Calories too low?

[metalmary]

I don't have a fitbit, so I'm just using the app to track my workouts, weight and food.

I'm 5'7", female, currently ~168lbs, with a goal weight of 135. I have my settings set to "hard", to lose about 2 lbs a week, which should be doable, even at my weight.

I didn't work out today, so fitbit wants me to only eat 668  calories! That can't be right. I've heard that, generally, women shouldn't consume any less than 1,200 calories per day.

Am I missing something here?

[MsMegan]

I just got a FitBit for Christmas and started using it Jan 1. I need to lose 40-45 pounds (not sure how THAT happened...) and am very motivated to lose a solid 15 in the next 6 weeks as I'm headed to warmer climes in mid-February. I too chose the "extreme" option and was given just over 1,000 calories a day. I'm close to 6 feet and it just isn't enough. I wanted to lose 1.5 - 2 lbs a week but I think I'll feel like a failure every day if I'm always going over my calorie count. I dropped down to the next level and will focus on losing 1 pound a week and changing my eating habits. Not sure if this helps you, but thought you might like to know you're not alone. Good luck.

[Heybales]

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@metalmary wrote:

I don't have a fitbit, so I'm just using the app to track my workouts, weight and food.

I'm 5'7", female, currently ~168lbs, with a goal weight of 135. I have my settings set to "hard", to lose about 2 lbs a week, which should be doable, even at my weight.

I didn't work out today, so fitbit wants me to only eat 668  calories! That can't be right. I've heard that, generally, women shouldn't consume any less than 1,200 calories per day.

Am I missing something here?

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You are missing using a better tool.

There is a reason why Fitbit makes it easy to sync with several sites that handle food entry much better, and diet goals.

Suggest you use one of them, you don't even know what you are missing if Fitbit site has been it.

Now those other sites are like Fitbit - they'll let you make weight loss goals that are not reasonable - and yours isn't, not really. 2lbs weekly for only 33 to lose is not reasonable - you are just setting up a fight with your body to make it more difficult than it needs to be.

Don't let initial big water weight drop fool you either.

You didn't gain it fast, don't attempt to lose it fast - or you'll be back here next year attempting it again, but easier to gain, and harder to lose again.

You should be at 1 lb weekly, and when you reach 10 lbs to go, switch to 1/2 lb weekly.

The other sites do also stop at 1200 base, because indeed it is lowest recommended for sedentary woman.

And then on days when you are not sedentary and doing more - you indeed eat more, and still lose the average of 1lb weekly.

[Heybales]

So true.

Besides, exercise has a better effect on the body, because you can do it better, the less of a deficit you have.

Because really, are people going to be seeing the scale with whatever number it says - or will they be seeing you?

And a good exercise workout routine can transform the body more than purely weight lost might indicate.

[Shal-N]

I ran into a similar problem.  Dieticians say no one should eat less than 1200 per day.  The problem is that it is only taking into account the calorie deficit needed to lose 2 lbs per week.  It would be better to aim for a certain calorie count per day (somewhere between 1200 and 1700) and stick to that.  Part of the issue is that we need to consume a certain amount of calories per day for our bodies to avoid going into "starvation mode"but we aren't burning enough calories to create a big enough deficit to lose the weight.  Does that make sense?  This is just my best understanding.

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@metalmary wrote:

I don't have a fitbit, so I'm just using the app to track my workouts, weight and food.

I'm 5'7", female, currently ~168lbs, with a goal weight of 135. I have my settings set to "hard", to lose about 2 lbs a week, which should be doable, even at my weight.

I didn't work out today, so fitbit wants me to only eat 668  calories! That can't be right. I've heard that, generally, women shouldn't consume any less than 1,200 calories per day.

Am I missing something here?

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