Allowances of 2000-2500+ calories?

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moonduck
moonduck Posts: 53 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi All,

Relatively new to "understanding" food logging, and am on the sedentary & 2lbs/week weight loss option on MFP which allows me 1200 calories per day. I have played around with the settings a bit and see that even if I chose maintenance mode vs. weight loss mode, I would still only be "allowed" 1600 calories. There is no setting that would alter mine to be 2000 calories other than the gain 2lbs/week option?

I'm trying to understand the how's and why's of calories allowances of 2200-2500+ calories that many MFP users have. Is it all about the activity level? And if so - I think what I'm also not understanding is what 'activity level' is vs. activities (exercises) during the day and how to make the right choice on which level I am.

My main form of exercise is walking a minimum of 10,000 steps per day and otherwise just do normal day-to-day activities.

Thanks so much in advance.

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    what are your stats?
  • ES110791
    ES110791 Posts: 43 Member
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    Maybe some people don't log exercise and set it to higher amounts because of that.

    I have mine set to maintenance sedentary which is 1600, but I do lots of exercise and usually eat above 2000 calories, net 1600.
  • moonduck
    moonduck Posts: 53 Member
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    Stats? My weight is 136lbs and my height is 5'5.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    moonduck wrote: »
    Stats? My weight is 136lbs and my height is 5'5.

    Given that you're already a healthy weight you shouldnt be aiming to lose more than 0.5lb per week.

    i am a similar size as you, and find that MFP sets my maintenance a little low. all the numbers are just estimates, so you might need to play around to find the right number of cals for you to lose/maintain.
  • moonduck
    moonduck Posts: 53 Member
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    ES110791 wrote: »
    Maybe some people don't log exercise and set it to higher amounts because of that.

    I have mine set to maintenance sedentary which is 1600, but I do lots of exercise and usually eat above 2000 calories, net 1600.

    Could you please tell me what the "net 1600" is about? I think that's what I'm not understanding. Thank you! :)
  • moonduck
    moonduck Posts: 53 Member
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    TavistockToad wrote: »
    moonduck wrote: »
    Stats? My weight is 136lbs and my height is 5'5.

    Given that you're already a healthy weight you shouldnt be aiming to lose more than 0.5lb per week.

    i am a similar size as you, and find that MFP sets my maintenance a little low. all the numbers are just estimates, so you might need to play around to find the right number of cals for you to lose/maintain.

    Thanks! By playing around, do you mean setting it at different calorie levels and seeing if I gain weight or not? How do you ever really know when the scale is so different each day without any particular rationale behind why it is what it is that particular day - water weight, "that" time of the month, unexplained +/-?
  • steff274
    steff274 Posts: 227 Member
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    Hey I try and hit 2500 everyday.. I am also only 5ft 2!! I currently weigh 7st 6 (104 pounds) my settings are very active to maintain it gives me 2010.. I work with horses if I am on the yard working I log mucking out stables as excersize and sweeping anything else I do is covered under my very active settings.. I go to the gym 5 times a week on 3 of those days I will do 2 classes I obviously log this as excersize and also riding my horse every day! ;)
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    moonduck wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    moonduck wrote: »
    Stats? My weight is 136lbs and my height is 5'5.

    Given that you're already a healthy weight you shouldnt be aiming to lose more than 0.5lb per week.

    i am a similar size as you, and find that MFP sets my maintenance a little low. all the numbers are just estimates, so you might need to play around to find the right number of cals for you to lose/maintain.

    Thanks! By playing around, do you mean setting it at different calorie levels and seeing if I gain weight or not? How do you ever really know when the scale is so different each day without any particular rationale behind why it is what it is that particular day - water weight, "that" time of the month, unexplained +/-?

    yes, try different amounts of calories, depending on whether you lose/gain/maintain. you'll need to wait 4-6 weeks to see if you're getting a downward trend before you change anything though. its usually water weight from excess sodium you ate the night before, TOM retention or sore muscles, or if you're lucky all 3 at the same time!

    that being said, with only a small amount to lose you might want to look at recomp and lowering your bodyfat % rather than just scale weight...

    i am 5tf5 and 131lbs and ive lost 7lbs in 7 months, but a load of fat as i've lost an inch off my waist and 2 inches off my bum/hips (and at least an inch off my chest, but we dont talk about that!!!) its slow going but then the vanity pounds always are! I eat net 1700 cals to lose roughly 0.5lb per week and exercise 3-6 x a week.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    So you've set your activity level to sedentary which basically means you sit behind a desk all day and do little else

    you are however walking 10K steps a day (which to me is an additional 350 -450 calories) on top of your day to day activities - if you're not going to use a fitbit, or similar to measure this then change your activity level to light or moderate

    then drop your goals to 0.5lb a week, 2lb is too stiff

    that would bring your calories up
  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
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    moonduck wrote: »
    ES110791 wrote: »
    Maybe some people don't log exercise and set it to higher amounts because of that.

    I have mine set to maintenance sedentary which is 1600, but I do lots of exercise and usually eat above 2000 calories, net 1600.

    Could you please tell me what the "net 1600" is about? I think that's what I'm not understanding. Thank you! :)

    Using their numbers, ES's daily calories are 1600. She ate 2000 and burned 400 which in the end she eats the 1600 mfp gave her.

    Have you seen on your home page the equation mfp has? Food-exercise= net calories

    In your case, you say your daily calories are 1200. Say you burn an average of 300 calories. So you would eat 1500 calories, burn 300 and at the end of the day you finish with the 1200 calories mfp gave you. That's what net calories are, how many you finish with at the end of the day after burning some with exercise. Since mfp gave you 1200, you want to finish your day with 1200. You don't want to eat only 1200, then burn 300 or else you end up eating only 900 which mfp did not give you.


    Ps. Sorry ES110791 if your not female and I kept writing she.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    edited November 2014
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    I'm 36, 132 pounds, and 5'5" and I pretty much maintain on 2200 calories. I exercise pretty much every day though - 30 minutes of high intensity intervals on the elliptical one day, 20 minutes of weights and 45-60 minutes of cardio (either fast walking at an incline or more elliptical without intervals) the next day. The rest of the time I do sit a lot but I also walk around a lot doing chores, cooking etc.

    I have 22%ish body fat I believe (it matters - the more muscles, the more calories you burn).

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