Please help!!!

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MFP set my calorie goal at 1,280 before exercise, just 80 calories over the bare minimum that anyone should have per day. I keep hearing in different places that in order to find out how many calories you should have while trying to lose weight, you should multiply your body weight by 10. In that case, I should be having about 1,550 calories a day. That's a pretty big difference. Which one is right?

Replies

  • DarthBubbles
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    Bump...I"m curious as well :)
  • mitts1970
    mitts1970 Posts: 56
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    Interesting... that would be good to know. I am on 1200 or less a day - I should weigh nothing in no time :) ha!
  • MoonGurl1985
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    Interesting.....I am going to ask our fitness expert about that tomorrow night if I see either one of them that I know that is....Let you know what I find out.
  • Lori07
    Lori07 Posts: 136
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    I have not heard that I don't know.
  • kgillikin
    kgillikin Posts: 191 Member
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    Good question
  • aaunheim
    aaunheim Posts: 1
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    My calorie goal to lose 1 lb a week was 1710. I weigh 175 so that's pretty close to the multiply by 10 rule. I would be interested to see what they have to say.
  • daniran
    daniran Posts: 233 Member
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    I read the same thing somewhere...... the body weight you want to be, times 10 calories.
  • lisapickering
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    MFP set my calorie goal at 1,280 before exercise, just 80 calories over the bare minimum that anyone should have per day. I keep hearing in different places that in order to find out how many calories you should have while trying to lose weight, you should multiply your body weight by 10. In that case, I should be having about 1,550 calories a day. That's a pretty big difference. Which one is right?

    Is the 1,280 before or after your deficit for weight loss? If you chose to lose 1/2 lb per week your calories for the day are actually 1,530. What you chose for your activity level will also make a difference.
  • trinitystrix
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    This is what I know- in order to loose 1 lb a week, you need to burn (or not eat) 3500 calories less than normal.
  • Kdoty
    Kdoty Posts: 12
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    Wow.. i am doing 1750 right now.. and i if that were the truth than i should be at 2250... big difference... i would like to know also.. plus i cant seem to get 1750 most days... :huh:
  • Chrissy_Michelle
    Chrissy_Michelle Posts: 176 Member
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    MFP set my calorie goal at 1,280 before exercise, just 80 calories over the bare minimum that anyone should have per day. I keep hearing in different places that in order to find out how many calories you should have while trying to lose weight, you should multiply your body weight by 10. In that case, I should be having about 1,550 calories a day. That's a pretty big difference. Which one is right?

    1280 before exercise...MFP sets everyone at the low end. If you exercise, you need to eat back those calories burned so your calorie deficit doesn't go lower than your daily goal.

    1550 would be your higher target and if you exercised you wouldn't need to eat back those calories.
  • hannahlbur
    hannahlbur Posts: 221 Member
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    This might help!

    Might help you to work out your numbers for yourself and compare to MFP recommendations. Work out your Basal Metabolic Rate and then work out calorie needs based on your activity level. Then from this number you need to create a deficit (inc diet and exercise) of 500 or 1000 calories to lose 1 or 2 pounds a week.

    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

    x
  • hannahlbur
    hannahlbur Posts: 221 Member
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    This might help!

    Might help you to work out your numbers for yourself and compare to MFP recommendations. Work out your Basal Metabolic Rate and then work out calorie needs based on your activity level. Then from this number you need to create a deficit (inc diet and exercise) of 500 or 1000 calories to lose 1 or 2 pounds a week.

    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

    x


    My number to lose 2lbs a week is 1566 - MFP says 1200 so slight difference.

    x
  • RProhofsky
    RProhofsky Posts: 32 Member
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    This whole calories in vs calories out thing is just a guide. It is NOT math.

