Calorie goal for the day too low....

c_muschany
c_muschany Posts: 37 Member
edited December 18 in Health and Weight Loss
After reading some of the threads here about BMR and TDEE (?), I was really concerned about the daily calorie goal MFP set for me. MFP said my BMR was around 1472. But it set my DCG as 1210. When I went to that site that was given on the other thread, it said my BMR was around 1526. Then it said I should be eating no less than 1600 something and that was if I was sedentary, but I am exercising around 6 days a week. I have been walking 3 miles in 50 minutes and then doing 10 min. on the elliptical.

Anyway...I called my doctor today to ask her if 1200 was too little to be eating daily and she said yes. She said she wants me to be around 1800 a day. I am a little scared do eat more because I have lost weight since starting two weeks ago. But it does seem to coincide with what I have been hearing people say on here.

For now I am not going to change the goal on the computer but I am going to start eating between 1600-1800 and see what happens. Wish me luck!
Cindy

Replies

  • Lightbulb1088
    Lightbulb1088 Posts: 189 Member
    i've lost 5 lbs also in 2 weeks. my cal count is 1900 but I don't usually eat it all. i am gaging it on how I feel most of the time i am not hungry and only eat about 900 to 1200, with once in a while it is closer to 1500. Keep an eye on how it goes and see if you continue to lose. I've learned over the years that you need to keep your body guessing so it doesn't go into a stavation mood. I am also still learning how to do this. :)

    I've have seen in some post, that more caleries help you lost more but most of the time that is with people who have not been losing for a period of time.
  • Mommyof3texans
    Mommyof3texans Posts: 347
    I can understand being scared to eat more, but I am on the eat more to lose bandwagon as well. I do think you can maybe ease into it though. Maybe eat between somewhere between your BMR and where your Dr. wants you to eat and give it a few weeks. I just upped mine a few days ago, so I can't really say yet how it's going.

    My BMR is 1324 and my TDEE is 2034 (I do a fitness bootcamp 3x a week for an hour and do C25K 3x a week). I set my calories at 1640 and I only eat some exercise calories if my net is under my BMR.

    I started on here a year ago and at first wasn't losing much until I upped my calories. I wasn't even as active then as I am now. You may have to play with the calorie level every 3 or 4 weeks until you find the right level.
  • c_muschany
    c_muschany Posts: 37 Member
    Thanks guys. I appreciate your responses. I am eating right between what MFP says and what my doc said, so if it works for a while, that is what I will do. I am trying to really gauge my tummy and when I am hungry vs. when I want to just put something in my mouth! Ha!
  • epoeraven
    epoeraven Posts: 458 Member
    Have you double checked your settings? When I first started, I accidentally answered one of my questions wrong and it scimped me on calories too. Once I double checked that I went back to a more normal count.
  • jsapninz
    jsapninz Posts: 909 Member
    YOU set your goal when you told MFP how many lbs you wanted to lose per week. If you don't have that much to lose, don't be setting it to 2 lbs per week, etc.
  • c_muschany
    c_muschany Posts: 37 Member
    I think so, there were only a few to set, but I will check, thanks. And jsapninz, I set it to lose 1.5 a week. It still said I needed to be at 1210 a week. My doc said that is way too low.
  • Shavee12
    Shavee12 Posts: 2
    Let me know if eating more while exercising is working. Because I began exercising and staying at 1200 although it says that I can eat 1700 if I vigorously exercise. I hope you do well.
  • c_muschany
    c_muschany Posts: 37 Member
    I will! I still don't think I want to eat 1800, but 1600 is doable.
  • ems1583
    ems1583 Posts: 150 Member
    Hi! That is my dilemma also. I started at 1380 goal but usually I'll get 1200 or less, lost 1.6 lbs, then the following week I lowered it to 1200, lost 4 lbs, but that week was tough. I was starving and getting lightheaded at times. Then I set it to 1380, getting 1200 or less again, increased my exercises (Insanity + turbofire/treadmill) then I only lost 0.2 lb! I was frustrated! that was just last friday. I worked hard, hoping to make my weight loss faster. But then after that I decided to up my cal coz that's what everyone saying, the slowing of metabolism or your body building muscle, etc. I upped it to 1380-1500, and I made sure I eat back my exercise cal (coz I usually do not) then just earlier I weighed in and lost 0.6 lb in 3 days after upping my cal. I'm gonna stick my upped cal and see what happens.
  • ems1583
    ems1583 Posts: 150 Member
    Hi! That is my dilemma also. I started at 1380 goal but usually I'll get 1200 or less, lost 1.6 lbs, then the following week I lowered it to 1200, lost 4 lbs, but that week was tough. I was starving and getting lightheaded at times. Then I set it to 1380, getting 1200 or less again, increased my exercises (Insanity + turbofire/treadmill) then I only lost 0.2 lb! I was frustrated! that was just last friday. I worked hard, hoping to make my weight loss faster. But then after that I decided to up my cal coz that's what everyone saying, the slowing of metabolism or your body building muscle, etc. I upped it to 1380-1500, and I made sure I eat back my exercise cal (coz I usually do not) then just earlier I weighed in and lost 0.6 lb in 3 days after upping my cal. I'm gonna stick my upped cal and see what happens.

    By the way my BMR is 1365 here in MFP and in the other websites its 1400+ something. and with the TDEE with me doing 6x/week exercise its saying to eat 2000 something. But I don't want to eat that much. I'll stay 1380-1500 cal/day.
  • c_muschany
    c_muschany Posts: 37 Member
    I know what you mean, ems! It is scary to eat that much when, wasn't eating what caused me to get fat in the first place???
  • ems1583
    ems1583 Posts: 150 Member
    I know what you mean, ems! It is scary to eat that much when, wasn't eating what caused me to get fat in the first place???

    I know it is! I've been reading a lot of post about upping cal, and not going below 1200. Since Friday I was confused not til today. I was like happy with my weight loss, for 3 wks when it slowed down without changing on my cal intake. They said, try experimenting and see what works for your body. That's what I'm doing now. I gave myself some slack, not to be obsessed with the scale, and I realized we have to eat healthy. I can't go on the rest of my life eating at 1200! it was hard for me, but for some they're okay with that. if I'm not doing any exercises I would eat 1200 maybe, but I'm doing Insanity. I think that's taking/need a lot of cal. Today isn't supposed to be my weigh in day, its til Friday. But I'm glad I checked atleast I kinda know that upping my cal made me lost fast I think much better compared last week.
  • gaia3rd
    gaia3rd Posts: 151
    I know what you mean, ems! It is scary to eat that much when, wasn't eating what caused me to get fat in the first place???
    yes...and no. I doubt you were consistently eating 1800 calories before. This is the mistake most people make. They were WAY overeating, then they clamp down with a too restrictive diet, which leads to discouragement and, often, binging. The trick is to make this a sustainable, lifestyle change. Eat healthy, set a reasonable goal (and 1800 is not at all unreasonable considering the amount of exercise you're doing), and give your body a day of rest to recuperate from the exercise.
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