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Is it bad to be under your calorie goal?
latinstarlite1
Posts: 62 Member
Recently an MFP buddy mentioned that their Net Calories was under 1000 calories. I've never been one to eat back calories that I have purposely worked off through exercise. But this comment got me thinking. I've heard several times that MFP is notorious for under calculating calorie goals. So now I'm wondering if I actually ate to meet my calorie goal (most of the time I am under), if I would loose more weight more quickly. I'm also beginning to wonder if MFP has my calorie goal too low. I don't know. What are your opinions on this??
I'm 35 (almost...lol)
5' 4 1/2" tall
I weigh about 208 lbs
I rarely exercise, but I am ALWAYS on the go
MFP has my calorie goal set at 1780 cal for the day... and recently has suggested that I recalculate this number since I have lost 10 lbs since my last goal was set.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks and God Bless!
Added note: I'm usually under by 300 to 500 calories sometimes.
I'm 35 (almost...lol)
5' 4 1/2" tall
I weigh about 208 lbs
I rarely exercise, but I am ALWAYS on the go
MFP has my calorie goal set at 1780 cal for the day... and recently has suggested that I recalculate this number since I have lost 10 lbs since my last goal was set.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks and God Bless!
Added note: I'm usually under by 300 to 500 calories sometimes.
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Replies
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Recently an MFP buddy mentioned that their Net Calories was under 1000 calories. I've never been one to eat back calories that I have purposely worked off through exercise. But this comment got me thinking. I've heard several times that MFP is notorious for under calculating calorie goals. So now I'm wondering if I actually ate to meet my calorie goal (most of the time I am under), if I would loose more weight more quickly. I'm also beginning to wonder if MFP has my calorie goal too low. I don't know. What are your opinions on this??
I'm 35 (almost...lol)
5' 4 1/2" tall
I weigh about 208 lbs
I rarely exercise, but I am ALWAYS on the go
MFP has my calorie goal set at 1780 cal for the day... and recently has suggested that I recalculate this number since I have lost 10 lbs since my last goal was set.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks and God Bless!
Added note: I'm usually under by 300 to 500 calories sometimes.
You do realize that MFP gives you a calorie deficit built into your calorie goal, before any exercise, right?0 -
It depends quite a lot on the individual. In general, it isn't beneficial to be under your calorie goal.
Someone who is very tall and heavy with a lot of weight to lose who has their settings to 1lb a week(500calorie/day deficit) but can safely maintain a 2lb a week deficit (1000calorie/day deficit), could eat between those two deficits without an issue, sometimes losing more, sometimes losing less.
Someone shorter with less to lose, let's say 20lbs, probably can barely lose 1lb a week safely and it's very important they eat all their calories.
Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) on Sedentary is 2029. If you ate this you would maintain your current weight.
If you are currently eating 1780 calories, your daily deficit will be 249 calories a day, or half a pound a week loss.
Your estimated BMR is: 1,631 calories/day, this is what you burn if you were in a coma. It isn't recommended to eat less than your current BMR while losing weight. If you'd like to up your deficit a little you could try to eat at your BMR + your exercise calories.
Since you are more on the petite side, weight loss is going to be slower, I know, it sucks.0 -
Just don't go too far under, because, like you mentioned, you need to continue to cut back as you lose weight. So you don't want your body to be acclimated to too low of a calorie count, otherwise there's nowhere left to go. I learned that from Weight Watchers back when I was 225lbs. I lost a lot of weight one week, and the group leader asked what worked, and I told her I had eaten 10 points less per day. She told me DON'T do that. Give yourself something to work towards.0
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It's called a goal because you're supposed to reach it.0
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It's called a goal because you're supposed to reach it.
