Top 3 things I should focus on?
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Frankly, if you're just getting started, try not to make it too complicated and take baby steps. Sure you can figure out your TDEE and BMR (whatever those mean, right?) or you can just let MFP tell you how many calories to eat by giving it your goals.
My initial advice to someone just starting to use MFP is to take the first few days and just log what you eat. Get used to the whole idea of entering every single piece of food and things you drink into the tool. It'll give you a really good idea where you're starting from and how much, or little, you're really eating every day. Most people are pretty shocked and it becomes apparent how they've put on the pounds by eating the way they were before.
Once you get used to that, take a good look at the things you've logged and find where you can make some simple changes that will make a big impact. 250 calories in Coca Cola every day, twice a day? Replace that with a glass of unsweetened iced tea with lemon. A Snickers bar every day at 2:00pm? Replace that with a 50 calorie apple. You get the idea.
Try to add one new habit or change every week and it'll be a lot easier to maintain than to join a gym, try to eat 1200 calories every day, cut out all sugar, eat "clean" (whatever that is) all at once and get overwhelmed and frustrated.
Most of all, try to make these changes something you can stick with for the rest of your life. Good luck on your journey!
thanks so much Sue!!! Great advice!0 -
anna_jewel wrote: »I was also confused and a beachbody coach mentioned- that on another reputable website had me 1466, MPF 1200. They expect you to be doing workouts (higher calories then) where as MPF has you at a lower calorie rate, no workout and then ups the calories after your workouts. Hope that helps.
that makes sense. thanks for this!!0 -
awesomedjmcvey wrote: »This is what I think, I read a book called Do Life by Ben Davis. The quote there that I think it is the most important part to our journey is "learning how to eat to live rather than living to eat". I am not dieting I am eating the way I want to for the rest of my life. I am eating to sustain life. So to answer your question, I would say what do you want to eat is the most important thing to focus on.
Second, what do you like to do for excersize.
Third, Support group. Add friends on here and build you a positive group of friends. That has been the best thing for me... I love everyone on here and I am glad to be sharing my journey with them.
I will have to check out that book. His name sounds familiar. I think he has a blog on Tumblr too?
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JessaLee0324 wrote: »So 365....that brings me to a question. myfitnesspal recommends that I eat 1200 calories a day to lose weight. My BMR is 1431. So.....now I'm confused.
Sorry, just saw this now.
The thing about MFP is that it simply follows what you want to lose. So if you have a BMR of 1431 and a TDEE of 1800 (we're assuming you're super sedentary here) yet you set MFP to let you lose 1lb per week, it would bring you below your BMR to meet your goals because eating to your BMR you would only have a per day deficit of around 350 cals versus the 500 you need to lose an lb per week.
I think BMR/TDEE is the most reliable way to lose weight personally, but that's simply because I like to have control over the speed I'm losing and completely understand why my body can and can't process things the way I'd like it to. Its also a lot more manageable because you don't get the same intense cravings or suffer binges in the same way as those who are being really restrictive.
Basically short answer is your goals on MFP don't match eating to your BMR, so MFP assumed that you wanted to lose whatever you set it to anyway and put you at the lowest recommended calorie rating it legally could.0 -
SingRunTing wrote: »Calories, calories, calories.
How many calories you eat is most of the battle with weight loss. Start with calories. Focus on the macros (fat, protein, carbs) if you can, but its ok if you just need to think about calories at first.
Good idea. I was getting worried about CARBS CARBS. But for now I think you are right calories and overall healthy choices. Thanks ! 0 -
DeeJayD2014 wrote: »Let's keep it positive and happy folks. It's just weight loss. hehehe.
I am losing right now - but thanks RGv2. Once I get stuck I will alter it if needed.
Of course you are....you're only eating 1000 calories a day.
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DeeJayD2014 wrote: »Let's keep it positive and happy folks. It's just weight loss. hehehe.
I am losing right now - but thanks RGv2. Once I get stuck I will alter it if needed.
Of course you are....you're only eating 1000 calories a day.
