2 lb per week weight loss
EricaH7
Posts: 74 Member
So, when I began I set MFP up to lose 2 lbs. per week, however, after reading previous forums it looks like 2 lbs. per week would be a 1,000 calorie deficit which I am not achieving. At the end of the day MFP shows I usually have a 500-800 calorie deficit. Why would this be when I set it up to lose 2 lbs. I thought the calorie amount you were allotted were based off how much you would like to lose a week?
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Replies
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The minimum calories that MFP will calculate for you is 1200. Meaning, no matter what you pick, 1200 is the lowest it will go. MFP doesn't pop up with any kind of warning, letting you know that the pounds per week goal that you picked is too aggressive for your current weight. Not sure why this is and why they just do the 1200 calorie thing...who knows.2
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I believe this app will not give you fewer than 1200 or 1000 cals per day no matter what the calculation says. It may be that you cannot safely lose 2lbs a week without becoming malnourished.0
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Hi Erica,
If you're deficit is 500 calories daily, then your weekly deficit would be 3500, which is nicely over the 1000 deficit you referenced.1 -
ZombieLauren wrote: »Hi Erica,
If you're deficit is 500 calories daily, then your weekly deficit would be 3500, which is nicely over the 1000 deficit you referenced.
The 1000 calorie deficit she is referencing is per day, not per week. She'd need a 7000 calorie deficit per week to achieve the 2 lbs per week goal.
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So, when I began I set MFP up to lose 2 lbs. per week, however, after reading previous forums it looks like 2 lbs. per week would be a 1,000 calorie deficit which I am not achieving. At the end of the day MFP shows I usually have a 500-800 calorie deficit. Why would this be when I set it up to lose 2 lbs. I thought the calorie amount you were allotted were based off how much you would like to lose a week?
Do you mean that you have 500-800 calories in green at the end of the day? Because you shouldn't. If you set MFP for a 2lb/week goal, you're already at a 1,000kcal/day deficit. Not eating 500-800 calories of your goal would put you at a 1500 - 1800 deficit per day. Which is too large and unsustainable unless you're very obese.3 -
Keep in mind that the 3500 calorie deficit is not a hard and fast rule. A pound of fat puts off 3500 calories when burned in a lab. Your body is more complex than a fire in a lab. Set your goal, do what you can everyday until you reach that goal. Don't risk your health by being malnourished, and learn good habits. Good luck!1
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At the end of the day I have an extra 500-800. This is after I work out and I don't eat out my exercise calories. I thought you need to have a deficit of 1000 a day?0
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MFP will not allow you to set your calorie goal at a number that is too low and, therefore, unhealthy. You haven't given your stats; but it sounds like you would have to eat below 1200 to get a 1000 calorie deficit. MFP settings will not allow you to do this as it is not healthy.-1
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At the end of the day I have an extra 500-800. This is after I work out and I don't eat out my exercise calories. I thought you need to have a deficit of 1000 a day?
MFP already sets you up with a deficit when you start, so 1000 calories has already been taken off your maintenance calories (unless you are set to 1200, which is the bare minimum). You should be aiming to eat the number of calories MFP gives you after exercise.3 -
At the end of the day I have an extra 500-800. This is after I work out and I don't eat out my exercise calories. I thought you need to have a deficit of 1000 a day?
I am confused by what you are asking..
If at the end of the day after you have eaten and logged all exercise and you are in the hole 500-800 calories (on the diary)? If this is the case, then you are actually MORE than 1000 calories a day. Your deficit is on the diary already..
What are your NET calories for the day?0 -
It looks like you are, in reality, ending up with a 1500-1800 per day deficit, which is dangerous. The goal MFP gives you has your deficit built in, you're supposed to eat all of those PLUS at least some of your exercise calories.1
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At the end of the day I have an extra 500-800. This is after I work out and I don't eat out my exercise calories. I thought you need to have a deficit of 1000 a day?
I am confused by what you are asking..
If at the end of the day after you have eaten and logged all exercise and you are in the hole 500-800 calories (on the diary)? If this is the case, then you are actually lower than 1000 calories a day. Your deficit is on the diary already..
What are your NET calories for the day?
An example of one of my entries
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At the end of the day I have an extra 500-800. This is after I work out and I don't eat out my exercise calories. I thought you need to have a deficit of 1000 a day?
