Never Have A Perfect Nutrition Chart??

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BlueEyedGeminiFullTimeMummy
BlueEyedGeminiFullTimeMummy Posts: 16
in Food and Nutrition
I'm new to MFP!! I have stuck to eating under 1200 but can never get the nutrition chart perfect.. Always have too much fat or too much protein! Will I still lose weight?

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  • RllyGudTweetr
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
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    I'm new to MFP!! I have stuck to eating under 1200 but can never get the nutrition chart perfect.. Always have too much fat or too much protein! Will I still lose weight?
    MFP considers 1200 calories the minimum healthy amount to eat, assuming you're of relatively normal adult height; eating under that amount is not recommended. Remember that the amount of calories MFP recommends already includes a deficit.

    The fat and protein amounts given by MFP's default are widely considered to be minimums, rather than ceilings.
  • BlueEyedGeminiFullTimeMummy
    BlueEyedGeminiFullTimeMummy Posts: 16
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    I just find it hard to hit the target without going over! So if I was to go over 1200 would I still lose weight?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    I just find it hard to hit the target without going over! So if I was to go over 1200 would I still lose weight?

    yeah, the average female maintains right around 1800- 2000 calories per day with little in the way of deliberate exercise. 1200 calories per day is a huge deficit from a non-exercise maintenance number. You "burn" more than 1200 calories per day just being alive and doing nothing else.

    Also, MFP's default macro settings are pretty low on protein...you need more protein than usual when you are dieting in order to preserve muscle mass.
  • Sallyrose5994
    Sallyrose5994 Posts: 36
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    You should see my chart!! lol It is mostly fat. But I have only been tracking what I eat for a few days and I think I am losing weight and inches already. I think for me it is about reducing overall intake and being more mind full of what I am eating, ie... not eating potato chips and icecream every night. Also controlling my portion size is helping.

    As long as the fats are good- such as animal sources, nuts and what not I don't think you have to worry much. I am very interested in nutrition and I have been reading things that say fat is very essential for your brain health. It also keeps you fuller longer.
    Good luck!!
  • BlueEyedGeminiFullTimeMummy
    BlueEyedGeminiFullTimeMummy Posts: 16
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    Thanks everyone & I was thinking all along that I have to be under 1200 to lose.. I was well pissed because I got close to 1200, no wonder I've felt like I'm starving lol :)
  • cwsreddy
    cwsreddy Posts: 998 Member
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    I'm new to MFP!! I have stuck to eating under 1200 but can never get the nutrition chart perfect.. Always have too much fat or too much protein! Will I still lose weight?

    1) they're guidelines. relax

    2) 1200 is way too low. MFP fix this plz. :(
  • pattyproulx
    pattyproulx Posts: 603 Member
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    Ya, you should never feel like you're starving yourself. 1200 is much too low.

    As others have said, fat and protein are minimums. I have fat at 50%, protein at 35%, and carbs at 15% and it works well for me.
  • BigVeggieDream
    BigVeggieDream Posts: 1,101 Member
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    I just find it hard to hit the target without going over! So if I was to go over 1200 would I still lose weight?

    I echo what everyone is saying, don't go under 1200 calories. You could mess up your metabolism. I have been doing around 1600 calories a day and have lost quite a bit a weight, but I was starting at a high weight (100 lbs overweight), so that will slow as my weight drops. If you are starting from a lower weight, your results will not be as high as mine. I noticed in your picture you are holding an infant. If you are still breastfeeding, account for the lost calories there and make sure you replace them. It's under food, do a search for it. it will subtract from your daily caloric intake. Additionally, if you are still breastfeeding, you are eating for two so that's an even bigger reason to not go low. You have to make sure your getting enough nutrients and calories to make your baby healthy.
  • YLClare
    YLClare Posts: 3
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    The blanket advice of 1800-2000 calories for a woman I find causes me to put heaps of weight ON, not lose it! I'm 5'6" and currently about 64.4kg. I have been doing the 1200 calories using MFP for about two weeks now, and the losses are minimal - I started at 65kg. I quit all bread and pasta a month ago. In that time, I have lost about 1.5kg (or 3lbs).

    I have also done Pilates for over two years now, I go swimming and four months ago started to go to the gym. I am still not feeling particularly fit! I do follow the MFP advised calorie intake which goes up when you put in your exercise, because I know that 1200 is darned low.

    I used to aim for 1600 calories a day, but it went out the window on weekends, and my weight has crept up since I tried the 5:2 diet unsuccessfully for three months last spring. I am not hugely overweight, more in the healthy BMI range, but I do not photograph well...

    I have noticed that the nutrition values on MFP are quite wild on some of the measured values. For instance, a baked potato has quite a lot of potassium in it. I had one yesterday, but MFP reckons I had 0% potassium. I had at least 30% of the GDA!

    I am going to try to ask the techies for MFP if it is possible to correct the nutritional content, because at the minute if it doesn't appear on a barcode, it doesn't seem to show up on the nutritional summary.
  • MissyMissy18
    MissyMissy18 Posts: 315 Member
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    yeah, the average female maintains right around 1800- 2000 calories per day with little in the way of deliberate exercise.

