Caloric intake

You won't want to go by anyone else's -- why not start with what MFP recommends from you and then evaluate your results? That goal will be based on your starting point, your weight loss goal, and your daily activity (not counting exercise).

With MFP's goal, exercise is optional for weight loss because it's designed to put you at a deficit without it. If you choose to do exercise, like many people do, you can eat back all (or some) of your exercise calories and still lose weight.

So let's say you need 2,000 calories a day to maintain your weight(this is just an example). If you wanted to lose half a pound a week, your MFP goal would be 1,750. If you burned 100 calories through exercise, you could eat 1,850 and still be on track to lose that half pound per week.

"Starvation mode" isn't really a thing you have to worry about. You want to eat enough to maintain your health and energy, but as long as you are in a deficit, you will lose weight. But why be hungrier than you have to?

If you have your MFP set correctly you can eat back your exercise calories. However, calories burned is sometimes tricky because I feel MFP over exaggerates the estimates. You may have to do some trial and error and see what works for you.

I currently have a non aggressive weight loss set for MFP - losing at a rate of 0.5 lbs a week and I am definitely sedentary outside of the gym. So, most of the days I do not eat back my calories burned. I follow a combo of strength training and cardo plan.

Good luck and keep going

elizabethcook5 wrote: »

How many calories is everyone taking in and how many are you burning off with exercise. I'm still confused on the whole calorie deficit thing. I want to make sure I'm working enough off to loose but I don't want to not eat enough I'm afraid of putting my body in starvation mode..Tips and help appreciated

Your body is burning calories 24/7. Even if you stayed in bed all day this is your basal metabolic rate (BMR). Add your activity level calories (related to your job) to that. Then IF you exercise you would burn even more calories.

My Fitness Pal (MFP) doesn't assume you will exercise, so the calories they give you are BMR + activity. Then they remove calories based on your weekly weight loss goal. The lowest number MFP will default to is 1200.

If/when you log exercise you earn more calories. Ideally this keeps the deficit you signed up for. However calorie burns are estimates so most people start by eating back a percentage (say 50%) and then tweak that number over time based on actual weight loss results.

WilliamAndersonLMHC wrote: »

If you eat 2/3 of your burn rate at the weight you want to be, you'll lose weight in a satisfactory fashion and not trigger any starvation response that will reduce your metabolic rate. Use the calculator at calculator.net ( http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html ) to find your burn rate at the weight you want to be, the "you need---- to maintain" number.

What? Not heard this one before.............

2/3's of my maintenance (for my future goal) would be 1,022 calories (Scoobys) or 963 calorie per your website. MFP bottoms out at 1200 net calories for women for nutritional purposes. Not interest in intentional lean muscle mass loss.

The one-size-fits-all approach isn't appropriate for everyone. I'm guessing this would be more appropriate for obese people.

Starvation response? Is that like starvation mode?
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/761810/the-starvation-mode-myth-again/p1

WilliamAndersonLMHC wrote: »

If you eat 2/3 of your burn rate at the weight you want to be, you'll lose weight in a satisfactory fashion and not trigger any starvation response that will reduce your metabolic rate. Use the calculator at calculator.net ( http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html ) to find your burn rate at the weight you want to be, the "you need---- to maintain" number.

The 2/3 here, set at moderately active is about the same as what MFP gives me at completely sedentary. It seems way off. There is no way that I could maintain my activity level at that caloric intake.

@RoxieDawn - What is your age, gender, height, desired weight and activity level?

@janejellyroll - The caloric range you are talking about is very low. What is your age, gender, height, desired weight and activity level?

@DamieBird - The Mifflin-St. Jeor equation is the most accurate formula for estimate of energy usage. The only way to get a more accurate read is with direct or indirect calorimetry. Creation of caloric defeats is the only way to lose weight, by eating fewer calories than would fuel your activity.

I am by no means a tiny woman and the method you're advocating puts me at 1200 calories a day, which I have tried before and it's just not sustainable, like many others it results in a miserable binge-restrict cycle. I have been losing quite happily at a loss rate of 1lb per week at 1600 net per day for the last 6 months.

Please don't over-complicate weight loss for new posters. MFP will set them at a sustainable deficit purely by entering their stats, based on their NEAT and their chosen weight loss rate. It will never give women a goal below 1200 because unless they are very short, thin or old, anything below that would require medical recommendation & supervision.

@WilliamAndersonLMHC Have you acquainted yourself with how the MyFitnessPal app works? I notice you have offered to give advice in the forums but have only been signed up to the site for a short time.