You're doing this wrong....
You're supposed to HIT the number that MFP gives you, not stay 500-800 under it. It's quite possible that being under your goal by 500-800 cals per day, if logged accurately, your deficit is well over 1000 cals per day and far too steep for long term success.
Would it be possible to get your ht / wt / calorie goal / exercise routine so we can possibly help you understand further? Also, is it possible to look at your diary?
Like Malibu said, MFP gives you the calorie goal assuming you do no exercise per day so you're supposed to eat those calories back (or at least some of them).3 -
At the end of the day I have an extra 500-800. This is after I work out and I don't eat out my exercise calories. I thought you need to have a deficit of 1000 a day?
I am confused by what you are asking..
If at the end of the day after you have eaten and logged all exercise and you are in the hole 500-800 calories (on the diary)? If this is the case, then you are actually lower than 1000 calories a day. Your deficit is on the diary already..
What are your NET calories for the day?
An example of one of my entries
bro that is your net deficit for the day AFTER your calculated 1k deficit. Assuming your 1280 calories is with a 2lb loss set your deficit was actually 1.4k (but your diary entry looks super generic so assuming that's accurate too).0 -
I think you have a few things mixed up. 1000 deficit is already counted into your allowance, so you don't need to be 1000 calories in the green. In fact you need to eat exactly as many calories as MFP gives you if you want a 1000 deficit without anything left in the green (provided you have enough weight to lose and MFP truly set you to 1000 deficit).
Edit: awesome looking dog by the way. Breed?0 -
At the end of the day I have an extra 500-800. This is after I work out and I don't eat out my exercise calories. I thought you need to have a deficit of 1000 a day?
I am confused by what you are asking..
If at the end of the day after you have eaten and logged all exercise and you are in the hole 500-800 calories (on the diary)? If this is the case, then you are actually lower than 1000 calories a day. Your deficit is on the diary already..
What are your NET calories for the day?
An example of one of my entries
You should be NETTING 1280. Your deficit is very steep on this day.
You would need to eat in the example you provided as below.. your deficit is the 1280, but not eating back all your exercise you increased the deficit further.
1699 - 419 = 1280 NET GOAL
You actually NETTED 882 calories for day.2 -
1280 is your goal to lose 2lbs a week already WITHOUT exercise. That 398 are calories that are left to eat to EQUAL 1280.At the end of the day I have an extra 500-800. This is after I work out and I don't eat out my exercise calories. I thought you need to have a deficit of 1000 a day?
I am confused by what you are asking..
If at the end of the day after you have eaten and logged all exercise and you are in the hole 500-800 calories (on the diary)? If this is the case, then you are actually lower than 1000 calories a day. Your deficit is on the diary already..
What are your NET calories for the day?
An example of one of my entries
So as of now your NET intake is 1280-398= 882. Not good because eating too little will result in lowering your metabolic rate faster and slowing down any weight loss.
If you're not over 200lbs, your weight loss goal should be 1% of your body weight a week.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Erased because I didn't really answer the question
. You all did a much better job. 0 -
Thank you guys for the clarification. I was under the impression we weren't supposed to eat back our exercise calories unless we were really hungry? I've been exercising longer most days so that's where it's 500-800 instead of 400 like it is on the day I posted.0
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Thank you guys for the clarification. I was under the impression we weren't supposed to eat back our exercise calories unless we were really hungry? I've been exercising longer most days so that's where it's 500-800 instead of 400 like it is on the day I posted.
If your calorie goal comes from MFP, it's designed for you to eat back the calories you burn through exercise. Why do you think MFP would give you calories you aren't supposed to eat?
Depending on how you estimate your calories burnt, some people have found that the extra calories are an overestimate. Some database entries seem to be too high, others seem to be right on. To ensure you aren't eating back too much, some people eat back just a portion of the calories -- like 50-75%. But if you're losing faster than you expect, that means you can eat back more of them.0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »Thank you guys for the clarification. I was under the impression we weren't supposed to eat back our exercise calories unless we were really hungry? I've been exercising longer most days so that's where it's 500-800 instead of 400 like it is on the day I posted.
