please help with calories

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pob75
pob75 Posts: 14
in Health and Weight Loss
hello,

i have joined today having always followed WW so am not really clued up with calorie counting.
when i set this up it has given me a daily allowance of 1200 calories, at the end of today (not having even added pud yet) i am well over this figure.

i thought i would practice today and tomorrow and the really dieting starts monday (at my parents for the weekend is never a good thing

it seems very low, have i done something completely wrong when i've set it up?

i am 152lb and want to be 11lb's lighter losing 2lbs a week


any help would be much appreciated

Replies

  • namrettik
    namrettik Posts: 127
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    That 1200 is without exercise. You can "earn" more calories through exercising.

    It also helps to look at the caloric information of everything you're planning on eating throughout the day to give you a better idea of what you can/should eat and how much.
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
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    If you're only looking to lose 11 pounds, 2 pounds per week is not really a reasonable expectation. You'd be better off reaching for 1 pound, or even half a pound.

    But yes, you do earn more calories with exercise. When I first started with MFP, that was always a big incentive for me to exercise -- if I worked out enough, I earned myself a bigger snack. :-P
  • QueenofCups
    QueenofCups Posts: 365 Member
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    1200 seems to be the "go-to" number for "losing 2 lbs a week", but I agree with one of the previous posters, if you are only wanting to lose 11 lbs, 2 lbs a week is a little harsh. You may still be able to lose that amt with eating more calories, though, if you exercise a little too. Like someone said, you get to eat a little more if you earn exercise calories. Especially if its a good workout.
    Like, if I add in "housecleaning" or "dancing" I don't eat those calories. But if I do an intense workout where I burn at least 300+ calories, I eat most of those back to refuel my muscles.
  • catwoodard
    catwoodard Posts: 22 Member
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    I would agree that losing 2 pounds per week is a little too high of a goal. I would lower the goal to around 1/2 pound and make sure to exercise 4-6 days a week. With a little patience you can get the weight off and do it in a healthy way.
  • Enigmatica
    Enigmatica Posts: 879 Member
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    Trying to lose 2 pounds per week when your weight isn't that high to begin with means you have to cut calories pretty hard, and/or add quite a bit of exercise if you want to eat more and lose weight at the same time. Either way you have to run approx 3500 calorie deficit to burn off just one pound over the course of the week. I'd recommend getting a lot of exercise and filling up with low-cal high fiber foods whenever possible.
  • Enigmatica
    Enigmatica Posts: 879 Member
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    I would agree that losing 2 pounds per week is a little too high of a goal. I would lower the goal to around 1/2 pound and make sure to exercise 4-6 days a week. With a little patience you can get the weight off and do it in a healthy way.

    Like :)
  • toots99
    toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
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    If you're only looking to lose 11 pounds, 2 pounds per week is not really a reasonable expectation. You'd be better off reaching for 1 pound, or even half a pound.

    I agree. And before you question eating your exercise calories, exercise calories are like WW's Activity Points. You should play around and see what works for you. If you lose while eating the calories back, that's ideal. That might not work for some people. I know when i started here, and for a very long time, i still counted WW points. It didn't add up to enough calories, honestly. I quit counting points, and the weight started to come back off.
  • pob75
    pob75 Posts: 14
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    hi,

    thank you for your replies, i guess i thought 2lb wasn't a lot but i will go with what you are saying and change it to 1/2lb a week
    i think also ahen i jioned WW after having my 2nd son they said the average is to lose 2lb a week so thats what i've stuck to in my mind.

    i didn't realise (although i should have done) that you can put hosework down as exercise, i'm liking this site even more
  • sarahliftsUP
    sarahliftsUP Posts: 752 Member
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    I agree with the other posters. Definitely drop your weight loss goal to 0.5lb-1lb a week. I was on 1230 calories/day and found it extremely difficult to stay within my calories. I dropped it to 0.5lb/week (was 1lb) and it upped my calories to 1430/day.

    You wouldn't want to drop 2lbs/week.. although it sounds nice to be at your goal weight within 5 and a half weeks, it's just not reasonable. You'd be losing more muscle rather than fat.

    Slow and steady!
  • toots99
    toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
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    hi,

    thank you for your replies, i guess i thought 2lb wasn't a lot but i will go with what you are saying and change it to 1/2lb a week
    i think also ahen i jioned WW after having my 2nd son they said the average is to lose 2lb a week so thats what i've stuck to in my mind.

    i didn't realise (although i should have done) that you can put hosework down as exercise, i'm liking this site even more

    I'd be cautious entering something like housework as exercise. My thinking is this, I did housework and still got fat. It never did me any favors in the past, so I should rely on it now. Everyday things, like housework, is factored into your lifestyle. Exercise is anything above and beyond your normal routine.

    Hope this helps. :flowerforyou:
  • Jayhawk96
    Jayhawk96 Posts: 1
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    I found it took me 3-4 days of being hard core about my 1200 calorie count to get my body used to the new amount of fuel. Because I started eating "unconsciously" over the winter, I think my discipline was as much mental as it was physical. And yes, get a 300-400 calorie burn workout in (or more) several days a week and you'll get that amount of calories to add to your day. I agree it motivates me to work out.
  • jstalittlecrzy
    jstalittlecrzy Posts: 127 Member
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    Go to your "tools" tab and check your BMR. This will show you how many calories your
    body needs just to live -(staying in bed all day, not doing anything) subtract the 1200 calories allowed
    from that and you will see how many calories (fat) your burning a day without exercise.
    And remember 1 lb of fat = 3500 calories
    It helps me. Good luck
  • pob75
    pob75 Posts: 14
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    am i completely thick but i don't get it?????

    so i need 1200 just to live i get that part my bmr says i need 1418 calories then i'm lost????
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
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    Your BMR is the calories your body needs just to breathe, beat your heart, etc, what you need even if you are in a coma. You should never eat less than that.
    Then you take your activity level, active, lightly active, etc, and add it to your BMR, and this is your TDEE. MFP does this for you when you choose the level.
    MFP then subtracts 500 from this if you choose 1 lb a week, 250 if you choose 1/2 (which is what you should choose with just a little to lose). This new number is the "goal" MFP sets you. This is the number you want to REACH each day to achieve the half pound loss. This is not a number to "try to stay far under" as that would increase the deficit you ALREADY have.

    When you only have a little to lose, if you have too high of a deficit, you can really screw up your metabolism. Add strength training to your workouts and don't be afraid to lift heavy. It is scientifically impossible to "bulk up" and get "big" muscles while in a catabolic state (calorie deficit). You will just be protecting the muscle you HAVE so you lose the FAT and not the muscle. If you do cardio only, you will lose fat AND muscle . You want to have less fat, not just weigh less at the expense of your lean mass.

    Feel free to inbox me if you'd like to discuss this more.
    (anyone, not just the OP)

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