Regarding daily calorie goal...

JRitaK
JRitaK Posts: 62 Member
edited November 9 in Getting Started
I apologize in advance if this is a dumb and or redundant question.

MFP tells me I have a calorie goal to meet for the day. I have to meet that goal in order to lose weight right? I know this sounds like common sense, but bare with me.

So I then need to also be exercising as well? Is that how I create a deficit or is the deficit created by MFP's daily calorie goal in regards to how much weight I need to lose?

I feel like this is very simple and I am complicating it. Thanks for your patience.

Replies

  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    Did you tell mfp that you wanted to lose weight? How much per week? If it is set up for weight loss, the calorie deficit is already worked into the calorie goal for the day. Exercise is logged separately, and mfp will give you extra calories for that.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    The daily goal you're given already has you at a calorie deficit before exercise. Meaning you could eat to goal every day, do zero exercise, and you'll lose weight.

    If you do exercise, you should log it under the exercise tab, and MFP will add those burned cals back into your goal. You can eat those too, bringing your net calories up to goal, and you'll still be in a deficit, and you'll still lose weight.

    Many people come here and think eating back the burned cals doesn't make sense, but if you understand how MFP works, and that you're in a deficit before the exercise, you'll find that it works beautifully. You stay in deficit while still properly fueling your body for workouts and daily life. Trying to slash cals too low leads to hunger, grumpiness and burnout, and "falling off the wagon" because it's too hard.

    Welcome to MFP - good luck! :smile:
  • JRitaK
    JRitaK Posts: 62 Member
    Moosie, I did set it too lose weight. I set it for 2 lbs a week. Ok, that is what I thought but I wasn't exactly sure. Thank you for your help!

    Great info, thanks so much Amy. That helps a lot and clears my confusion. It does make a lot of sense. One other question...What if I'm just not hungry at the end of the day and I still need to fill calories to meet my daily goal? Should I just go ahead and eat anyway?

    Also I am all for being able to work hard at the gym and eat extra, haha!

    Thank you!!
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    If you have a lot of weight to lose, don't worry too much about the calories left at the end of a day. It happens, just as some days you will be over. Especially at the beginning, it takes a while to figure out how to eat and manage the calories. Try to stay close to your goal, but don't agonize over each day, look at your weekly average to get a better idea of what is going on. I like to "save" those extra calories from the days I'm not so hungry to fill in on the days I'm ravenous!
  • JRitaK
    JRitaK Posts: 62 Member
    Really great advice, thanks Moosie! I envision myself needing those extra calories at times. =)
  • JRitaK
    JRitaK Posts: 62 Member
    Also I have about 67lbs that I would like to lose.
  • sea_food_man
    sea_food_man Posts: 7
    I would set it at 1.5.....easy to get burned out on 2lbs.....
  • JRitaK
    JRitaK Posts: 62 Member
    Really? I'm finding it hard to even eat all of calories today as it is... I don't know, maybe I'm having an off two days. I'm just not that hungry.
  • paradi3s
    paradi3s Posts: 343 Member
    Just listen to your body. You don't need to overeat to meet your calorie goal (So long as you don't go starving yourself!). Like what DancingMoosie said, there will be some days you'll go over your calorie goal and other days where you'll go under it. No worries!

    I usually workout and meet my calorie goal for the day, instead of "eating back" the calories I burned from exercise. For me, it's what made it effective to lose weight!
  • JRitaK
    JRitaK Posts: 62 Member
    Thanks for the advice. =)
  • silentKayak
    silentKayak Posts: 658 Member
    Welcome to the site.

    You may be eating more than you think. Most people are, when they start. Because really, if you have 67 lbs to lose, you didn't get to that weight by undereating, right? A 2 lb/week loss means more than 1000 cals/day less than you're used to. It doesn't make sense to say that you're having trouble eating more, because that's what you were doing a week ago.

    Make sure your tracking and logging is as accurate as possible. Measure with cups and spoons or, even better, weigh with a digital scale. Don't forget condiments, drinks, sauces, and cooking oils.

    Also make sure you've set the right activity level. Your activity level should reflect your daily activity, not any additional exercise. Sedentary = desk job; lightly active = stay at home mom of toddlers or teacher; active = waitress or ER nurse; very active = framing carpenter or bike messenger. If you're not sure, set it lower rather than higher.

    This will ensure you have the right base level of caloric "burn".


  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    zarckon wrote: »
    You may be eating more than you think. Most people are, when they start…..

    Make sure your tracking and logging is as accurate as possible. Measure with cups and spoons or, even better, weigh with a digital scale. Don't forget condiments, drinks, sauces, and cooking oils.

    Quoted for truth. Try to be as accurate as possible. Give yourself four weeks, and if your loss doesn't match MFP's estimates, then check out this thread: Logging accuracy, consistency, and you're probably eating more than you think.
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