If your calorie goal comes from MFP, it's designed for you to eat back the calories you burn through exercise. Why do you think MFP would give you calories you aren't supposed to eat?
Depending on how you estimate your calories burnt, some people have found that the extra calories are an overestimate. Some database entries seem to be too high, others seem to be right on. To ensure you aren't eating back too much, some people eat back just a portion of the calories -- like 50-75%. But if you're losing faster than you expect, that means you can eat back more of them.
I am losing 2 lbs. per week doing as I am now without eating back my exercise calories.
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janejellyroll wrote: »Thank you guys for the clarification. I was under the impression we weren't supposed to eat back our exercise calories unless we were really hungry? I've been exercising longer most days so that's where it's 500-800 instead of 400 like it is on the day I posted.
If your calorie goal comes from MFP, it's designed for you to eat back the calories you burn through exercise. Why do you think MFP would give you calories you aren't supposed to eat?
Depending on how you estimate your calories burnt, some people have found that the extra calories are an overestimate. Some database entries seem to be too high, others seem to be right on. To ensure you aren't eating back too much, some people eat back just a portion of the calories -- like 50-75%. But if you're losing faster than you expect, that means you can eat back more of them.
I am losing 2 lbs. per week doing as I am now without eating back my exercise calories.
Is your goal to lose 2 pounds a week? It sounds like you might not weigh enough to have a 1,000 calorie deficit safely through diet alone and your exercise is pushing you into the 1,000 calorie deficit, which is why you are still losing two pounds a week.
This may be sustainable for a short period of time, but you run the risk of not meeting your nutritional needs, low energy, etc if you do it over the long term. You may want to consider adjusting your goals to something more reasonable and properly fueling your activity. Faster isn't always better.0 -
The thing is I don't feel hungry to eat those exercise calories. I went from eating 3 meals a day, mainly eating out or eating junk to now eating 3 meals plus snacks when I'm hungry and eating all kinds of veggies and fruits and protein. If I was starving after a workout I would eat something but usually I workout at night and the last thing I would want after a workout is food so I just shower and go to bed.0
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OP what are your stats and overall goals? 2 lbs/week resulting in a 1000 cal/day deficit is already a very aggressive deficit, and then to not eat back exercise calories you are creating an even larger deficit. 2 lbs/week is usually only recommended for those with more than 75 lbs to lose, is that accurate for you?
While it may sound good to lose weight as quickly as possible, and to get even faster results by not eating back exercise calories, you can actually be doing yourself some harm with this approach. First, that big of a deficit may not be sustainable for you. Many people start out balls to the walls and see immediate results, but find it too difficult to stick with and give up altogether. Or they fall into a binge/restrict cycle. Others may be able to stick with it, but in creating too large of a deficit, you risk loss of lean body mass in addition to fat loss, ie the dreaded skinny fat look. You may find you start to lack energy for your workouts, or just become fatigued in general. Additionally, not taking in enough calories overall can result in hair loss, sallow skin, brittle nails, etc. None of which is a good thing!
Have you taken some time to read the stickied "most helpful posts" at the top of the forum threads? In particular, check this one out as it has links to many other commonly asked questions here at MFP about how best to be successful using this site, why it is important to eat back exercise calories if you are using the MFP calculated goal, how to log accurately, etc.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10260499/i-like-old-posts-and-i-cannot-lie/p1
This one is my favorite for new members though...
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1235566/so-youre-new-here/p12 -
The thing is I don't feel hungry to eat those exercise calories. I went from eating 3 meals a day, mainly eating out or eating junk to now eating 3 meals plus snacks when I'm hungry and eating all kinds of veggies and fruits and protein. If I was starving after a workout I would eat something but usually I workout at night and the last thing I would want after a workout is food so I just shower and go to bed.
Did we answer all of your questions?
I am not sure if your calories are actually setup to lose 2 pounds or if it is setup for example 1.5 pounds and not eating back exercise caloires balances out to 2 pounds..
