confused about MFP daily calorie goal??

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happyindian
happyindian Posts: 89 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
When i had started at 195 lbs, MFP gave me a goal of 1280 cals daily, with a target weight loss of 1 lb a week. Now i have lost 13 lbs and updated tht info, whereby my daily goal has changed to 1340. I was under the impression that the heavier u are, more number of calories.....here i am losing and my daily goal increaszes. anybody can explain this, please???

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  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
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    The most likely explanation is that originally when you signed up you put your loss to 2lbs per week or 1.5lbs per week, not 1.

    Or

    You changed your activity level at some point from when you started to now.

    Generally, yes the less you weigh, the lower your calorie goal will go. But MFP will never set it lower than 1200, because that is the lowest amount a woman should eat.

    My goal has gone from 1450 to 1390 per day.
  • shelicolegirl
    shelicolegirl Posts: 1
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    How can I find out what my MFP calorie intake should be. I started at a weight of 196. Now I'm 181. But, for some reason it tells me that I'm eating to few calories. When looking on other websites to see what my ideal calorie intake should be at my height, age and weight. Please help me understand this. I would like to see how I can correct this.
  • inanna_72
    inanna_72 Posts: 5
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    I have a question, too. Being new to this I am not sure what I am doing as far as my goal calories. I entered a goal of 1200 calories a day. When I enter time exercised, my total goes up from 1200 to like 1600. Am I supposed to continue JUST eating 1200, to lose weight, or am I supposed to eat more calories to catch up with new goal? I'm confused. Please help this newbie:)
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    How can I find out what my MFP calorie intake should be. I started at a weight of 196. Now I'm 181. But, for some reason it tells me that I'm eating to few calories. When looking on other websites to see what my ideal calorie intake should be at my height, age and weight. Please help me understand this. I would like to see how I can correct this.

    Part of MFP's calculation comes from "I want to lose XX pounds per week." There's a problem with that. Weight loss is not linear. As you get closer to goal, your weight loss goal per week should change. A person wanting to lose 10 pounds total cannot expect to lose 2 pounds a week. That's a ridiculous number.

    Pounds per week
    75+ lbs to lose 2 lb range
    Between 40 - 75 lbs to lose 1.5 lb range
    Between 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lb range
    Between 15-25 lbs to lose 1 -.50 lb range
    Less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs range

    Your MFP calorie intake is NEVER going to go below 1200 calories (for women) ..... and this will be a NET number. Meaning if you log exercise ..... those calories will be added back.

    You might be better off finding your BMR & TDEE ..... BMR is zero activity (even less than sedentary) and TDEE is your current maintenance calories (including exercise) ..... to lose weight...... you want to be somewhere in the middle. TDEE less 20% maybe


    http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/bmr-calculator.html

    http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    I have a question, too. Being new to this I am not sure what I am doing as far as my goal calories. I entered a goal of 1200 calories a day. When I enter time exercised, my total goes up from 1200 to like 1600. Am I supposed to continue JUST eating 1200, to lose weight, or am I supposed to eat more calories to catch up with new goal? I'm confused. Please help this newbie:)

    1200 calories gives you a calorie deficit .......... 400 calories in exercise gives you MORE of a deficit.

    Eating 1200 and exercising for 400 would be the same thing as eating 800 calories and doing zero exercise. Your bodily functions; heart, lungs, kidneys, etc .......use more than 800 calories. So you are supposed to eat 400 additional calories**

    **How did you come up with 400 calories? MFP & many machines over state calorie burns...... so if this is your "source" for calorie burn info ..... it's best to eat a percentage of calories .... not all of them.

    Why "bother" working out if I'm just going to eat calories back? You want to exercise to maintain muscle mass (while dieting) ..... you need to fuel your workouts ..... or muscle mass will become a part of your "weight" loss.
  • jewel22887
    jewel22887 Posts: 72
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    Just a note most machines are set to 150lb average so if you don't put your weight in when you get on it will under guess for those over 150 and over guess for those under 150.
  • inanna_72
    inanna_72 Posts: 5
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    Thank you TeaBea! Thank you for your time and your information:smile:

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