2390 to lose 2lbs/week seems WAY too high...imo

Daniel, it's just math. It's nothing personal.

MFP estimates based on the information you've given it that your average TDEE is 3390. This is just a guess; it could be wrong. Since you have a higher than average BF%, this number may be a little inflated. So let's say your actual factual average TDEE is 3100. Science and math tells us that were you to eat on average 2100 every day, you would have something around a 7000 per week calorie deficit.

All it really means is if you consume less than 3100 on average every single day, you will lose weight (until your TDEE drops below 3100 due to weight loss...). You keep complaining about not being able to fit in mashed potatoes or what-not into your diet because you're sticking to 1200 calories. True, as an obese person you might not suffer long term effects from eating 2000 calories below your TDEE. I PERSONALLY find that high of a deficit counterproductive as it leads to decreased performance, binges, bad mood, and cutting out the foods I love.

It is YOUR CHOICE to eat 1200. If you were my husband, brother or someone I loved, I PERSONALLY would urge you to shoot for more like 1800 (if you didn't have immediate medical emergency reasons to drop weight fast), since in my experience this would make my loved one a more pleasant individual to spend time with and help them establish the eating habits they'd need to sustain the weight loss long term.

Well, I maintain on 3600 so 2390 would be 1200 calorie deficit a day for me so 8400 calorie deficit a week which is over 2lbs so no, it doesn't seem insane to me at all.

The goal is too lose the weight while eating as much as possible. It'll make maintenance a lot easier. For a male your size eating 1200 calories, it is gonna be near impossible to keep that weight off when you get down to your goal weight. You'll be living on lettuce and multivitamins by that time.

danieltsmoke wrote: »

The question is could really eat everything I ate last night +400cals,and still lose 2lbs a week?? Seems a bit much

Well you need to be tracking accurately. If not, you are eating more than you think which may be why it seems like a ton of food.

You're not weighing out your food or drink so I wouldn't go all the way to your allotted amount. However, if you were to tighten up your logging and actually get to 2400 cals accurately, then yes, you could eat that much and lose 2 lbs/week. You cannot generically log 2 slices of dominoes pizza if you plan on eating up to your total allotted calories because you'd underestimate the calories (overshooting your allotment for the day). This would cause your weight loss to stall or gain lbs.

Bottom line, if you actually ate the allotted calories a day with accurate logging, then yes, you could still lose weight. If you're eyeballing your food, stick to your 1200 calories/day because it is guaranteeing that you're eating more than you think, so your probably eating closer to 1500 or 1800. Check your weight loss rate, if you're losing more than 2 lbs/week, then bump up your calories a little bit like around 200 calories (you're probably hungry at that rate of weight loss).

Eating 1200 calories a day may not kill you, but how long do you think you can really last eating that little? You'll lose more weight and more quickly without a doubt but how long will it stay off? There is something to be said for losing weight in a way that is actually sustainable.

I guess I just don't see why you bother using this app if you have no interest in listening to it, or at least following what it says for a few weeks and seeing the results, and tweaking as necessary. You don't have to eat every calorie every day, but eating half of what it recommends seems like you're not even trying.

3lbs per week by my calculations. Which is a 10500 per week deficit. So he's eating more than he thinks but still too little.

VintageFeline wrote: »

3lbs per week by my calculations. Which is a 10500 per week deficit. So he's eating more than he thinks but still too little.

So let's say he's eating 1450 (since he's fudging weights a bit on the logging). If he's been losing 3 lbs/week, that puts his TDEE around 2950 on average for the recent past.

I stick with my 1800 per day. That way he can still go down some once he gets closer to goal.

When I first started MFP gave me 2400 to loose 2 pounds a week. I had 99 to loose and have a high level of activity. On average I lost 2 pounds a week. So far down 32 pounds. I like my food so am currently set for a smaller deficit. I get 2300 a day before exercise adjustments which gives me another 5-900. I eat back half to all of my exercise adjustments. usually around 2400 a day Still loosing weight.

Trust the app or not. That's up to you. Personally would prefer to loose weight while still enjoying my food rather than push to extremes and get in a hurry to undo a problem that I spent years creating.

Oh not this old chestnut again. I find it very hard to believe you're living on 1200 calories a day. You're not estimating accurately. I'm a 5ft2 138lb female who sometimes feels hungry eating 1500 calories a day so I call phooey.

You just like to get a forum rise. Probably through boredom. We are all here mainly for the same goal. To lose weight in the safest and best way. So if you think you're winning some sort of prize for eating less than a woman would... Congrats. You win.