To try and get the weight moving again I decided to try logging calories. Even though I feel I have been doing well with my eating I thought it would be smart to actually track myself and see if I am off. I joined MFP this morning and set up an account. It set my daily calorie limit at 1210. From things I have read on here over time that sounds really low. It also calculated my BMR at 1638. So where the heck did the 1210 come from? Do I need to change a setting? For anyone who wants to dive in and help my exploding brain I am 217 lbs/5'2.

Thank you!!!
Liz

Sorry if I'm no help, but there's a website that will calculate your BMR based on everything (height, weight, activity level, etc.) You're supposed to eat 500 less than what you receive as your BMR. If you try googling BMR calculators, then you may find something of use.

We are close in weight, same height, and our goal weight.
My not-too-scientific, amateur way of figuring it out was, I once heard someone somewhere say, eat for the weight you want to be.
SO.. going off that I figured out the BMR for someone my age, 5'2" and 139 pounds here: http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

It's 1426, so I go for about 1400 a day ... I tackle my calories by week though and not day, have some high days, some low days... so I gave myself 10,000 calories a week, multiplying 1426 by 7. I don't add in for exercise.

I am averaging 2 pounds a week loss thus far, though I fully expect that to slow down. But so far so good.

Hope that helps and best of luck!!

I don't believe MFP uses anything really scientific to calculate your daily calorie goal. It just sets it at around 1200 for anyone wanting to lose weight, but you can always make adjustments to the settings. As for how many you should be eating, it is really an individual thing, something you may have to play around with some to find an amount that works for you.

Individual metabolisms can vary tremendously. Online calculators use mathematical formulas (and not all calculators use the same formula, so you can get different recommendations from different calculators) to estimate your metabolism for you, but it's all estimation. You may or may not have an average metabolism.

So consider the recommendation a starting point SUGGESTION not a set-in-stone rule. If you want to start higher, start higher. If you want to give 1200 calories a chance, give 1200 calories a chance, and decide by your losses and your hunger whether 1200 is too low or just right. Or start with 1800 and do the same thing.

No matter where you choose to start, decide based on your hunger and your weight loss (or lack of it) whether to make changes.

Ultimately, you have to customize and tweak your plan to suit your unique body, personality, goals, and lifestyle.

Mfp uses an equation to determine your bmr, and then based on your activity level and how many pounds per week you told it that you want to lose, it figures out how many calories you should eat per day. If that number comes out below 1200, it will still tell you 1200, since that is the lowest commonly accepted "safe" number.

In other words, if you ate 1638 calories and laid in bed all day, you would maintain your current weight.

MFP asks you questions upon signing up about how many lbs you'd like to lose per week, and also what your activity level is. go back and check those settings.

go to my home > settings > update diet/fitness profile.

that sounds like too little calories to me. i am 136lbs, 5'2" and moderately active. MFP set me at 1320 cals/day.

taht sounds really low. you may want to try Sparkpeople. I think MFP will add calories if you exercise, which Sparkpeople doesn't. It just gives you a range to eat, but doesn't connect what you eat to what you burn.

Depending on how much weight you want to lose, your recommended daily caloric consumption might well be below your BMR. Nothing wrong with that. When we consume less than we need, our bodies draw some of the required energy from fat stores, which is what we want.

F.

Actually, if you want to lose a pound a week, you're supposed to eat 500 calories less than your TOTAL energy requirements (BMR + additional energy needs from being up and about all day). If you want to lose 1.5 pounds a week, eat 750 calories less, etc. Of course it doesn't always work out so neatly, but it's a good ballpark estimate.

F.

I know it's a commitment, but I strongly recommend getting a fitbit. It's a suped-up pedometer that I have found to really accurately estimate my calorie burn based off of my activity. This is where calorie counting for me, all these years, has gone wrong! I figured that sticking with 1200-1400 calories per day would be adequate, but based on my ~1600 calorie BMR, it'd take a LONG TIME to drop any weight with a 200/day deficit (at most). With my fitbit, I can see how many calories I can eat a day to maintain a 750 calorie deficit so that I can lose 1.5 pounds per week - all based on how ACTIVE I am. I have found HUGE incentive in exercising now, because now I know that if I exercise, I can have nearly anything I WANT and still maintain my deficit. When I DON'T exercise, I can only eat a certain amount of calories (~1200), struggle with making my deficit, and feel deprived.
So.... good luck. Look into getting a fitbit! It's expensive, but has been so eye-opening and worth it for me.