Keep going over my 1390 calories goals!

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ibbyiam
ibbyiam Posts: 81
in Introduce Yourself
Last 2 days I've gone way over my 1390 goal. I've gone over many times, and just started. Should I increase my calorie count? It's an even I go over and stay under. I wonder what I can do to at least keep it even throughout my goal of loosing weight? I want to loose this so badly. However, not badly enough cause I keep going over my 1390 goal. My nutritionist recommended 1500 maybe even 1600, but I entered MFP to loose 1 1/2 a week. I've just started last month, and feel like I am not succeeding as well as I'd like. Any of you had this problem? I'm sure some have had this, but just would like some feedback on your take on this.

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  • ashleycde
    ashleycde Posts: 622 Member
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    If you are finding it too hard to stay within that goal, aim for a smaller calorie deficit and start from there. If 1390 is the goal MFP sets for you to lose 1.5 lbs per week, try starting off with a weight loss plan of 1 lb per week, which should put your daily calorie goal at 1640.
  • HappyQuella
    HappyQuella Posts: 67 Member
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    MFP's default calorie, weight goal settings are bull! Follow your nutritionist's recommendations. Trust me, you will lose a healthy amount of weight, at a good rate eating 15-1600 calories. Basically MFP just lowers the number of calories you eat depending on the goal that you input. This is why people get frustrated and stuck when MFP says eat 1200 cals a day. That's very low, and not sustainable in the long term.
  • kenmiller75
    kenmiller75 Posts: 89 Member
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    You can go over your 1390 limit provided you're exercising on the days you do so. I'll climb up and down my stairs at 11 PM on nights that I've fallen off the wagon and went over my calorie goal. I also look for foods with lower calories per serving when I grocery shop. If you can cut out 50 calories per meal that will save you 150 per day.
  • Emmaloubalajake
    Emmaloubalajake Posts: 39 Member
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    I think if you want/need to eat more then you need to be earning calories in the gym.
  • oyinda64
    oyinda64 Posts: 1
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    I really don't think it's hard, I'm on a 1,360 calorie goal and I've never gone above it. Sometimes I even eat less. I think it's all about dedication and just making sure you note the amount of calories for every single thing you eat, no matter how small it is. My motivation is just thinking about what I want my body to look like after all this. :smile:
  • mustang289
    mustang289 Posts: 299 Member
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    Learn to make substitutions?

    I'm in your age range and trying to hit 1400 per day. Many days its easy, other days I go over 100-200, but I'm still 500-1000 deficit each day, and that will add up over time to make me lose weight.

    When I started paying attention to labels I realized just by making a few wiser choices I could eat about the same thing but not have so many calories.

    If you want examples or specific recommendations you need to open your food diary.
  • ibbyiam
    ibbyiam Posts: 81
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    Yes, I my goal is to hit the gym 4 times a week, I don't go outside and walk yet, due to bad cedar count & mold season. Should be dying down this month. Yes, good idea about hitting the gym on days I go over. I problem that I learn years ago was that I am not a big breakfast eater, and sometimes coffee is enough. I do have cereal, which I love whole grains cereal, and cherries, love them. However, you all know the bigger calories fall in pm, so I was trying to reverse it and eat bigger calories earlier, however, my routine doesn't always allow for bigger meal time prep. The look for labels is new to me as well, so maybe that is the deal also. Thank you, I think I may crank up my calories just a bit, and not be so hard on myself for going over. Thank you all the help is so helpful to me.
  • sophomorelove
    sophomorelove Posts: 193 Member
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    I think I know how you feel, because it was always my approach, too. All or nothing. I had little respect for myself if the planck was set too low. I felt like giving myself a slack was something to avoid. I was mad at myself for getting fat, and I felt like I couldn't waste another day not losing the maximum weight possible. With that approach I failed again and again. I would lose the lbs, but they always came back :( This time I bit the bullet and lowered my standards and expectations. I want to achieve long term results, so I figured, losing a little bit is still infinitely better than not losing at all (or even gaining). I can imagine how much you want to end this nightmare of being overweight, but I promise, if you give yourself some extra time, and reduce the stress level associated with it, the weight'll come off and stay off. I've been on MFP for over 2 months and lost 14-15 lbs with minimal effort (I had plenty of bad days and my goal was to lose .5-1 lb/week). Good luck!
  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
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    You do want this, but you also have to have patience. I know we all want to lose weight NOW, but we didn't gain the weight overnight. Lower your goal to 1lb. Or better yet, begin with lowering it to 0.5 lb weekly. Once you get the hang of that, then go to 1lb loss. But don't go higher than that. If you exercise, eat some of those calories back (about 50-75% back). But don't give up, just keep going even though you had a rocky start. :flowerforyou:
  • mabug01
    mabug01 Posts: 1,273 Member
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    I lost and re-gained the same pounds for over 30 years until I found a sustainable way to eat. Create a small calorie deficit and adopt a calorie range you are willing to stay within. Check out the Eat More 2 Weigh Less group and see if it would work for you.
  • brightresolve
    brightresolve Posts: 1,024 Member
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    sophomorelove wrote: »
    I think I know how you feel, because it was always my approach, too. All or nothing. ... I felt like I couldn't waste another day not losing the maximum weight possible. With that approach I failed again and again. I would lose the lbs, but they always came back :( ... if you give yourself some extra time, and reduce the stress level associated with it, the weight'll come off and stay off. ...

