calorie defecit...

samandlucysmum
samandlucysmum Posts: 320
in Health and Weight Loss
Most websites say, that to lose a lb of fat, you need to eliminate 3500 a week, so for a 2lb loss, thats 7000 cals a week, or 1000 a day, that would take my cal allowance to just over 1200 cals daily, as I am 335 lb, so why does MFP set it at 1960cals?

Does eating only 300 cals less a day really help to lose 2lb a week as MFP suggests?

Any thoughts?

Is it because I am a heavier weigh that I need less of a deficit to make a loss of 2lb a week?

Facts, rather than guesses would be useful please.

Replies

  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    MFP does what you tell it - did you set a weight loss rate of 2 lbs/week in your goals ? If you did then it thinks your TDEE is 2960

    I would take a stab at your BMR being 2460, sedentary lifestyle so multiply by 1.2 = 2952. Subtract 1000 = 1952

    So where did your 1200 come from ?
  • emmalecras
    emmalecras Posts: 79 Member
    I am of similar weight and statistics (actually scary that I have just revealed my weight) and am set at sedentary (as I have a full time desk job) and wanting to lose 1kg (2lb) per week. MFP sets me a 1000 calorie deficit per day and I end up with 1780 calories per day before exercise.
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,371 Member
    Are you calculating using an average person's expenditure or your own? Larger people burn more just moving about so we get a larger allowance to start with or else our deficit would be too great. I'm currently 346lbs, sedentary trying to lose 2lbs per week and the site gives me 1810 cals per day if that's any help for comparison? I am losing well at that and eat back most of my exercise calories.
  • samandlucysmum
    samandlucysmum Posts: 320
    MFP does what you tell it - did you set a weight loss rate of 2 lbs/week in your goals ? If you did then it thinks your TDEE is 2960

    I would take a stab at your BMR being 2460, sedentary lifestyle so multiply by 1.2 = 2952. Subtract 1000 = 1952

    So where did your 1200 come from ?

    Because one website said that to lose 1lb of fat a week, you need a defecit of 3500 cals weekly, or 500 a day, so I looked at wanting to lose 2lb a week,
    My BMR is 2203, I am a stay at home mum, so I do basic housework, and most days I do a 2 hour walk to and fro for pre-school etc. My current setting is on lightly active, but if I look at it, other than the school run, i spend a fair bit of time sitting, so if I changed it to sedentry, MFP goal would be 1750, so I suppose this would be a better goal for the 2lb a week goal?...
  • samandlucysmum
    samandlucysmum Posts: 320
    Are you calculating using an average person's expenditure or your own? Larger people burn more just moving about so we get a larger allowance to start with or else our deficit would be too great. I'm currently 346lbs, sedentary trying to lose 2lbs per week and the site gives me 1810 cals per day if that's any help for comparison? I am losing well at that and eat back most of my exercise calories.
    I put into these calculators, my own weight and height, I think I need to be more honest, and use the sedentry setting really, perhaps then I might notice more of a weight loss.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    My BMR is 2203

    you had it measured ? or which site gave you that.

    This is the source of the discrepancy.
  • emmalecras
    emmalecras Posts: 79 Member
    I have been working within MFP since the beginning of January at their suggested calorie allowances. Whilst I have had some ups and downs during that time, I have averaged around 2lb per week if I look at the overall figures so think for me it is working brilliantly.
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,371 Member
    Are you calculating using an average person's expenditure or your own? Larger people burn more just moving about so we get a larger allowance to start with or else our deficit would be too great. I'm currently 346lbs, sedentary trying to lose 2lbs per week and the site gives me 1810 cals per day if that's any help for comparison? I am losing well at that and eat back most of my exercise calories.
    I put into these calculators, my own weight and height, I think I need to be more honest, and use the sedentry setting really, perhaps then I might notice more of a weight loss.

    I would set yourself up as sedentary and then record your walking under exercise if I were you otherwise the site might think you are lightly active for 8 hours a day through work.
  • samandlucysmum
    samandlucysmum Posts: 320
    My BMR is 2203

    you had it measured ? or which site gave you that.

