MFP Calorie reccomendation

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ConstantStruggle
ConstantStruggle Posts: 89 Member
in Getting Started
Just curious if the majority of you have good luck with MFP calorie recommendation? MFP says I should eat 1630 a day to lose a pound a week.....I am not second guessing MFP, as I am trying to start over and do this sensibly and not starve myself, I am just curious if it works for most?
Thanks!

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  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    It works as long as you can follow it with as close to 100% accuracy as possible. This often means using a food scale to weigh everything, as many of us can easily underestimate how much we eat and measuring cups are inaccurate.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    When using MFP as it is designed and logging accurately and consistently using a food scale and choosing correct entries yes it works.

    I've lost almost 60lbs.

    The key is in the logging tho...consistently and accurately.

    As well MFP uses the NEAT method which means if you exercise...you log it and eat back some of the calories.

    When I first got here it gave me 1460 calories and I typically burned off 200 a day with exercise...I ate them back and still lost 1lb a week.
  • ConstantStruggle
    ConstantStruggle Posts: 89 Member
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    Thanks!! 1630 just seems like a lot of calories. However!!!.... I am one of those people that have always ate very very low calories (like 500-800/day except one day a week I didn't count them) so maybe my perception of counting calories is off.
    Thanks again!!!!
  • stargirl85
    stargirl85 Posts: 50 Member
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    WOW sounds like you hardly ate anything in past. You don't need to eat that little to lose weight. Im the opposite to you. I can't believe how little I'm supposed to eat. 1200-1350 for half to 1pound loss. And I'm not sitting down most the time as is classed sedentary, I'm lying down and can't walk around a little. We all need a certain amount so our brains keep ticking over (I think the brain can use quite a lot of calories) and everything else keeps working.

    You could see how it goes, recording things and then see what your weight or body measurements do. However eating so little may have affected your metabolism so that your body got used to that amount and went in to panic starvation mode where it would try to save anything it got if possible
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    ConstantStruggle wrote: »
    Just curious if the majority of you have good luck with MFP calorie recommendation? MFP says I should eat 1630 a day to lose a pound a week.....I am not second guessing MFP, as I am trying to start over and do this sensibly and not starve myself, I am just curious if it works for most?
    Thanks!

    Yes, it works very well if you make sure you are logging accurately. Weigh all solids and semi solids (like peanut butter) and measure all liquids. If you exercise, eat back about 50% of the exercise calories earned until you know how accurate those burn numbers are and adjust as needed. Re-calculate the calorie target each 10 lb you have lost so you can maintain the same deficit. If you find you are hungry or lack energy on the default macro targets, play with them (like raising your protein and/or fat if you are constantly hungry or raising your carbs if you lack energy) until you find a mix that works the best for you.

    I started out eating 1980 calories and am currently at 1760. I have maintained a steady loss over 18 months using MFP to calculate and log. I am rarely hungry, have plenty of energy, have none of the symptoms that often accompany weight loss like major shedding of hair, and feel totally in control (most of the time).
  • ConstantStruggle
    ConstantStruggle Posts: 89 Member
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    That is AWESOME! And so are u for sticking to it! I'm kinda starting slow. I signed up a couple days ago and hv been chatting and getting the apps in my phone. Monday I'm All In!! :) Thanks
  • ConstantStruggle
    ConstantStruggle Posts: 89 Member
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    stargirl85 wrote: »
    WOW sounds like you hardly ate anything in past. You don't need to eat that little to lose weight. Im the opposite to you. I can't believe how little I'm supposed to eat. 1200-1350 for half to 1pound loss. And I'm not sitting down most the time as is classed sedentary, I'm lying down and can't walk around a little. We all need a certain amount so our brains keep ticking over (I think the brain can use quite a lot of calories) and everything else keeps working.

    You could see how it goes, recording things and then see what your weight or body measurements do. However eating so little may have affected your metabolism so that your body got used to that amount and went in to panic starvation mode where it would try to save anything it got if possible
    ConstantStruggle wrote: »
    That is AWESOME! And so are u for sticking to it! I'm kinda starting slow. I signed up a couple days ago and hv been chatting and getting the apps in my phone. Monday I'm All In!! :) Thanks

  • ConstantStruggle
    ConstantStruggle Posts: 89 Member
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    Yeah I'm worried about my metabolism being messed up. That's when it's gonna get really hard to be patient
  • ConstantStruggle
    ConstantStruggle Posts: 89 Member
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    Sorry I tried to quote u....I don't know what I'm doing yet! LOL
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    ConstantStruggle wrote: »
    Yeah I'm worried about my metabolism being messed up. That's when it's gonna get really hard to be patient

    I was worried about that too after decades of yo-yo-ing and going through menopause. Turns out it was not messed up at all, I just never knew that the best way to lose weight was to eat enough, but not too much, so I could maintain a steady deficit. Over 100 lb. gone so far and I am still losing. Relax and let the numbers work for you.

  • ConstantStruggle
    ConstantStruggle Posts: 89 Member
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    Will do! Thx!!! B)
  • heyeyeya
    heyeyeya Posts: 16 Member
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    It takes approx 3,000 kcal of energy to burn 1lb of fat; that's unfortunately a fact we cannot change...so if, over the week, you eat 3,000 kcal less than you were (or you burn that with exercise) you will lose the 1lb each week.

    Good luck!

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