How did you figure out a calorie goal?

nrheasley
nrheasley Posts: 78 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I haven't had a loss in about 3 weeks--in fact, I gained about 3 back. I was eating 1200 calories a day, eating back exercise calories. After getting frustrated by not having a loss for so long (this is my first "plateau," for lack of a better term), I put up a post on this forum to get advice from fellow MFP users. It got me thinking that maybe my intake is too low. I tried using a few calorie calculator--fat2fit, ShrinkingJeans.net, and some random Google ones. They all had slightly different numbers. So my question to you is: how did you decide on a calorie goal? How did it work out? Did you have to adjust at any point, and how so?

Thanks!

Replies

  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    Use the MFP defaults, and set your goal to 1 lb. per week. When you have 20–25 lbs. to go, lower your goal to .5 lb. per week.

    Learn to log everything you eat & drink accurately & honestly. Get a digital food scale and weigh everything—even packaged food. If you're gaining, you're underestimating your food &/or overestimating your burns.

    Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    I put my details into mfp and it gave me a goal. I then stuck to it while eating exercise calories back.. I lost weight it's that simple. Have a look at the link


    Also have you checked the accuracy of your logging you may be eating more than you think looking at your diary that is more likely the problem. You have many entries that are by cups when they need to be weighed. Before you up your calories tighten up your logging

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1175494-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants?hl=guide+to+sexypants&page=1#posts-18361594
  • nrheasley
    nrheasley Posts: 78 Member
    I had my goals at 2 lbs per week, which gave me an allowance of 1200. 1 lb also gave me 1200. 1/2 gave me 1370. Does that sound too low?

    I do have a food scale. I didn't realize there was that big of a difference between using measuring cups and weighing. I will start weighing from now on!
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    I had my goals at 2 lbs per week, which gave me an allowance of 1200. 1 lb also gave me 1200. 1/2 gave me 1370. Does that sound too low?
    2 lbs. per week is an appropriate goal for anyone with more than 100+ lbs. to lose. According to your ticker, you have 37.5 lbs. to go. The less you have to lose, the more slowly it comes off. That's just the way the human body works.

    It sounds like you're short like me. (I'm 5'2".) According to the numbers MFP gave you, the most you could lose at 1,200 calories is .84 lb. per week. And that's only if your logging is accurate & honest.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    I had my goals at 2 lbs per week, which gave me an allowance of 1200. 1 lb also gave me 1200. 1/2 gave me 1370. Does that sound too low?

    I do have a food scale. I didn't realize there was that big of a difference between using measuring cups and weighing. I will start weighing from now on!

    Those numbers are pretty small for someone with 35 lbs to lose. What's your height and weight? Either you're quite little or something is off with the numbers MFP is giving you. You get 1200 as you increase your weekly goal because MFP's minimum is 1200 calories and to lose 2 lbs per week, you'd need to eat 1000 calories per day below maintenance calories. Smaller people simply do not have enough excess weight to drive this deficit
  • nrheasley
    nrheasley Posts: 78 Member
    I'm 5' 2" and 133.5. I had my goal weight at 96 pounds.
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    More accurate method is TDEE. See Scooby's workshop here:

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Customize your MFP goals with what Scooby calculates for you and eat that approximate number of calories EVERY DAY regardless of if you ran 30 miles or sat on the couch. Don't need to take extra for exercise; it's already factored.

    Don't need to stress about being a bit over or a bit under; just don't go WAY under.

    Really really works.

    blessings.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    Oh, sorry. To your original question I don't remember how I setup my initial goal. Probably just clicking through the MFP steps and selected 1 lb per week. When I really started logging that felt difficult to me so I changed it to .5 lb. Those extra calories really saved the day as I was able to stick with it a bit better.
  • nrheasley
    nrheasley Posts: 78 Member
    I've tried a few different TDEE calculators. But the numbers are all different. They're all saying I need to eat more--I'm just not sure how much more. Perhaps aim for the high end and adjust down from there if necessary? On the higher end, I'm getting results of about 2100 per day, and on the low end, about 1500 (and 1370 from MFP).
  • nrheasley
    nrheasley Posts: 78 Member
    Oh, sorry. To your original question I don't remember how I setup my initial goal. Probably just clicking through the MFP steps and selected 1 lb per week. When I really started logging that felt difficult to me so I changed it to .5 lb. Those extra calories really saved the day as I was able to stick with it a bit better.

