Question about the Calories in the Profile

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maharet111
maharet111 Posts: 18 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So when I signed up and input all my information, etc. etc., it told me that my gross food calorie intake was to be 1230 calories a day. But then i am confused because excercise adds to those calories for the net. Is the thought that you excercise enough to bring yourself up to around 1500 calories a day?

1230 just seems awful low, I can do it but not sure I am getting enough nutrition to be honest.

Replies

  • Amarillo_NDN
    Amarillo_NDN Posts: 1,018 Member
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    for me, I didn't add excerise in the base start up. That way if you do excerise you can eat some of the calories. Just remember, those numbers are avg for most people. You still have to find the number of calories that yours over time.
  • Dafrog
    Dafrog Posts: 353
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    when i first started mfp said i got 1200 calories. I tried to stay in this goal although I felt like I was always hungry. I changed the settings to more active and one pound a week lost and felt fuller. Although, I wasnt eating as clean as I should, now I have incorpated better choices and my calorie intake is closer to 1200 without feeling deprived of food. You will just have to find a way of eating that you can mantain for life; dont think of this as a diet, think of it as a lifestyle. thats the only way it will work. right now you are eating calorie with a decief, the less you weigh the less calories your body will need to mantain.
  • tam8374
    tam8374 Posts: 270 Member
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    I too had some issues w/ the low calorie amount. I did some research and realized that for me to lose 1.5lbs a week I should be between 1800-1900 calories. So I went in and manually changed mine to 1800. I initally was allowed 1400. I don't know why MFP is so low. I know a lot of people who think the amount is too low too. I downloaded three other weight loss apps on my iphone and for me to lose 1lb to 1.5 lb they also said 1800 or 1900 something.

    There is a website too that you can put your stats in and see what your calories should be. I don't know it off the top of my head but if you google something about how many calories should I eat when losing weight you might find it.
  • maharet111
    maharet111 Posts: 18 Member
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    Thanks Tam. I also did some quick research and they all said in the 1600 calorie range for me, regardless of excercise. I figured out how to manually change it in here so that is what I did too.
  • disbrina
    disbrina Posts: 7
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    What web site did you ladies use? I feel like my cal amout is to low. I can stick to it for about 4 days and then bing eat for the weekend. So i go no where and it is getting fustrating. I also wondered if my amount of pyisical activity threw the day is acurate. I do a small day care from my home where i look after 7 kids. I was not sure what level of activity i should have put down. Any help would be great. :smile:
  • maharet111
    maharet111 Posts: 18 Member
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    What web site did you ladies use? I feel like my cal amout is to low. I can stick to it for about 4 days and then bing eat for the weekend. So i go no where and it is getting fustrating. I also wondered if my amount of pyisical activity threw the day is acurate. I do a small day care from my home where i look after 7 kids. I was not sure what level of activity i should have put down. Any help would be great. :smile:

    I used this one.

    http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

    Running after 7 kids has to be a good workout!
  • tpritchard2
    tpritchard2 Posts: 5 Member
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    In the Tools heading it has a MBR rate that MFP bases it's count on. I have done well in the 1200 calorie range due to having to plan what I eat. I try to have something every 2 hours and that stops hunger pains. I choose fruit and vegestables to snack on and this allowes me to have more calories at meal times. I can eat well with around 400 calories or so for 3 meals a day. It just takes planning for me. I love this site however, it is just what I needed to be in control of my body instead of my body contoling me.
  • disbrina
    disbrina Posts: 7
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    I do plan meals too and i love using the site. i just find running after 7 kids and only eating 1400 cal is not enough.
  • pandas10
    pandas10 Posts: 4 Member
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    Apparently I have the opposite problem of everyone else. I think that MFP gave me entirely too many calories. It wanted me to eat 2000 cal/day. Granted, when I do work out, I tend to burn between 500-700 cal in an hour and I try to do this 3 times per week, in addition to some strength training.
    This is probably the first time in my life (and I have been obese since I was a child) that I have accurately tracked my food intake, and as I suspected, I have more bad days than good days. However, when I have a good day, I have around 1200-1600cal and feel fine. It seems that for me to try to eat 2000cal is just too much. But then, when I have a bad day, I blow it all out of the water anyway.
    At any rate, I'm sure it will just take some time to get a feel for what works for me and I am glad to know that I can adjust it on here accordingly. I feel like with MFP I will be able to get a handle on my intake, be accountable for what I do eat and my exercise.
  • maharet111
    maharet111 Posts: 18 Member
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    Well you have to remember that to lose weight..you need to intake less calories then you expend in a day. Even if you have a sedentary lifestyle you will expend calories. So Pandas I could see if you have 3 intensive workouts a week, why it would say to eat 2,000 calories a day.
  • maharet111
    maharet111 Posts: 18 Member
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    In the Tools heading it has a MBR rate that MFP bases it's count on. I have done well in the 1200 calorie range due to having to plan what I eat. I try to have something every 2 hours and that stops hunger pains. I choose fruit and vegestables to snack on and this allowes me to have more calories at meal times. I can eat well with around 400 calories or so for 3 meals a day. It just takes planning for me. I love this site however, it is just what I needed to be in control of my body instead of my body contoling me.

