How did you decide your calorie goal

punkrockmama
punkrockmama Posts: 142 Member
edited September 23 in Health and Weight Loss
Just curious about how you chose your daily caloric goal?

I've seen so many variances and have personally been struggling with finding the right amount for my optimal weight loss (1200 was waaaay too low; I wasn't losing an ounce and felt terrible.)

So I wanted to hear others reasons and how successful it has been for you!!!

Thanks!!!!!!!!

Replies

  • newnicole
    newnicole Posts: 44
    I raised mine to 1700 and didn't get any results
    I'm back to 1200 aroundddd there and I'm dropping weight.
    I think its just about what your body does..
    just try a few different things and see what works best sticking to it for at least 2 weeks to get somewhat accurate results.
    good luck!
  • columbiasmiles
    columbiasmiles Posts: 54 Member
    I used the setting under my profile to have the site manually calculate them for me.
  • audreyyrose
    audreyyrose Posts: 85
    start out just eating normally for two or three days, and then subtract 500 from that :]
  • Mads1997
    Mads1997 Posts: 1,494 Member
    I used the setting under my profile to have the site manually calculate them for me.

    Likewise
  • bjshields
    bjshields Posts: 677 Member
    The site has set them for me. So far, so good. Have some weeks that are disappointing, but that's life.
  • Kirstie_C26
    Kirstie_C26 Posts: 490 Member
    hi :) i started with 1200 cals allowed perday but then i movede my loss goal to 1lb down per wk and my cals per day went upto 1340 which is easier as long as i exercise :)

    hope that helps
    best wishes
    Kirstie xx

    ps add me if u wana :)
  • punkrockmama
    punkrockmama Posts: 142 Member
    Thanks!!

    I should clarify...I've been using this sight and been playing around with my calories since about August.

    I started at the recommended 1200 calories and had success for about 2 weeks. Then no weight loss for about a month. So I increased it and lost some more...then stall. I gained over the holidays and lost it all on 1200-1300 net cals. Now I've been stalled again for about a month!
    I just increased to 1400, but I think the recommendation of giving myself about 2 weeks of diligent effort before I decide if it works or not!!

    Just wanted to hear of what you have been doing!!
  • dwarfer22
    dwarfer22 Posts: 358 Member
    I picked a number that would allow for maximum loss, but I also wanted to be able to feel pride at coming under my goal for the day and not go into starvation mode. Right now I have an official goal of 1250 per day so I can go a bit under and not be dangerous, but really I am shooting for 1300-1400 per day.
  • jadedone
    jadedone Posts: 2,446 Member
    I am still trying to figure it out. I have mine set pretty high (1700) for 2 reasons. A year or 2 ago I dropped like 15 pounds with a simlar amount of calories over a 4-6 weeks. It felt ok, not too hungy. So I thought I would see how long this high target is successful, and then when I plateau I'll still have room for calories and stay above the 1200 target. The second reason is I really feel when I do not eat enough and I feel everything from nausea to headaches and so on. I don't want to torture myself.
  • Lexie71
    Lexie71 Posts: 144 Member
    I let the site pick my goal but I am not a strict calorie counter. I don't check to see if they look right and I don't decide what to eat or not to eat based on the calorie goal. I try not to let ANY outside factors determine that for me but to listen to what my own body is telling me. I lost 50 pounds in 2010 and i've lost 13 so far in 2011 so it works for me. It is from a program I love called "Am I Hungry" in which I am re-learning to use my instinctive eating skills to be healthier. Most of the time the site says I am under my calorie goal....then there are those days when I am over by several hundred. Either way my body knows more about what I need than a computer....but I like the aspect of keeping some track and having some feedback.
  • janesmith1
    janesmith1 Posts: 1,511 Member
    I let the site pick my goal but then at 1630 I was not losing any weight, and I actually can lose weight very fast (I'm lucky like that). I realized that it was not giving me the results I wanted so I lowered it by saying that I wanted to lose 1.5 lbs per week rather than just 1 lb per week.

    So now it says 1350 per day as my goal and I came under it last night or went close to it and lost weight. I figure that's my cue, eat around that amt, or just under that amt.

    My stomach seems to be shrinking and I'm not as hungry as I used to be either.
    '
  • dwarfer22
    dwarfer22 Posts: 358 Member
    I am still trying to figure it out. I have mine set pretty high (1700) for 2 reasons. A year or 2 ago I dropped like 15 pounds with a simlar amount of calories over a 4-6 weeks. It felt ok, not too hungy. So I thought I would see how long this high target is successful, and then when I plateau I'll still have room for calories and stay above the 1200 target. The second reason is I really feel when I do not eat enough and I feel everything from nausea to headaches and so on. I don't want to torture myself.

    Depending what you eat throughout the day and the frequency, I think most people can get by on a lower calorie goal than what they think. When Eating 3 big meals a day plus a cpl snacks, i was finding it hard to stay at a 1800 cal day. Now that I eat smaller meals more frequently I find I don't get the big hunger pangs like before and usually can come under my calorie goal for the day. (I realize my food diary does not reflect that recently as the snow storm here kinda threw me off track :tongue: ) The last cpl days haven't been too bad, getting back on track. In addition to the calorie total for the day, you can also tweek the times you eat and see if that makes a difference.
  • bizco
    bizco Posts: 1,949 Member
    I entered my information and MFP set my net calorie goal at 1200 per day. I can usually meet that goal but every once in a while there are days when I feel very hungry so I eat more than goal. I'm not going to suffer hunger pangs. So far I've lost 15 lbs. so it seems to be working fine.
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