    1370 would definitely be easier than 1200. I'm also wondering if 96 lbs is too much--I didn't know how to choose a goal weight, either! I feel so lost on the whole weight loss thing sometimes. Every time I think I'm on the right path, I hear or read something that makes me change my mind =/
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    Weight loss takes a whole lot of trial & error to find what works for you. Eat 1,370 calories for several weeks (and work on logging more accurately), then reevaluate.

    You're overthinking this.
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    I've tried a few different TDEE calculators. But the numbers are all different. They're all saying I need to eat more--I'm just not sure how much more. Perhaps aim for the high end and adjust down from there if necessary? On the higher end, I'm getting results of about 2100 per day, and on the low end, about 1500 (and 1370 from MFP).

    so you see 1370 is way too low. Start with the high end yes. check out Scooby's downloadable spreadsheet with a 30-day calibration factor. It's great. You can really see where you're going. I like to add in extra columns for the date, and exercise (just to note what I did). Here's the link . . . you have to scroll way down and look for the link under the Calibration topic http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

    2100 is not unreasonable, especially bc you are so young. I used to be there when I was teaching spin and riding 60+ miles per week on top of lifting and teaching dance (I'm 5'4 & 46 years old). I lost the 12 lbs. I needed to lose in a few months by eating there (previously I had been at a standstill for 2 years unable to lose that 12 lbs. while only eating around 1300).

    I had a year away from MFP and logging due to a family crisis, and gained my 12 lbs. back. I've cut back the cycling to 20 miles/week and no longer teach spin, but I still lift and teach dance, so I've gone down from 6 days intense to what I would consider 6 days moderate, but I choose the 3-5 days moderate and it gives me 1658. I'm back on MFP 6 weeks eating there and have easily lost 6 lbs. already.

    TDEE really really works.
  • One2Run
    One2Run Posts: 63 Member
    I'm 5' 2" and 133.5. I had my goal weight at 96 pounds.

    96lbs? Why on earth? Way below a healthy BMI. Strength train to build muscle, and boost your metabolism. Burn more= eat more.
  • HeatherScent37
    HeatherScent37 Posts: 25 Member
    I used the Fat2Fit calculators. http://www.fat2fittools.com/tools/

    I have a body fat scale (I know they are not 100% accurate, but it at least gives me a baseline to see the number going down), so I calculated how much weight I should lose based on my goal body fat %. Fat2Fit advocates very gradual weight loss, so you are losing mainly fat, and not muscle mass. And I am strength training as well, to preserve muscle mass.

    MFP put me at 1300 calories a day, and I had difficulty staying under that, even when I ate back my exercise calories. Fat2Fit has me at about 1600 calories (since my job is extremely sedentary), and I eat back my exercise calories.
  • nrheasley
    nrheasley Posts: 78 Member
    I think I need to invest in a body fat scale and possibly an electronic food scale. Maybe a FitBit or something eventually, too! I think I am going to up my calories to 2100, stop eating back exercise calories, and see how that works out for me. I also upped my goal weight to 120.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    I vote for the food scale since it'll help you know for sure that you're eating 2100 calories. Especially since that's a bit high (IMO), you wouldn't want to under estimate your food and really be eating 2500 calories. At that point I'd say you would gain weight for damn sure! Food scales can be had for as little as ten bucks, so. :tongue:
  • Sobus76
    Sobus76 Posts: 242 Member
    My doctor set me at 2000, thats what i started with and still try to stay under even though MFP gave me 2400-2600, now though MFP says 2020. i'll adjust it according to MFP unless i have issues.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    I use IIFYM with my body fat % and the 20% weight loss figure. I am considering switching to the 15% number now that I'm closer to my goal.

    I like using my TDEE from IIFYM because I can see my daily calories up front instead of having to wait until I exercise in the evening.
  • nrheasley
    nrheasley Posts: 78 Member
    I already have a food scale, so my NSV for the week is going to be working on more accurate measuring. I know 2100 is most likely too high, but I tried out several different TDEE calculators and that was my result on the higher end. If I have a gain/no loss on Friday or Saturday, I'll knock it down. But I feel SO MUCH BETTER now that I'm eating over 1200! And I agree with the working out in the evening comment, jemhh. You don't know your exercise calories until late in the day, so you end up starving yourself all day and pigging out at night. And you feel like total crap the next day.

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