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Newbie - How to set calories

MarionElate
MarionElate Posts: 4 Member
edited November 2024 in Introduce Yourself
Hi All,

Hope you don't mind me posting here.

I am a 45 year old struggling for years with my weight. I have tried every diet under the sun and am still 11.5 stone which, at 5ft5, is 30lbs more than I should be. I think my metabolism is shot from all the different diets I've tried and Im still not sure how to boost my metabolism and reduce my weight. I am back (again) trying to use mfp to create a calorie deficit but I am confused.
When I enter my stats, mfp gives me a calorie budget of 1230 calories which seems very low. I entered that I work out 3 times a week for 40 minutes. I do HIIT bootcamp 3 x a week - hoping that this will build me some strength and hopefully increase my metabolism (fingers crossed).

I have noticed that even if I change the number of days I work out ( from zero to 7) the 1230 calorie budget doesnt change ? What should I do ? If I go on line, the calorie calculators all give me different calorie budgets/per day ranging from 1380 to 1880 - none as low as 1230. Also, last question, I presume I shouldn't record my workouts since my 3 workouts per week are recorded in the initial calories calculation ?

Please help me cos I've read so many of you have had success, and I'm fed up of being Fat!!

Thanks for reading my long moan!
xx

Replies

  • hoppgeorge
    hoppgeorge Posts: 368 Member
    How much are trying to lose per week?
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited October 2017
    molcon2016 wrote: »
    I am a 45 year old struggling for years with my weight. I have tried every diet under the sun and am still 11.5 stone which, at 5ft5, is 30lbs more than I should be. I think my metabolism is shot from all the different diets I've tried and Im still not sure how to boost my metabolism and reduce my weight. I am back (again) trying to use mfp to create a calorie deficit but I am confused.
    Don't go on a diet. Diets are designed to fail and make you blame yourself, and then try again. To lose weight, all you need it to consistently eat less (fewer calories than you burn). That's both quite easy and hard enough - don't make it harder than it has to be. Eat food you like, learn to prioritize.

    Your metabolism is fine. You lose weight just like everybody else. You also struggle like everybody else because we all like to eat, and it's hard not to eat too much when it's delicious and placed right in front of us.
    When I enter my stats, mfp gives me a calorie budget of 1230 calories which seems very low. I entered that I work out 3 times a week for 40 minutes. I do HIIT bootcamp 3 x a week - hoping that this will build me some strength and hopefully increase my metabolism (fingers crossed).

    I have noticed that even if I change the number of days I work out ( from zero to 7) the 1230 calorie budget doesnt change ? What should I do ? If I go on line, the calorie calculators all give me different calorie budgets/per day ranging from 1380 to 1880 - none as low as 1230. Also, last question, I presume I shouldn't record my workouts since my 3 workouts per week are recorded in the initial calories calculation ?
    MFP is the greatest, but it has some annoying features. This is one of them. Setup doesn't use your planned workout for anything - the variables it uses to calculate your calories, is sex, age, height, weight, weight loss rate and normal daily activity. You are supposed to log your exercise and eat back some of the calories you "earn", which add to your calorie intake.

    You are just "overweight", so expect weightloss to be slow. You should set weightloss rate to 1 pound per week, and reduce it further as you approach goal weight. This will give you more calories to eat, which is easier to stick to for the long haul, which is what you must, in order to lose weight.
  • Alexandriakay676
    Alexandriakay676 Posts: 56 Member
    I believe your calorie count is based on your weight loss goal, so if you put in that you want to lose 2 lbs a week, your count will be higher than if you aim for 1. That being said, you can "earn" calories when you workout, as your calorie count is based on your overall goals you can eat what you earn through working out and still lose weight. I totally understand your concerns, I had them too when I first started and was given 1500 a day to work with, but as I find better food choices, and become aware of what I am actually eating that is high calorie it has become easier, and some days I struggle to hit my recommended calorie count. Feel free to friend me and view my food diary. I am 45 and have 100 lbs to lose overall.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited October 2017
    molcon2016 wrote: »
    Hi All,

    Hope you don't mind me posting here.

