adjusting calories?

Options
sassy0507
sassy0507 Posts: 23
in Health and Weight Loss
i have a question...i have 50+ pounds to lose...MFP set me up @1200 calories a day...shortly afterwards, i have folks telling me that i am having too few calories...SOOO i self-adjusted to 1400 and i feel like i am "over-eating"....what should i do? has anyone else changed their caloric intake for any reason? if so, why?

Replies

  • IveLanded
    IveLanded Posts: 797 Member
    Options
    Well, it's not just about calories in, it's also about output. Weight loss is simple........it's about calories in versus calories out. That's all.

    So, for a lady like you or I, if you eat 1200 calories a day and you work out at least 4 or 5 times a week, you'll lose weight. IMHO, if you were my friend, I would suggest 1200 calories a day and track your work outs..........give that a good 2 or 3 weeks.........and see what your results are. My *guess* would be that you'd see a small weight drop. If you think about that and you wanted to add food calories, then you'd need to add work out burn-off too.

    I only adjust up my calories on days when I work out more than once a day, and I honestly don't adjust up for the ENTIRE amount.

    I started at 188, I'd like to lose about 40. I did 1200 calories and worked out for an hour every day and I lost 11lbs in 3 weeks. The second I upped my calories, my weight loss slowed. That's my experience.
  • mallory3411
    mallory3411 Posts: 839 Member
    Options
    Research BMR. That is what I eat at.

    For some reason this site sets a lot of people at 1,200 calories per day. Personally I believe that is far too low for most people in the world. If you constantly don't give your body enough energy it will slow down.

    I won't lose if I eat less than about 1,400 a day. It isn't always the lower you have the more you lose.
  • sassy0507
    sassy0507 Posts: 23
    Options
    thanks tall! i appreciate the input! :bigsmile:
  • chickybuns
    chickybuns Posts: 1,037 Member
    Options
    If 1400 is working, I would stick with that. It's more about what works for you than what people say.
  • sassy0507
    sassy0507 Posts: 23
    Options
    :laugh: lol my last post should have said thank YALL...dang phone...lol

    i did check out the BMR and it does say different from MFP...im gonna try that for a couple of weeks.

    thanks a bunch!!:wink:
  • mallory3411
    mallory3411 Posts: 839 Member
    Options
    You'll lose weight eating 1,200 calories a day.. however you also run the chance of messing up your metabolism as well. When it needs more but constantly gets less it will slow down and therefore you have to eat less to lose.

    MFP never sets the daily calorie goal at your BMR if you are looking to lose weight... not sure why!

    I have always eaten at my BMR and than usually about 2/3s of my exercise calories back.
  • yesthistime
    yesthistime Posts: 2,051 Member
    Options
    If 1400 is working, I would stick with that. It's more about what works for you than what people say.

    Yup. Listen to your body.
  • salsera_barbie
    salsera_barbie Posts: 270 Member
    Options
    You'll lose weight eating 1,200 calories a day.. however you also run the chance of messing up your metabolism as well. When it needs more but constantly gets less it will slow down and therefore you have to eat less to lose.

    MFP never sets the daily calorie goal at your BMR if you are looking to lose weight... not sure why!

    I have always eaten at my BMR and than usually about 2/3s of my exercise calories back.

    MFP doesn't set it at your BMR. It sets it at TDEE minus x. X being how many calories you want to lose per week. So if you want to lose 1 pound per week it will set it at TDEE minus 500. In this scenario TDEE minus 500 = 1050, the MFP default you to 1200 because that is what is considered to be the lowest healthy caloric intake.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
    Options
    with the amount you have to lose I would set my weekly goal to 1.5lbs/week, when you get down to 40 to go change to 1 lb/week.

    Here is a guide I use to set weekly weight loss goals:
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.
  • jbella99
    jbella99 Posts: 596 Member
    Options
    1200 calories is very low. I eat 1600 a day I have 50 pounds to lose but I eat clean. Well I slip with my sweet tooth every now and then but 90% of the time I eat a very clean diet, I can even eat up to 2000 calories when I hit the gym 5 days a week with both weights and cardio. but I always stick to about 1600. I also do calorie cycling when I hit a plateau.

    Add me I can share some tips with ya
  • breyn2004
    breyn2004 Posts: 162 Member
    Options
    For me personally.... MFP set me at 1200 as well. I simply didn't feel like I was getting enough to eat. I exercise 6-days a week and I don't eat back my exercise calories so I self-adjusted my calories to 1500/day. That's was 300+ days ago and 60+ pounds ago! Myself and two friends all got on MFP and it set each of us (all 3 vastly different in weight) at 1200, so I'm not sure how that works......
  • tammy1005
    tammy1005 Posts: 62
    Options
    For me personally.... MFP set me at 1200 as well. I simply didn't feel like I was getting enough to eat. I exercise 6-days a week and I don't eat back my exercise calories so I self-adjusted my calories to 1500/day. That's was 300+ days ago and 60+ pounds ago! Myself and two friends all got on MFP and it set each of us (all 3 vastly different in weight) at 1200, so I'm not sure how that works......



    I am so happy I read this. I have been trying to figure out why I am not losing weight. I workout 6 days a week as well and I can't lose a lb on 1200. I am going to up it to 1500 and see what happens!
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Options
    Probably because that's the lowest it will set anybody at.
  • breyn2004
    breyn2004 Posts: 162 Member
    Options
    For me personally.... MFP set me at 1200 as well. I simply didn't feel like I was getting enough to eat. I exercise 6-days a week and I don't eat back my exercise calories so I self-adjusted my calories to 1500/day. That's was 300+ days ago and 60+ pounds ago! Myself and two friends all got on MFP and it set each of us (all 3 vastly different in weight) at 1200, so I'm not sure how that works......



    I am so happy I read this. I have been trying to figure out why I am not losing weight. I workout 6 days a week as well and I can't lose a lb on 1200. I am going to up it to 1500 and see what happens!

    Good Luck to you!! I meet with a nutritionist once a month of so to measure lean/fat mass and all that good stuff and she seemed to think I made the right decision. But I know everyone is different. You can definitely not eat enough.

Categories