Do you eat all your calories and still lose weight?

jhonen32629
jhonen32629 Posts: 16 Member
edited November 14 in Food and Nutrition
Hi, I'm 24 years old and 5'8. To lose half a pound a week MFP is telling me to consume 1,840 calories daily to lose weight. For those of you who have lost weight while using this app, did you eat all of your calories and still lose weight?

Replies

  • navyrigger46
    navyrigger46 Posts: 1,301 Member
    You mean all of the 1840? Of course, the deficit is built in to that.

    Rigger
  • simplydelish2
    simplydelish2 Posts: 726 Member
    Interestingly enough, the closer you eat to what MFP gives you as a calorie goal - the more people seem to lose. You have to fuel your body!
  • JenMaselli
    JenMaselli Posts: 83 Member
    jhonen32629 wrote: »
    For those of you who have lost weight while using this app, did you eat all of your calories and still lose weight?

    Yep. If you're not losing weight after a few weeks, you can eat fewer calories, but that's not going to happen at your height with those calories.

  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    Yes that is the # you should be eating to lose weight
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Fwiw, just to give you some numbers to compare to, I'm female, 32 years old, 170-ish pounds, and also 5'8". I lose 1 pound/week pretty steadily eating 1700 calories. It's your choice if you want to look into alternate ways to calculate your calories, but you might be surprised by how much you can eat and still lose weight.
  • jhonen32629
    jhonen32629 Posts: 16 Member
    Thank you everyone :)
  • skyfall91
    skyfall91 Posts: 74
    Im 5"5 eat 1690cals and eat most of my exercise calories I burn and I lose 1-2lbs a week depending on my daily running around after kids. Its fine to eat the calories you have allotted to you. That's how mfp works, it works out an amount with enough calories cut out to lose whatever you told it you wanted to lose each week and that's your goal amount x
  • pdank311
    pdank311 Posts: 137 Member
    Give it a go for a week or so and see how it plays out. If it goes up or stays the same, reduce by 100 at a time until you find your sweet spot.

    I eat roughly that + exercise for maintenance but I'm an inch shorter, 12 years older and sit at a desk 40hrs a week.

    On losing, I ate 1200 + exercise, mainly because I didn't know any better. I lost a lot fast, but if I had to do it again I would definitely have upped the number and did it at a slower pace. I was pretty miserable during that time frame. Hangrauuhh for sure. An extra 300-500 cal / day would have allowed for so much more.

    It will breakdown to if you are really burning more than that number. If you are, you will lose, if you aren't you will stay the same or gain. If you are in a deficit you should lose.

    There are a lot of people on here that can get way more technical on the subject matter. I just did the try it, review the data, and change game plan as necessary.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member

    Example you maintain (neither gain or lose)at 2000 calories, but want to lose 1/2lb a week, which is 250 calories day. MFP would give you a figure of 1750 to eat because its already deducted the deficit you need for the weight loss.

    There are three provisos.

    1. Its basic math, but you are also required to have accurate calorie counts for the sume to be reliable. Many people do not for whatever reason i.e they dont record everything or eat more than they think as they fail to weigh.
    2. You can get all the math right, but then you dont lose because weight loss isnt linear and it takes time for the body to react. Its not an exact science, so what you are looking to do is get the general trebd going downwards and for it to be in accordnace with your expectations.
    3. MFP will also give you extra calories for exercise (assuming your burns are accurate is always a problem). You can eat those calories back.

    Losing half a lb a week is sensible if you only have a small amount to lose, but the margins are small. 250 calories is a small candy bar or packet of chips per day, so accuracy becomes essential.

    I eat more than the basic calories MFP suggests, but thats because I earn the extra from exercise.
  • NikiChicken
    NikiChicken Posts: 576 Member
    Yup. I eat ALL of my allotted calories and I have lost 85 pounds.
  • DaneanP
    DaneanP Posts: 433 Member
    This might be a silly question, but I try to eat a little less (200 calories/day) of my goal so on the weekend I can enjoy a few glasses of wine. Do others bank calories for things like that - or for splurges like vacation or holidays meals? Does this seem to work or backfire?
  • jessicapk
    jessicapk Posts: 574 Member
    @DaneanP‌ Lots of people, myself included, "bank" calories. I have one "cheat" day a week but use the MFP app to make sure I average out to my goal or under for the weeks. It works fine that way. This is the healthiest approach I can think of to handle unplanned events, vacations, etc. Life is going to happen to us and you learn to pre-plan to stay on target AND enjoy yourself :smile:
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    If you check my diary you'll see I'm not strictly adhering to any diet plan. Some days I go over and some I go under, usually based on exercise activity. I try to follow macro 50/30/20, but drift from day to day.

    I don't believe in drastic changes and thinking marathon, not sprint. Most of my changes are simple, such as putting a measured portion of a snack in a bowl, rather than just eating out of a bag.

    Successful use of the app is simply awareness of diet/exercise.
  • DaneanP
    DaneanP Posts: 433 Member
    Thanks Jessica. That is what I thought too, but I started thinking about how shorting my calorie intake on my non-splurge days could be counter-productive for weight loss. Probably over-thinking which is a huge problem for me!

