Do I listen to MFP calories?

mizukikuro
mizukikuro Posts: 42 Member
edited November 20 in Health and Weight Loss
I've been told a lot of different things, but I set up MFP so it shows how many calories a day I should eat (1,450 for my weight at height) but someone told me I should do a 500 calorie deficit which will put me to 950 calories a day limit which isn't healthy.

Am I wrong? Thanks!

Replies

  • mizukikuro
    mizukikuro Posts: 42 Member
    Here is my set up too

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  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    edited July 2015
    The 1450 goal that MFP calculated ALREADY includes a 500/day calorie deficit (assuming you chose your settings to lose 1 lb/ week.)


    ETA: and i see you chose 1.5 lbs per week, so it actually already has a 750 calorie/day deficit in that number
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,254 Member
    edited July 2015
    Yes. The MFP recommendation already factors in your deficit for the weight loss rate you specified. It also assumes you will eat back on top of that recommendation your true net exercise calories that are over and above the activity level you've chosen.

    (Translation: you add to, not deduct from, the mfp calories, they already account for your deficit).
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    edited July 2015
    Set your target at 1lb loss per week. If that is still too aggressive and is putting you at a low amount of calories (anything south of 1200), then set it at 0.5lb loss per week. You don't have that much to lose.
  • MakePeasNotWar
    MakePeasNotWar Posts: 1,329 Member
    The 1450 will include the deficit required to reach the goal you set up when you joined (x lb/week goal). So if you set it to lose 1lb a week, MFP has estimated your maintenance requirements at 1950, and subtracts the 500 to reach 1450.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    Your default MFP calorie goal has your deficit built in—it's activity level minus deficit.

    Set your goal to .5 lb. for every 25 lbs. you're overweight, then read the Sexypants post to understand how MFP works: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1
  • DuckReconMajor
    DuckReconMajor Posts: 434 Member
    edited July 2015
    Did you set a goal (lose 1 lb/week, lose 1.5 lb/week, etc.)? If you set a goal to lose weight then your deficit is built in, you do not have to add it yourself.

    edit: and we all answered at once, wheeee
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    mizukikuro wrote: »
    I've been told a lot of different things, but I set up MFP so it shows how many calories a day I should eat (1,450 for my weight at height) but someone told me I should do a 500 calorie deficit which will put me to 950 calories a day limit which isn't healthy.

    Am I wrong? Thanks!

    your 1,450 calories includes your 500 calorie deficit...that's why you put in your stats and your goal rate of loss, etc...so ya know...the calculator can calculate that for you.
  • mizukikuro
    mizukikuro Posts: 42 Member
    Thank you so much!
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Why is your activity set to active? What do you do for a living?
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    You've lost 74lbs and only have 10 to go?

    First off congratulations

    Secondly ...you've clearly been successful, why the sudden issue?

    Thirdly ...1.5lbs may be a bit steep weekly
  • mizukikuro
    mizukikuro Posts: 42 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    You've lost 74lbs and only have 10 to go?

    First off congratulations

    Secondly ...you've clearly been successful, why the sudden issue?

    Thirdly ...1.5lbs may be a bit steep weekly

    Thank you! and I didn't have an issue until i was told I should take off 500 calories off what MFP already gave me.
    I just adjusted my 1.5 to 1lb a week and it's saying my goal is 1,940 calories. That seems like A LOT if trying to loose weight. I might be wrong though since I've been eating so little lately, is this right?
  • mizukikuro
    mizukikuro Posts: 42 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    Why is your activity set to active? What do you do for a living?

    Also I work at McDonalds, so I'm always on my feet rushing, also the gym 3 times a week (but never eating the food lol)

  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    So what have you been eating the past few weeks?

    It sounds like you thought 1450 was your maintenance calories. So have you been eating less than this and losing like 2 pounds a week?

    Just surprised the above poster mentioned you lost 74 pounds already.
  • DennyB1964
    DennyB1964 Posts: 31 Member
    edited July 2015
    mizukikuro wrote: »

    Thank you! and I didn't have an issue until i was told I should take off 500 calories off what MFP already gave me.
    I just adjusted my 1.5 to 1lb a week and it's saying my goal is 1,940 calories. That seems like A LOT if trying to loose weight. I might be wrong though since I've been eating so little lately, is this right?

    The closer you get to your goal weight, the less of a calorie deficit you should have. More than 500 calories is fine if you've got maybe 40 pounds to lose. Not so much when you're that close. Your body will fight you on it, and it won't be pretty.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    mizukikuro wrote: »
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    You've lost 74lbs and only have 10 to go?

    First off congratulations

    Secondly ...you've clearly been successful, why the sudden issue?

    Thirdly ...1.5lbs may be a bit steep weekly

    Thank you! and I didn't have an issue until i was told I should take off 500 calories off what MFP already gave me.
    I just adjusted my 1.5 to 1lb a week and it's saying my goal is 1,940 calories. That seems like A LOT if trying to loose weight. I might be wrong though since I've been eating so little lately, is this right?

    You put "active" for you activity level...if that is accurate, 1940 calories is not a lot at all.

    you may or may not want to re-evaluate that. how are you arriving at "active" for your activity level?
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    Go with what mfp says for a few weeks and see if the actual results match to your goal. You may be more or less active then mfp definition of active etc
  • mizukikuro
    mizukikuro Posts: 42 Member
    Spend most of my days walking, or on my feet, and I do put the fact I go to the gym as well, should i not count the gym into my activity level?

    Merkavar- I lost 74 pounds, then someone said i was doing it wrong and i changed. Didn't loose any weight at all when under eating just didn't realise it, should of been smart and realised I was doing something stupid

    haha wow, you'd think loosing weight for the pass year i would of figured all of this out..
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    mizukikuro wrote: »
    Spend most of my days walking, or on my feet, and I do put the fact I go to the gym as well, should i not count the gym into my activity level?

    Merkavar- I lost 74 pounds, then someone said i was doing it wrong and i changed. Didn't loose any weight at all when under eating just didn't realise it, should of been smart and realised I was doing something stupid

    haha wow, you'd think loosing weight for the pass year i would of figured all of this out..


    No don't include actual exercise like the gym. Log that separately. Active level is like just your normal everyday stuff. Like a nurse is more active than an accountant normally. One runs about a hospital while the other sits at a desk.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    I'd put lightly active, 1lb a week, log exercise on top at 50% of MFP calorie estimate and eat that

    You're building up to maintenance now ...slowly wins the race
  • mizukikuro
    mizukikuro Posts: 42 Member
    Brilliant. Thank you everyone. cleared a lot up for me :)
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