    There are 3500 calories in a pound.
    If you want to lose a pound a week you have to come up with a 3500 calorie deficit
    a 500 calories a day deficit a day for 7 days is 3500 calories or 1 pound

    if for example you body burns 1500 calories a day doing your REGULAR activities
    and you only ate 1000 calories you would have your 500 calorie deficit for the day. (sounds like math)

    It's not practical to measure exactly how many calories you burn doing normal activity
    a lot of other things cause error in this math
    your fat-carb-protein ratio
    your age
    your sex
    Vo2max
    Time of day you eat
    hormones
    and a lot more

    You CAN be successful using this calorie in vs calorie out thing as a guide. Just remember we journal to help point out when things are not working so we can change and try something different.

    Life is a grand experiment, enjoy it. Don't get bogged down in the rules

    Good Luck on your journey toward health,
    Rick
  • OhItsOn
    OhItsOn Posts: 36
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    I've seen some sort of equation before, but it was more complex than merely multiplying your weight by 10. Perhaps that's some basic general quick formula, but I would think that you have to take into account the amt. of activity one is doing.

    Makes sense, right? Remember the stories of Michael Phelps and him consuming 10,000 - 12,000 calories a day (when training, that is)... and that was simply to MAINTAIN his weight? Obviously, that is an extreme example, but the point is that for a truly accurate measure, you have to take into account the amt. of calories that you burn on a daily basis. Perhaps the "multiply by ten" rule is supposed to be a general gauge of how much your body needs just to function normally... without activity added into it. Even so, that seems a bit simplistic. Height, age, gender, how physically active one is .... these would all play a part, right?

    Sorry... I don't have any real answer for you. Whatever calculator thing MFP uses... seems to work for me. I have been losing about 2 pounds a week (or more... but I also don't hit my intended calorie count most days). --- Save for today. Today I've exceeded it by double. Maybe not, but possibly. *sigh* On the up side --- I enjoyed every single bite of my authentic meal and dessert. smile.

    Good luck to you!
  • trekkiebeth
    trekkiebeth Posts: 172
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    This might help!

    Might help you to work out your numbers for yourself and compare to MFP recommendations. Work out your Basal Metabolic Rate and then work out calorie needs based on your activity level. Then from this number you need to create a deficit (inc diet and exercise) of 500 or 1000 calories to lose 1 or 2 pounds a week.

    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

    x

    I did that and it came out to 1,592 calories to lose a pound a week. That's really close to the number I got by multiplying my weight by 10. So maybe I can have a couple hundred more calories a day than MFP allows me.
  • JohnnyNull
    JohnnyNull Posts: 294 Member
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    Personally, I'd go with the MFP numbers. But I'm a little nutty sometimes.

    When I was in MMA, my instructor/coach wanted me to get to a ridiculously low weight for a bout. Towards the end, I was eating 900 calories a day and training like a man possessed.

    Clearly, that was unhealthy. But it may show you that there's no rule that under 1,200 calories your body will shut down.

    If you want to play it safe, see how much you normally eat over the course of a week or two. If you're typically near the 1500-1600 mark, go with the lower number. If not, do the higher number for a month or two, then drop.

    Play with it.
  • seobstar
    seobstar Posts: 169
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    This might help!

    Might help you to work out your numbers for yourself and compare to MFP recommendations. Work out your Basal Metabolic Rate and then work out calorie needs based on your activity level. Then from this number you need to create a deficit (inc diet and exercise) of 500 or 1000 calories to lose 1 or 2 pounds a week.

    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

    x

    I did that and it came out to 1,592 calories to lose a pound a week. That's really close to the number I got by multiplying my weight by 10. So maybe I can have a couple hundred more calories a day than MFP allows me.

    I think you're confused about what MFP is doing. Is the 1200 the amount BEFORE excercise? MFP sets it low because it is expecting that you will exercise every day.
  • warmachinejt
    warmachinejt Posts: 2,167 Member
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    I use the bmr calculator, i know for a fact that MFP gives you a way low cal count. That is why many people don't lose weight, because they're running on starvation mode ;) but no one ever listens to me :)
    You might lose some at first but then your body adapts to starvation and your progress goes down the drain just like your health.
  • kgillikin
    kgillikin Posts: 191 Member
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    This is what I know- in order to loose 1 lb a week, you need to burn (or not eat) 3500 calories less than normal.

    Is this a week?