How do you manage your daily calorie goal?

BrownSheep
BrownSheep Posts: 30 Member
edited November 15 in Food and Nutrition
I am still pretty new to MFP . . . only on for 41 days. I was wondering how people manage their daily calorie goal. Do you use all the calories that MFP says you can eat? If you exercise, do you eat more on those days? Do you try to stay under? Right now, MFP is allotting me 1420 calories per day for a weight loss of 1.5 pounds per week. I am trying not to eat more than 1200 calories per day. I try to do cardio 4 days a week and do not increase my calorie intake on those days.

Replies

  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    The point of a goal is to reach it. So yes, I'm usually right around my goal (either under/over by a few calories).

    I use the TDEE Method which already includes my exercise, but yes, I eat my exercise calories to keep my body fueled.

    Sustainability is key. Plus I like food. So I'll eat all the calories and still lose weight. It's all win for me.
  • tattooedmomma93b
    tattooedmomma93b Posts: 101 Member
    I'm allowed 1220. I usually get close, yesterday I was low so I had to add snacks to get me closer to it, then I ended up eating almost all my workout calories ....today is cheat day so I have No clue where I am Lol....but I don't always try to eat back all my workout calories because MFP gives higher estimates of the burnt calories than I think is correct. So I other don't eat any back or I eat a portion of them. But Not all.
  • zamphir66
    zamphir66 Posts: 582 Member
    I eat high nutrient value, high protein throughout the day to leave room for a pretty spluge-y dinner and night snacks. I try and peg my goal. On workout days, I aim for my goal plus about 200. Which is usually about 1/2 my exercise burn, or so the robots tell me.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Yes, goal means GOAL - something to aim for, achieve, attain, not something to fall well short of. Your daily goal of 1420 calories already has you at a deficit - meaning you could eat all 1420 every day, do zero exercise, and you'll lose, because your body is burning off more than 1420 cals in a 24 hour period. And when you do exercise and burn off more cals, you're making a much larger deficit - same if you come in well under goal. May seem like a good idea and a way to lose faster, but it's also a way to burn out, end up exhausted and grumpy, because you're waaaay under-fueling your body.

    My goal is to eat as MANY calories as I can while still losing weight, and MFP helps me do that. I have reached goal weight and have kept it off for about three years now.
  • doglover2015
    doglover2015 Posts: 8
    My daily goal is 1420 calories not counting exercise. Today I will probably end up around 1160 calories & I do not eat my activity calories. The reason my calorie total is lower normally because I'm also watching my carb grams.
  • AmazonMayan
    AmazonMayan Posts: 1,168 Member
    I eat up to my calories that MFP gave and sometimes just a tiny bit over (around 50 calories). I eat around 1/2 to 3/4 exercise calories back. Occasionally when I know I've worked extra hard exercising, I'll eat them all back. I try to underestimate my burn when I log it on MFP per my heart rate monitor.
  • claywalton
    claywalton Posts: 13 Member
    In reading all your posts, I'm wondering about my calorie count for the day. Mine says 2200, that's for 2 lbs a week weight loss, and I try my hardest to stay under my caloric intake. I go to the gym 4-6 times a week and don't consciously eat my workout calories, which don't add up to very many. According to MFP, an hour at the gym is only about 500-600 calories or so. Am I not logging something right?
  • BrownSheep
    BrownSheep Posts: 30 Member
    claywalton wrote: »
    In reading all your posts, I'm wondering about my calorie count for the day. Mine says 2200, that's for 2 lbs a week weight loss, and I try my hardest to stay under my caloric intake. I go to the gym 4-6 times a week and don't consciously eat my workout calories, which don't add up to very many. According to MFP, an hour at the gym is only about 500-600 calories or so. Am I not logging something right?

