I have been using Livestrong's MyPlate to track calories for almost two months now. I have been losing at a very good rate on 1600 calories but this morning when I logged in Livestrong had lowered my cal allowance to 1553 (I am assuming because I logged a lower weight last night). Now I know that approximately 50 calories may seem like small beans but there are some days when I need/ want every calorie I can have.

So, do I follow Livestrong's suggestion? Or do I just keep up what I am doing until I begin to stall?

Thanks in advance!

I use livestrong as well and find that their changing of the calorie allotments and calories burned as my weight changes very helpful. Their calculator is designed to give show the allotment per the goal. So if your goal is plugged into their calculator as to lose 1 pound a week, it's always going to adjust to keep that deficit. I have been using it for over 18 months now and up until a few months ago when they changed their calculator, I always adjusted with their calorie allotments. But that was me and not you so if you find that those 50 calories are absolutely necessary, then you should use them.

I only use their site to track my weight.

When you change your weight or your weight loss goal it will adjust calories accordingly. If you track exercise on there it gives you additional calories towards your total.

So if your allotment is 1500 calories and you burn 100 doing yoga, it will let you eat 1600 and still be under your limit. I try not to do that though, but that's how it works in case you were wondering why you had different calorie counts.

If their counts have been working for you I would stick with them. Its better )(easier) to gradually go down in calories than 100 or more all at once.

Congrats on your loss so far!!!!

I use Livestrong for calorie/nutrient/carb counting. It will lower your calorie intake as you loose, but if you exercise it adds calorie allotment for what you have burned off. I have been eating my exercised calories back and it has helped with my weight loss when I was stalled. Plus it all depends on what you choose as your lifestyle. I chose my as sedentary because I have a desk job that requires me to be at a computer all day. But I do work out daily so it makes up for it. Good luck !

I've used Livestrong pretty much since the beginning, and have actually never followed their suggestions. I input my own (which you can do if you click "Calculate your own calorie goal" or something like that) and have done fine.

I also don't eat back my exercise, so I don't use MyPlate to track activity at all.

It's up to you what you think will work. I never went along with their calculations because I didn't want to fix what wasn't broken.

JenMusic- You are sooo close to your goal! Congrats!!!!!

Thanks! My initial goal was actually 140, and I've lowered my goal in 5 pound increments since then . . . each time thinking the new goal was crazy. At this point, I'm hoping to maintain between 115-120. I'm living proof that if I can do, it's possible.

You're doing great, too - keep going! For me, it's always about the next choice, for today. That's what's gotten me here.

I love livestong Daily plate and I log food and fitness. When I first started I chose Sedentary lifestyle ( I work from home .. 8 Hours sitting at a desk) Livestrong suggests 930 cals per day.

I have added a work out regime so now do I stay at sedentary... and eat back my burned calories??? (could be difficult on a late day run)

I have been told that I sould not go below 1200 Calories.

HELP

I can't comment on the eating back calories because I'm still in confusion about that but with Livestrong, you are supposed to calculate your exercise separately. So unless you daily activities change (new job that keeps you on your feet, etc.), you are supposed to keep your activity level on sedentary.

I don't use Livestrong to calculate my exercise at all, but I do have my activity level set on "Light" in order to account for daily, non-exercise movement.

As far as the "eating back calories" question goes, different things work for different people - I didn't start out doing it, so I never saw the point in changing since what I was doing was working.

I've used various sites for tracking but also a fat notebook. I would calculate my plans with sites then usually log in my notebook. I also usually listed myself as living a sedentary lifestyle but really am pretty active (no car and walk an average of 5 miles a day on top of planned exercise). I wanted a lower than needed calorie count. I usually round down for most things when looking at burned calories. I usually round up for most things when looking at food calories.

I usually assume that I'm doing math wrong to I try to build in a bit of extra exercise and less food.I started off with the same amount of daily calorie as I finished. So, I lost a bit more a week in the beginning then slowed down.

I'll tell my older son that I'm so hungry I could eat his little brother if he had a little butter on him. At 1300 calories a day, I will bite my younger son's arm off if he wants to nibble off my plate--and he knows it. I will also lick everything off my plate. So, every calorie is a blessing.