However, unless you have a good amount of weight to lose, 2 pounds can be pretty aggressive and will only get more difficult as you lose weight in the future. You are aware now from all of us "seasoned" MFP members on what is considered the best approach, the healthy approach and the sustainable approach. As you get closer to goal consider your plans for moving into maintenance. 1200 calories is the lowest you can go you may bottom out on this amount eventually during your weight loss.. Just keep that in mind.0 -
Thanks for all the advice and help. I definitely learned a lot. As far as my stats go I started at 184.4, currently I am at 175.2. My goal is to be somewhere between 130-150. Right now I have been averaging losing 2 lbs. per week eating as I do which obviously I have not been eating back the exercise calories, however I do not find this amount of calories I am eating hard to maintain which is confusing to me when everyone is saying it should be? I have been eating like this for over a month now and I really have not been hungry. I have been maintaining this amount just fine. If you guys believe this is unhealthy then I will listen to suggestions and up the amount I am eating, but to be honest I have not changed the quantity of foods I am eating at all. I have only changed the quality.0
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Also, one of the above comments is correct about my food measurements probably not being exactly correct. I do not have a food scale and have been guessing on the amount I am eating. I try to do a high guess instead of low, but maybe I am doing the opposite since my weight loss coincides with the weekly goal.1
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The thing is I don't feel hungry to eat those exercise calories. I went from eating 3 meals a day, mainly eating out or eating junk to now eating 3 meals plus snacks when I'm hungry and eating all kinds of veggies and fruits and protein. If I was starving after a workout I would eat something but usually I workout at night and the last thing I would want after a workout is food so I just shower and go to bed.
Yep, I was afraid to eat my exercise calories when I began MFP and it worked fine for a while. Then my energy crashed, I struggled to complete daily activities, and I got really hungry. Just be aware that if you use MFP other than as designed and you create a larger than recommended deficit for yourself (as it sounds like you may be doing), there may come a time when you won't be able to comfortably continue.
Once I realized what the problem was, I adjusted my plan and began eating back my exercise calories. I continued losing, but my energy and workout performance got much better.
Your body can handle a lot for just a month. You want to be thinking of the long term because presumably long term success is what you want -- not just a month or two. Even higher quality foods won't make up for not eating enough to fuel what your body truly needs.6 -
janejellyroll wrote: »The thing is I don't feel hungry to eat those exercise calories. I went from eating 3 meals a day, mainly eating out or eating junk to now eating 3 meals plus snacks when I'm hungry and eating all kinds of veggies and fruits and protein. If I was starving after a workout I would eat something but usually I workout at night and the last thing I would want after a workout is food so I just shower and go to bed.
Yep, I was afraid to eat my exercise calories when I began MFP and it worked fine for a while. Then my energy crashed, I struggled to complete daily activities, and I got really hungry. Just be aware that if you use MFP other than as designed and you create a larger than recommended deficit for yourself (as it sounds like you may be doing), there may come a time when you won't be able to comfortably continue.
Once I realized what the problem was, I adjusted my plan and began eating back my exercise calories. I continued losing, but my energy and workout performance got much better.
Your body can handle a lot for just a month. You want to be thinking of the long term because presumably long term success is what you want -- not just a month or two. Even higher quality foods won't make up for not eating enough to fuel what your body truly needs.
Thanks! I needed to hear that! That explains why I feel fine doing what I am doing right now. As my body tells me I need more I will eat more! I am glad that I figured out how the exercise calories and calorie deficit worked now instead of later down the road when I started to feel deprived!0 -
Also, one of the above comments is correct about my food measurements probably not being exactly correct. I do not have a food scale and have been guessing on the amount I am eating. I try to do a high guess instead of low, but maybe I am doing the opposite since my weight loss coincides with the weekly goal.
If you aren't using a food scale (and not everyone does - I actually never did while losing or maintaining) then it is possible that you are already eating more than you think and so your statements that you feel full at this calorie level are correct because you are eating at a slightly higher level than your log reflects. That is consistent with the fact that you aren't eating back exercise cals and losing at 2 lbs/week, if your log were accurate then you would be losing more than 2 lbs/week by increasing your deficit with exercise.
As @janejellyroll mentioned, many start out and feel great when they begin eating higher volume, more nutrient dense foods than what they previously consumed. However, after a period of time the total energy starts to wane and motivation can decrease - which is why the more moderate deficit is recommended, as well as not being too restrictive with the food choices. Leaving room for some favorite things like ice cream or pizza is important for long term adherence and can be perfectly healthy in the context of an overall balanced diet.
I do recommend reading through those stickied threads.2
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