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MyFitnessPal Community

Need some help (advise)

selcan88selcan

Hey all,

i need some help/advise. At some point in my life my all time high weight was 234 pounds (106 kg's). I lost 110 pounds within 3 years. The first 80 pounds i lost with no knowledge of calorie counting or exercising. I just ate less and cut soda/chips. The last 30 pounds of it, i created a calorie deficit and picked up cardio.

The problem is, i gained 18 pounds of it back due to some knee injury.

I downloaded the myfitnesspal app weighing 146 pounds, and when i log my information it gives me 1200 calories to create a deficit to loose weight. I have the feeling it's too low, and can't figure it out. I'm feeling hungry quite often.

I'm 29 years old, a woman, my current weight is 136 pounds. I started the 1200 calorie program and doing cardio 'moderately'. 2 times a week, a 1.5 hour session on the treadmill/intervalls (approximately burning 550/650 calories per workout). Incline at 7.5%, 4/4.5mhp. Can't jog caused by my knee.

I lost 8,8 pounds starting 9th of november (mostly water weight i guess).

My questions are: is the 1200 calorie deficit correct? Am i loosing weight to fast? What should my calorie intake be?

Can the members with more knowledge and understanding help me with information so i can loose the weight in a proper and healthy manner?

(sorry if my English is rubbish, i'm Turkish by descent and live in the Netherlands).

Thanks a lot!

Selcan

Replies

kommodevaran

The 1200 calorie target is "correct" as in that it creates a calorie deficit, and it can provide sufficient nutrition, but it's most likely too little food for you to feel satisfied. It's just a stupid algorithm that reacts as it's supposed to, to what you feed it. When you set up MFP, you are asked to pick weightloss rate. Most people want the weight off "yesterday!" so they pick maximum rate. But weightloss can't happen that fast when you are lighter. The good thing about this, is that you can eat more and still lose weight. Pick the lowest weekly amount, and aim to eat the calories you get now.

AliceDark

MFP gives you a calorie target based on your current weight and the rate of loss you select. The thing to keep in mind is that your achievable rate of loss slows down as you get lighter, so you could lose weight faster when you started than you can now, because you had so much more to lose then.

If you're really only trying to lose 10 pounds, you should be aiming to lose 0.5 pounds per week. (Maybe 1 pound per week, but 0.5 is safer and easier). If MFP is giving you 1200 calories, it's probably because you've selected a rate of loss that is too aggressive.

DebLaBounty

I would recommend you input a desired weight loss of no more than half a pound per week. AND be sure to credit yourself with the exercise you are doing. If you burn 500 calories exercising, you are entitled to eat an additional 500 calories that day. (Some people would only eat back 300 calories, it's up to you.) So, on an exercise day you would eat 1200 allotted calories PLUS 500 calories from exercise to total 1700 calories that day. Maybe that will help keep your hunger in check. Be sure to drink lots of water!

theabsentmindednurse

I think you have answered your own question!

cheryldumais

AliceDark wrote: »

MFP gives you a calorie target based on your current weight and the rate of loss you select.

If you're really only trying to lose 10 pounds, you should be aiming to lose 0.5 pounds per week. (Maybe 1 pound per week, but 0.5 is safer and easier). If MFP is giving you 1200 calories, it's probably because you've selected a rate of loss that is too aggressive.

She's right. 1200 is the lowest amount that MFP will suggest. When I put in 2 pounds a week it gave me 1200 calories. In actuality if I put that in now it would give me 1200 calories even though I would not lose 2 lbs a week since my maintenance calories are around 1400. Reduce your rate of loss to .5 and you will get a reasonable amount of calories. Then be sure to use your exercise calories. Most of us started with using around half of the exercise calories that MFP gave us and adjusted as needed.

Congrats on losing 110 pounds! That's amazing.

pmm3437

AliceDark wrote: »

MFP gives you a calorie target based on your current weight and the rate of loss you select. The thing to keep in mind is that your achievable rate of loss slows down as you get lighter, so you could lose weight faster when you started than you can now, because you had so much more to lose then.

If you're really only trying to lose 10 pounds, you should be aiming to lose 0.5 pounds per week. (Maybe 1 pound per week, but 0.5 is safer and easier). If MFP is giving you 1200 calories, it's probably because you've selected a rate of loss that is too aggressive.

This.

Also, you should be eating back at least some reasonable % of your additional expenditure from exercise.

Don't know what your nutrition plan looks like, but shifting to less carbs and more protein/fat, as well as increasing fiber intake, usually increases satiety.