1200 cals for all loss rates??

take a look at this article and the calorie calculator.. It will give a good idea of what to do. I set my daily calorie intake based on how many weekly hours of exercise I'll get and keep it flat. I never eat back any exercise calories through the day. Just keep it flat knowing you will do 1-2 or 2-3 hours a week.. whatever.

https://legionathletics.com/how-many-calories-should-i-eat/

Oh my gosh there is too much confusing and conflicting information in this thread to even know where to start with responding. I think others have covered most of this but MFP doesn't base calculations off of your TDEE, but your NEAT (non exercise activity). If you have a desk job and maybe go for a walk once in a while, Sedentary is appropriate, but if you have your FitBit set up correctly and synced with MFP, then you should be able to comfortably eat back most of those exercise adjustments. It sounds like you re-entered your stats and got a higher calorie goal for 0.5 lb/week so the confusion about why everything was set at 1200 cals is also covered.

I also wanted to share my story/situation some of my stats are similar and I also now use a FitBit and am in maintenance.

I'm 5'2, started MFP when I was 38 at 153 lbs, and also have a desk job. I didn't do much in the way of exercise but intended to start. My goal weight was 125, and when I first set up my profile and entered 1 lb/week loss, I was also set at 1200 cals. I went with it, but found that difficult to adhere to, even eating back exercise calories I found I was often over, however, I was still losing. I started lurking the forums and reading many of these threads and learned from a lot of the MFP veterans that 1200 really is not necessary in order to lose, most people can lose on more than that. So I upped my calories first to 1400, then to 1500, still eating back exercise calories, and still losing. I started making an effort to exercise (walking, stationary bike, light weights - a few times/week) My weight loss wasn't linear (no ones is) but I was down to 135 in about 6 months on MFP. At that point, I got a FitBit, and realized that I was already averaging 10-12K steps/day, and the exercise adjustments I was getting on MFP were very large. I got good advice that maybe I wasn't actually sedentary, and changed my setting to lightly active. My adjustments were smaller but I had a higher baseline of calories. At that time I changed my goal to 0.5lb/week and was set at 1650 cals in MFP. For the next 6 months, I continued to lose, a couple of stalls related to holidays, etc - but after 1 year on MFP I hit my goal of 125 lbs. The entire time I was eating 1500-1800 calories, so this idea that you have to be miserable at 1200 calories in order to lose just because you are petite, older, have a desk job, etc - just isn't always true.

I'm still on MFP 3 years later and while technically in maintenance, I've continued to lose, and am under 120 now. I average 15K steps/day, I work out with light weights about 3 times/week, and FitBit estimates my TDEE to be 2200+ cals. I eat back every bit of my adjustments, so I know they are accurate, if not slightly less since I have lost very slowly in the last 6 months.

OP I hope this helps. For your situation, I would go with the 1400 cals to lose 0.5lb/week, eat back at least 50% of your FitBit adjustments, focus on logging accurately and consistently, ideally with a food scale. Good luck.

There is tons of advice on these forums, some good, some ok and a little bad. Find what works for you and stick with it!!

melissa112 wrote: »

LBuehrle8 wrote: »

melissa112 wrote: »

Thanks will do, I just logged onto MFP on the web as opposed to my phone and changed my goal manually to 0.5lbs per week at sedentary, now it gives me 1400! I was updating the goal on my phone. Think I'll switch to 1lb a week and eat back calories from walking and any exercise?

That's what I thought would happen as we're pretty much exactly the same and that's what I get at .5 lbs per week. This is what I keep it at, we're small. Slow and steady wins the race!

Yes I think you are right. I've heard said before that I didn't put on this weight quickly, so I shouldn't try and lose it so quick. I think it's just tempting when I see the pics of me from last year looking a stone and half lighter. It makes such a difference on a small frame I think.

I understand!! It's so easy to put on the weight but also - really it's quite easy to take it off just have to practice patience and make sure you're sticking to a deficit!

I definitely think you've been given some good advice in this thread- Since I'm so short I had to play around with MFP and find out what works best for me while still losing. A lot of it is about trial and error. I definitely am in the group that thinks you do not have to stick to 1200 when you're short to lose weight if you're pretty active. Good luck!

Because based on your settings (age/height/weight/female/sedentary) MFP projects your daily maintenance without adding exercise is 1450 or less. My logic is based on: a .5 pound per week loss is a -250 cals per day, and even that put you at the minimum intake level of 1200.

Fitbit will not go lower than 1200 for a starting calorie intake. You can lose weight, but will need some combination of the following:

• Be VERY careful to have accuracy in your food log
• Make an effort to move more every day
• Lose slowly, with eating in the 1300-1400 range. I say this because 1200 is very low for most people to stick to long term.

What was Fitbit's # for your total calories burned yesterday? To be realistic, plan to eat back some of your Fitbit calories but not all.

melissa112 wrote: »

Hi

I am 28yrs old, female, 5'2. 140lbs. I want to get to 126lbs. I would say I am sedentary. I work at a desk all day, and don't do exercise in the evenings (although this will eventually change.)

