How seriously should I take MFP's calorie recommendation?

yahabibtii
yahabibtii Posts: 6 Member
edited November 26 in Getting Started
Surely 1,200 calories is too low? Maybe I'm stupid or hopelessly naive, but - I'm overweight, for heaven's sake, it's not like I need fewer calories to maintain or lose; plus, this is at "lightly active" setting, because I'm not sedentary. 1,200 kcal just seems far too low.

I've just tried calculating my BMR with another calculator (with the settings set to sedentary) and it's 1,593 kcal. Daily calorie needs, 1,911. With a deficit of 500 kcal, that's still 1,411 kcal, 211 kcal more than MFP's recommendations (not a whopping difference, but still).

I just can't shake the feeling that I'm being lazy and picking the number that suits me best, but at the same time, common sense is telling me 1,200 kcal is too low. Basically the question I'm asking is: how seriously should I take MFP's calculations? Are they actually accurate or not?

Replies

  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    edited November 2015
    All of the calculators are just estimates. You need to carefully log for a while and see what you, personally, need to lose weight and the rate of that loss.

    A 500 calorie deficit is one pound per week. Is that what you have MFP set to?

    As for the calories you pick to start, it sounds like you know that 1200 won't work for you. That's good info to know about yourself. A weight loss program won't work if you won't keep doing it.

    My suggestion is that you try the 1400 and see how you do with that.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    That 1200 is without additional exercise. If you do extra exercise, it will give you more calories. :)
  • yahabibtii
    yahabibtii Posts: 6 Member
    seska422 wrote: »
    All of the calculators are just estimates. You need to carefully log for a while and see what you, personally, need to lose weight and the rate of that loss.

    A 500 calorie deficit is one pound per week. Is that what you have MFP set to?

    As for the calories you pick to start, it sounds like you know that 1200 won't work for you. That's good info to know about yourself. A weight loss program won't work if you won't keep doing it.

    My suggestion is that you try the 1400 and see how you do with that.

    "A weight loss program won't work if you won't keep doing it" that's such a perfect piece of advice. Thank you. I'm gonna try the 1,400 and go from there.
  • yahabibtii
    yahabibtii Posts: 6 Member
    Kalikel wrote: »
    That 1200 is without additional exercise. If you do extra exercise, it will give you more calories. :)


    I'm aware, it's just that 1,200 seemed low even without exercise.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    If you think 1200 is too low, change your deficit to half a pound a week, especially since it sounds like you don't have much to lose.
  • BurnWithBarn2015
    BurnWithBarn2015 Posts: 1,026 Member
    When you set MFP that you want to lose 2lbs a week most people come out at 1200 daily. This is the minimum and indeed low.
    This is without "earned" exercise calories which you can add to it.

    But when you chose a lower weight loss like 1lbs a week it probably will be at 1400 like you chose now :)

    What ever you chose you have to do what is comfortable for you. Even when it is half a pound a week or even less. The way you are comfortable with is the one you stick too more easily.

    I wish you good luck, just keep on going and you will succeed!

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  • rodneytracy
    rodneytracy Posts: 182 Member
    1200 calories works great if you pick the right foods to eat to fill you up. Mfp will recalculate after a few weigh ins to see how fast you are loosing. Mine bumped up to 1500 after a couple of weigh ins
  • jenniferpiotrowski0
    jenniferpiotrowski0 Posts: 215 Member
    I feel like 1200 is waay to low too and mfp recommended me to 1400 calories but I decided to do 1500 calorie range instead so I feel like I'm not under doing it or underdoing it with calories.
  • Shannonwatson2
    Shannonwatson2 Posts: 2 Member
    As long as I stay in my 1200 calories will that guaranteed any weight loss?
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