Should I custom set Calorie goal?

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AllegraAlyce
AllegraAlyce Posts: 23 Member
edited January 2015 in Health and Weight Loss
So I've set my goals at lose 1.5lbs a week, and my fitness level at active. (Even though by the definition I'd be only lightly active.) Since I've started using this I've gone over my calorie goals several times. At the moment I've lost 5lbs in 8 days. I'm drinking a ton of water and decaf tea. I feel like this is wayyyyy too fast, but am not sure what or how much to adjust??

Help please.

Replies

  • girlviernes
    girlviernes Posts: 2,402 Member
    edited January 2015
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    A lot of times you'll lose fast at the beginning, which is usually related to losing water weight. Give it another week or two to let things settle, unless you are very hungry, in which case go ahead and try a higher limit.
  • EvanKeel
    EvanKeel Posts: 1,904 Member
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    A few observations:

    1) Timeframe may matter here. 5 lbs in 8 days would be quite a lot if that were consistent weight loss over time. I wouldn't think much of losing 5lbs in the first week of starting a new plan, though. Even outside of starting a new plan, weight fluctuations happen. Trends over time are key.

    2) 1.5 lbs/week might be a little aggressive as goals go. How far away from your goal now?

    3) I don't quite understand what you mean by your activity level. Are you saying MFP has it set to Active, but you're only Lightly Active based on their description? If so, I'm not sure what the motivation for doing that would be.
  • AllegraAlyce
    AllegraAlyce Posts: 23 Member
    edited January 2015
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    Well, I was 10lbs from my goal. I am now 2.7lbs from my goal weight.

    I was trying to set to a higher activity level bc the calories were so low. I've been getting dizzy / low blood sugar. I was assuming they use that to calculate your BMR.
  • AllegraAlyce
    AllegraAlyce Posts: 23 Member
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    I changed my goal to < wt loss per week and that upped my calories. So hopefully that is better.
  • BeastReborn
    BeastReborn Posts: 13 Member
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    I always custom set my calorie goal, because MFP says my maintenance calories are 2600 when they're really 3200.
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
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    BeastReborn wrote: »
    I always custom set my calorie goal, because MFP says my maintenance calories are 2600 when they're really 3200.

    Yeah but you only know this through long experience with trial and error.

    OP, you're basically at maintenance at this point, +- the 5lb range in which weight typically fluctuates. You should set your goal to either lose 0.5lbs/week for a few weeks, or to maintain, and then eat those calories for a while. If you start gaining weight, eat a bit less. If you're still losing weight, eat a bit more.

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