aversion to food most of the time, so eating to lose weight was not a new concept, but a hard one for me to accept. I love these boards, they are soooo very full of useful information, and so is my Guy. MFP Was an excellent find.
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