On the days I sit for like 12 hours yes. On the weekends - when I hike for 3-4 hours I would be definitely eating more. 0 -
LosinMama1966 wrote: »LosinMama1966 wrote: »JessaLee0324 wrote: »So 365....that brings me to a question. myfitnesspal recommends that I eat 1200 calories a day to lose weight. My BMR is 1431. So.....now I'm confused.
I doubt it that MFP said you need to eat 1200 calories a day to lose weight....unless you're like 4 1/2 ft tall.
You only have 10lbs to goal, what weight loss per week did you enter?
You don't get it, huh? MFP is INFAMOUS for saying that. I'm 5'5" and weigh 177 pounds and it said the same thing to me...so please, don't even start.
I guess I will start...
MFP won't tell a 30 year old F with 10lbs to lose that they need to restrict to 1200 calories to lose weight, unless they are tiny..... 2lbs per week....now that's different.
It tells a whole lot of people that the should be eating 1200 calories a day to lose weight, whether you should believe it or not...smh
So it tells a lot of people (In this case a 30 yr old F w/ 10 lbs to lose) that if they enter in a goal of .5 - 1 lb per week they'll get 1200?
They must have changed their calculation. When I helped my wife set hers up, 32yrs old, 25lbs of baby weight to lose, 5ft 1in, 1lb per week we got 1400ish...., I remember 2lbs per week was around 1230...smh.
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There is a whole questionnaire - how much you plan to exercise, how much you want to lose. how old you are - how much you currently weigh - etc. Then it asks for your current activity level - sedentary, active - etc. and It comes up with a calories per day. So if I had time (and desire haha) to workout 2 hours a day every day I am sure I could up my calories to 1400 or more even. But frankly my lifestyle doesn't permit that personally. So - I believe 1200 is there "safe" low amount - as another person mentioned -probably the lowest they can recommend legally without issues.
Hope that explains it better. 0 -
Hello & Welcome!
My Top 3 Recommendations:- Log EVERYTHING! - Healthy, Unhealthy, Flat-out empty nutrition yummies Log it ALL There's just something about SEEING what we put into our bodies that wakes some of us up. LOL
- Be Consistent! - Whatever exercise regime or eating trend you want to experiment with just be consistent with it & make sure it is something that you can truly integrate to your life.
- Grain or Salt - All the members on MFP that I have crossed paths with has the best intentions and would never purposely steer you wrong. HOWEVER, please understand that EVERYONE is different and this whole weight loss journey is rather individual. There are some general things which applies to most, but not all. Always try to keep advice in perspective to how it does or does not apply to you, based on your lifestyle, height, & age.
Best of luck to you!
this is GREAT advice... thank you!! xoxo0 -
JessaLee0324 wrote: »So 365....that brings me to a question. myfitnesspal recommends that I eat 1200 calories a day to lose weight. My BMR is 1431. So.....now I'm confused.
MFP tells me the same thing. My BMR is 1500ish and TDEE is 2200ish. Will you die at 1200? No. But everyday someone here posts they are eating at or below 1200, had some great losses and then cannot figure out why they stopped losing weight after awhile at the same 1200. Their bodies are slowing their metabolism to conserve and survive, then using muscle/lean tissue for fuel. Weight loss, yes, but not body fat loss overall, most times.
I say eat a little more, lose just slightly slower and lose more body fat than lean tissue. Usually, the outcome is long term success. Bonus!
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Don't fall into the trap of using body mass index. The BMI boils down to "your weight divided by your height." That's it. It doesn't take into consideration "Is this a 6 foot tall, 200 pound person with 6% body fat," or "a 6 foot tall person with 25% body fat?" All it knows is "6 feet tall. 200 pounds = Overweight."
The actor "Dwayne The Rock Johnson" who had a BMI of 31.24 at one point, is "Obese." This guy!
Use MFP to track your calories, and weigh yourself on an empty stomach, preferably right after waking up and "relieving yourself" in the bathroom. I'd say do this once every 2 weeks to get an idea of how your weight loss is going based on the calories you've been taking in. That should give you an idea of whether or not you're in a true caloric deficit. You can then adjust your meals and/or exercise routine accordingly.
