1200 kcal seems really low, wondering how’d you decide on that as well.
Do you have a way of figuring out how much calories you need everyday ?
I found out I need a lot more than expected, hence it was difficult for me to maintain weight. 
Hi, thanks for your replies 
it was the calorie target MFP gave me to lose 2lb a week
It might be an idea to compare to another site, maybe https://tdeecalculator.net/ or something similar (I’ve used another TDEE calculator linked to elsewhere here but can’t remember which).
I was on 1,200 cal for a weight loss of 1lb per week.
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Thank you for the TDEE link! 
It says to maintain I need 2016 calories per day, and the guidance seems to be for a 1lb a week weight loss I should be working to a calorie deficit of 500 per day and for 2lbs a week loss a deficit of 1000 a day. so that would seem to fit with the MFP given target of 1200 per day? I get little exercise at the moment and have a sedentary office job
That sounds about right @clairabelle_xox
The recommended weight loss target is usually 1lb a week which for most people is a 500 calorie deficit. This is do-able long term and doesn’t impact upon your daily energy levels too significantly (altho personally I struggle to maintain a 500 cal deficit because I like to have energy to be physically active).
1000 calorie deficit is possible and some people do achieve a faster weight loss, but it’s much more stressful on the body and does impact on your energy a lot, especially after the first couple of weeks.
For your busy stressful life I would suggest you halve your calorie deficit to 500. I know it is tempting to try to lose all the weight quickly but if it impacts on your ability to concentrate and perform at work, and impacts on your energy at home, it will be a pretty miserable and stressful experience and you might end up giving up.
Any calorie deficit that is achievable and maintainable will get you to your goal, even if it’s only 200 at a time.
You’ve got to find what works for you personally and it sounds like 1000 is too much for you to be able to function in your life. So try 500 and see how you feel maybe?
thanks so much for your replies @ChristinaT @surrealsai @ChrisH0402 @Bee @Huel
Currently I’m on an 800 calorie per day deficit if I’m working to 1200 calories. I’m definitely in this for the long term (although I did want to start off with a boost!) so I think I’ll finish this week at 1200 cals and if I’m still tired on Monday up it to 1500 cals per day. The last thing I want is to give up
While my job is high pressure I’m a desk-jockey and not that physically active, I struggle to find exercise time between work and mum duties, something else I need to look at really but it feels like just another thing to squeeze into the day (even while I know I will benefit)
I will get there!
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You should not go below this number
isn’t that for maintenance though rather than weight loss?
Set your daily calorie limit. To lose weight, youneed to reduce your caloric intake below yourtotal daily calorie requirement indicated by your BMR + activity level. Putting yourself in a 500-calorie deficit every day should result in the loss of one pound every week
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To jump in, this is good to know for me as well.
I’m using an activity tracker.
For what I make of it, your post means my daily need is
my BMR + calories burned for maintaining weight? 
Yes and if you want to loose weight yiy take that number minus 500
Day 11…
Still feeling good, not so tired today so maybe it’s just a ‘getting used to it’ thing. Last night was the first time I’ve dealt with a chocolate craving! Probably because my darling son was sat next to me eating a Dairy Milk Oreo. Luckily I had enough calories for a Caramel Wafer (woohoo!) which did the trick and to save myself from further temptation (stopping at one isn’t a strong point of mine) I went and had a long hot shower.
On the getting off my bum and squeezing some exercise into my busy schedule front, one thing I’m not very good at is taking a lunch break, and I’ve always brought my lunch in and eaten it at my desk, so no change there with the introduction of Huel. For the last 2 days however, especially in the lovely weather here in Wiltshire, I’ve made an effort to go out for a walk, and it’s been lovely to take some time to pause for a ‘me’ moment. I’ve linked Map My Walk to MFP which works beautifully. As reward for todays efforts I have a nice blister on my little toe (Note to Self - don’t wear stupid shoes to work) but yesterdays efforts gained me enough calories for the Caramel Wafer (woohoo! again!)
If all goes to plan, I’m hoping to squeeze in a visit to my local leisure centre for a swim on Saturday, as I enjoyed the swim I did on my girls spa trip last weekend.
Hoping you have sunshine where you are too 
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Well done you! Lovely sunshine here too 
Why is it bad to go below BMR? I thought for moderate weight loss you were supposed to go 500 below your required calories?
Hi @Alex there’s a difference between your BMR and your total calorie expenditure.
You want to consume less calories than you expend, in order to lose weight - the recommended is 250-500 per day for sustainable weight loss.
BMR (basal metabolic rate) is what your body would burn if you laid in bed doing literally nothing but breathing. It’s what you burn just to breathe, pump blood and stay alive. As soon as you move, talk, think, eat, do literally any activity at all, you start burning over and above your BMR.
It’s inadvisable to consume less than your BMR because your body needs this many calories just to function - keep your heart beating etc. It is possible to consume less because your body will obtain energy by breaking down fat and muscle stores, but if you were to do this long term, you could do damage to your organs. From a practical point of view it would be really hard to function in your daily life on such a low calorie intake anyway.
I would ignore your BMR for weight loss purposes and instead calculate your TDEE. All these calculations are estimates tho and it takes a bit of trial and error to find your own personal ideal calorie intake to lose weight at a rate that suits your lifestyle.
Start by calculating your TDEE, subtract 500 calories and go with that. Track your weight and look at the trend. If you’re not losing anything after a couple of weeks, cut another 250. If you’re losing more than 1kg a week and you’re struggling with energy, go up by 250 a day.
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Sunday…weigh day tomorrow… but it’s been a good week. Working at home today though and trying not to give in to the munchies, saving myself for later and movie night with my son, when a bag of skinny popcorn awaits me
Proud of myself for getting some exercise this weekend, building on my ‘go for a walk at lunchtime’ efforts from the week. I popped off to my local swimming pool yesterday where unfortunately despite having issued a new timetable for the Easter holidays they still managed to get it wrong, the scheduled lane swimming session was a myth, and there was a private gala on. Went home and went for a 2 mile walk instead, determined to do something that would warrant the reward of a large G&T Not far really but a start for a horribly unfit desk jockey. Off to the swimming pool again today where I finally managed to get my swim in.
Still loving the ease, convenience and fill-me-up power of Huel, I no longer have to worry about meal planning or, when I’m out and about at the weekends, where I’m going to get a low calorie lunch that doesn’t put me off plan and make the rest of the day a calorie struggle. I just make it up and take it with me.
Fingers crossed for the scales tomorrow!!
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