    Incorrect! Unfortunately. I'd be dancing with joy if I could maintain on 1800 calories without deliberate exercise... and I'm 5'4" which is the average height for adult women.
  • FindingAmy77
    FindingAmy77 Posts: 1,266 Member
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    girl, yes. the most important thing of all is to make sure you eat all your allotted calories. and if you exercise then eat those back. I got so wrapped up in all those macro numbers when I first started and it got too overwhelming so now I only pay attention to calories. You will still lose weight as long as you are in a deficit of calories. The most important time to start worrying about your macros is when you start to build up muscle.

    edit: as far as the things like potatoes go.. always keep in mind that foods on the database are member submitted. a good way to check these are to always check the nutrition info before selecting it and make sure it is correct. When it comes to things like potatoes or apples, etc a good way is to always measure or weight them or both. and also go on websites to see what a medium potatoe or apple is as far as nutrtition goes. its a live and learn type of thing. the great thing about it is once you put it in your diary its there forever.
  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,568 Member
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    I just find it hard to hit the target without going over! So if I was to go over 1200 would I still lose weight?

    Take a look at your entries and see what foods are putting you over in the areas you are concerned about. But to be honest if you are just starting - pay attention to your logging and entries - weigh and measure you foods then you will know what foods are the culprits. I know it sounds like a pain, but it is important - especially with things that have a high fat contents. I weigh rather than measure things like butter - honestly put the knife on the scale and tare it so it's at 0 then put the amount of butter on - I found that for one slice of bread I was using about 7g and if I wasn't weighing it I would have entered a tablespoon which is twice that amount - a miscalculation like that could easily put your fats over.

    But truly - for the first month I paid more attention to the calorie goal than anything else - now the only thing I really care that I am over on is sodium and maybe fats if the amount seems too high. I like being over on protein. I am very rarely over on carbs and I don't intentionally restrict them at all. The calorie goal has a built in deficit - depending on how much your deficit is you can be over and still lose weight. Double check your settings and see what the deficit is set at - if you entered your goal to be 2lbs per week you might want to lower it to 1.5 to increase your cals a bit.

    Sorry I should have checked your diary before I started commenting but I didn't. Like many have posted 1200 is low and going under is not recommended (it's not healthy).
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
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    yeah, the average female maintains right around 1800- 2000 calories per day with little in the way of deliberate exercise.

    Incorrect! Unfortunately. I'd be dancing with joy if I could maintain on 1800 calories without deliberate exercise... and I'm 5'4" which is the average height for adult women.

    I'm 5'2 and losing at 1900-2000 calories. :wink:
  • AbsolutelyAnnie
    AbsolutelyAnnie Posts: 2,695 Member
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    Thanks everyone & I was thinking all along that I have to be under 1200 to lose.. I was well pissed because I got close to 1200, no wonder I've felt like I'm starving lol :)

    You are so cute. :-)

    This might make you happy. When you get in some exercise or hit the gym, be sure to add that to your exercise diary. MFP will calculate the calories burned by your exercise and add those calories back to your total for the day that you can eat. I never eat all of them back, but I get close. If you use a machine and it gives you calories burned calculations, use those rather than MFP which tends to overestimate the burn and then adds back too many calories. (Hope I didn't just confuse the heck out of you.)

    BTW, welcome.
  • Kallie3000
    Kallie3000 Posts: 33 Member
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    I'm new to MFP!! I have stuck to eating under 1200 but can never get the nutrition chart perfect.. Always have too much fat or too much protein! Will I still lose weight?

    According to the registered dietician who had me start back at MFP and recording my food, the following things are VERY important to keep in mind when on MFP:
    1. MFP is consistently too low. She said to add about 200 calories manually (so I am at about 1400 calories, not 1200)
    2. The number for fat, protien, carbs are recommended amounts or minimums, NOT maximums. I go over on fat when I'm eating lots of seeds, etc. It is more important to look at the ratios (the pie chart) and to watch that you are getting a good spread of nutrition. My dietician recommended tracking fiber as well (which is an option in settings) to get at least 25 grams a day, with 15 grams at breakfast
    3. Even if you exercise, don't stack calories at night. Per dietician, eat 40% of calories for breakfast!

    So, it isn't just calories; it is what you eat, when you eat, and nutrition overall that is more important! DON'T go into starvation mode DON'T let yourself feel hungry and starving all day, and DON'T try to be too exact with numbers and guidelines!
  • Kallie3000
    Kallie3000 Posts: 33 Member
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    yeah, the average female maintains right around 1800- 2000 calories per day with little in the way of deliberate exercise.

    Incorrect! Unfortunately. I'd be dancing with joy if I could maintain on 1800 calories without deliberate exercise... and I'm 5'4" which is the average height for adult women.

    I'm 5'2 and losing at 1900-2000 calories. :wink:

    Totally true - sometimes you have to INCREASE your calories to lose weight, because it helps your body get out of conservation mode, and into healthy, active, lose weight mode! I am eating WAY more (healthy) food now than I was before, 6 meals a day, MUCH more fat, protien and carbs overall. Just end up eating less at night because I'm already full, and the weight is sort of melting off lately!

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