1,200 calories?!

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scollis11
scollis11 Posts: 21 Member
in Motivation and Support
Help!
I updated my weight this morning and MFP is now suggesting 1,200 calories per day as a change from my 1,350 per day. While it is completely do-able for me to eat that way, I am concerned that it will not be the healthiest of things for me to do. One of the biggest hesitations is that I do crossfit workouts 5-6 days per week and do not enter my workouts. I would choose to enter my workouts if it was possible, but MFP does not have 90% of the crossfit movements. I am concerned that I will tank my metabolism by eating only 1,200 cals per day and by working out. Am I overthinking this?

Replies

  • debrakgoogins
    debrakgoogins Posts: 2,034 Member
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    Is your goal weight loss? Are you losing at a rate that is safe and within your goals? If you are, you can keep things the same BUT. You can still log your activity. I use the listing under cardio>strength training to log my weight lifting, and throw training. Your net calories should not be lower than 1200.
  • scollis11
    scollis11 Posts: 21 Member
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    debrakgoogins wrote: »
    Is your goal weight loss? Are you losing at a rate that is safe and within your goals? If you are, you can keep things the same BUT. You can still log your activity. I use the listing under cardio>strength training to log my weight lifting, and throw training. Your net calories should not be lower than 1200.

    My goal is weight loss. I would like to drop 24 more pounds. I have been losing at a safe rate of 1-2 pounds per week. I have tried to log my activity in the past and struggled with the app. I am able to enter my weight lifting component, but have struggled to enter the entire workout. For example our workout for today is running, box jumps, and power cleans. I can put the run in, no problem. The box jumps and the power cleans, not so much. Am I better off entering only the run or should I just put in aerobics- general and the time?
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    1,200 is based on your weekly weight loss goals, AND it's before exercise. As you get closer to goal, your weekly weight loss goal should become smaller. Unless you are petite, sedentary and/or elderly 1200 isn't likely a good goal for you.

    My Fitness Pal uses general exercise categories because exercise calorie burns are rough estimates. Having the exact movements or names of exercise isn't necessarily going to make things a better estimate. Some forms of exercise are very difficult to measure when it comes to calorie burns.

    If your exercise is going to be consistent you might use a TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) calculator that has an exercise estimate built in. Then choose an appropriate weekly weight loss goal, eat that many calories and forget logging exercise or just override the calorie value to 1.
  • scollis11
    scollis11 Posts: 21 Member
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    ReenieHJ wrote: »
    This may not be a popular opinion but MFP is only a guideline. IF you're losing 1-2 lbs a week, why change anything from what you were doing?? If you've been eating 1350 cal. and are happy with that and losing, then don't listen to MFP. ;) It's not written in stone.

    I 100% am with you. I guess my post was for reassurance. You know, the scary little voice in the back of my head was telling me that if I didn't follow it, I would suddenly not lose. Which yes, is INSANE. I realize. Just needed some backup. :-) Thanks
  • scollis11
    scollis11 Posts: 21 Member
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    TeaBea wrote: »
    1,200 is based on your weekly weight loss goals, AND it's before exercise. As you get closer to goal, your weekly weight loss goal should become smaller. Unless you are petite, sedentary and/or elderly 1200 isn't likely a good goal for you.

    My Fitness Pal uses general exercise categories because exercise calorie burns are rough estimates. Having the exact movements or names of exercise isn't necessarily going to make things a better estimate. Some forms of exercise are very difficult to measure when it comes to calorie burns.

    If your exercise is going to be consistent you might use a TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) calculator that has an exercise estimate built in. Then choose an appropriate weekly weight loss goal, eat that many calories and forget logging exercise or just override the calorie value to 1.

    Great idea for the TDEE. I am going to look more into this and adjust accordingly!
  • nanastaci2020
    nanastaci2020 Posts: 1,072 Member
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    If you've been losing at 1-2 pounds per week (so perhaps 1.5 pounds average per week?) then it may be time to drop by 1/2 pound. Change your goal in MFP to lose slower, and it will bump up your calorie goal. Or manually change it in your settings back to 1350 if you're happy there.

    As a body gets smaller, it uses less energy to move and sustain itself. So its normal & natural for a deficit to decrease and rate of loss to lessen as you get closer to your goal.
  • Shortgirlrunning
    Shortgirlrunning Posts: 1,020 Member
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    I eat at 1200 calories but only on days I don’t exercise at all. There’s no way I could do my running on just 1200 calories. Just stick with your 1350. You’ll lose a little slower but that’s fine.
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,468 Member
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    Don’t see how you can do that much exercise on 1200. I agree with everyone who suggests that the number the calculators put out are not written in stone. Adjust them as needed. People go nuts and wreck good programs over the calculators. Don’t be one of them. You’re losing regularly? If is ain’t broke...
  • debrakgoogins
    debrakgoogins Posts: 2,034 Member
    edited July 2020
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    scollis11 wrote: »
    I have tried to log my activity in the past and struggled with the app. I am able to enter my weight lifting component, but have struggled to enter the entire workout. For example our workout for today is running, box jumps, and power cleans. I can put the run in, no problem. The box jumps and the power cleans, not so much. Am I better off entering only the run or should I just put in aerobics- general and the time?

    I don't try to log each activity individually. I log strength training (found under cardio) for the full amount of time that I worked out. So, if I work with my trainer for an hour even if it involves lifting and cardio, I just log 60 minutes of strength training. I don't try to find each element of my workout and log those separately. Does that make sense?
  • ksavy
    ksavy Posts: 271 Member
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    When I was actively doing Crossfit I would log any run portion separate, and then log the WOD under aerobics general or low impact depending on the WOD. Not an exact match, but would give me at least some calories back, usually 150-180 for 20-25 min. I did not log strength portions most days because active lifting time was only like 5-15 min and that is not a huge burn.
  • scollis11
    scollis11 Posts: 21 Member
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    ksavy wrote: »
    When I was actively doing Crossfit I would log any run portion separate, and then log the WOD under aerobics general or low impact depending on the WOD. Not an exact match, but would give me at least some calories back, usually 150-180 for 20-25 min. I did not log strength portions most days because active lifting time was only like 5-15 min and that is not a huge burn.

    It is so annoying that there is not a way to put in a WOD!
    I do not generally enter my strength unless the WOD itself is heavy on the strength.

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