What should I expect as far as MFP lowering my calories?

Nedra19455
Nedra19455 Posts: 241 Member
in Getting Started
So I started out with a goal to lose 1 lb per week and MFP gave me 1,860 calories. Then after a little bit, I was doing so well I thought maybe I should up my goal to losing 1.5 lbs per week. Boy was that mistake! I was going over a bunch and was unhappy. So after just a few days I went back to 1 lb per week. However, since I had lost weight since my start date, when MFP recalculated my calories, I now only had 1,820 calories. Okay dokey, so sometime between my start date and my goal reset/re-reset, I'd lost 40 daily calories worth of weight.

Now, I know that MFP supposedly asks you every 10 lbs if it can re-calculate your calorie goals, but because I don't know how much I weighed when I did the reset, I don't know when it will be 10 lbs from then. Sometime between now and 20 lbs down from my start, I guess.

So whenever it happens, what should I expect? I do MFP on my phone using the app. Will an alert pop up in the app when I enter a weight that puts me 10 lbs down? Will I need to watch my inbox for an email?

And anyone know how much of a drop I can expect? I think I had only lost maybe 4 lbs (I really don't remember and MFP changes all your prior logs to whatever your current goal is) when I lost those 40 cal. So is it something like 10 cal per lb? I am "lightly active", 5'4", female, and started at 215 lbs.

Replies

  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    To maintain your deficit, yes, you calories will decrease since your body doesn't require as many calories. BUT, as you lose wight, your deficit should also become less aggressive.

    So basically it goes like this:

    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal

    So instead of calories decreasing to maintain your deficit, they should be increasing to prepare you for maintenance.
  • Nedra19455
    Nedra19455 Posts: 241 Member
    To maintain your deficit, yes, you calories will decrease since your body doesn't require as many calories. BUT, as you lose wight, your deficit should also become less aggressive.

    So basically it goes like this:

    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal

    So instead of calories decreasing to maintain your deficit, they should be increasing to prepare you for maintenance.

    But won't MFP lower my calories in small increments before my deficit goal changes? I am planning to keep my deficit at 1 lb loss per week all the way until I am 10 lbs away from my goal and then switch it to 0.5 lb per week, but I had heard that MFP will change my calorie goal (in order to keep the same deficit) every 10 lbs along the way as I get lighter. Did I misunderstand?
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    It's supposed to. It only ever did it once for me. You can also just put in your own calorie goal too. If you do the custom, you probably won't get the readjustment stuff.
  • aprilw2222
    aprilw2222 Posts: 23 Member
    I am not sure it does ask or if it does I certainly didn't get a message. I've lost 11 pounds since logging back into myfitnesspal. I am on a 1600 calories diet and try to work out at least 3 times a week but sometimes 4 and I am losing 1 to 2 pounds per week. You just have to keep consistent with your exercise and watch those calories. Hope you figure it all out.
  • DebSM2
    DebSM2 Posts: 62 Member
    I originally didn't realize that updating goals when prompted would result in a calorie reduction - I thought it was for changing mini-goals, not calorie goals. I said no a few times because I put in what I think is my ultimate goal weight. When I agreed, I was docked 130 calories! Then I agreed each time until I got to my current goal of 1580. Still losing an average of 2 lbs a week or a little more, I have not agreed to update my goal for maybe 20 or more pounds...I don't think I want to go under this amount (including eating back exercise calories) for a long time so I intend to either keep saying no, or change my settings to lose 1.5 lbs a week.

    I am asked each time I enter a new lower weight now, not just in 10 pound increments.
  • lee91356
    lee91356 Posts: 330 Member
    It's supposed to. It only ever did it once for me. You can also just put in your own calorie goal too. If you do the custom, you probably won't get the readjustment stuff.

    Nope even if you add your own calorie goal it asks about a readjustment every 10 pounds. Its just the way MFP works, which makes sense to keep you on track. Since we dont think about the but its true. One the other side of the spectrum FYI you will also burn less calories for the SAME exercises as you weigh less - that bothered me more lol.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    I am female, 37 yrs old, sedentary, and started at 5'8" 262 lb and around 1700 calories (1680 maybe? not sure)
    I have allowed it to change my settings every 10 lb. I was always set to lose 1.5 lb.

    Recently for the range of about 185-195 lb, I was at 1270 calories daily. I do eat back some exercise calories each day, so not a big deal...but I noticed it was harder and harder to stay below calories.

    Last week I reached another 10 lb mark when I hit 184 and it was going to set my calories at 1220 or 1230...I just decided no way. I reset my MFP settings to lose 1 lb per week since I'm relatively close to goal (within 20 lb for sure). Now I get about 1,400 cal daily and am very happy with that.

    Until very recently I didn't find it too quick or drastic, honestly. It motivated me along the way to exercise more and eat back those calories on occasions when I had a hard time staying under my calorie goal.

    Good luck!
  • Nedra19455
    Nedra19455 Posts: 241 Member
    Thank you for the varied responses! It's strange that it is so different for different users. For those of you who were asked of you wanted it to reset your calories, do you remember how you were notified? Was it through email or a message on the screen?
  • DebSM2
    DebSM2 Posts: 62 Member
    I use the ipad app and when I enter a new weight a pop up asks if I want to update. I don't get email, but that may be due to how I have things set up. I would have to check.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    When I enter a new weight and it's 10lbs less than previous MFP changed my calories goals...to a lower goal.

    When I changed my weekly weight loss goal MFP changed my calorie goal to a higher number...

    There have been pop ups telling me I should update my goals..
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    Thank you for the varied responses! It's strange that it is so different for different users. For those of you who were asked of you wanted it to reset your calories, do you remember how you were notified? Was it through email or a message on the screen?

    For me it was never via email. When I would "check in" and log my new weight it would automatically go to a page that said it was recommended I change my goals since it had been at least 10 lb since the last change.
  • kempt_ken
    kempt_ken Posts: 96 Member
    "But won't MFP lower my calories in small increments before my deficit goal changes? I am planning to keep my deficit at 1 lb loss per week all the way until I am 10 lbs away from my goal and then switch it to 0.5 lb per week, but I had heard that MFP will change my calorie goal (in order to keep the same deficit) every 10 lbs along the way as I get lighter. Did I misunderstand?"


    To make more fine adjustments to your MFP goals go to:

    my home
    goals
    change goals
    select custom: Custom: Manually set my own custom fitness goals

    Then you can make small changes that default algorithm isn't configured to provide automatically.
  • RaquellJefferson
    RaquellJefferson Posts: 5 Member
    This just happened to me 2 weeks ago. I am now at 20.8 lbs lost. The first time (at 10lbs) lost, it asked me if I wanted to change my goals, I said no, lol. I was fine where I was. This time I hit yes and was not prepared for the change. I went from a 1570 calorie goal to a 1460 calorie goal. I\put it back to 1570.

    But then I stated to over think it and I put it back to the 1460. I asked a question on here to figure out why it changed, and it is because of my BMR being lower since I weight less. I am concerned because my starting weight was 216 and I am now 195 and I probably want to get to at least 150 so I may be a bit hungry then:(

    Hope this helps you know what to expect. I guess I lost about 50 cals per 10lbs. I workout at least 5 days a week and probably average about 400 calories per workout. I am set to sedentary since I work at a desk all day.

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