Just started - not sure if I'm using MFP right

amaranthine1018
amaranthine1018 Posts: 36
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi!

I'm looking to lose 10 pounds (and eventually 20, but 10's my current goal). I signed up for MFP after becoming frustrating with dieting on my own - it was hard to keep track of what I was eating. I cut out junk food as best as I could and limited my portion sizes, but only lost two pounds in two months. I just signed up a few days ago, on Monday, so not even a full week yet. MFP tells me my goal daily calorie intake is 1370, and my BMR is 1298. I'm female, 18 years old, 5 feet tall, I currently weigh 131.6 pounds. My waist is 30 inches, and my hips are 36, if that matters. Body fat % of 25.8%.

My concern is that it seems too easy to keep my calorie intake under the 1370 limit the app gave me. If 2000 is what the average adult usually consumes, how am I consistently coming to the end of the day with only 1000-1200 calories? I haven't significantly changed my dietary habits since starting to use MFP. I think perhaps I'm choosing the wrong foods to add - most of my food comes from my school's dining hall, so naturally what they serve isn't in the database, and I don't have the nutritional information for their food, so I have to choose the most similar dish from the existing list.

Thanks for any help!

Replies

  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    You could try asking the cooks in the dining hall for the ingredients in the food.

    I came up with a BMR of 1359 based off the BF% you provided.

    Depending on how active you are will depend on how much you should eat. When using MFP method, make sure to eat at least some of your exercise calories back. You want your NET to be close to your goal.

    edit: It is highly possible that you are eating more calories than you think, since you don't know what the nutritional value of the food from the dining hall is.

    Keep in mind, that since you are so close to your goal weight, weight loss is going to be slow.
  • amaranthine1018
    amaranthine1018 Posts: 36
    I don't do too much exercise, just walking 2-3 miles every day around campus (slow, easy pace) and between 5-10 minutes daily of exercises like crunches, etc. I used to swim 2 hours every day, but not for a year now, so I'm trying to ease back into regular exercise.

    How close should the net calories be to the goal amount? Is within 100 okay?
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    I feel that 200 under or over should be okay.

    I don't have a scale to weigh food, so I generally like to stay under goal by no more than 200, but that's to help cushion miscalculations in what I log for food.

    I'd say if you're walking 2-3 miles a day, then you're probably lightly active or active.
  • amaranthine1018
    amaranthine1018 Posts: 36
    I feel that 200 under or over should be okay.

    I don't have a scale to weigh food, so I generally like to stay under goal by no more than 200, but that's to help cushion miscalculations in what I log for food.
    Do you think I should do the same, since I can't be sure if what I'm logging is accurate due to dining hall food?
    I'd say if you're walking 2-3 miles a day, then you're probably lightly active or active.
    Huh. I put sedentary when I signed up, since that's just what I do to get to/from classes.
  • wizkklx
    wizkklx Posts: 19 Member
    2000 calories is the "average" but that averages teeny tiny women with big giant men. The average woman (let alone petite woman) should not be eating 2000 calories unless she is an Olympic athlete (hyperbole but you get my point).
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    Well sedentary implies you spend a lot of time sitting.

    I'm using a spreadsheet another member of mfp created to calculate what I eat at. This is what it says:

    "Sedentary is base activity that is built on, which already includes weekly - 40 hr work sitting, 56 hr sleeping, 65 hr sitting/standing, 7 hr slow walking"

    If you can afford it, I'd recommend getting a fitbit zip. It's a pedometer that you wear all day long and it tracks your movement and syncs with MFP to adjust your calories accordingly. I just got mine today (present from hubby) and I'm surprised at how much I underestimated my daily activity. I thought I was pretty sedentary, but I've only been wearing it since 3pm (10pm now) and I've apparently taken about 5000 steps.
  • amaranthine1018
    amaranthine1018 Posts: 36
    2000 calories is the "average" but that averages teeny tiny women with big giant men. The average woman (let alone petite woman) should not be eating 2000 calories unless she is an Olympic athlete (hyperbole but you get my point).
    Haha I didn't think about that...2000 probably doesn't mesh with my height, then. I guess my calorie intake kinda makes sense.

    Shadow2soul: I definitely spend a lot of time sitting. The sedentary description sounds right. As for the pedometer, I don't think I can afford one of those, although it would be useful (I've actually been tempted by that SwimSense watch I've seen ads for on here). I have a pedometer app on my phone along with MFP, and I know those aren't always accurate, but I think it gives me a ballpark.
  • jordanlell
    jordanlell Posts: 340 Member
    I would check and see if the dining hall has nutrition information available. I think there is generally enough awareness now of nutrition and fitness, especially on a university campus. That would help clear up exactly how many calories you're eating.
  • amaranthine1018
    amaranthine1018 Posts: 36
    I would check and see if the dining hall has nutrition information available. I think there is generally enough awareness now of nutrition and fitness, especially on a university campus. That would help clear up exactly how many calories you're eating.
    They don't currently, but I could ask the hall's manager if they would consider putting at least the calorie counts online.

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