Why is MyFitnessPal giving me 1700 calories a day?

jbalan1171
jbalan1171 Posts: 1
in Food and Nutrition
I cant understand why it's giving me 1700 calories a DAY! That's a lot! How can I change the number of calories it assigns me? Actually it gave me 1700 and then a credit of 213 for exercise!! I can NOT believe eating that many calories I will lose even an OUNCE of weight! haha
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Replies

  • aproc
    aproc Posts: 1,033 Member
    Try following that for a while and then go off of your progress. I'm just now starting a cut and I don't plan on going below 1700-1800. Having to large of a deficit isn't the best way to go about dieting.
  • MissGeorgiaPeachy
    MissGeorgiaPeachy Posts: 315 Member
    Try following that for a while and then go off of your progress. I'm just now starting a cut and I don't plan on going below 1700-1800. Having to large of a deficit isn't the best way to go about dieting.

    ^Truth. I wasn't losing anything when I was eating 1200 or less. My scale only started to move when I upped my calories to 1500. Peanut butter is my friend. lol
  • Javajunkie67
    Javajunkie67 Posts: 167 Member
    +1

    If you really want to know, try logging a regular days eating. A real day, don't think about dieting or what you should eat, just log what you would normally eat. Most are suprised at the amount of calories they would consume on a normal day. I was disgusted when I tried tracking what would have been a regular day for me-I no longer wonder how I got so big!
  • ShaunMc1968
    ShaunMc1968 Posts: 204
    Assess how much you want to lose over how long - don't be too drastic, just take the time and do it right. 1700 is a limit not a Target!!
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
    I lost weight on 1750 + exercise calories easier than I did on 1500 + exercise calories. A bigger deficit isn't always best, you don't have to go right down to 1200 to lose weight :)

    Now I'm on 2300 including exercise (so 1600-2300 NET) and I'm losing on this just fine. Not super fast, but I'm still losing, I'm maintaining my muscle instead of losing it, and still making strength gains. The last 2 points would be harder if I was on a bigger deficit.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    I'm 5'7", 36 years old and 164 lbs... I'm eating 1750 plus all my exercise calories (about 3500/week) and I lose 1/2 to 1.5 lbs/week.
  • McLifterPants
    McLifterPants Posts: 457 Member
    +1

    If you really want to know, try logging a regular days eating. A real day, don't think about dieting or what you should eat, just log what you would normally eat. Most are suprised at the amount of calories they would consume on a normal day. I was disgusted when I tried tracking what would have been a regular day for me-I no longer wonder how I got so big!

    ^^ This

    Also, three things:

    1) check what info you entered into MFP to begin with. If you entered that you are active, it's setting a higher base calorie burn for you, so you shouldn't be entering your exercise separately.
    2) check how much weight you said you wanted to lose per week. The MFP formula cuts 500 calories per day for every pound per week you are trying to lose, so if you set it at the max (lose two lbs per week) and it's still giving you 1700, that means that your base calories used in a day is 2700 and this is already a big cut. Cutting further will make your weight loss unhealthily fast, and you could end up with loose skin to boot
    3) Check what your BMR is in the Tools tab. If it's 1700 or above, you probably shouldn't go lower than that anyways.

    Good luck!
  • MoveTheMountain
    MoveTheMountain Posts: 764
    +1

    If you really want to know, try logging a regular days eating. A real day, don't think about dieting or what you should eat, just log what you would normally eat. Most are suprised at the amount of calories they would consume on a normal day. I was disgusted when I tried tracking what would have been a regular day for me-I no longer wonder how I got so big!

    ^^ This

    Also, three things:

    1) check what info you entered into MFP to begin with. If you entered that you are active, it's setting a higher base calorie burn for you, so you shouldn't be entering your exercise separately.
    2) check how much weight you said you wanted to lose per week. The MFP formula cuts 500 calories per day for every pound per week you are trying to lose, so if you set it at the max (lose two lbs per week) and it's still giving you 1700, that means that your base calories used in a day is 2700 and this is already a big cut. Cutting further will make your weight loss unhealthily fast, and you could end up with loose skin to boot
    3) Check what your BMR is in the Tools tab. If it's 1700 or above, you probably shouldn't go lower than that anyways.

