1200 Calories for everyone?

FatMoojor
FatMoojor Posts: 483 Member
edited November 14 in Getting Started
So only just started using the forums and just from reading posts from various people it seems that so many people have the exact same calorie allowance number.

Does MFP actually take any information like sex/height/current weight in to account?

Replies

  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,301 Member
    My calorie allowance is 2540. Am I doing something wrong?
  • IamUndrCnstruction
    IamUndrCnstruction Posts: 691 Member
    Not really, not if you set your goal to a 2lb a week loss. Unless you are extremely overweight (morbidly obese) I believe that is aprox the number it spits out to everyone.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    The recommendation MFP gives is based on gender, age, height, weight, activity level, and the amount a person says they want to lose a week.

    Since 1200 is the lowest MFP will give as a goal, many people who choose a goal too aggressive for their needs (say, 2 pounds a week with 30 or less to lose) will get 1200.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    FatMoojor wrote: »
    So only just started using the forums and just from reading posts from various people it seems that so many people have the exact same calorie allowance number.

    Does MFP actually take any information like sex/height/current weight in to account?

    Most of it is caused by people setting aggressive weight loss goals. 1200 calories is the lowest the site will go. Since a 2 pound per week goal requires a 1000-calorie cut from your maintenance calories, anyone who maintains on less than 2200 calories before exercise will hit the 1200-calorie threshold if they set a goal of losing 2 pounds per week.
  • FatMoojor
    FatMoojor Posts: 483 Member
    Ah okay. Thank you for the response.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited March 2015
    FatMoojor wrote: »
    So only just started using the forums and just from reading posts from various people it seems that so many people have the exact same calorie allowance number.

    Does MFP actually take any information like sex/height/current weight in to account?
    Generally females who select sedentary as their activity level (regardless of whether that is the case or not) and select 2 Lbs per week as their loss rate goal (aggressive) get 1200 calories...it's as low as MFP will give you.

    Also, if you exercise you earn more calories...all of which is explained in the stickies that you are instructed to read when you sign up.

    I get about 2000 calories to lose about 1.5 Lbs per week...I'm a guy and I also like to exercise...and even without deliberate exercise I set my activity level appropriately instead of just defaulting to "sedentary" like everyone seems to do...not sure why people don't want to give themselves credit for doing more than crawling out of bed and taking a dump...but apparently just selecting sedentary is all the rage.
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    Here's a calculator from the Baylor College of Medicine which will tell you your BMI, how many calories to eat to maintain a weight, and how many servings of the various food groups.
    It takes into account your age, plumbing, height.
    https://www.bcm.edu/cnrc-apps/healthyeatingcalculator/eatingCal.html
  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,301 Member
    FatMoojor wrote: »
    So only just started using the forums and just from reading posts from various people it seems that so many people have the exact same calorie allowance number.

    Does MFP actually take any information like sex/height/current weight in to account?

    What is your daily calorie goal?

  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    edited March 2015
    MFP takes your stats (gender, height, weight, age) and estimates BMR. Then they factor in activity based on what you indicate - sedentary, lightly active, etc. They add these two values together, then subtract 250, 500, 750, 1000 based on your weight loss goal and the assumption that 500/day = 1 pound per week.

    In general women do not burn a high # thru BMR and activity. I say in general, because the younger/bigger/more active you are, the more you burn. But if your BMR + activity is 2200 or less, and you select 2 pounds a week, you're going to get 1200 as a goal.

    note: your goal is BEFORE exercise.
  • LessthanKris
    LessthanKris Posts: 607 Member
    I get a net of 1200 because I am very short. That is to lose 1lb a week.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited March 2015
    StaciMarie1974 wrote: »
    MFP takes your stats (gender, height, weight, age) and estimates BMR. Then they factor in activity based on what you indicate - sedentary, lightly active, etc. They add these two values together, then subtract 250, 500, 750, 1000 based on your weight loss goal and the assumption that 500/day = 1 pound per week.