    For what it is worth, my daughter who is also on MFP was having an issue similar to yours. When she went to the doctor, the doctor told her to drop her calorie goal by 200 calories. She did and started losing weight immediately. I log my exercise burn calories based on the activity. Sometimes I use the calculators that MFP gives. I also use RunKeeper. I eat around 1200 calories a day most days and I am losing about 1.5 pounds a week average. Sometimes a little more and sometimes a little less but over the course of a few weeks it averages out to about 1.5 pounds. One thing I have definitely learned on MFP is that everyone is different.
  • galaxyeyed
    galaxyeyed Posts: 98 Member
    I would suggest against eating below 1200 and working out. 1200 is the absolute minimum for most people, so if you're not even eating that PLUS you're burning calories on top of that, there's no way you're fueling your body properly. I tried to so this before I knew better. As soon as I started eating back some exercise calories (about 50%) my workouts were much better and my nails, hair, and skin bounced back nicely.
  • withoutasaddle
    withoutasaddle Posts: 191 Member
    I aim for 100-200 lower than my goal in preparation for "oops" or cheat days. I just changed from about 1750 to 1500. I like to keep my breakfasts small (250ish-cal) and keep lunch under or at 500. Then it's a no pressure for dinner- I can usually eat whatever and ad small snacks or a small desert as needed. I never count of excercise (I feel like my exercise is included in my activity level I set my goal for) and I only drink water to save me extra calories. For the most part I eat whatever though- no "high protein" or "low carb" diet type thing
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    I eat to my calorie goal (1900 when I started and 1760 currently) and eat back about 50% of earned exercise calories (some times it is more, sometimes less but it averages out to about half). It has worked just fine so far and this has been the easiest I have ever lost.

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  • Talkativeartist
    Talkativeartist Posts: 16 Member
    My goal is 1200 with working out 3 x a week. Most of the time I go over my goal and I usually get lazy about working out.
  • CrabCatcher
    CrabCatcher Posts: 30 Member
    claywalton wrote: »
    In reading all your posts, I'm wondering about my calorie count for the day. Mine says 2200, that's for 2 lbs a week weight loss, and I try my hardest to stay under my caloric intake. I go to the gym 4-6 times a week and don't consciously eat my workout calories, which don't add up to very many. According to MFP, an hour at the gym is only about 500-600 calories or so. Am I not logging something right?

    You are doing fine, I am a larger male and I am allowed 2100-2200 a day to lose 2 pounds/week. When we get lower and closer to our goal the calorie value will drop. I expect to eat around 1800 to reach my goal. It is fairly easy to stick around 1800 today. Some days I will eat the full allowed amount. Most time though I am finding it is a struggle to get there. Especially if I got busy and did not get to a snack in mid-morning or early afternoon. Just follow you plan and you will be fine. Everyone's plan is different based on weight and gender.
  • CrabCatcher
    CrabCatcher Posts: 30 Member
    claywalton wrote: »
    In reading all your posts, I'm wondering about my calorie count for the day. Mine says 2200, that's for 2 lbs a week weight loss, and I try my hardest to stay under my caloric intake. I go to the gym 4-6 times a week and don't consciously eat my workout calories, which don't add up to very many. According to MFP, an hour at the gym is only about 500-600 calories or so. Am I not logging something right?

    You are doing fine, I am a larger male and I am allowed 2100-2200 a day to lose 2 pounds/week. When we get lower and closer to our goal the calorie value will drop. I expect to eat around 1800 to reach my goal. It is fairly easy to stick around 1800 today. Some days I will eat the full allowed amount. Most time though I am finding it is a struggle to get there. Especially if I got busy and did not get to a snack in mid-morning or early afternoon. Just follow you plan and you will be fine. Everyone's plan is different based on weight and gender.
  • sixxpoint
    sixxpoint Posts: 3,529 Member
    I also go by the TDEE method. The only things that mess with my consistency in hitting my goals is excess alcohol consumption or attending all day parties/events in which I don't prepare the food.
  • mwyvr
    mwyvr Posts: 1,883 Member
    edited May 2015
    Do you use all the calories that MFP says you can eat? If you exercise, do you eat more on those days? Do you try to stay under?

    My work days are sedentary, but I do exercise most every day. I use 1,350 (I'm a 190 pound male) as my baseline calories to lose 1kg a week, up a bit from the 1,200 "sedentary" level as I'm working to be less sedentary at work.

    I'm quite prepared to intake enough food right up to my 1,350 limit if that's how the chips fall that day, but I assume I have some error in my logging and generally don't go right up to my limit.

    I don't do TDEE, for no particular reason. My exercise is quite variable ranging from a low of 300 calories to upwards of 1,500 or more burned if I am doing a 90 minute plus run. Some days I simply need to consume more, and differently. I don't find customizing each day is an effort.

    My rule on eating back exercise calories is as follows:
    • low exercise day (< 400 calories) I go by feel. If I am not feeling the need I don't push myself to eat more and go for the additional fat burn.
    • medium exercise day (> 400 < 1,000 calories) I generally at at least 1/2 back and then go by feel
    • high exercise day (> 1,000 calories) I ensure I eat a good percentage back and adjust by feel

    With the foregoing in mind I'm losing 1 kg a week fairly consistently.
    Right now, MFP is allotting me 1420 calories per day for a weight loss of 1.5 pounds per week. I am trying not to eat more than 1200 calories per day. I try to do cardio 4 days a week and do not increase my calorie intake on those days.

