Eating 1200 calories but only supposed to burn 243 daily?!

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fitness_n00b
fitness_n00b Posts: 18
in Health and Weight Loss
Isn't that not enough to lose weight? I thought you would have to burn half of what you eat but MFP says I should keep it to 40 min and only burn 243 calories. This stuff really confuses me.

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  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
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    Figure out your BMR and TDEE. Eat in between those numbers. I eat at 1800 and am losing weight. I eat/drink what I want. It's about moderation not deprivation.

    MFP probably says 1200 because you set it up to lose 2 lbs a week? Might be better to set it at 1-1.5 lbs a week. Or just find out your TDEE-% and go from there.

    Read this...
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet?hl=short+sweet+<span class=

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
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    I think the exercise portion of MFP isn't as intuitive as the food part. It's giving you those numbers based on other factors you put in as your preferences and goals.

    The right amount of calories for YOU to eat depends on a lot of factors. Age, current weight, height, total daily calories burned, etc.

    Did you tell it you wanted to lose 2 lbs. per week? That's probably why it gave you 1200 calories. What does it say if you say you want to lose 1 lb per week?
  • HerbertNenenger
    HerbertNenenger Posts: 453 Member
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    1200 calories is bare minimum you need before starvation. It's too low, and burning tons of calories on top of that is a road to failure. You will feel deprived and you won't have enough energy to workout. If you want to go full-out fitness crazy, then you'll have to eat more than 1200 daily. Plus you're saying "only" 243 calories, but for your body to truly burn 243 calories is no sneeze.
  • FitCowgirl8
    FitCowgirl8 Posts: 175 Member
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    You can exercise however long you want to on as many days as you want. The 1200 calories that MFP gave you already has you at a deficit so you will theoretically lose weight eating 1200 calories with no exercise. Then any exercise you do MFP will give you extra calories for the day. You can eat some or all of those calories back depending on how accurately you track them and still lose weight.
  • FitCowgirl8
    FitCowgirl8 Posts: 175 Member
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    I agree with the other posters as well to recheck your calorie goal as 1200 is usually too low for most people
  • meleileen
    meleileen Posts: 46 Member
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    I am eating 1200 calories too. There is something called Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) which is the calories your body burns if you stay in bed all day....mine is 1464, we don't stay in bed all day so you take your BMR and multiple it by a specific number. The number is based on your activity level..

    Check out this link: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

    Calculate your BMR then click on Harris Benedict Equation this will show you what you burn on a normal day (not including exercise).

    Hope this helps!
  • mathjulz
    mathjulz Posts: 5,514 Member
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    You don't need to burn anything with exercise to lose weight. You burn the 1200 calories and more just by living. Your heart beats, you're breathing, digestion, walking around, thinking, maintaining body heat, etc.

    When you exercise, you're supposed to eat back those calories (or at least some of them, because MFP tends to overestimate).
  • MrsK20141004
    MrsK20141004 Posts: 489 Member
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    Figure out your BMR and TDEE. Eat in between those numbers. I eat at 1800 and am losing weight. I eat/drink what I want. It's about moderation not deprivation.

    MFP probably says 1200 because you set it up to lose 2 lbs a week? Might be better to set it at 1-1.5 lbs a week. Or just find out your TDEE-% and go from there.

    Read this...
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet?hl=short+sweet+<span class=

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-

    This. My favourite part is, "I eat/drink what I want. Its about moderation, not deprivation.".
  • olystacy
    olystacy Posts: 6 Member
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    1200 calores a day is starvation. Your body is shutting your metabolism down at that low amount. NOT good. As others have said, look at the health calculator and figure out your tdee. I dont believe anyone should be eating below 1500. Balance, movement, healthy food is the key. No starvation diets.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    Here's how it works:

    MFP calculates the amount of calories you need for daily life (not including exercise). Then it takes a flat rate number of calories off of that number depending on how many pounds per week you say you want to lose. For 2 pounds per week, it deducts 1,000 calories per day, for 1 pound per week it deducts 500 calories, etc.

    Notice above, I said that the number does not include exercise. This is so that you would lose weight if you could not do any exercise. When you do exercise, you need more fuel for that, this is why it adds calories when you log your exercise.

    Example:

    1200 (the amount MFP tells you to eat)
    -300 (the amount you burned in exercise)
    +300 (the amount more you eat for exercise)
    =1200 NET calories but you actually ate 1500 Total calories

    NOW please note that if you chose to lose 2 pounds per week, that is probably not reasonable or sustainable. 1200 might not be the right amount for you.
  • Dantilla
    Dantilla Posts: 2 Member
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    Hello!

    Maybe I can clear up some things for you. I am not a nutritional expert, but here are some things I have learned in my research.

    I have never heard of any rule that says that you should burn "half of what you eat." I am not sure where you heard that, but if you can find a source, I would be interested to see it.

    One important thing to keep in mind is your basal metabolic rate (BMR). This is the amount of calories your body needs to function as it is, or "break even." For example, if your body uses 1500 calories every day to maintain itself (without exercise), and you were to eat 1500 calories every day (and not exercise) you would not lose or gain weight. If you were to eat 1600 calories a day and not exercise, you would slowly gain weight. Eat 1400 and not exercise, and you would slowly lose weight.

    If your BMR is 1500 and you eat 1600 calories BUT burn 100 calories exercising, you will not gain or lose weight. However, based on the type of exercise, you may end up changing your BMR to need more calories--muscle needs more calories to maintain itself than fat.

    So, if you were to gain muscle, your theoretical 1500 BMR might change to 1600, and if you continued to eat 1600 calories a day and burn 100 calories with exercise, you would start to lose weight faster.

    All of that said, it is very important to pay careful attention to how you feel with how much you are eating and what you are eating. You will feel a lot better (and probably more full) eating 1200 calories of healthy foods than 1200 of Cheez-its and Slim Jims.

    However, if MFP is wrong (it happens) and 1200 calories is too little for you, you will NOT lose weight, as eating too little will put you into starvation mode and lower your BMR. You will also feel tired and probably a little depressed--these are symptoms of a lowered BMR.

    So pay careful attention to how you feel. 1200 might be a good starting point for you, but it might not. And depending on the exercise you do, that may change as you become more fit. You have the option to change your daily calories within MFP. Use it if needed.

    Good luck!
  • fitness_n00b
    fitness_n00b Posts: 18
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    Thank you all very much for your helpful comments! Not so lost anymore. Much love.
  • tinklemar
    tinklemar Posts: 71 Member
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    I started out on 1200 and was always hungry. After some help from other MFP members, I upped my calorie intake to 1350 and my protein and have seeing steady results. I also eat back most of my calorie burn, which I get from a HRM.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Isn't that not enough to lose weight? I thought you would have to burn half of what you eat but MFP says I should keep it to 40 min and only burn 243 calories. This stuff really confuses me.

    1200 NET is the lowest number MFP gives any woman.

    NET means you eat your exercise calories back........so If you burn 243 .....you should be eating 1200+243.....or 1,443 calories

    If you eat only 1200 calories and add another 243 in exercise......your body is left with 957 calories. Your heart, lungs, kidneys, etc.....are using calories all day long. When you calorie deficit is overly large.....your body will burn fat (yeah!) AND muscle (boo!).

    BMR.....others have mentioned is this number (tailored to your height, weight, age) ......is the calories your body needs for basic function. 1200 is just a "generic" lowest # default value....it has nothing to do with your size, age, etc.
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
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    Thank you all very much for your helpful comments! Not so lost anymore. Much love.

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