    This is the source of the discrepancy.

    MFP says that is my BMR, base on my height age and weight.

    I think it is the lifestyle setting that I got wrong.
  • samandlucysmum
    samandlucysmum Posts: 320
    Are you calculating using an average person's expenditure or your own? Larger people burn more just moving about so we get a larger allowance to start with or else our deficit would be too great. I'm currently 346lbs, sedentary trying to lose 2lbs per week and the site gives me 1810 cals per day if that's any help for comparison? I am losing well at that and eat back most of my exercise calories.
    I put into these calculators, my own weight and height, I think I need to be more honest, and use the sedentry setting really, perhaps then I might notice more of a weight loss.

    I would set yourself up as sedentary and then record your walking under exercise if I were you otherwise the site might think you are lightly active for 8 hours a day through work.

    Good idea, I will do that.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    MFP says that is my BMR, base on my height age and weight.

    I think it is the lifestyle setting that I got wrong.
    Gotcha. Yes, if you overestimate activity or exercise you will get a goal for calories eaten higher than it should be.

    It's worth noting that BMR estimates are estimates and may not be spot on for you, so if you set a calorie intake and find that 4 weeks of average weight loss is lower than expected then you can adjust your intake accordingly - your progress tells you the actual numbers.
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,371 Member
    Good luck with it. You should get quite a few extra calories from all that walking on top of your basic sedentary settings and it'll encourage you to do more at the weekends to earn more treats!
  • samandlucysmum
    samandlucysmum Posts: 320
    Your diet Profile

    Target

    Calories Burned

    From Normal Daily Activity

    2,750 calories/day

    Net Calories Consumed*

    Your Daily Goal

    1,750 calories/ day

    Daily Calorie Deficit

    1,000 calories

    Projected Weight Loss

    2.0 lbs/ week


    So the higher figure of 2750 is my TDEE which is the figure to go by, rather than the BMR, so the defecit of 100 cals a day gives the 1750 figure, which looks good to me, don't think I could survive on 1200 cals a day!!

    Thanks for your thoughts and advice, it has helped me, thanks.
  • EmmaM2211
    EmmaM2211 Posts: 536 Member
    My BMR is 2203

    you had it measured ? or which site gave you that.

    This is the source of the discrepancy.

    MFP says that is my BMR, base on my height age and weight.

    I think it is the lifestyle setting that I got wrong.


    Your BMR is not your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). Try going to www.fat2fitradio.com/tools and use their calculators to work out your TDEE. You then take the 1000cals off that number. You should not be eating below your BMR on any day as thats when the body starts to get messed up. By knowing your TDEE and your BMR you can eat between those 2 numbers and will lose weight.

    Just try a few different numbers until you find what works for you, there'll be a range that you and your body are both happy with. Dont starve yourself and dont eat too much. So long as I stick between 1300 and 1500 a day then I seem to lose consistently but my BMR is less than yours at 1440 cos I'm a little shortie!! lol.

    Good luck :flowerforyou:

    EDT: Never mind you got it before I posted lol xxx
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
    MFP won't let me put 2lbs of weight loss anymore. 1.5 is the most it will say. Did I break it?

    Anyway, 1200 calories is really low, except for people at my current activity level (allergies have me sick as a dog, I'm darn near comatose in this chair all day). So anyway, you probably burn more than your BMR (isn't that also set to comatose levels?) so you could probably burn more than the numbers show. Unless, once again, you're a total lump like I am right now. In which case, yeah, you aren't going to lose 2lbs a week.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    My BMR is 2203

    you had it measured ? or which site gave you that.

    This is the source of the discrepancy.

    MFP says that is my BMR, base on my height age and weight.

    I think it is the lifestyle setting that I got wrong.

    Your lifestyle setting is wrong. You had it right the first time. You are lightly active as a stay at home mom. You move a lot more than your average computer programmer or finance guy who actually sits behind a desk. Keep in mind just because your deficit is large, doesn't mean you lose more weight in the long term. Bodies adapt to lower calories and will burn less calories if you are under feeding.

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