Hi, I'm fairly new, and I need a little help.

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namedforthemoon
namedforthemoon Posts: 12 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hello!

I'm female, turning 42 on the 17th. I'm 5'4", and I currently weigh 188 lbs.

I have been using Lose It!, but I switched to MFP a week ago. I first set it to lose 2 lbs a week, which gave me 1200 calories. I keep going over that, and I'm reading in different threads that's too low, anyway. So I now have it set to lose 1/2 lb a week. That gives me 1850 calories a day.

My activity level is set to lightly active. I have 3 young boys and a job where I am on my feet all day, going up and down a story level of stairs probably 8-10 times a day, I have to lift and move heavy boxes or crates a few times a day that I am working.

Is 1850 too much, or too little?

Also, I'm not sure how to even log my exercise that I get from my job, so I was considering getting a Fitbit. Is a Fitbit worth it? How would it work with MFP?

I hate my scale. I have lost weight. When I first started with Lose It!, I was 191. I dropped down to 186.2, and then it came back up. Not sure what I'm doing wrong. I could definitely use some help there.

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  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
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    You'll find that weighing and measuring all your food and drink with a digital food scale will help a lot. Do that for a couple of weeks and see how it goes. As for your job and movement--lightly active already covers that. If you start losing too fast you can change it to very active. If you're not losing then lower your calories by 100, and see how that goes for two weeks. Weight loss is a lot of trial and error. You need to find your sweet spot where you can lose while eating as much as possible. Good luck.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    You could go to 1 lb per week if you want, that way you hedge your bets a little until you start to see some progress. Weight loss isn't linear, it is perfectly normal to see the scale go up and down. Check out these threads, they are great for getting started here, and welcome!

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084670/it-is-unlikely-that-you-will-lose-weight-consistently-i-e-weight-loss-is-not-linear/p1

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10503681/exercise-calories-do-i-eat-these-a-video-explanation/p1
  • Scottgriesser
    Scottgriesser Posts: 172 Member
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    Couple quick things:

    Your activity level takes your daily routine into account. It is difficult to figure out, but I'd say you could probably up that to moderate. You do not add in extra calorie burns based off daily routine. That is what the activity level is for.

    In my experience, FitBits are not worth it and cause more confusion than anything when trying to account for daily activity. Obviously, others will swear by them, but I haven't needed it. (Granted, I have a desk job and no kids so my exercise outside of actual exercise is next to nothing) I do use just a cheap Samsung Gear 2 to keep track of walks/runs and to time my rests in weight training, and for that I do think something is worthwhile. They all work well with MFP once you get the hang of em.

    1200 calories was certainly low for you, but also remember that 1200 is the lowest that MFP will ever recommend. It is the minimum recommended intake to retain normal bodily functions (google it). You could probably up the weight loss goal to 1lb/wk for now, but you aren't far from the .5lb/wk. Without really knowing goals and actual activity I'd say something around 1650 -1725 would be a good place to start for a few weeks.

    All of these numbers are best guesses, and will need to be monitored on your end. Adjust as need be. It takes awhile to actually figure out your baselines.



  • laurenhugs23
    laurenhugs23 Posts: 153 Member
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    I find my Fitbit to be pretty accurate in determining my Total Daily Energy Expenditure (T.D.E.E), i.e. how many calories I need to consume to be in maintenance. So I highly recommend one, so you can find your baseline. Then take that information and compare to how much you are consuming and use a food scale for accuracy. I look at my weekly calories and use a weekly calorie goal. I hope this helps!
  • namedforthemoon
    namedforthemoon Posts: 12 Member
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    Scottgriesser wrote: »
    Couple quick things:

    Your activity level takes your daily routine into account. It is difficult to figure out, but I'd say you could probably up that to moderate. You do not add in extra calorie burns based off daily routine. That is what the activity level is for.

    In my experience, FitBits are not worth it and cause more confusion than anything when trying to account for daily activity. Obviously, others will swear by them, but I haven't needed it. (Granted, I have a desk job and no kids so my exercise outside of actual exercise is next to nothing) I do use just a cheap Samsung Gear 2 to keep track of walks/runs and to time my rests in weight training, and for that I do think something is worthwhile. They all work well with MFP once you get the hang of em.

    1200 calories was certainly low for you, but also remember that 1200 is the lowest that MFP will ever recommend. It is the minimum recommended intake to retain normal bodily functions (google it). You could probably up the weight loss goal to 1lb/wk for now, but you aren't far from the .5lb/wk. Without really knowing goals and actual activity I'd say something around 1650 -1725 would be a good place to start for a few weeks.

    All of these numbers are best guesses, and will need to be monitored on your end. Adjust as need be. It takes awhile to actually figure out your baselines.



    I forgot to say what my goal weight is! Oops!

    My goal is somewhere between 115-125. I think that's doable, since I was 117-120 when I was 18-22 years old.
  • namedforthemoon
    namedforthemoon Posts: 12 Member
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    Thank you for the responses, I have upped my weight loss to 1 pound a week. That gives me 1600 calories a day. I'll see how it goes!

    Also, I do have a food scale, and I am trying to weigh everything in grams as much as possible.

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