Do you always aim for your recommended number of calories?

I'm focused on maintaining weight, work out twice a week and MFP says I can eat 1750 calories a day. But that seems to high to me..so I aim for 1300-1400.


Lucky you for being so dedicated to working out and being able to eat so much!:bigsmile:

I'm no expert, but it seems your calorie goal may actually be low for your height. I think what Francl27 was trying to say is that such a significant calorie deficit – eating 600-700 calories under your daily goal (so, say 4,500 cals a week) + being at a 2 lb per week deficit (another 7,000 calories a week) – won't just burn fat; it'll cause muscle loss. Or rather, more muscle loss than is unavoidable during weight loss. So she was suggesting working out a little less so you don't burn quite so much, so you can eat less without losing so much muscle. I think.

That's an idea, but another one is to calculate your TDEE and eat at -20% (or -15%). TDEE already accounts for your exercise/activity level, so you eat to the same goal everyday (you don't eat back your exercise calories because they're already calculated into your goal; more at http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/) But even still, it looks like your TDEE -20% still gets you to at least 3,000 recommended calories a day...

... Which brings me to my next suggestion: eat calorie-dense foods. There are lots of goodies out there, like nut butters, avocados, cheese, bacon (don't drain the fat), ice cream. Because yes, it is important to meet your calorie goals, especially when you're already at a 7,000-calorie deficit. Food isn't just about feeling full; it's about fueling your body with what it needs to be strong and healthy. (Doubly so, as you're so active.) And if your TDEE really is around 3,800 calories a day, you're currently eating at an 1,800-calorie deficit, which will not be good for your long-term health.

Edited for bad math.

No, sorry if I was unclear. I definitely was not suggesting to exercise less and eat less. What I was suggesting is to maintain your exercise levels and eat more. Be sure to accurately calculate your protein and fat goals (see http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets). Sufficient protein will help you retain as much muscle mass as possible.

If you go the TDEE route, don't choose sedentary. With what you've described, you're probably at the moderate activity level. Try that for a few weeks (not days or one week, but several weeks on end) and see how the weight loss goes. You can adjust your goals up or down, after you've maintained a healthy baseline for a month or so. Make sure you're meeting the protein & fat macros you calculated above.

If you go the MFP route, you can choose sedentary but do be sure to eat back most, if not all of your exercise calories. If you can afford it, get an HRM so you know how much you're actually burning; machines & the MFP calculator usually overestimate. Meet your protein and fat macros. Commit to eating all or almost all of your calorie goal for at least a month. After several weeks, you can adjust up or down.

The goal here is two-fold: the first, most important goal, is to make sure you're fueling your body with enough (calories) of the right fuels (% protein, % fat, % carbs). The second is to stick with one method for a few weeks, so you get a better picture of what works for you and get into a good routine. This is important because one week's tiny gain or plateau or massive loss does not a failure/success make. It's easy to reassess later, and eat more or less to lose slower or faster.