Is this type of callus comment really necessary? This is the exact reason why I generally stay away from the message boards. There are soo many of you out there that are so quick to judge. There is no need to callus, smart alecky or anything like that. I asked the question because I am NOT an expert and I seek the advice of my peers, not to be judged or criticized for my ignorance on a subject that I am obviously attempting to broaden my knowledge on. So if you can not contribute politely and answer the actual question intelligently and with compassion as others have done... Then please, practice what your mothers should have taught you in your youth... " If you can not say anything nice, then don't say anything at all"
Same goes to adini7491 -
Now to the lovely ladies that commented with actual helpful advice. I Thank you for your time and advice. I am going to adjust my eating habits of the next couple of weeks and see how it goes. I would actually like to lose at least 1 lb a week so if MFP's calculations on leaves me a half lb loss then I will stay a bit under my actual goal. I do plan to do some more research on this and see what other sites say my goal should be and compare them to MFP and go from there.
Thanks again ladies... have an awesome weekend!0 -
1700ish sounds about right. I would avoid netting less than 1200 calories though, but only because it's hard to hit the minimum on a lot of nutrients when you go lower. But, if what you are doing is working and you are comfortable doing it, I would stick to that and not worry too much about what other people think. Or, get a physical tell your doc what you are doing and that it works if it is working and see a dietitian. No one here knows what is going to work for every single person on the planet.0
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It's called a goal because you're supposed to reach it.
Is this type of callus comment really necessary? This is the exact reason why I generally stay away from the message boards. There are soo many of you out there that are so quick to judge. There is no need to callus, smart alecky or anything like that. I asked the question because I am NOT an expert and I seek the advice of my peers, not to be judged or criticized for my ignorance on a subject that I am obviously attempting to broaden my knowledge on. So if you can not contribute politely and answer the actual question intelligently and with compassion as others have done... Then please, practice what your mothers should have taught you in your youth... " If you can not say anything nice, then don't say anything at all"
Same goes to adini749
Sorry, but were YOUR comments really necessary?? It is true. Your calories given by MFP ARE there for a reason, to be reached as a goal.1 -
I dont think adini749 was being callus by pointing out that MFP includes cal deficit before goal. Not everyone knows that...I didnt before reading about it on the boards. Its just information, not a snide remark.
you asked if its bad to be under goal, and youre annoyed because she tried to help out by letting let you know how mfp sets up the goals. I dont understand that. Cest la vie!
Anyway, I think its a good reminder. I get caught up on keeping cals low, when I really should be eating them back to give my body fuel. Otherwise I get sluggish and forget exercise, good luck getting me off the couch to check the mail lol0 -
This content has been removed.
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Recently an MFP buddy mentioned that their Net Calories was under 1000 calories. I've never been one to eat back calories that I have purposely worked off through exercise. But this comment got me thinking. I've heard several times that MFP is notorious for under calculating calorie goals. So now I'm wondering if I actually ate to meet my calorie goal (most of the time I am under), if I would loose more weight more quickly. I'm also beginning to wonder if MFP has my calorie goal too low. I don't know. What are your opinions on this??
I'm 35 (almost...lol)
5' 4 1/2" tall
I weigh about 208 lbs
I rarely exercise, but I am ALWAYS on the go
MFP has my calorie goal set at 1780 cal for the day... and recently has suggested that I recalculate this number since I have lost 10 lbs since my last goal was set.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks and God Bless!
Added note: I'm usually under by 300 to 500 calories sometimes.
When actively trying to lose weight, nothing wrong with being under your calorie goal
. hey as long as you're safely at a caloric deficit it doesnt hurt. Also, I would suggest for every 3-5lbs you lose, readjust your calorie goal. 0 -
It's called a goal because you're supposed to reach it.
