Did you follow daily calorie requirements?

I'm wondering if anyone ate the amount MFP recommends for weight loss? My daily calorie requirements are pretty high from exercise and I'm not sure if I should eat fewer than it says I should if I am satisfied with much less. I'm just wanting to know what peoples' experience has been with weight loss when eating the calories MFP says to eat.

Replies

  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
    Working great so far....almost scarily painless too.
  • It recommended 1200-1250 for me, I eat around 1450-1500. I would say listen to your body as long as you are not consistently eating low numbers, under the 1200, as your body can get used to that.
  • brooke800
    brooke800 Posts: 94 Member
    I should eat 2300 calories today which seems so high. I'm scared to actually eat that many. My BMR is 1500 and I burned 800 cals through exercise. How will I lose if I eat exactly how many have been burned (1500+800)? Shouldn't I do 1800 to have a 500 cal deficit?
  • ILoveYouZandT
    ILoveYouZandT Posts: 7 Member
    I've been eating 1410 calories a day since April.1st (with the exception of going slightly over the first 3 days and being under most days), and I'm just waiting until tomorrow morning to confirm what I've lost, which will bring me to a total of 10lbs since I started MFP on April.1st =)

    Definitely works!
  • fatgirlslimlady
    fatgirlslimlady Posts: 30 Member
    I should eat 2300 calories today which seems so high. I'm scared to actually eat that many. My BMR is 1500 and I burned 800 cals through exercise. How will I lose if I eat exactly how many have been burned (1500+800)? Shouldn't I do 1800 to have a 500 cal deficit?

    The 500 calorie deficit is accounted for at 2300 calories. Today, you'd need to eat 2,800 calories to maintain (BMR + exercise calories = total calories needed for the day), so eating 2,300 keeps you at a healthy deficit!
  • scottstephens79
    scottstephens79 Posts: 77 Member
    I have had pretty good success with this website so far, going by is recommended calorie amount I've dropped 31lbs so far. I did spend a few hours on other websites to verify my BMR, and the daily activity multiplier, and sure enough the numbers lined up and the pounds have been dropping. The creators of this website seem to embrace the KISS method, which actually has confused some people. But don't worry, from my research and current weight-loss success, the numbers are good.
  • scottstephens79
    scottstephens79 Posts: 77 Member
    Brooke, you need to keep in mind your daily multiplier. You burn other calories a day making breakfast, brushing your teeth, deciding which clothes to wear, general walking around house/work/school, washing off your dinner plate, etc. It is basically all the other things I just listed that will put you at a daily calorie deficit. If you try to short-change your body by even more calories by not eating back your workout calories, you will put yourself in the "starvation mode" like I have :-/
  • blonde20fan
    blonde20fan Posts: 233 Member
    When I first joined MFP I ate over my recommended calories and ate my exercise calories. I didn't lose much Now I am religious in eating everyone of my 1460 calories and I don't eat my 200-400 exercise calories. I have lost 10 pounds this month since the change. I am a convert!! I LOVE MFP!!!! It works!
  • kurenaikumo
    kurenaikumo Posts: 271 Member
    I used several different calculators/sites to try and determine the appropriate amount someone of my stature/weight should be intaking in order to lose 15lbs in 5 weeks (special occasion). I came up with 1200 sedentary activity to maintain, so I've been eating 1100 with about 30-60 mins exercise/day. I've lost a total of 9 (lost 3 before I found this site). After that, I'll go with 1200. I'm not able to do some of these high impact dancing/aerobic exercises due to old injury (which interestingly enough has gotten more painful with these few extra lbs...).
  • ktdid626
    ktdid626 Posts: 185 Member
    Bump
  • brooke800
    brooke800 Posts: 94 Member
    Scott can you tell me about your experience with too few calories and how you started to lose? I was eating about a 1000 less than I should and haven't lost a pound but I'm still nervous about ncreasing!

    Thanks everyone! I appreciate your responses
  • brooke800
    brooke800 Posts: 94 Member
    Bump
  • Nope, it suggested a value below my BMR.