    I am a 45 year old struggling for years with my weight. I have tried every diet under the sun and am still 11.5 stone which, at 5ft5, is 30lbs more than I should be. I think my metabolism is shot from all the different diets I've tried and Im still not sure how to boost my metabolism and reduce my weight. I am back (again) trying to use mfp to create a calorie deficit but I am confused.
    When I enter my stats, mfp gives me a calorie budget of 1230 calories which seems very low. I entered that I work out 3 times a week for 40 minutes. I do HIIT bootcamp 3 x a week - hoping that this will build me some strength and hopefully increase my metabolism (fingers crossed).

    I have noticed that even if I change the number of days I work out ( from zero to 7) the 1230 calorie budget doesnt change ? What should I do ? If I go on line, the calorie calculators all give me different calorie budgets/per day ranging from 1380 to 1880 - none as low as 1230. Also, last question, I presume I shouldn't record my workouts since my 3 workouts per week are recorded in the initial calories calculation ?

    Please help me cos I've read so many of you have had success, and I'm fed up of being Fat!!

    Thanks for reading my long moan!
    xx

    The exercise goals don't go into the calculation for your calories...those goals are just for your own personal documentation.

    MFP arrives at your calorie target as per your stats and activity level setting along with your desired rate of loss. MFP does not include exercise in your activity level...and as I said, the exercise goals have no bearing on the formula. You account for exercise with MFP after the fact when you log it and get additional calories to account for otherwise unaccounted for activity.

    You can also include your exercise in your activity level, but that does not follow the MFP method...a lot of people do that, but in that case you wouldn't want to log and eat back calories because they'd already be accounted for in your activity level. Note that this is not the same thing as selecting that you're going to work out X times per week for your exercise goals...again, that has no bearing on the formula.

    You'll get different calories from different calculators because they use different algorithms and also different methods. MFP is a NEAT method calculator where exercise is not accounted for in your activity level...most other calculators are TDEE calculators which include your exercise in your activity level and thus the calories would be higher to account for that activity. You also have to compare apples to apples in regards to rate of loss goals. MFP lets you select .5-2 Lbs...a lot of TDEE calculators us a %...like TDEE - 20% which is usually closer to 1 Lb per week for most people and they compare that to a 2 Lb per week target with MFP...they're comparing apples to oranges.
  • MarionElate
    MarionElate Posts: 4 Member
    Hi All, thanks so much for your replies!
    So, if I am understanding this correctly, If I want to lose 1.5lbs per week, I should eat all of the 1200 calories per week plus, the days that I go to HIIT bootcamp, I should eat back some/all/most of those 400 calories as well?
    From what I have gathered, its bad to undereat your calories - is that correct ?
    thanks again everyone for all of yer help!
    Marion
  • MarionElate
    MarionElate Posts: 4 Member
    kommodevaran, I totally understand what you are saying.. I always find diets so hard - I stick to them religiously during the week, then at the weekend all willpower goes out the window!! Thats why I have turned to MFP - to eat healthily and try to do this my way.. But I need to know what is the right thing to do first!
  • MarionElate
    MarionElate Posts: 4 Member
    Lastly, Is 1200 calories right for me to be eating ? My life is very sedentary between working at a desk and a daily 2 hour commute so my workouts are the most exercise I get....
    Sorry for all the questions.. but thanks for taking the time to help.. x
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    molcon2016 wrote: »
    kommodevaran, I totally understand what you are saying.. I always find diets so hard - I stick to them religiously during the week, then at the weekend all willpower goes out the window!! Thats why I have turned to MFP - to eat healthily and try to do this my way.. But I need to know what is the right thing to do first!
    That is a very smart approach. Most people just jump into things. I do so too, quite often :s The right thing to do in this particular case, is to start with MFP's guidelines and adjust as needed; aim to get in enough of what you need every day but at the same time not too much of anything over time. To be able to do this, you need to know what to look for, know how it's supposed to feel when it's working and not working - and that's difficult because we've been brainwashed with "easy" solutions to "complicated" problems for so many years. MFP is a tool to take back that control. Insight and awareness will replace desperation and running round in circles.
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