    Good luck!

    ^^This^^ more than anything. Figure out your BMR first and then subtract either the 500 or 1000 cals per day to see what you should be eating, and then make sure MFP's numbers are in line with that.

    http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/bmr-calculator.html

    Then, you can add back in the calories from exercise. But more importantly, monitor closely to see how things are going - these calculations are just estimates and everyone is different. You might need more or fewer calories than what the calculations tell you. Tweak as necessary to make progress.

    Good luck!
  • tonyspumas
    tonyspumas Posts: 31
    Mine give me 1950 daily but I tend to stay around the 1300-1500 mark. Like Macas said, it's more like a limit. If you eat more than that you won't see any changes.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    Mine give me 1950 daily but I tend to stay around the 1300-1500 mark. Like Macas said, it's more like a limit. If you eat more than that you won't see any changes.

    That's not true at all... it's a target, not a limit. If you set your goal to lose 1 lb/week, it has built in a caloric deficit of 500/day into that number. So, you'd have to eat 500 calories/day OVER your "target/limit/what-mfp-gives-you" number to not see any changes.
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
    I cant understand why it's giving me 1700 calories a DAY! That's a lot! How can I change the number of calories it assigns me? Actually it gave me 1700 and then a credit of 213 for exercise!! I can NOT believe eating that many calories I will lose even an OUNCE of weight! haha

    I am guessing if you need to lose weight, you were eating a lot more than 1700 calories a day. Try it for a few weeks and see what happens. You can lose weight and not starve!
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    I eat around 1800 calories a day and I'm still losing. I was eating less and kept hitting plateaus. I'm 44, 5'8", and down to about 137lbs. :bigsmile:

    Great information in this topic: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    Read it, then read it again because it's a ton of info, but really helped me put things in perspective, and figure out how much I should be eating. Take the time, it's worth it!
  • taylor5877
    taylor5877 Posts: 1,792 Member
    Even when not doing the excercise I am now I can eat at least 3000 calories a day and not gain weight.

    It takes more than you think to gain weight (which means, unfortunately, you were probably eating more than you think).

    Considering MFP doesn't take off for strength training, I could probably down close to 4000 a day and not gain anything at my current excercise rate.
  • MtnKat
    MtnKat Posts: 714
    I eat 1924 each day and am losing weight at a normal rate (.5-2 lbs a week).

    It changes as I lose weight but I'm full and satisfied. 1700 sure does not sound too much to me :-)
  • irisheyez718
    irisheyez718 Posts: 677 Member
    I eat about 2000 calories a day, and am losing just fine. MFP works.,
  • ATOLLIT
    ATOLLIT Posts: 149
    I'm eating about 1600 calories a day and losing about 1lb per week. So if you were a little bit heavier than me to start with, it'd give you a little bit more calories than me for the same amount of loss. 1700 is a reasonable number if you want to lose weight slowly. The "average recommended daily amount" for a woman is 2000.... so I don't know why 1700 sounds like too many to you.
  • Vonwarr
    Vonwarr Posts: 390 Member
    Considering MFP doesn't take off for strength training, I could probably down close to 4000 a day and not gain anything at my current excercise rate.

    FWIW There is an entry for "Strength Training", although your intensity level can make a huge difference.

    To the OP: I eat 2000+exercise calories a day and am losing weight. You don't need a crazy huge deficit to lose weight at a healthy speed.
  • jazzzzzy97
    jazzzzzy97 Posts: 9 Member
    according to the goals you want and the questions you've answered MyFitnessPal came to a conclusion for you to eat 1700 to reach your goal. your should eat 1700 a day, you will lose weight. our bodies already lose calories just going through our day of activities, digesting, watching tv, etc etc. our bodies are always burning calories. but if you really do wanna change the calorie count then the only way i know how to is through the mobile app. when you go to the app, click "more", click "edit profile", scroll down to "preferences" where "net calorie goal" is, click 1700 and then just type the amount of calories you want, but do NOT go below 1200.
  • SuperSexyDork
    SuperSexyDork Posts: 1,669 Member
    My goal is set at 1920. I come close to eating that most days... and I've been losing about 2 pounds a week.