    In general women do not burn a high # thru BMR and activity. I say in general, because the younger/bigger/more active you are, the more you burn. But if your BMR + activity is 2200 or less, and you select 2 pounds a week, you're going to get 1200 as a goal.

    note: your goal is BEFORE exercise.

    This. If you are an average-sized woman and claim you are sedentary and do no exercise (as MFP assumes before you log it), minus 1000 is going to be 1200 or less most of the time (which means 1200 if MFP is operating properly). That's because your TDEE will be over 2200 only through either more daily activity or exercise.

    This is also why if you choose an ambitious goal like 1.5 or 2 lbs it's important to eat back at least some exercise, and why if you are smaller a lower goal is probably much more realistic.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    uhhhh the Baylor thing says I would maintain at 1095 calories a day for an hour or less of exercise a day? I would die. Even I burn more than that.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    Tiny American flags for some.
  • KHaverstick
    KHaverstick Posts: 308 Member
    gothchiq wrote: »
    uhhhh the Baylor thing says I would maintain at 1095 calories a day for an hour or less of exercise a day? I would die. Even I burn more than that.
    Yeah, it said 900-something for me. I'm small, but I'm not that small!

    My MFP goal is 1200, and it's legit for my size, age, activity level, etc. That's with a 0.5lb/week goal. But generally speaking, most people would have a goal significantly higher than that to lose weight at an appropriate rate.
  • jett69
    jett69 Posts: 60 Member
    Honestly, I think 1200 calories is way low for anyone unless you weigh like a 100lbs. in which case you should not be losing any more weight.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Everyone gets 1200 because that's the minimum and everyone wants to lose as much weight as they can as quickly as possible. Those who have set their goals more conservatively and aren't looking for a quick fix usually have the a higher and more reasonable calorie allowance.
  • heavenbound20052000
    heavenbound20052000 Posts: 4 Member
    I just joined mine said 1200
  • italianbean71
    italianbean71 Posts: 2
    I joined 2 weeks ago and my count is 1080 for a 1.5lb per week loss so the minimum isn't 1200
  • italianbean71
    italianbean71 Posts: 2
    I joined 2 weeks ago and my count is 1080 for a 1.5lb per week loss so the minimum isn't 1200
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    italianbean71 wrote: »
    I joined 2 weeks ago and my count is 1080 for a 1.5lb per week loss so the minimum isn't 1200

    You used an app on an apple device, it's a bug. Recalculate on the web site via a web browser and that'll be 1200.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    italianbean71 wrote: »
    I joined 2 weeks ago and my count is 1080 for a 1.5lb per week loss so the minimum isn't 1200

    Copied this from another post - you'll want to fix that low goal...

    There is a bug on the iPhone app that is giving people goals under 1200. You can go to the website and manually change it (using the link one of the admins, Rachel, posted here: community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10098647/extremely-low-calorie-goals#latest).
  • qn4bx9pzg8aifd
    qn4bx9pzg8aifd Posts: 258 Member
    KHaverstick wrote: »
    gothchiq wrote: »
    uhhhh the Baylor thing says I would maintain at 1095 calories a day for an hour or less of exercise a day? I would die. Even I burn more than that.
    Yeah, it said 900-something for me. I'm small, but I'm not that small!

    My MFP goal is 1200, and it's legit for my size, age, activity level, etc. That's with a 0.5lb/week goal. But generally speaking, most people would have a goal significantly higher than that to lose weight at an appropriate rate.

    After it generated a number of 918 for me (which promptly resulted in my laughing out loud), I looked over the text above the fill-in-the-blanks section, and it indicated that the calculator was to be used to "Find out how many calories to eat each day and how much of the different food groups are needed to provide those calories for a healthy diet for ages 2 to 20 years." -- I haven't been in that age group for quite some time... ;)
This discussion has been closed.

Categories