1200 or 1400??? How much am I suppose to be eating?

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I put for my goals, exersice 30 minutes a day 5 days a week,
& I would like to lose 2 pounds per week, & it says 1400 calorie?
then If I write I exersice 4 days a week 30 minutes a day, It says 1200 calorie a day?
Witch one is it? how much am I suppose to eat? I have been STUCK on 170 now for it semes like a lifetime...

Replies

  • barbiecat
    barbiecat Posts: 16,984 Member
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    :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: Whatever you do, don't go under 1200 calories and make sure those calories are nutrition dense (don't eat anything that isn't full of nutrition) and exercise more.......it's not important what you say you will exercise....what is important is how much you actually exercise including adding extra steps whenever possible and moving a lot even when you're not doing a formal workout :bigsmile:
  • tornberg1
    tornberg1 Posts: 28 Member
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    It's very simple the more you exercise the more you can eat. So just decide to you want - to eat more or exercise less to achieve your goals !
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
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    With as little as you have to lose, 2 lbs per week is probably too aggressive. Here are a couple of threads that may help you determine healthy, realistic goals/deficit.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics

    PS - The "intended" exercise you enter when you sign up does not effect your cal goals - it is simply a "goal" to help you keep track of how much you want to exercise. Exercise only effects cal goals when you actually log it each day; at that time, MFP will add cals to maintain the built in deficit based on your chosen loss per week goal.
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
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    MFP calculates your goal by taking your BMR, (which is the number of calories your body needs even if you were in a coma to beat your heart and breathe), then adding to that an activity level (choose lightly active, active, etc.). This gives you your TDEE, or maintenance calories (the amount you need to maintain your current weight).
    THEN MFP subtracts 500 a day for a 1 lb a week loss (recommended). THIS is your daily goal.

    The exercise goals you input do NOT affect the amount of calories it gives you per day, they are only goal to remind you to exercise.
    Once you DO exercise and enter it, MFP adds those calories to your goal for the day so you can EAT THEM BACK, becasue you already have a deficit, and if you don't eat them back, you are increasing that deficit, and too LITTLE calories per day can stall weight loss and ruin your metabolism.

    Choose 1 lb per week (safer and healthier than 2 lbs) and lightly active or active (most people aren't sedentary unless you barely go from bed to couch and back to bed and that's it).
    Then take that number and EAT it ALL every day because that number already has 500 subtracted from it. It is a goal to REACH, not a goal to stay UNDER, it already has a deficit built in.
  • emlov81
    emlov81 Posts: 128
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    With as little as you have to lose, 2 lbs per week is probably too aggressive. Here are a couple of threads that may help you determine healthy, realistic goals/deficit.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics

    PS - The "intended" exercise you enter when you sign up does not effect your cal goals - it is simply a "goal" to help you keep track of how much you want to exercise. Exercise only effects cal goals when you actually log it each day; at that time, MFP will add cals to maintain the built in deficit based on your chosen loss per week goal.


    I agree!!!

    Set it as the lower exercise goal in case you don't get to the gym...

    Realistic goals are more likely to be achieved!!! Good luck.......
  • kwardklinck
    kwardklinck Posts: 1,601
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    Hm, I thought it didn't count the activities until you actually entered them in the databank. Maybe try going through and setting it to lose 2 pounds per week and a sedentary lifestyle. Go by that number unless you exercise that day. When you enter your exercise calories, it will give you more for your daily goal.