Can I lose more than 1.3 pounds/wk?

Can you copy and paste what is in the right hand side of your goals page? It'll help me know how to explain what MFP is "thinking".

MFP won't let you go below 1200 calories regardless of how much you select to lose per week. Going below this point isn't really safe or healthy for most people. I'd stick with the 1.3 pounds, you'll still lose 10.4 pounds.

Also, your projected weight loss doesn't take into account your planned exercise, it's only based on your calorie deficit. Exercising, even if you eat your exercise calories like you should, does help speed up your metabolism and can help you lose a little more.

It's the 1200 calorie thing, they won't let you go below because it is not healthy and actually in the long run can be counterproductive ( your body thinks it is in starvation mode and your metabolism slows) - don't stress about 2lbs/wk, you are still going to lose weight, and combined with the exercise you have planned into your weekly schedule (right???) you are going to look fantastic. Remember this is not a quick fix- the weight just didn't happen and it doesn't just magically disappear. One meal at a time, one day at a time, one week at a time and remember to enjoy the day.

Hey. I've been using MFP for about 2 weeks. I lost 10lbs in those two weeks, but it takes a lot of patience. Here's what I do daily...

- Exercise: 4 mile run, 10 mile bike, and 20min weight lifting. Total calories out: 600ish

- Food: banana in the morning before working out(100 calories), some 300 to 500 calorie meal right after exercising, then some 300 to 500 calorie meal for dinner.

- Net calories usually end up around 200-ish

On days where I go out drinking, I double my workout so that I burn around 100 calories to make up for the 500 calorie evening drinking binge.

Bottom line is basically calories in and out. So, the more calories you burn over the calories you consume, the quicker you can lose weight.

ok, someone please jump in here with the NET calories at 200?!?! Thats not healthy at all in the long-term... you are going to start breaking down muscle with this pattern of intake/expenditure... Please read up on net calories. You may have lost a lot initially, but it is going to level out very very soon ... Concerned for you!

Hey. I've been using MFP for about 2 weeks. I lost 10lbs in those two weeks, but it takes a lot of patience. Here's what I do daily...

- Exercise: 4 mile run, 10 mile bike, and 20min weight lifting. Total calories out: 600ish

- Food: banana in the morning before working out(100 calories), some 300 to 500 calorie meal right after exercising, then some 300 to 500 calorie meal for dinner.

- Net calories usually end up around 200-ish

On days where I go out drinking, I double my workout so that I burn around 100 calories to make up for the 500 calorie evening drinking binge.

Bottom line is basically calories in and out. So, the more calories you burn over the calories you consume, the quicker you can lose weight.

ok, someone please jump in here with the NET calories at 200?!?! Thats not healthy at all in the long-term... you are going to start breaking down muscle with this pattern of intake/expenditure... Please read up on net calories. You may have lost a lot initially, but it is going to level out very very soon ... Concerned for you!

Can't stop you from doing something dangerous (and quite stupid in the long term) but for the love of god do not recommend it to someone else!!!

I agree. It's one thing to occasionally have really low net calories (VERY infrequently) - but when you do it regularly you risk serious long-term health problems and can screw-up your metabolism. You may be losing weight easily now, but it WILL plateau eventually when your metabolism slows.

Thanks for the concern guys! However, I hear that the starvation mode thing is a myth. If I exercise a lot, do I really need to eat more to make up for those calories that I burn in order to lose weight? I mean, to lose a pound, you gotta burn 3500 calories over what you take in. I'm not starving myself... I eat, but I eat small portions. And I eat really healthy foods: I'm eating vegetables and chicken breast right now for dinner... probably around a 300 or 400 calorie meal.

Don't believe everything you hear. I hate the term "starvation mode" because it's not exactly accurate. You may not be truly "starving" as people in third world countries who have no food are, but you aren't doing your body any good. What you are doing is a form of anorexia or exercise bulimia. You are training your body to lose any tissue that burns extra calories and hang on to anything it can for energy use later. So, while you may be losing fabulously on the scale, you're losing muscle mass and storing body fat. This changes your body composition (which is much more important then scale weight) in a negative way. You may go from 150 pounds to 100 pounds but if you go from 20% fat at 150 pounds to 40% fat at 100 pounds, you've actually gained 10 pounds of fat by losing that 50 pounds. Not only that, but the muscle you lose was burning calories at rest and that fat you gain won't be, so you are slowing down your metabolism. EATING TOO LITTLE SLOWS METABOLISM!!!! PERIOD!! That is a biological fact. You can't get around it by exercising. So, while you may like the number on the scale, you will be in a bigger size then if you ate enough to fuel the activity and maintain your muscle mass while losing a smaller scale weight in body fat. If you do it for years, then you will eventually burn the fat, but you will basically be a walking skeleton and not what most would consider attractive. And that isn't even going into the damage you are doing to your organs and the increased risk of disease, heart attack, stroke, cancer, diabetes, etc., etc., etc.