I set my loss rate to 2lbs a week originally and got given 1200 cals. I thought this might be a bit extreme loss as I've not far to go, so I changed to 0.5lbs a week, which still gave me 1200 cals.

I know MFP won't put a number below 1200, but now I'm worried that I should be eating around 1000 calories just to lose weight??

I got myself a Fitbit and yesterday I took my mums dog out for a long walk after work and did some squats, mountain climbers and lunges. I got a calorie adjustment of 484 (based on BMR plus exercise calculated both by fitbit).

My MFP is still set to 2lbs as the amount of cals didn't change, so surely I can't eat 1684 cals and still lose 2lbs a week?

I'm just confused as to why all settings, 2lbs a week, 1lb, 0.5lbs a week all give me 1200 calories a day. In the case that it's just not showing me a lower limit (say 1000), maybe I shouldn't eat back any fitbit calories?

I just don't know...any help would be really great.

melissa112 wrote: »

StaciMarie1974 wrote: »

Because based on your settings (age/height/weight/female/sedentary) MFP projects your daily maintenance without adding exercise is 1450 or less. My logic is based on: a .5 pound per week loss is a -250 cals per day, and even that put you at the minimum intake level of 1200.

Fitbit will not go lower than 1200 for a starting calorie intake. You can lose weight, but will need some combination of the following:

• Be VERY careful to have accuracy in your food log
• Make an effort to move more every day
• Lose slowly, with eating in the 1300-1400 range. I say this because 1200 is very low for most people to stick to long term.

What was Fitbit's # for your total calories burned yesterday? To be realistic, plan to eat back some of your Fitbit calories but not all.

melissa112 wrote: »

Hi

I am 28yrs old, female, 5'2. 140lbs. I want to get to 126lbs. I would say I am sedentary. I work at a desk all day, and don't do exercise in the evenings (although this will eventually change.)

I set my loss rate to 2lbs a week originally and got given 1200 cals. I thought this might be a bit extreme loss as I've not far to go, so I changed to 0.5lbs a week, which still gave me 1200 cals.

I know MFP won't put a number below 1200, but now I'm worried that I should be eating around 1000 calories just to lose weight??

I got myself a Fitbit and yesterday I took my mums dog out for a long walk after work and did some squats, mountain climbers and lunges. I got a calorie adjustment of 484 (based on BMR plus exercise calculated both by fitbit).

My MFP is still set to 2lbs as the amount of cals didn't change, so surely I can't eat 1684 cals and still lose 2lbs a week?

I'm just confused as to why all settings, 2lbs a week, 1lb, 0.5lbs a week all give me 1200 calories a day. In the case that it's just not showing me a lower limit (say 1000), maybe I shouldn't eat back any fitbit calories?

I just don't know...any help would be really great.

My Fibit calories for yesterday were 2038.

Then you should be able to eat 1700-1800 and continue to lose 0.5 lb/week, assuming your logging is pretty accurate.

melissa112 wrote: »

try2again wrote: »

melissa112 wrote: »

girlinahat wrote: »

as you are short, your maximum calorie deficit will be less. I put your stats into http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/ and it gave a TDEE of 1585 for you at your height/age/weight. TDEE is the amount of calories you need on a daily basis - this is BMR (ie. what your body needs to function even if in a coma) plus calories needed for your activity level (sedentary).

In order to lose 2lbs a week you'd need a 1000 calorie deficit per day - this takes you way below the recommended minimum of 1200 in order to get good nutrition. This is why MFP gives you 1200 all the time.

You also don't have a massive amount to lose, so would be better aiming for a slower target. Personally I would aim for around 1400 calories, maybe a little more but keep an eye on your average. Exercise calorie estimates are just that, an estimate, and generally a pretty poor one. Aim for around 1400 calories, then see how you are losing. If you are losing too fast, then up the calories a bit. Slow is better, don't shoot for 2lb a week.

In the past 2 weeks I've lost 3.5lbs, eating around 1200 calories per day, sometimes under. The past week I've not been as great with the nutritious stuff though.

I am really not understanding the problem. With your stats, you really don't need a goal of more than .5 lb/week. You're eating 1200 and losing 1.75 a week, and this is a cause for concern?

Nope not a concern, I just want to eat more!

I guess I didn't say as much, but that was my point. As long as you don't insist on a 2 lb/week loss, you have plenty of room to play with. Enjoy it!

If you're getting 1200 calories on MFP calculations, your goal is too low. As you point out, that's the minimum MFP will give you regardless of your setting. If it says 1200, you might not reach your setting goal even with perfect logging, because you don't know how much MFP had to adjust. So really, you should strive to get a calculation of at least 1210, (I'm not sure what increments MFP uses, the next step might actually be 1250). That way you know your setting has not bottomed out the calculator and your goal is achievable.