Daily calorie allotment question

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AJshootstheworld
AJshootstheworld Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all. Anybody know why when I enter my daily calories for the food that I've eaten and it goes OVER the 1500 limit that I'm supposed to be under, the next screen says "you'll weigh XXX.XX lbs if you eat the same food for 5 weeks", but that weight is less than I weigh now?

So essentially it's telling me that if I eat MORE than the 1500 cal that I'm supposed to max out on daily, I'll actually LOSE lbs over the next 5 weeks. That seems counter-intuitive to me.

Make sense? To anybody?

Replies

  • lovechattys
    lovechattys Posts: 65 Member
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    It's because you're still at a calorie deficit. It may be a smaller deficit than what you had as your goal, but you'll still lose weight.
  • Lourdesong
    Lourdesong Posts: 1,492 Member
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    It will say you'll gain if you're over the calories you need to maintain, and will say you'll lose if you're under the calories you need to maintain.

    For weight loss, your calorie goal is determined by the rate you wish to lose. The speedier the rate you choose, the more aggressive your deficit will be (i.e. You'll have a lower calorie target if you chose 2 lbs a week vs 1 lb a week, by a significant amount which can be difficult to impossible for some to sustain).
    So really, as long as you're still under the calories your body requires for maintaining your current weight, you'll be in a deficit and will lose. Regardless of the fact that you were over your MFP goal, as that's not your maintenance number
  • AJshootstheworld
    AJshootstheworld Posts: 2 Member
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    Ah. Roger that. Thanks for the clarification folks. Cheers!
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    Would depend on your deficit.

    1500 is your goal with a deficit. I don't know if your deficit is 250, 500, 750, etc. As long as you overeat by less than your deficit, you should still lose but slower than if you're always at 1500. Such as if you're logging 1750 and your scheduled deficit is 500, your actual deficit is 250.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    lovechattys wrote: »
    It's because you're still at a calorie deficit. It may be a smaller deficit than what you had as your goal, but you'll still lose weight.

    Yes! This is the reason a lot of us will tell people not to sweat going over by a little bit occasionally. Some days you're a little over, some days you're a little under and it all evens out and you're still losing weight.
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
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    Say you need 2000 to maintain and 1500 to lose 1 pound a week.

    If you eat 1600 your still under 2000 right? Still going to lose.

    If you ate over 2000 it would say you will gain I assume.
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
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    Yep!
  • angela075mfp
    angela075mfp Posts: 17 Member
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    suggested article...... http://fit101.org/the-step-by-step-guide-to-losing-weight-with-myfitnesspal/

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