Calorie Goal

This is my first week and I was wondering how important it is to meet the calorie goal? I continually come under the calorie goal by as much as 800-1000 calories throughout the week after exercise. When I got my first weekly report it told me I only came within 15% of my calorie goal twice this week (like that was bad). Am I not eating enough? I had been shooting for a 500 a day deficit with an 1850 calorie day goal that was set for me.

Replies

  • angelsja
    angelsja Posts: 860 Member
    Your supposed to eat your exercise calories back and net your calorie goal or close to it
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,023 Member
    edited March 2019
    As a man, you should be netting a minimum of 1500 cals on average. If you have drastically changed your diet, it can take a week or two for your digestive system and appetite to get used to it, so it's not uncommon for folks to feel like they can't eat enough at first. If you are eating very low fat in an effort to cut calories, try to add some of it back.

    How many exercise calories are you getting and what exercise are you doing? It's possible your exercise calories are inflated.

    It would also be a good idea to double check your logging accuracy, as there are several common logging errors most of us made when we first started out. Most database entries were entered by other users, so you need to check each entry the first time you use it. Are you using a food scale to weigh your portions? Are you logging everything - beverages, condiments, cooking oils, nibbles, late night snacks? These errors can lead to you eating more than you think and making your numbers look out of whack.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,443 Member
    MFP already calculates your deficit in the 1850 calories. You're not supposed to take a deficit from the 1850.
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    it is VERY important to meet the goal or very close to most days. regularly under eating can cause health issues over time.
  • Theo166
    Theo166 Posts: 2,564 Member
    If it's your first week, I'd focus on accuracy in your logging of food and exercise. You may be undercounting calories or overestimating exercise burn.

    If your tracking is good and you are satiated with less, then adjust your calorie goal down a bit.
  • ckmciver
    ckmciver Posts: 2 Member
    I’ve always been confused about the calorie number...is it a goal or a limit? Like “keep your calories jnderbthis number so you’re good”, or “try to hit this number every day where possible”? I’ve spent a lot of time with diets where they say keep it under that number, so this is confusing to me. I hit the protein amount last night (apparentlybfir the first time ever) and it co granulated me (and yet was over the total calories by 300). Help?
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,023 Member
    ckmciver wrote: »
    I’ve always been confused about the calorie number...is it a goal or a limit? Like “keep your calories jnderbthis number so you’re good”, or “try to hit this number every day where possible”? I’ve spent a lot of time with diets where they say keep it under that number, so this is confusing to me. I hit the protein amount last night (apparentlybfir the first time ever) and it co granulated me (and yet was over the total calories by 300). Help?

    You want to be as close to the goal as possible, some days under some days over, hopefully averaging out in the end. Your macros are personal preference. Many of us look at fat and protein as minimums to exceed and let carbs fall where they may.

    The app only looks at one thing at a time, so it will congratulate you for one thing even if you completely trashed everything else :lol: If your goal is weight loss, your calorie goal should be your #1 concern though!