Daily calorie allowance

Lola2248
Lola2248 Posts: 126 Member
edited November 16 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi
Do you use the MFP calculation for your daily calorie allowance, or another figure?

When I calculate on another site it says I should eat around 1500 calories to lose weight, but on here it is 1200. I am afraid to increase it in case that is wrong.

Any advice/ information much appreciated :-)

Replies

  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,342 Member
    Do you have MFP set to lose 2lbs a week? It tends to give absolutely everyone (female) 1200 a week if you set it to that, heck it told me to eat 1200 when I was 255lbs. I'm eating 1500 plus some exercise cals and still losing 1.5-2lbs a week (when I stay on track)
  • Allelito
    Allelito Posts: 179 Member
    What other site did you calculate on? Also, did you pick the same rate for weight loss on both? (For example 1lbs/week)
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    edited April 2015
    You were probably using a TDEE calculator, which includes exercise in its figure. MFP does not, which is why it's suggested to eat back some of what you burn when you work out.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    edited April 2015
    On here your goal is 1200 + exercise calories.
    My guess is that your "another site" works differently (exercise already accounted for).

    Could also be the other site takes off a percentage whereas MFP takes off 500 cals daily per pound of weekly weight loss which skews the numbers.

    In the end choose a method, choose a calorie goal and try it for a number of weeks then adjust as necessary.

    Do pick an appropriate rate of weight loss though for how much you have to lose and don't just assume that quickest is best.
  • Lola2248
    Lola2248 Posts: 126 Member
    I Am 5'6 and 210lbs. To maintain my weight I should eat 2115 calories. The 2115 calculation includes my 'sedentary' lifestyle. I clearly don't want to maintain, so by my calculation, my 500 cal deficit is 1615 calories.
    As this is way over what MFP calculates I am scared to alter it from 1200 to say 1500.
    But it is my understanding that this deficit is enough for me to lose weight steadily? If I then exercise, and wanted to eat back the calories I can, but I don't have to.
    Is my thinking correct? People talk about calorie deficit but I do struggle with the 1200 limit.
    But I'm scared to increase it :'(
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    1615 sounds like a one pound per week deficit. 1115 would be two pounds, but MFP won't suggest something that low.

    You'd still lose weight, all other things being equal and correct, at 1500, just not as much... slightly more than a pound a week, on avergage.
  • Allelito
    Allelito Posts: 179 Member
    I'd say increase your calories if you struggle! You shouldn't feel like you're starving yourself or having a really hard time. You need to feel like the deficit is sustainable, or you might just end giving up instead. Better slow and steady!
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,458 Member
    edited April 2015
    I would stick with 1500-1600 for a month and see how it goes. 1200 is really difficult to stick with for anyone, and leads to failure to adhere/poor psychological response. 1500-1600 is a good number that allows for enough food to feel good.

    That said - I did 1200ish for several months when I was first starting. I started at 215 and 5'7". I found I would often have trouble and would over eat by a lot. I did lose quickly when I stuck to it. But I had poor control and poor nutrition knowledge and was trying to eat the type of food I wanted not the food I needed, so I was nutritionally lacking and that led to over eating. It's your call.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Lola2248 wrote: »
    Hi
    Do you use the MFP calculation for your daily calorie allowance, or another figure?

    When I calculate on another site it says I should eat around 1500 calories to lose weight, but on here it is 1200. I am afraid to increase it in case that is wrong.

    Any advice/ information much appreciated :-)

    Most other calculators use the TDEE method and include exercise in your activity level and thus an estimate of those calories. MFP is a NEAT method calculator for which your activity is only your day to day stuff WITHOUT exercise...you log exercise after the fact and get those calories to "eat back"...

    So with MFP you would get 1200 calories plus exercise...so 1500ish sounds about right if you're working out regularly.

    Also when comparing calculators you have to compare apples to apples rate of loss goals.
  • ncboiler89
    ncboiler89 Posts: 2,408 Member
    Lola2248 wrote: »
    Hi
    Do you use the MFP calculation for your daily calorie allowance, or another figure?

    I use the MFP calorie goal as it seems to work for me.
  • Lola2248
    Lola2248 Posts: 126 Member
    Ok, thanks for the info :-)
    I have recently started to exercise more, but I definitely lack knowledge in the nutrition/food department. Thats my focus now, as I think that lets me down. So I have dug out my weighing scales, and started weighing and logging. I think I might increase it slightly, and then see how it goes over the next week or so.
    Again, thanks for the help everyone x
  • ncboiler89
    ncboiler89 Posts: 2,408 Member
    Lola2248 wrote: »
    Ok, thanks for the info :-)
    I have recently started to exercise more, but I definitely lack knowledge in the nutrition/food department. Thats my focus now, as I think that lets me down.

    Very good. In the context of weight loss you will get more bang for your buck by watching what you eat than from exercise. Although in the context of overall health it is best to do both.
  • alexistexas33
    alexistexas33 Posts: 121 Member
    I eat 1,900 a day, and I am 245. That's what MFP told me to do, and I have it at a 1.5 per week loss
  • BuffaloGirl75
    BuffaloGirl75 Posts: 4 Member
    My Fitness Pal configures how many calories you're supposed to eat WITHOUT regard to exercise. You are supposed to eat back your exercise calories burned. The best way to know how many calories you burned is to wear a heart rate monitor. That way there is NO guessing as to how much you burned.

    So for example: I am also supposed to eat 1,200 calories per day. If I burn 300 calories during exercise, then I would be eating those calories back. So at the end of the day, I would be eating 1,500 calories.

    Hope that made sense!
  • Allelito
    Allelito Posts: 179 Member
    BuffaloGirl75 wrote: »
    My Fitness Pal configures how many calories you're supposed to eat WITHOUT regard to exercise. You are supposed to eat back your exercise calories burned. The best way to know how many calories you burned is to wear a heart rate monitor. That way there is NO guessing as to how much you burned.

    So for example: I am also supposed to eat 1,200 calories per day. If I burn 300 calories during exercise, then I would be eating those calories back. So at the end of the day, I would be eating 1,500 calories.

    Hope that made sense!

    HRMs aren't accurate. They are fairly accurate at estimating burned calories for steady state cardio like running, but if you use it for workouts like dancing, HIIT, strength training, walking etc you won't get an accurate number for your calorie burn.
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