Calculating calories

evergreenlakegirl
evergreenlakegirl Posts: 89 Member
in Getting Started
Just started my journey to get fit and eat healthier. I’m 5’3” and weigh 128..... for me that’s about 10 lbs too much but more importantly I need to get more tone. I just joined the Y and was wondering how My Fitness Pal calculates calories. They say 1200 but will I loose weight using that calculation?

Replies

  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    Start with stickies at the top^^^^

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1399829/step-by-step-guide-to-losing-weight-with-myfitnesspal
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    I really need to save @tinkerbellang83's great graphic. Maybe she'll show up and share it.
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
    Well, I'm 5'3 and losing 1/2 lb per week on 1360 before exercise. You're right in the middle of the healthy normal weight for our height, so it's going to come off slowly in any case. 1200 is the lowest target MFP will set for you because it's nearly impossible to get adequate nutrition on less (unless you're extremely short—like 4'11" or lower) and extremely sedentary.

    MFP calculates your calories based on how fast you want to lose the weight (again, it won't let you go below 1200, but with less than 15lbs to lose, you should really be shooting for max 1/2lb per week) and the activity level you gave it. The activity level includes "non-purposeful" exercise. So, if you're a bike courier and you're normally pedaling 6-8 hours, 5 days a week, you'll get more calories to eat than someone with a desk job. Purposeful exercise should be logged and you should eat back at least a portion of those calories to keep from running too aggressive a deficit.

  • evergreenlakegirl
    evergreenlakegirl Posts: 89 Member
    Thank you Esterdragonbat-
    So I guess the exercise I put in will get me the results I want- I’m 58 years old and just need to get rid of the belly and extra fat :smiley:
  • anetkastefaniak
    anetkastefaniak Posts: 45 Member
    Hi! I was in your situation earlier this year (went from about 130 to 118). I've been maintaining all summer and have stayed at 118 :) I have been kickboxing and lifting weights since the summer and am seeing great improvements from that by eating at maintenance.

    January to May:

    I ate at 1200 calories every day and bought a food scale. I work in an office so 1200 was suitable, especially because of the minimal exercise. I used USDA entries for fruits and vegetable entries that did not have a label. I lost the weight and did not add back in exercise calories, mainly because I did yoga and exercises that were not easily measurable.

    Based on my experiences I can say that if you're spot on with your logging, ensuring you weigh everything, you will lose weight :)

    I am not sure about your fitness level at the Y but I know that many users add back in about half of their exercise calories...
  • evergreenlakegirl
    evergreenlakegirl Posts: 89 Member
    And LQ for the helpful link :):):)
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
    Pretty much, yeah. Genetics generally dictates where the weight comes off first. But the exercise will firm up the muscles under the fat, so when you lose it, you'll reveal something wonderful...
  • Debmal77
    Debmal77 Posts: 4,770 Member
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10642346/weight-loss-frequently-asked-questions-infographic-answers#latest
  • evergreenlakegirl
    evergreenlakegirl Posts: 89 Member
    anetkastefaniak wrote: »
    Hi! I was in your situation earlier this year (went from about 130 to 118). I've been maintaining all summer and have stayed at 118 :) I have been kickboxing and lifting weights since the summer and am seeing great improvements from that by eating at maintenance.

    January to May:

    I ate at 1200 calories every day and bought a food scale. I work in an office so 1200 was suitable, especially because of the minimal exercise. I used USDA entries for fruits and vegetable entries that did not have a label. I lost the weight and did not add back in exercise calories, mainly because I did yoga and exercises that were not easily measurable.

    Based on my experiences I can say that if you're spot on with your logging, ensuring you weigh everything, you will lose weight :)

    I am not sure about your fitness level at the Y but I know that many users add back in about half of their exercise calories...
    Thank you for giving me hope :) I'm starting off slow at the Y since I haven't had a good workout in some time....when I log my exercise in MFP it adds those calories back in....I don't really understand that. I intend to increase the intensity of my workout as I get more comfortable. Today I just started with stretching to see what my body was comfortable with. Next week I plan on more cardio, which has helped in the past.
    Thank you all for the inspiration!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,176 Member
    evergreenlakegirl wrote: »
    anetkastefaniak wrote: »
    Hi! I was in your situation earlier this year (went from about 130 to 118). I've been maintaining all summer and have stayed at 118 :) I have been kickboxing and lifting weights since the summer and am seeing great improvements from that by eating at maintenance.

    January to May:

    I ate at 1200 calories every day and bought a food scale. I work in an office so 1200 was suitable, especially because of the minimal exercise. I used USDA entries for fruits and vegetable entries that did not have a label. I lost the weight and did not add back in exercise calories, mainly because I did yoga and exercises that were not easily measurable.

    Based on my experiences I can say that if you're spot on with your logging, ensuring you weigh everything, you will lose weight :)

    I am not sure about your fitness level at the Y but I know that many users add back in about half of their exercise calories...
    Thank you for giving me hope :) I'm starting off slow at the Y since I haven't had a good workout in some time....when I log my exercise in MFP it adds those calories back in....I don't really understand that. I intend to increase the intensity of my workout as I get more comfortable. Today I just started with stretching to see what my body was comfortable with. Next week I plan on more cardio, which has helped in the past.
    Thank you all for the inspiration!

    MFP gives you a starting calorie goal based on your non-exercise daily activity level and your weight loss rate goal. This has the calorie deficit for weight loss built into it, so you can expect to lose weight even if you don't exercise.

    Therefore, if you do exercise, it adds those calories so you keep the same calorie deficit and the same weight loss rate. Otherwise, you could be risking your health by under-fueling your activity. This is a particularly important factor for those of us who aren't hyper-resilient teenagers anymore. ;)

    This process works: I lost 50+ pounds exactly this way - eating back exercise calories - a couple of years back at age 59-60 (while hypothyroid, BTW), and am still at a healthy weight now at age 62.

    Esther's right: With only 10 pounds to lose, 0.5 pounds a week would be the ideal weight loss rate for best health along the way, especially as you have fitness goals, too.

    Best wishes!
  • evergreenlakegirl
    evergreenlakegirl Posts: 89 Member
    Thanks Ann! I also have hypothyroidism .......before I was diagnosed, quite some time ago....I was extremely overweight and couldn't figure out why this way happening. Thank you for explaining the MFP calories....I used MFP several years ago and using it now I've realized that I have been eating a lot more calories than I thought :o I'm hoping that tracking my food and exercising again will get me the results I want. I know that I didn't loose a lot of weight when I used MFP in the past, but I went from a size 10-12 to a size 2- loosing inches....more about the exercise and meds for the thyroid. Going to the Y also helped me realize how out of shape I am- lol

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