How is the calorie allotment determined?

MR_STRATTON
MR_STRATTON Posts: 18 Member
edited November 20 in Health and Weight Loss
When I began this program a little over a month ago, I added all of my vital statistics and the program calculated the number of calories that I would need to consume in order to meet that goal.

As I have been losing weight - albeit slowly, I have updated my profile with the new numbers. Each time I have lost a pound or two, the program recalculates my calorie allotment and reduces it accordingly. I have lost over 15 pounds, and my calorie intake has been reduced by 100 calories daily.

While I am happy to be losing weight, I am concerned that I am not able to eat as much as before. I'm sure it's all mental, but I feel as though I am being punished by losing pounds. I have never consumed the entire number of calories allotted, but as the number is reduced, I am having more difficulty staying beneath the daily goal.

Any comments? Ideas? Suggestions?

Replies

  • futuremanda
    futuremanda Posts: 816 Member
    It's a daily goal, which means you do not have to stay beneath it. It means you want to average it over the week. If you are eating below, you're averaging below.

    The caloric total is calculated based on your stats and your desired rate of loss. If you picked 2 lbs a week, you have to eat 1000 calories less than your body burns every single day! And as your body gets smaller, it burns less.

    MFP also expects you to log any exercise and eat that back. Why? Because it initially assumes you won't do any, since it can't know whether you will or not. I know you tell it you will on the goal page, but it doesn't use that info.

    So if it thinks you burn 2500 in a day of not exercising, and that you want to lose 2 lbs a week, it will tell you to eat 1500. If you then go and burn 500, your deficit is too much, so it asks you to eat the 500 back. (Be careful with that though, as the burn estimates can be high. Start with eating back SOME, maybe 50-75% and see what happens.)

    Your deficit is 250 per 0.5 lb you want to lose in a week.

    As you get smaller, your weight loss will slow. You may even adjust your target to BE slower in order to get a few more calories. And yes, your calorie target will go down (but will bottom at 1200 for health reasons). If you want to eat more, you'll need to move more, or lose more slowly.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    As you get smaller, your body needs fewer calories to do its thing.

    If you are having trouble as the number is reduced, your rate of loss might be set too aggressively.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    As you lose weight, less energy is needed to run your body. Eating the same number of calories as you lose would create a smaller deficit. So if you want to keep to that same deficit, you have to adjust the calories downward a little.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    As you lose weight, less energy is needed to run your body. Eating the same number of calories as you lose would create a smaller deficit. So if you want to keep to that same deficit, you have to adjust the calories downward a little.

    This +1 (im reading backwards). Go and pick up a 15lb weight, your body no longer has to carry that around. If you dont wnat to reduce calories dont and either move more or accpet your deficit and rate of loss will slow.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    As you lose weight, less energy is needed to run your body. Eating the same number of calories as you lose would create a smaller deficit. So if you want to keep to that same deficit, you have to adjust the calories downward a little.

    Either that or add more exercise so you can eat the same number of calories.

  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    There is no reason to think of it as being punished. In comparison to the calories you need, it is staying the same. Instead of thinking about how much food you get to eat, think about your grocery bill. The less food you have to eat to sustain you, the less you have to pay for food. That is a reward.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    your calorie targets are based on your stats and whatever activity level you put in. as you shrink, so do your calorie (energy/fuel) requirements. look at it like this...it takes a less fuel to move a Honda Civic than it does an F-150.

    Also, if you want to be able to eat more, you're going to have to increase your activity...that's the only way to increase your energy requisites.
  • brendak76
    brendak76 Posts: 241 Member
    It's true. The smaller you are , the less calories you need. Kind of like the difference between filling up an SUV or a mini. The mini needs less gas. The hope is that our hunger signals get reset to fill full on fewer calories.
  • MR_STRATTON
    MR_STRATTON Posts: 18 Member
    Thanks everyone. Guess I knew that, but had to succumb to the pity party momentarily. I love the comparison between a SUV and a mini. We used to drive a Suburban, but now drive a mini. The SUV required more fuel, but operated on regular. The mini requires high test. I am interpreting that to mean that I'll get more mileage out of "high test" foods.
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