Post # 1

Member
9917 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
So I was told by my seamstress that I should lose…one pound. WTF!!! Who can lose just one pound?? So I figured I should try to lose a few pounds, just to be more comfortable on the BIG DAY, and so I joined this My Fitness Pal thing. Apparently it wants me to eat 1200 calories a day. I was “awarded” 200 calories to eat because I worked out.
So. I checked my basal metabolic rate on another site, and if I simply sat all day long (like literally 24 hours), I would burn 1900 calories. So how on earth does 1400 calories make sense??? How do I adjust it to make the calorie consumption more sensible for my basal metabolic rate and all that fancy stuff? If I stick to 1400 calories a day, apparently I will lose two pounds a week (according to this website: http://www.health-calc.com/diet/weight-loss-calculator intake 1400, expenditure 2400).
Post # 3

Member
368 posts
Helper bee
I found the MFP calories to be way low, too. I know some people can function on 1200 but I can’t. I just set it to “I want to maintain” and the daily calories were raised to 1570. I lost about 8 pounds and am now maintaining with 1800-2000 calories daily.
Post # 4

Member
9917 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
@Tmpalm: Okay, I will do that. Thanks. I am just worried because I want my dress to fit but also be comfortable…I don’t know that I can have both things!! Really I just need a flatter stomach…stupid body. Grumble grumble.
Post # 5

Member
368 posts
Helper bee
@peachacid: Ugh, yup. My stomach felt just a bit too tight in the built-in corset of my dress.
Post # 6

Member
12249 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
For me, eating 1,200 cals/day is losing about 1lb/week. And I work a SUPER active job (I work in infant care)! But I have a MISERABLE metabolic rate.
For most people, I think 1,500 cals/day is losing about a pound a week.
Post # 7

Member
2565 posts
Sugar bee
MFP has me at 1400 cal/day.
Post # 8

Member
482 posts
Helper bee
my mfp was at 1200 too, which was too low, could barely eat much by dinner time. i had it changed to 1400. i feel alot better with that amount now.
Post # 9

Member
2363 posts
Buzzing bee
- Wedding: September 2013 - B&B
Agree with some of the PP’s… MFP put me at 1200 a day as well. After 10 days of trying to meet it (and only being successful about every third day) I just instinctively felt that it was wrong for my body. I bumped up to 1500 a day! I started calorie counting on Dec 28th, and as the beginning of march I had lost 6 lbs. (For reference I am almost 5’3 and I started at 139lbs.) I have pretty much maintainted my new weight the whole month of march, so now I need to add exercise. Need the motivation!
Post # 10

Member
7652 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
MFP had me at 1200 per day, and I couldn’t do it, so I checked my BMR, and upped my calories to 1500 a week after starting. I have been on this 65 days and have lost 15 pounds so far 🙂
Post # 11

Member
10 posts
Newbee
I’ve been doing MFP for 4 months now and I am on 1200 cal per day. I found it really hard at first to feel full with that amount of calories, but after i figured out the right foods to eat, I was eating more food and better food that i was before. You have to really committ to it and find ways tog et what you want. One of my favorite foods which is about 400-500 cal is a flat out pizza. We buy the whoe wheat flat out wraps…use 1 full wrap, 1/4 marinara sauce (find the lowest calorie or buy walden farms since ist calorie free) and use skim low fat mozzerela cheese and turkey peperoni! I LOVE IT! what girl wants to give up pizza! For a high protein breakfast to keep me feeling full longer I eat 4 egg whites, 1 banana and 2 table spoons of peanut butter….keeps me ful from 7pm-12 noon. I have a 10 hour a day sitting job and I was able to lose 15 pounds in 3 months by eating right, following the calories and working out 3-4 times a week for 1 hour. You can do it, it just takes determination and will power. Im not going to lie i snuck in a donut or two every once in a while! lol
Post # 12

Member
263 posts
Helper bee
yah im totally confused too b/c if you eat too little that’s supposed to be bad too.
Post # 13

Member
1022 posts
Bumble bee
OP, how tall are you? MFP also has me on 1200 a day, but I thought it was just because I’m short (5″2). I find it pretty hard to stay at 1200, but I usually do it. I lost like 3 pounds in 2 1/2 weeks, but I gained it all RIGHT back last weekend when I visited my parents. Which sucks.
Post # 14

Member
527 posts
Busy bee
I’m on MFP, and I started at 312 lbs. My basal metabolic rate was about 2700, so to lose 2 lbs a week, I had to eat about 1700 calories a day. I’ve lost almost 20 lbs, and my calories have dropped to 1620. HOWEVER, most days I REALLY ate 1300-1400.
This past week, I’ve been eating roughly 1800/day, and I haven’t lost any weight this week. I actually gained about 2 lbs back. This is making be believe I must have a really low metabolism, because the science says I SHOULD be losing weight. But it looks like I have to stick at 1300-1400 to actually see results. It sucks. I weighed in at 295 this morning. I should be able to eat WAY more calories!!
Of course, I’ve also been on my period, so maybe that affected things? IDK.
Post # 15

Member
139 posts
Blushing bee
@peachacid: I use myfitness pal, and I’ve lost 22 lbs. I also got 1200 a day to start.. It doesn’t sound like a lot but when you’re eating the right things- grilled chicken, veggies, rice, egg whites it’s a TON of food and you won’t be hungry. It’s definately short term and once you loose the weight you can set it to maintain weigh and you get a TON more calories. Hope this helps 🙂
Post # 16

Member
10 posts
Newbee
i am 5’4″ and do 1200 cal a day. i don’t even tap into my extra calories that i get from working out unless i fell deprived or hungry.