Is this type of callus comment really necessary? This is the exact reason why I generally stay away from the message boards. There are soo many of you out there that are so quick to judge. There is no need to callus, smart alecky or anything like that. I asked the question because I am NOT an expert and I seek the advice of my peers, not to be judged or criticized for my ignorance on a subject that I am obviously attempting to broaden my knowledge on. So if you can not contribute politely and answer the actual question intelligently and with compassion as others have done... Then please, practice what your mothers should have taught you in your youth... " If you can not say anything nice, then don't say anything at all"
Same goes to adini749
Both of those posters were right. Eat up to your goal. And why does your ticker say you don't have any weight to lose? And yes, readjust when prompted by the program.
This type of lashing out will not encourage people to want to help you. Carry on doing what you're doing, then.
The irony of your post is almost funny. Almost.0 -
I dont think adini749 was being callus by pointing out that MFP includes cal deficit before goal. Not everyone knows that...I didnt before reading about it on the boards. Its just information, not a snide remark.
you asked if its bad to be under goal, and youre annoyed because she tried to help out by letting let you know how mfp sets up the goals. I dont understand that. Cest la vie!
Anyway, I think its a good reminder. I get caught up on keeping cals low, when I really should be eating them back to give my body fuel. Otherwise I get sluggish and forget exercise, good luck getting me off the couch to check the mail lol
^this.0 -
It's called a goal because you're supposed to reach it.
Is this type of callus comment really necessary? This is the exact reason why I generally stay away from the message boards. There are soo many of you out there that are so quick to judge. There is no need to callus, smart alecky or anything like that. I asked the question because I am NOT an expert and I seek the advice of my peers, not to be judged or criticized for my ignorance on a subject that I am obviously attempting to broaden my knowledge on. So if you can not contribute politely and answer the actual question intelligently and with compassion as others have done... Then please, practice what your mothers should have taught you in your youth... " If you can not say anything nice, then don't say anything at all"
Same goes to adini749
Both of those posters were right. Eat up to your goal. And why does your ticker say you don't have any weight to lose? And yes, readjust when prompted by the program.
This type of lashing out will not encourage people to want to help you. Carry on doing what you're doing, then.
The irony of your post is almost funny. Almost.
Oh and this too^.0 -
You seem like a charming individual. Good luck with your goals. :flowerforyou:0
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Here, read these - you'll understand more about how THIS website calculates your numbers.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/952996-level-obstacles-lose-weight-target-fat-easy
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf0 -
It's called a goal because you're supposed to reach it.
Is this type of callus comment really necessary? This is the exact reason why I generally stay away from the message boards. There are soo many of you out there that are so quick to judge. There is no need to callus, smart alecky or anything like that. I asked the question because I am NOT an expert and I seek the advice of my peers, not to be judged or criticized for my ignorance on a subject that I am obviously attempting to broaden my knowledge on. So if you can not contribute politely and answer the actual question intelligently and with compassion as others have done... Then please, practice what your mothers should have taught you in your youth... " If you can not say anything nice, then don't say anything at all"
Same goes to adini749
Both of those posters were right. Eat up to your goal. And why does your ticker say you don't have any weight to lose? And yes, readjust when prompted by the program.
This type of lashing out will not encourage people to want to help you. Carry on doing what you're doing, then.
The irony of your post is almost funny. Almost.
seriously, how does pointing out that MFP builds a deficit into your calorie goal warrant such a RUDE response.
ask for help.
get suggestions.
attack responders who point out facts.
excellent plan.0 -
It's called a goal because you're supposed to reach it.
Is this type of callus comment really necessary? This is the exact reason why I generally stay away from the message boards. There are soo many of you out there that are so quick to judge. There is no need to callus, smart alecky or anything like that. I asked the question because I am NOT an expert and I seek the advice of my peers, not to be judged or criticized for my ignorance on a subject that I am obviously attempting to broaden my knowledge on. So if you can not contribute politely and answer the actual question intelligently and with compassion as others have done... Then please, practice what your mothers should have taught you in your youth... " If you can not say anything nice, then don't say anything at all"
Same goes to adini749
Both of those posters were right. Eat up to your goal. And why does your ticker say you don't have any weight to lose? And yes, readjust when prompted by the program.
