That can't be right?

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knorth26
knorth26 Posts: 4
in Introduce Yourself
Just signed up and the app is telling me that I should only consume 1290 calories per day to lose 2llbs per week. Now I am male and workout 5 times a week for around 60min per day which includes both cardio and weights. 1290 calories per day is surely not enough!

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  • TheFitnessTutor
    TheFitnessTutor Posts: 356 Member
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    lol...welcome to earth. Where nothing perfect, no matter how popular. How much do you weight, what's your estimated body fat %?
  • escarmalanes
    escarmalanes Posts: 14
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    That is assuming no exercise. When you add in your workouts the calories will be increased instantly.
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,153 Member
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    MFP is not taking your exercise into consideration. You are expected to eat back any calories you burn during exercise in order to net at the value given. That being said, 1290 does seem a little low, but as the previous poster said, it depends on height and weight.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    If you want to include your exercise in your calories so you don't have to worry about that, the above link is a good, detailed explanation of how to do that.
  • knorth26
    knorth26 Posts: 4
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    I weigh 14"6' (92kg) and need to get down to 13 stone or so. Not sure what my body fat % is.

    I have lost nearly 2 stone over the last 6 months but have struggled to lose the last bit so wanted to try using something like this to help keep my motivation going. Having looked previously on various sites the suggestion was that I should be consuming somewhere between 3500 and 4500 calories.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
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    Read this to work out what you really should be eating.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet


    I think 2lbs a week might be too much since you are closer to goal as well but see what the above tells you.

    Good luck!
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
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    I think 2lbs a week might be too much since you are closer to goal as well but see what the above tells you.

    I am thinking the same thing. I think 1 lb a week will be more realistic.
  • wendy275a
    wendy275a Posts: 17 Member
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    Yes think I agree with this too!
    lower the amount you want to lose each week and double check how active you have put you are.
  • knorth26
    knorth26 Posts: 4
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    Thanks for the help

    Even with only a 1llb loss a week it is still only 1980 calories a day. I will look at the exercise bit and see if I can work it out
  • knorth26
    knorth26 Posts: 4
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    Some figures then
    My TDEE is 3000
    BMR 1936
    BMI 28
    I'm 43, 5"11 and 92kg

    So am I right in thinking that to lose the fat I need to eat around 2500-2750 calories a day?
  • nessagrace22
    nessagrace22 Posts: 430 Member
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    Bumping for the road map
  • ericthirdrow
    ericthirdrow Posts: 27 Member
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    Thanks for the help

    Even with only a 1llb loss a week it is still only 1980 calories a day. I will look at the exercise bit and see if I can work it out

    1980 is a good bit, especially if you exercise regularly and replace those calories burned with calories consumed.

    I'm at 1680 to lose 2 pounds per week (obviously a lot heavier than you) and on most days I find that staying under 1680 is really easy. Days I don't go out and drink it's not hard at all.
  • TheFitnessTutor
    TheFitnessTutor Posts: 356 Member
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    Some figures then
    My TDEE is 3000
    BMR 1936
    BMI 28
    I'm 43, 5"11 and 92kg

    So am I right in thinking that to lose the fat I need to eat around 2500-2750 calories a day?
    I would go for 2500 and no less and watch the scale. You want to lose on the highest calories possible to protect metabolic rate and thermic effect of food and especially protein. It also will depend on what and how you've been eating up to this point. Keep the calories and water constant at least for a week and see what the scale does. Of course carb and salt intake before and after this point can cause a 4 or 5 lb inaccuracy as well. This is why a consistent intake is VITAL in figuring out what's truly going on. Don't do this mfp popular stuff of coming in 300 calories under your goal every other day. Pick a goal and hit it. Olive oil and peanut butter is your friend if you're looking low one day
  • thenoxus1
    thenoxus1 Posts: 56 Member
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    5'10" and 165...I eat at 1670 a day pre exercise and many a time struggle to go to it. If oyu are clean eating and eating the right things...this a pretty steady amount.
  • dngoins
    dngoins Posts: 20
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    I always do an 1800 calorie diet. 1200 Calories isn't nearly enough for anybody. My moms cardiologist put me and her on a 1500 calorie diet and my family doctor was highly upset and said no less than 1800 and I am over 200 lbs. I lost 14 lbs the first 2 months doing it on my own, but I decided to join MFP to get motivated and keep track of everything better. Good luck!!!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    Just signed up and the app is telling me that I should only consume 1290 calories per day to lose 2llbs per week. Now I am male and workout 5 times a week for around 60min per day which includes both cardio and weights. 1290 calories per day is surely not enough!

    You're not supposed to include exercise in your activity level setting...you're supposed to log exercise and eat those calories back. MFP is a NEAT method calculator (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis).

    Personally, I'd up your goal to 1 Lb per week...much more sustainable...it should give you around 1800 calories then, plus your exercise. When I was doing MFP, my net calorie goal was 1850 plus my exercise I usually consumed around 2150 calories to lose 1 Lb per week. Yes...it took longer...but I wasn't miserable.

    Also, MFP giving you such a low goals indicates to me that you might not really have that much fat to lose...the less you have to lose, the slower you should be doing it. Obese individuals can sustain larger deficits for longer...leaner individuals cannot.

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