is something wrong?

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brentrhoden
brentrhoden Posts: 5
in Food and Nutrition
I started MFP on June 9th and I weighed 235. I just weight myself today and I weigh 228. MFP says eat 2000 calories to lose 2 lbs a week. Ive been eating around 1000-1500 and working out everyday for an hour excepts today. Is this bad?

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  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
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    Yes. This is bad. Your maintenance calories would be around 3000 if your "lose 2 lbs a week" cut puts you at 2000. You've got a 2000 calorie deficit.
  • Ophidion
    Ophidion Posts: 2,065 Member
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    This should help...
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet

    Also if you haven't yet, invest in some kitchen scales, people often underestimate calorie intake and over estimate calories burned.

    Good luck!
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
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    If your calorie measurements are correct then yes, that would be bad. However, I'm suspecting you may be over calculating your burns and underestimating your intake. Count everything as closely as possible and eat at 1800 for a few weeks. You may gain at first, but it's all about tweaking the plan. If something isn't working, then consider possible user error. After eliminating that, if things are still not working out after many weeks, then change the plan. It's all about experimenting,, patience, and diligence.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
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    Yes, eat your goal number of calories, not way under, especially not only half of it. When you log exercise, MFP adds those calories to what you can eat. Eat your exercise calories.

    A huge deficit will not have you losing extra fat, it will have you losing lots of muscle. You're also more likely to slam into a wall and get really hungry (and/or sick) and say screw it if you keep eating at such a big deficit too. You can eat an amount that both keeps you happy AND has you dropping fat. Find that balance point (usually TDEE-20% or thereabouts) and you will have a much better time getting to your goal weight, and a much better chance of having developed reasonable eating habits that will last you a lifetime.

    Also, consider adding in some resistance/strength training if you aren't already.
  • ThePolishExperiment
    ThePolishExperiment Posts: 32 Member
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    what is your height, and age can I ask, then I can work out your daily calories.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
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    "Is it bad"

    Well, let's see, 7 pounds, 7 days... basically you cleared out some backed up feces, and may be a bit dehydrated.
  • bonnieyode
    bonnieyode Posts: 21
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    I've been wondering the same thing. I think before I would eat about 2000 and now I eat 1500. It tells me to eat that. I have never understood this whole thing of the calorie counting. At least I've lost weight.
  • marygoodnight007
    marygoodnight007 Posts: 33
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    I eat 1800 to be below my TDEE, there is no way you need less calories than I do (5'0, 124.4lbs) with exercise calories it comes out to over 2,000 calories. You need to eat at least 50% of your exercise calories back.
  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
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    I've been wondering the same thing. I think before I would eat about 2000 and now I eat 1500. It tells me to eat that. I have never understood this whole thing of the calorie counting. At least I've lost weight.

    MFP sets up your calories with all the vital statistics you give it, age/height/weight/gender/desired loss per week/job activity level. Then it gives you a calorie goal based on that information. They take away 250 calories for .5 lb a week, 500 calories for 1 lb a week, or 1000 calories for 2 lbs a week. That gives you your calorie goal to lose weight. When you exercise those calories get added onto your daily goal. Eating them keeps you at the appropriate deficit. Not eating them can cause your deficit to grow too large.
  • bonnieyode
    bonnieyode Posts: 21
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    I've been wondering the same thing. I think before I would eat about 2000 and now I eat 1500. It tells me to eat that. I have never understood this whole thing of the calorie counting. At least I've lost weight.

    MFP sets up your calories with all the vital statistics you give it, age/height/weight/gender/desired loss per week/job activity level. Then it gives you a calorie goal based on that information. They take away 250 calories for .5 lb a week, 500 calories for 1 lb a week, or 1000 calories for 2 lbs a week. That gives you your calorie goal to lose weight. When you exercise those calories get added onto your daily goal. Eating them keeps you at the appropriate deficit. Not eating them can cause your deficit to grow too large.
    Thank you. So...if I eat less than my 1500 I should be eating Is it bad? Some days I'm hungrier, others I eat less.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
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    I've been wondering the same thing. I think before I would eat about 2000 and now I eat 1500. It tells me to eat that. I have never understood this whole thing of the calorie counting. At least I've lost weight.

    MFP sets up your calories with all the vital statistics you give it, age/height/weight/gender/desired loss per week/job activity level. Then it gives you a calorie goal based on that information. They take away 250 calories for .5 lb a week, 500 calories for 1 lb a week, or 1000 calories for 2 lbs a week. That gives you your calorie goal to lose weight. When you exercise those calories get added onto your daily goal. Eating them keeps you at the appropriate deficit. Not eating them can cause your deficit to grow too large.
    Thank you. So...if I eat less than my 1500 I should be eating Is it bad? Some days I'm hungrier, others I eat less.
    You can have bigger/smaller days if that's how you prefer to eat and it keeps you satisfied/happy, as long as your average is still around 1500/day.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,020 Member
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    Losing weight fast at the beginning brings lots of motivation and it's a good thing, but the inevitable binges will get you eating that low, and the shame can defeat you overall. If your maintenance is 3000, then 2000 is a reasonable amount, and I'd probably look at 2000 as the absolute bottom, for at least now..
  • brentrhoden
    brentrhoden Posts: 5
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    I'll try to keep my calories around 2000. I keep getting worried everytime i eat a meal that im gonna over do it. Would takiing a couple scoops of whey protein be ok?

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