This type of lashing out will not encourage people to want to help you. Carry on doing what you're doing, then.
The irony of your post is almost funny. Almost.
seriously, how does pointing out that MFP builds a deficit into your calorie goal warrant such a RUDE response.
ask for help.
get suggestions.
attack responders who point out facts.
excellent plan.
:laugh:0 -
I wish you nothing but success in all your fitness and health goals. You got this! :flowerforyou: - ©20130
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I'm under all the time. If I ate back calories I'd be a brick house lol. I don't understand how others do it but I set my lifestyle to active factoring in my gym sessions and also comparing the numbers with other calculators. I guess it's more popular here to put the nums in before exercise, seems a bit confusing to me. Either way the numbers are just a ballpark and it's going to take time to accurately *kitten* your personal mbr range.0
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Everybody smile
It makes you feel better, calms you down, lifts your mood.
Everybody needs to remember, the typed word lacks all the human touch - tone of voice, facial expression, body language, so it's easy for comments to come across other than you intended, and it's easy to read comments other than they were intended.
Keep smiling everyone, we're all in this together :flowerforyou:0 -
It's called a goal because you're supposed to reach it.
Is this type of callus comment really necessary? This is the exact reason why I generally stay away from the message boards. There are soo many of you out there that are so quick to judge. There is no need to callus, smart alecky or anything like that. I asked the question because I am NOT an expert and I seek the advice of my peers, not to be judged or criticized for my ignorance on a subject that I am obviously attempting to broaden my knowledge on. So if you can not contribute politely and answer the actual question intelligently and with compassion as others have done... Then please, practice what your mothers should have taught you in your youth... " If you can not say anything nice, then don't say anything at all"
Same goes to adini749
lol...
you think THAT was callous and rude?
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!
btw, they were both 100% right.
Eat more.0 -
It's called a goal because you're supposed to reach it.
Is this type of callus comment really necessary? This is the exact reason why I generally stay away from the message boards. There are soo many of you out there that are so quick to judge. There is no need to callus, smart alecky or anything like that. I asked the question because I am NOT an expert and I seek the advice of my peers, not to be judged or criticized for my ignorance on a subject that I am obviously attempting to broaden my knowledge on. So if you can not contribute politely and answer the actual question intelligently and with compassion as others have done... Then please, practice what your mothers should have taught you in your youth... " If you can not say anything nice, then don't say anything at all"
Same goes to adini749
I was going to give you some excellent advice, but now I'm afraid to for fear of being rude. :frown:0 -
I wish you nothing but success in all your fitness and health goals. You got this! :flowerforyou: - ©2013
Agreed, after all, we are all here for the same thing :flowerforyou:
Good luck on your journey.0 -
It's ok to be under, but if you're regularly coming in way under you may be losing more muscle than fat and/or slowing your metabolism down to a standstill.
This. Aim to net 1200 at least as a minimum. If you're under a little, that's fine, but try not to come in with loads remaining.
It's never about losing weight faster, but more about losing weight in a healthy and sustainable manner.
There are a lot of people (although I only speak for myself and nobody else) who lose weight eating around 1800-2000 cals a day. And no, my diary isn't the cleanest this week... but on the whole, I do this by either eating the minimum MFP gives me, and then most of my exercise cals on top of that, since I know the deficit is built in already, or going for the TDEE method, which means if I'm over on MFP it's not so bad once in a while.
I wish you luck though
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It's called a goal because you're supposed to reach it.