    I have used MFP successfully in the past and when I am diligent about entering my food/exercise, I am almost always going to see results. I just get bored over time and drop off. This time, I'm not going to allow myself to do that and see how many days I can consistently log. NO MORE EXCUSES!! <----my mantra ;)
  • 970Mikaela1
    970Mikaela1 Posts: 2,013 Member
    5'9" here. 42 years old. I lose a little less than half a pound at 2100.
  • enemyger
    enemyger Posts: 84 Member
    Tbh I always eat 200 less at least
    Just to be sure I didnt calculate anything less...
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    I'm 5'9" 160lbs and I want to lose half a pound a week and it has me in the 1800's. I definitely bank some of my calories for the weekend as well.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,342 Member
    DaneanP wrote: »
    This might be a silly question, but I try to eat a little less (200 calories/day) of my goal so on the weekend I can enjoy a few glasses of wine. Do others bank calories for things like that - or for splurges like vacation or holidays meals? Does this seem to work or backfire?

    I am a little more extreme than this, I eat around 1200 a day weekdays then eat 2000+ on weekends and steadily lose weight. I've lost 24kg/52lbs in 12 months doing that and it's kept me sane and "on the wagon". It's something I can keep up for life, I believe.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    edited March 2015
    You lot all suck! :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes::wink:

    I'm 5"8, 140lbs, age 42 and my maintenance calories are 1600 :disappointed:
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    christinev297 wrote: »
    You lot all suck! :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes::wink:

    I'm 5"8, 140lbs, age 42 and my maintenance calories are 1600 :disappointed:

    lolol im shorter, younger (and heavier but anyways) and iirc, my maintenance is around 2100? 1600 is my deficit for losing a pound and a half? a week (but ive been losing closer to 2 most weeks and sometimes more). it had given me 1200 but i was starving and mean and eating all my exercise calories, so i adjusted. now i dont eat back my exercise cals (usually anyways) but do bank them for days im over or miscalculations or whatever.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    jhonen32629 wrote: »
    Hi, I'm 24 years old and 5'8. To lose half a pound a week MFP is telling me to consume 1,840 calories daily to lose weight. For those of you who have lost weight while using this app, did you eat all of your calories and still lose weight?
    oh-yes.gif
    christinev297 wrote: »
    You lot all suck! :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes::wink:

    I'm 5"8, 140lbs, age 42 and my maintenance calories are 1600 :disappointed:
    Really? I'm same height, few years older, and went from 140 to 133 on 1800-2000 a day. Could be a difference in activity levels though.... I'm still eating around 2000 a day, give or take depending on the day, and basically maintaining, possibly still lowering body fat slightly, but haven't taken measurements in awhile. :stuck_out_tongue:

  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    @AmyRhubarb‌ I should have added that I'm sedentary. The only exercise I do is walking my slower than a slug dog :smiley:
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    christinev297 wrote: »
    @AmyRhubarb‌ I should have added that I'm sedentary. The only exercise I do is walking my slower than a slug dog :smiley:
    Ah yes, that would make the difference of a few hundred cals. ;)
  • lcooper327
    lcooper327 Posts: 112 Member
    jhonen32629 wrote: »
    Hi, I'm 24 years old and 5'8. To lose half a pound a week MFP is telling me to consume 1,840 calories daily to lose weight. For those of you who have lost weight while using this app, did you eat all of your calories and still lose weight?

    Your picture makes you look like you're a guy. If you are a guy make sure you're settings are at male. Seems it should be a little higher since I'm a girl at 5'8" and I have that amount.
  • hyIianprincess
    hyIianprincess Posts: 302 Member
    It's definitely worked for me. :)
  • mom2ava07
    mom2ava07 Posts: 186 Member
    Yep. In fact, I find I lose more when I eat all of my calories plus half of my exercise calories versus days that I don't eat all my calories and don't exercise.
  • slondro
    slondro Posts: 45 Member
    edited March 2015
    I still feel hesitant to almost max out my allotted calories, but so far it's been working out nicely.

    I am firmly convinced that one of the keys to successfully losing weight is ridding yourself of the thought that it's always better to eat less. That just leads to intense hunger and eventually binging. On a healthy deficit, you don't have to suffer that much!
  • MysticRealm
    MysticRealm Posts: 1,264 Member
    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    DaneanP wrote: »
    This might be a silly question, but I try to eat a little less (200 calories/day) of my goal so on the weekend I can enjoy a few glasses of wine. Do others bank calories for things like that - or for splurges like vacation or holidays meals? Does this seem to work or backfire?

    I am a little more extreme than this, I eat around 1200 a day weekdays then eat 2000+ on weekends and steadily lose weight. I've lost 24kg/52lbs in 12 months doing that and it's kept me sane and "on the wagon". It's something I can keep up for life, I believe.

    I average 1700 cals a day (5'4 currently 163lbs), I eat 1500 mon-fri, so I can eat more on the weekend. I ate 1500 all this week and tomorrow will be around 2700 cals (chinese food!) and sunday around 1800 cals, which will put me under my weekly goal. I've lost 20 pounds in 2 months (and one week)
  • KiwiAlexP
    KiwiAlexP Posts: 186 Member
    I've been pleasantly surprised that for the few weeks I've really been using the app that the goal I set myself of 750g (1.5pounds I think) off per week and the calorie level MFP gave me to achieve it has actually worked and I've achieved an average of 800g every week - now just to keep up the momentum
  • ScorpioJack_91
    ScorpioJack_91 Posts: 5,241 Member
    Yup...definitely.
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