Questions For Those Who Were Successful on MFP

Lost on 1800 per day (and eating back 1/2 of my exercise calories) for about 40lbs. Then switched to TDEE needing to lose another 40 or so. Now maintain with TDEE method (3600 per day).

I don't think MFP ever told me to only eat 1200. It has always been higher. I imagine I would be pretty grumpy eating so little. It started me out at about 1360 I think. I still think that was low, but with putting in my exercise calories I still felt fed. Now I aim for around 1750 in maintenance and I know I go way over that on the weekends which I don't log.

fitnwhole2015 wrote: »

WOW! How do you guys lose eating such high calories!??!?!? If I ate 2000+ a day I would surely gain. Am I missing something here??

Figure out your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). This is a useful calculator scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/#results.

For example, my TDEE is an average of around 2100 calories a day (it varies day to day, naturally). So technically, I would lose eating ANY number below that. I choose ~1800. It's high enough that I don't feel deprived, yet still low enough that I see a meaningful shift on the scale (~1/2 or 3/4 lb + a week loss).

Go to IIFYM.com, enter your stats and follow that for awhile to see if it works. By awhile, I mean at least a month, if not more. Adjust from there slowly if nothing is happening. Learn more about nutrients as well as how many calories your body needs to basically stay alive and what it needs to function with the activity you do daily. A moderate deficit to that will give you results. Slow and steady for long term/permanent results is the best way to go.

fitnwhole2015 wrote: »

How did you lose your weight? Specifically did you follow the 1200 calorie plan? I'm reading mixed reviews in the posts. Some people lost a lot of weight on 1200 calories. Others are saying that 1200 is too low and to look up TDEE (?). I just want to find the consensus among those who have found success on MFP. MFP currently has my goal at 1380 calories to lose 1lb a week.

I'm sure there's a huge variety of results and no consensus, because people are different and calorie levels may be appropriate or not depending on the person and his/her TDEE.

Personally, I started with 1250 and lost a bunch of weight using that (but also eating back exercise calories). Now I'm consistently active and was tired of varying my calories so much day to day so am losing consistently (at a much lower weight) at 1650.

If MFP gives you a 1200 plan check your inputs--are you really sedentary, do you have a lot to lose--and remember that its goal is based on the assumption that you are eating back exercise calories. But 1200 makes sense for some, yes, it did for me when I started.

I tried a really low calorie plan for the first few weeks, and it worked, but as I researched and learned more, I figured out that was definitely not the way to go. Would whipping off two+ pounds a week be nice? Sure, but it makes me much, much less likely to keep it off. Rapid weight loss is almost as dangerous as rapid weight gain in terms of damage to your organs and all that fun crap, and yo-yoing is not a road I want to go down.

So I backed off to a more reasonable calorie goal. I work with the MFP recommendations for a one pound weekly loss, which is around 1500 for me, but I don't stress about going over one or two hundred here and there and I always eat back about half my exercise calories. I got a food scale and a HRM, and I keep my logging as accurate as possible, but I'm careful not to get too crazy about it. Some weeks I back off entirely and just maintain to make sure I'm losing nice and slow.

TDEE is probably the most precise method, but it's not the only method. Play around, figure out what works for you, but seriously - stay consistent. THAT is what works.

1400 calories a day and atleast 30 minutes of walking everyday

MFP has me set at 1360 with me to lose 1lb/week. I always get confused as to whether or not I should eat back my exercise calories. I wear a HRM and for example today during my workout it said I burned 390 calories...so on top of eating 1360 that MFP allots, should I eat an additional 390 calories burned from the workout as well? Are we not suppose to net below 1360 or whatever MFP sets as your daily goal?

brminor wrote: »

MFP has me set at 1360 with me to lose 1lb/week. I always get confused as to whether or not I should eat back my exercise calories. I wear a HRM and for example today during my workout it said I burned 390 calories...so on top of eating 1360 that MFP allots, should I eat an additional 390 calories burned from the workout as well? Are we not suppose to net below 1360 or whatever MFP sets as your daily goal?

If you are following MFP the way it is set up yes you would eat back your exercise calories.
calorie burns are sometimes overestimated so you might want to eat back half of those.

To add:
Really, there is no need to go so extreme as 1200 calories or lower, unless you are super tiny and that is your actual functioning calories needs or absolutely sedentary all day. Or unless, you just really want to.

I don't classify myself as a success story yet, but when I started, MFP put me pretty dang close to 1200. I rarely ever ate that much (usually 1400 or so) because I exercise just about everyday and eat back exercise calories. Once I hit the 75lbs left to go mark, I switched to 1.5 lbs a week and got more calories. Now I'm TDEEing and eat 1650 a day (still less than some, but not too shabby either. I'm still aiming for 1.5 lbs a week because I still gave ~60lbs to lose).

However, when you spend enough time around the forums, you will notice one thing. A majority of the people who've lost a lot of weight and/or have kept their weight off for years are the ones who eat higher calories.

In general, more food = more likely to stick to your goal = long term success. Less food = more likely to give up = not much if any progress. The next year will pass anyway, you can go with a plan you will stick to and see progress, or you can go with a strict plan and, most likely, give up. I know some people can stick to a strict plan, but why would you want to try if you don't have to?

It really depends on how much you need to lose. If you want to use the MFP method then use it properly. Not everyone needs to lose 2 pounds a week.

If you have very little to lose set loss for 0.5lb per week and use that as your base calorie. If you need to lose a moderate amount, 10-30, 1.0lb per week. More than 30 bump it up to 1.5 or 2 per week.

You should never truly be hungry or feel weak. If you are take a look at the nutritional value of what you are eating as well as how much you are eating. Because you are missing something you need.

Everyone is different in what they prefer some eat anything as long as it fits their calorie limit, some focus on macros, some eat "clean" (whatever that is)... It does come down to a calorie balance, but how you feel depends on nutrition. I like low carb/high protein, but it isn't the only game in town. It just happens to be the one that best suits my personality.

As far as exercise, I'm among the many that find MFP and even my HR monitor to be a bit high... I either eat back 50% MFP or 75% of HR monitor number whichever I use that day. To a point... If I have a crazy high day (>1500), I spread the extra out over 2 days, but never carry it to a third day... Also if you plan on doing a 2-5 hour event it's important to prefuel. So my two days may be the day before and the day of or it may be the day of and the day after... Depends on how well I planned.

Good luck.