Is this type of callus comment really necessary? This is the exact reason why I generally stay away from the message boards. There are soo many of you out there that are so quick to judge. There is no need to callus, smart alecky or anything like that. I asked the question because I am NOT an expert and I seek the advice of my peers, not to be judged or criticized for my ignorance on a subject that I am obviously attempting to broaden my knowledge on. So if you can not contribute politely and answer the actual question intelligently and with compassion as others have done... Then please, practice what your mothers should have taught you in your youth... " If you can not say anything nice, then don't say anything at all"
Same goes to adini749
Um? Let's reread the comment..."It's called a goal because you're supposed to reach it". While this is a shorter comment than the norm, I read no ill intent on it at all. Not even sarcasm. It reads as a clarification to remind you that you are expected to eat up to that number. Like to differentiate it from a cal "threshold", or cal "limit". Oh yeah and God Bless. :flowerforyou:
p.s. Adini's statement to me reads as double checking whether you understood that the number MFP provides is already incorporating the subtraction of calories that are intended to result in weight loss. I also read no ill will there. There are honestly members who have not understood this point and have eaten under that goal consistently in an effort to create a deficit which resulted in a double deficit or deficit too deep to serve their body or goals.
p.s.s. I think it might be important to note that some of the members who have been here the longest have seen it all on MFP and are also busy people with busy lives and maybe they don't have time to add extra words for softening every single message. Also with the sheer number of misinterpretations on this site, some have learned to shorten their phrases/answers to the bare minimum of pertinent information so that the true message does not get lost in the rest of the text. Especially if any other part of the message accidentally comes across in any negative way and thus becomes the focus of the reader and the true information is lost. Try to read short answers in this light and I hope you will get to the real information that you seek. The truth shall set you free. <===I didn't make that up, I swear. Look it up, you'll be surprised by the source if you don't already know, which I suspect strongly you do.0 -
Um? Let's reread the comment..."It's called a goal because you're supposed to reach it". While this is a shorter comment than the norm, I read no ill intent on it at all. Not even sarcasm. It reads as a clarification to remind you that you are expected to eat up to that number. Like to differentiate it from a cal "threshold", or cal "limit". Oh yeah and God Bless. :flowerforyou:
p.s. Adini's statement to me reads as double checking whether you understood that the number MFP provides is already incorporating the subtraction of calories that are intended to result in weight loss. I also read no ill will there. There are honestly members who have not understood this point and have eaten under that goal consistently in an effort to create a deficit which resulted in a double deficit or deficit too deep to serve their body or goals.
p.s.s. I think it might be important to note that some of the members who have been here the longest have seen it all on MFP and are also busy people with busy lives and maybe they don't have time to add extra words for softening every single message. Also with the sheer number of misinterpretations on this site, some have learned to shorten their phrases/answers to the bare minimum of pertinent information so that the true message does not get lost in the rest of the text. Especially if any other part of the message accidentally comes across in any negative way and thus becomes the focus of the reader and the true information is lost. Try to read short answers in this light and I hope you will get to the real information that you seek. The truth shall set you free. <===I didn't make that up, I swear. Look it up, you'll be surprised by the source if you don't already know, which I suspect strongly you do.
:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:0 -
It's ok to be under, but if you're regularly coming in way under you may be losing more muscle than fat and/or slowing your metabolism down to a standstill. For what it's worth, I usually consume far more pre and post workout than I actually burn during the workout.
Thank you... This is the kind of information that I was looking for. I appreciate your comment0 -
[/quote]
Both of those posters were right. Eat up to your goal. And why does your ticker say you don't have any weight to lose? And yes, readjust when prompted by the program.
This type of lashing out will not encourage people to want to help you. Carry on doing what you're doing, then.
The irony of your post is almost funny. Almost.
[/quote]
My ticker says I have no more weight to loose because I just met my most recent goal. I did not set a HUGE long term goal. I chose to set my goals 10 lbs at a time. When I reach that goal, re-evaluate my goals and set a new goal. However, before I set my new goal this time I decided to ask some questions to make sure that I was on the right track.
Have a good one and thanks for your comment0 -
Here, read these - you'll understand more about how THIS website calculates your numbers.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/952996-level-obstacles-lose-weight-target-fat-easy
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf
Thank you I appreciate your help.0
This discussion has been closed.
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