    ^^ This from Sophomorelove.

    In addition to resetting your goal to a pound a week:
    • drink your daily water (I often mistake thirst for hunger)
    • learn what foods are calorie dense and fill up on what's not
    • eat protein at every meal (less hunger!)
    • keep hitting the gym (eating back some of the cals is a great incentive!)
    • don't stock the foods you use as treats - maybe buy in quantity one so you can't overdo (this works for me)

    Good luck and friend me if you want. :)
  • Emmaloubalajake
    Emmaloubalajake Posts: 39 Member
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    One good thing about myfitnessPal is the APP. If you have the app on your phone then you have the barcode scanner for food labels. You can scan things you buy without a whole load of prep. Everyone wishes they had time to cook all the time but sometimes it's not so simple. You definitely need to get in the habit of eating breakfast every morning and for lunch perhaps a sandwich you can scan the calories into and a supermarket Soup that you can heat up fast like tomato and basil. Soup can be a very filling, low calorie accompanyment to a low fat cheese and onion or chicken salad sandwich. It would then leave you with more options for dinner without going over your calorie allowance
  • kissesdahling
    kissesdahling Posts: 38 Member
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    I agree with those who said lower your weekly goal to .5-1lb. I did that about 9 months ago and it helped. When I had my goal set for 1.5lbs per week, I was losing weight TOO fast. You want to lose slowly as it is A.) more sustainable and B.) less likely to make your skin sag. Also, it seems like losing .5 to 1lb is more what your nutritionist had in mind. Your nutritionist probably had a reason they didn't want you losing weight too quickly, and they are the professional, after all.

    For me, setting it to losing 1lb per week allows me to eat 1710 calories a day. I found that after eating 1300-ish calories a day every day, I wasn't even able to eat 1710, even on holidays. (Though, as fate would have it, my gallbladder started failing and now it's all I can do to eat 1200-1300 a day, so I can't really take advantage of this new higher calorie allotment anymore. *sighs*)

    If 1390 isn't sustainable for you, it's all the more reason to change it to losing a .5-1lb a week. The goal is slow, natural, safe sustainable weight loss and you will do that, even with a smaller deficit. :smile:
  • JessicaLGarner
    JessicaLGarner Posts: 2
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    Try planking, for every minute you do it you will burn 221 calories. This should keep you on track!
  • amunet07
    amunet07 Posts: 1,245 Member
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    I dont know if its because you are too hungry or its an accident. The others have the too hungry part covered, if its by accident, log in your meals in advance so that you can tweek it so that it all fits and there are no surprises.
  • meritage4
    meritage4 Posts: 1,441 Member
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    If you set your dairy settings to public we can look and help more.

    Good advice was try for 1lb a week not 1.5 and that will let you eat a little more.
    I'm just a few years older than you and have taken off just over 10 lbs since early Dec. It really does work.

    I see you have lost 4lbs so even if loss is not as fast as you want it is happening.
  • ashleycde
    ashleycde Posts: 622 Member
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    JessicaLGarner wrote: »
    Try planking, for every minute you do it you will burn 221 calories. This should keep you on track!

    That sounds really, really untrue.

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