    I also eat every 2 hours through out the day with things like fiber bars, carrots, apples, yogurt etc.

    are you in the 1200 calorie range as a net number? So after excercise or before?
  • wife2mikejh
    wife2mikejh Posts: 56
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    Remember you only want to loose about a lb a week. When you set your weightloss goal you should consider that. Always eat at least half of your exercise calories. When you log exercise it will automatically adjust your calorie intake for the day.
  • garedds
    garedds Posts: 251
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    This was interesting to me. I went to their website and it says I should be eating no less than 1840 calories, whereas MFP gives me 1230. I am wondering if my weight loss is stalled b/c I am eating too little. I try to keep about 1200-1400 when I exercise, but I wonder if I shouldn't be eating a little more than I am. It's a hard concept to grasp.
  • maharet111
    maharet111 Posts: 18 Member
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    This was interesting to me. I went to their website and it says I should be eating no less than 1840 calories, whereas MFP gives me 1230. I am wondering if my weight loss is stalled b/c I am eating too little. I try to keep about 1200-1400 when I exercise, but I wonder if I shouldn't be eating a little more than I am. It's a hard concept to grasp.

    Very true, but if you look at the science of how you lose weight, eating more sometimes will kick start you off a "stall". It is all in the moderation!
  • maharet111
    maharet111 Posts: 18 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

    I guess I should have done some more research! I didn't think to search for the word deficit!
  • GrandmaCarolyn
    GrandmaCarolyn Posts: 27
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    I agree that their goals are too low. My registered dietition does not want be EVER going below 1500-1600 cal. range. Since I have 100 pounds to loose but I am very inactive due to health problems I have been aiming for 1600 and not worring if I go above a little because other programs set me for 1700-1800 cal. I maintain at 1200 cal because it is at my "starvation" level where I start losing more muscle than fat. This is very hard on the heart. I know people who have died dieting at 500 calories and the body does not heal well when the nutrition level is under 1000. I know that from experience following an auto accident. My crushed foot took twice as long as expected to heal because I was so afraid of gaining weight I cut my calories too low. People on this site who are cutting their calories too low are extremely gullible and foolish to follow fad diets that recommend this.
  • disbrina
    disbrina Posts: 7
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    The reason why i think it is to little is also cause i am not sure how many calories I am burning each day. I am not sure if my activity level is at the right level. I work from home. But i look after children all day. I have 4 boys of my own. My oldest is 7 and in school. Then my middle son turns 4 this Dec. My twin boys that are turning 3 this Dec as well. I also look after an 18 month old and a little girl who is 4 and her brother who is 6. So i wonder if my activity is at the right level. I know it is not as physical as a construction worker. but i was not sure if I should put it at level 2 or 3. when i put it at level 2 and only have 1400 cal to work with i am starving. my stomach hurts when i go to bed. So i was wondering if i should increase it to the 3rd level where it gives me like 1500 - 1600 cal.

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