The "Olivia Method" - the cool new way to set up your MFP go

For all the 'hurting' brains - it's just a different way to look at it. If you set MFP goal to lose 2 pounds a week then eat your daily calorie allowance and any calories you burn for exercise (not necessarily all in one day but just shoot to be at an average of 0- over or under for the week in total calories). The way Olivia is explaining is just a difference for motivation- set the goal to be what you need to maintain and then if you post a 7000 calorie deficit for the week (3500 calories = 1 pound) then you should lose 2 pounds. Obviously for some- seeing a large green deficit is more of a motivator.
In my opinion it's easier to set MFP for your true goal (weight loss per week) and shoot for even at the end of the week. But it's all about whatever works best for you!

Not totally. I shouldn't be eating less than my BMR regardless. It's what my body needs to sustain life efficiently. MFP had me at 1200 calories regardless of how much I wanted to lose because it just won't go any lower unless you manually override it. If I wasn't exercising, I wasn't eating enough to be healthy. My body fought back by not losing weight. Now that I eat enough food based on my BMR, I've dropped weight despite days of no activity.

I have a Q system. :flowerforyou:

so my BMR is 1623 and my weight is 200. How would I do the Olivia method?

1623 is the amount you would eat. Not less, and only 1-200 over. Now go into Goals and have MFP reset your calories goals as if you were now trying to maintian your current weight. Say Sedentary with zero days exercise and zero calories burned and in the drop down select MAINTAIN MY CURRENT WEIGHT.

Now, when you stop at 1623 calories, the difference will be displayed in green where your net calories normally are. The goal is to have this between 500-1000 at end of day. It won't be 1,000 unless you exercise. So, exercise, track the calories you burn (don't eat em back) until you get the number to 1,000. If you go over, then you can eat anything in excess of 1,000.

The number we are choosing to maintain....is the number we are now, or the number we want to be?

Now, you will need to periodically recalculate as you lose weight to assure you are not eating too many calories.

MFP has me at 1200 per day, and I lost weight for the first couple weeks, but I've hit a plateau since then; however following this method says I MUST eat almost 2300 per day (BMR*1.3). That worries me. If it had me increase my calorie intake by like 200 or so, but over 1000?! That doesn't seem right.

I've been told that people can tell that I've lost weight, and I'm afraid such a large increase will have me blow up like a balloon. I rarely exercise (bad, I know) so I'm worried that taking in 2300+ per day is going to make me gain like crazy.

You won't be eating 2300, you will just have your MFP set to 2300, but you will actually only be eating your BMR, which is usually around 300-500 calories less than that. So, even on days you don't exercise you would still have a defiicit of that many towards your weekly deficit...and 500 calories equals a pound of week (that's NO exercise).

Seeing if I have this correct

BMR = 1397
1397*1.3 = 1816 (that's the number I set my calorie goal for, right?)
1397+1000=2397-1816=581

And the goal is to keep your green number between 500-1000 each day? Right? Thanks!

Yup, and never eat less than 1397