    1700 calories sounds like a lot when you hear about all of the girls on here trying to eat 1200, but I guarantee you it is not.

    When I set my ex up with a MFP account, he thought they were giving him too many calories but then I told him to just track what he would normally eat for about 2 weeks... and that put it into perspective for him. It would probably do the same for you. Don't think about what you're eating and just write down what you eat for a few days and then plug that information into MFP at the end of the day and you'll probably be REALLY surprised.
  • DesireeLovesOrganic
    DesireeLovesOrganic Posts: 456 Member
    I am doing maintenance now and it tells me 1700 but that scares me so I changed mine to "sedentary" + -.5 pound a week and it put me at 1550 which I've been maintaining at...

    (5'7, 131)
  • FelicityEliza36
    FelicityEliza36 Posts: 252 Member
    I started around 1300 calories and lost 9 lbs in the first few weeks, then stopped for about 3 weeks. I just increased my calories to 1800 under everyone's recomendations. I know it seems like it doesnt make any sense, but try it first..
  • Mrsbrandnewmeslimandtrim
    Mrsbrandnewmeslimandtrim Posts: 267 Member
    :drinker:
  • MissTattoo
    MissTattoo Posts: 1,203 Member
    I'm 5'11 and eating about 2400 a day and losing a pound a week. Trust your body.
  • sabusby
    sabusby Posts: 78 Member
    It should be basing this off of your activity level and not how much extra weight you're carrying.

    You need calories to build muscle. When your lean muscle is in place, it will burn FAR more calories than you think.

    It's necessary to keep the metabolism rolling by eating. When you reduce calories too drastically, your body reserves the calories (storing them--metabolic decreases) and you don't lose any weight. If you do, you've reduced too much and your body is in starvation mode. Then, you have a week of vacation days where you don't watch what you eat and you balloon.
  • ashleyjohnson590
    ashleyjohnson590 Posts: 1
    That's the amount you need to eat a day. I thought the same way you did when I was eating that much, but the truth is when I was eating 800 calories a day I put on 40 pounds. Your body goes into starvation mode with too few calories and holds on to everything you eat and you won't lose weight. I bumped my calories up to 1900 a day and I've lost 20 pounds since. Trust MyFitnessPal. They know what they're doing.
  • lknjk1
    lknjk1 Posts: 2
    I need help I'm eating clean (says should be 1750 cAlories a day) which is a lot and I'm not losing anything. I work out burn about 300 calories I'm having trouble eating enough I think that's the problem! Help! I eat I'm not hungry what am I doing wrong! Is it true if I don't enough I won't lose the weight?
  • lknjk1
    lknjk1 Posts: 2
    Ok any ideas of things that I can eat to add calories, Im eating healthy Im just stuck! I ate breakfast lunch and worked out now im stuck at 1400 calories!! for the rest of day what can I eat, im not even hungry!! :(
  • ptroyer02
    ptroyer02 Posts: 1
    To the person who said they gained weight on 800 calories a day, how is that even possible? Were you eating only sugar cubes and bacon? Even then... 600/800 calories is a characteristic amount for many anorexics. Also it takes a long time to gain 40 pounds... You couldn't have possibly been consuming so few calories.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    I cant understand why it's giving me 1700 calories a DAY! That's a lot! How can I change the number of calories it assigns me? Actually it gave me 1700 and then a credit of 213 for exercise!! I can NOT believe eating that many calories I will lose even an OUNCE of weight! haha

    Are you familiar with simple subtraction? If you eat fewer calories than you are burning you WILL lose weight. And I guarantee you are burning more than 1700 calories a day. I'd bet more money than I have on it.

    Don't change it. Stick with 1700, that's a solid number to lose weight on.
  • oneblackwing
    oneblackwing Posts: 9 Member
    I eat 1750, and I still lose 2 ish pounds a week. I do walk and exercise though.

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