    IF you are logging accurately, you are under-nourishing yourself.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    I eat up to my calorie goal. I eat a portion of the calories from exercise.
    I pre-log my whole day so I know everything fits my goal.
  • VenusStar101
    VenusStar101 Posts: 17 Member
    edited May 2015
    I try to stick to my calorie goal. I like that most foods are scan foods. I downsize my portions to keep the overall count down. I've only been on here for 5 days. So far I've kept it under by a few calories. This made me realize just how many calories and such I was eating per day. Aware of the snack that I wouldn't other wise account for.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    BrownSheep wrote: »
    I am still pretty new to MFP . . . only on for 41 days. I was wondering how people manage their daily calorie goal. Do you use all the calories that MFP says you can eat?

    Mostly, yes.

    When I started it helped me have an understanding of how much I was really eating, as it was tempting to just eat as little as I could feel okay on, which wouldn't have been sensible long term or really taught me about eating to my needs.
    If you exercise, do you eat more on those days?

    When I started I did, as my exercise was not consistent. After it became consistent and I realized I was often not hungrier on those days, but the next day, I worked my exercise into a higher average calorie goal for the week, which is what I do now. My amount of exercise now is pretty consistent, although more on some days than others (and generally one planned off day).
  • hgycta
    hgycta Posts: 3,013 Member
    I'm currently maintaining my weight following myfitnesspal's recommendation of 1,600 calories a day. I always try to get as close to this goal as possible (usually zeroing it out), and if I exercise I eat back what I burn so I don't lose the extra weight (I am careful, however, since I know most estimates over calculate how much you burn). If I eat more than I was supposed to, which I have been careful to avoid, I will eat a little less either at the next meal, next day, or just exercise more to balance it out rather than start a massive restrictive cycle.
    I've found it most helpful to break up my calories so I have a guideline to go into each meal with: 400 calories for breakfast, 160 as a snack, 140 for another snack (I don't usually eat lunch), 500-550 for dinner, and 350-400 for snack. I try to keep my main meals clean and hit my macros/micros with them, but as for the snack, that's my time to reward myself so I can maintain my sanity throughout the day and have something delicious to look forward to (such as a delicious bar of dark chocolate or even a bowl of ice cream)!
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    I eat close to my goal, I usually leave a 50-75 calorie buffer to allow for small errors here or there and things like the shake of cinnamon I put in my tea that I don't log.

    As for my exercise calories, were my exercise consistent (it's not because my health isn't consistent), I'd do the TDEE method. So, I eat back about 1/4 my exercise calories. I don't really trust the burns, so try not to eat too much of what's reported.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Look up "goal" in the dictionary...
  • sixxpoint
    sixxpoint Posts: 3,529 Member
    edited May 2015
    mwyvr wrote: »
    Do you use all the calories that MFP says you can eat? If you exercise, do you eat more on those days? Do you try to stay under?

    My work days are sedentary, but I do exercise most every day. I use 1,350 (I'm a 190 pound male) as my baseline calories to lose 1kg a week, up a bit from the 1,200 "sedentary" level as I'm working to be less sedentary at work.

    I'm quite prepared to intake enough food right up to my 1,350 limit if that's how the chips fall that day, but I assume I have some error in my logging and generally don't go right up to my limit.

    I don't do TDEE, for no particular reason. My exercise is quite variable ranging from a low of 300 calories to upwards of 1,500 or more burned if I am doing a 90 minute plus run. Some days I simply need to consume more, and differently. I don't find customizing each day is an effort.

    My rule on eating back exercise calories is as follows:
    • low exercise day (< 400 calories) I go by feel. If I am not feeling the need I don't push myself to eat more and go for the additional fat burn.
    • medium exercise day (> 400 < 1,000 calories) I generally at at least 1/2 back and then go by feel
    • high exercise day (> 1,000 calories) I ensure I eat a good percentage back and adjust by feel

    With the foregoing in mind I'm losing 1 kg a week fairly consistently.
    Right now, MFP is allotting me 1420 calories per day for a weight loss of 1.5 pounds per week. I am trying not to eat more than 1200 calories per day. I try to do cardio 4 days a week and do not increase my calorie intake on those days.

    IF you are logging accurately, you are under-nourishing yourself.

    Sorry to say, but if you are a 190 lb male eating only 1350 calories a day, then you have no clue about nutrition and are actually harming yourself.
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