Then start thinking about "body composition," and not just the number on the scale. It is possible for the number on the scale to remain static, or actually increase, as you lose fat, IF you're building muscle
1. Be consistent in tracking your calories AND macro nutrients
2. Don't allow the number on the scale, or things like BMI to dissuade you
3. Remind yourself that it is a process that will take time, and last the rest of your life. Once you attain your goal, you then have to maintain your goal. Getting it off is easier than keeping it off.0 -
DeeJayD2014 wrote: »There is a whole questionnaire - how much you plan to exercise, how much you want to lose. how old you are - how much you currently weigh - etc. Then it asks for your current activity level - sedentary, active - etc. and It comes up with a calories per day. So if I had time (and desire haha) to workout 2 hours a day every day I am sure I could up my calories to 1400 or more even. But frankly my lifestyle doesn't permit that personally. So - I believe 1200 is there "safe" low amount - as another person mentioned -probably the lowest they can recommend legally without issues.
Hope that explains it better.
I understand the questionnaire.....
If you worked out 2 hrs a day, you'd probably lose weight at over 2000, if not more.
For fun, would you share your ht/wt/age so we can at least figure out an estimate of your BMR/TDEE? Right now I'm just assuming you're younger by your profile pic.0 -
LosinMama1966 wrote: »JessaLee0324 wrote: »So 365....that brings me to a question. myfitnesspal recommends that I eat 1200 calories a day to lose weight. My BMR is 1431. So.....now I'm confused.
I doubt it that MFP said you need to eat 1200 calories a day to lose weight....unless you're like 4 1/2 ft tall.
You only have 10lbs to goal, what weight loss per week did you enter?
You don't get it, huh? MFP is INFAMOUS for saying that. I'm 5'5" and weigh 177 pounds and it said the same thing to me...so please, don't even start.
I guess I will start...
MFP won't tell a 30 year old F with 10lbs to lose that they need to restrict to 1200 calories to lose weight, unless they are tiny..... 2lbs per week....now that's different.
MFP does it to plenty of people. It does it to me and I am more than 5'10 and 162 lbs. It is just the industry standard for "Don't go below this", so that is what it will suggest many times.
In the end I find most people do not educate themselves enough on the science and go more based on other people say, like eat 1200 calories to lose, or half-reading articles, picking out of it what they want to hear. I encourage all to really look into BMR, TDEE (start by googling it. My favorite site to figure them is IIFYM.com) If you are without special health conditions, you should give these formulas a good try for successful body fat loss, not lean tissue loss (who wants to lose wonderful calorie burning muscle??) and to keep a sustainable good weight for a lifetime.
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BetterKimmer wrote: »LosinMama1966 wrote: »JessaLee0324 wrote: »So 365....that brings me to a question. myfitnesspal recommends that I eat 1200 calories a day to lose weight. My BMR is 1431. So.....now I'm confused.
I doubt it that MFP said you need to eat 1200 calories a day to lose weight....unless you're like 4 1/2 ft tall.
You only have 10lbs to goal, what weight loss per week did you enter?
You don't get it, huh? MFP is INFAMOUS for saying that. I'm 5'5" and weigh 177 pounds and it said the same thing to me...so please, don't even start.
I guess I will start...
MFP won't tell a 30 year old F with 10lbs to lose that they need to restrict to 1200 calories to lose weight, unless they are tiny..... 2lbs per week....now that's different.
MFP does it to plenty of people. It does it to me and I am more than 5'10 and 162 lbs. It is just the industry standard for "Don't go below this", so that is what it will suggest many times.
In the end I find most people do not educate themselves enough on the science and go more based on other people say, like eat 1200 calories to lose, or half-reading articles, picking out of it what they want to hear. I encourage all to really look into BMR, TDEE (start by googling it. My favorite site to figure them is IIFYM.com) If you are without special health conditions, you should give these formulas a good try for successful body fat loss, not lean tissue loss (who wants to lose wonderful calorie burning muscle??) and to keep a sustainable good weight for a lifetime.
I know that 1200 is the industry standard. MFP is just a calculator that works on inputs. It goes on ht/wt/age, gender, activity level, and most importantly...the goal weight loss per week the user enters.
So MFP is going to give a 30yr old female w/ 10 lbs to lose a recommendation of 1200 calories per day to lose .5lbs per week....unless she's under 5ft? I mean, that is what we're talking about here....at least I am.
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