My calorie deficit?
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Bluedragonfire76
Posts: 11 Member
Hi, I have a question. I am close to 300 lb and MyFitnessPal says I need to eat at least 2,310cal per day. My bmr is 2,043 and I burn 1,800 to 3000 calories a day in exercises from walking to treadmill to cycling I also do some lifting. The thing is I only eat about 1,800 to 2100 calories a day.
What I want to know is is this wrong? should I do more? I've been doing this more than a month now.
What I want to know is is this wrong? should I do more? I've been doing this more than a month now.
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Replies
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It's highly doubtful you're burning 1800 calories exercising. How are you measuring that?
You need to fuel your body. While you can sustain a higher deficit than most, you still need calories. The way MFP is set up you're supposed to eat the 2310 given to you plus at least a portion of your exercise calories.14 -
Bluedragonfire76 wrote: »Hi, I have a question. I am close to 300 lb and MyFitnessPal says I need to eat at least 2,310cal per day. My bmr is 2,043 and I burn 1,800 to 3000 calories a day in exercises from walking to treadmill to cycling I also do some lifting. The thing is I only eat about 1,800 to 2100 calories a day.
What I want to know is is this wrong? should I do more? I've been doing this more than a month now.
I think your calorie burns from exercise are highly overstated, unless you're running a marathon or cycling a century every day.8 -
Whoa those exercise numbers don't seem right at all.4
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How long have you been doing this, and what has happened with your weight during that time?2
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I've hit 1800+ exercise calories in a single day.
15k steps (pedometer) = 1,678 calories
30 min cycling (Strava App) = 217 calories
But that was an exceptional day, not something that happens every day.10 -
How many hours of exercise per day are we talking here, OP?
Is this an exercise adjustment from a fitness band, or exercise you enter yourself directly on MFP?
And all that said and, tbh, irrelevant...
The one thing that really matters...
How long have you been doing this and how much weight have you lost? How do you measure your food and caloric drink intake? How often do you weigh?
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Actual weight loss rate is what matters, once you have at least 4-6 weeks data to establish an average you can reasonably trust.
If your actual average weekly loss rate is more than 1% of your body weight, you're taking health risks, unless you're under very close medical supervision. Slower still would be a good plan when within about 50 pounds of goal.2 -
I have the Gear Fit 2 Pro as a wearable and I have a link to Samsung Health which tracks at all my steps for both my phone and my wearable so I'm sure my counts are correct. I work overnight I have a job that I'm moving walking from place to place constantly so there is no sitting down until I leave.1
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I weigh myself once every Friday I track all my food and drinks through MyFitnessPal and I have lost 39 pounds so far. I weighed 319 pounds when I started this weight loss journey I now weigh 280. I started my weight-loss journey in January on the 5th the same week I started actually going to the gym almost everyday. I also walk from my house to a local park which is three and a half miles away for most every Saturday.1
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Well my Gear Fit 2 Pro says I do like more than 30,000 steps a day but when it goes through the Samsung app I guess they counted out with whatever my phone has and whatever number that come out with which is 30 to 40 thousand steps a day which is what I do a day.0
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I honestly could care less if you believe me or not about what I'm doing or how much because I know what I'm actually doing only reason I posted my question was to ask people who I thought would know more than me so I can find out if I was actually making myself sick by doing as much as I am and not eating back the exercise calories.4
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People weren't saying they didn't believe you, but questioning whether the count was accurate. Sometimes when you first start using a tracker they need to get used to you or be adjusted, and sometimes people interpret a total calorie estimate as just an exercise calorie estimate, so end up double counting. Bigger issue is what actual results are, anyway.
Our of curiosity, what do you get as a goal with MFP on active for a 2 lb loss? That might be a better way to figure what your goal should be?
However, that aside, you say (if I'm following) that you have lost 39 lb in 3 months, which is about 13 lb per month. For the last 6 weeks, what have you lost? Or what are you losing most weeks? Assuming that you lost a significant amount in the first few weeks (as is common) and then about 10 lb per week, I think that's fine at your current weight and there's no need to eat more. Of course, you probably could eat a little more if you wanted to -- seems like the MFP goal makes sense.3 -
No one's calling you a liar, they're simply using knowledge they've gained from experience to help you keep your numbers accurate. The number of calories you burn affects the calories in/calories out equation, so it is directly relevant to your question.2
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lemurcat12 wrote: »People weren't saying they didn't believe you, but questioning whether the count was accurate. Sometimes when you first start using a tracker they need to get used to you or be adjusted, and sometimes people interpret a total calorie estimate as just an exercise calorie estimate, so end up double counting. Bigger issue is what actual results are, anyway.
Our of curiosity, what do you get as a goal with MFP on active for a 2 lb loss? That might be a better way to figure what your goal should be?
However, that aside, you say (if I'm following) that you have lost 39 lb in 3 months, which is about 13 lb per month. For the last 6 weeks, what have you lost? Or what are you losing most weeks? Assuming that you lost a significant amount in the first few weeks (as is common) and then about 10 lb per week, I think that's fine at your current weight and there's no need to eat more. Of course, you probably could eat a little more if you wanted to -- seems like the MFP goal makes sense.
What do you mean by goal they have me set at 2310 calories per day is what I'm supposed to eat I don't know any other goal I've looked at the weekly thing and don't even really understand the Net versus total cuz usually under by my total...0 -
Eat the 2310 cals given plus some of your exercise calories back. Too aggressive a calorie deficit leads to more muscle mass loss along with the fat.
This is not a race to the finish line so just have some patience and trust the process - it works
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Bluedragonfire76 wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »People weren't saying they didn't believe you, but questioning whether the count was accurate. Sometimes when you first start using a tracker they need to get used to you or be adjusted, and sometimes people interpret a total calorie estimate as just an exercise calorie estimate, so end up double counting. Bigger issue is what actual results are, anyway.
Our of curiosity, what do you get as a goal with MFP on active for a 2 lb loss? That might be a better way to figure what your goal should be?
However, that aside, you say (if I'm following) that you have lost 39 lb in 3 months, which is about 13 lb per month. For the last 6 weeks, what have you lost? Or what are you losing most weeks? Assuming that you lost a significant amount in the first few weeks (as is common) and then about 10 lb per week, I think that's fine at your current weight and there's no need to eat more. Of course, you probably could eat a little more if you wanted to -- seems like the MFP goal makes sense.
What do you mean by goal they have me set at 2310 calories per day is what I'm supposed to eat I don't know any other goal I've looked at the weekly thing and don't even really understand the Net versus total cuz usually under by my total...
Yeah, I meant the 2310 goal makes sense.
But to avoid the stuff about net vs total and worrying about your tracker (except to make sure your activity stays up), I suggested re-calculating your goal based on you being active (if you didn't already put that in when they asked activity level) and then wanting a 2 lb loss -- what does MFP give you then?
I would probably recommend not overthinking it, though -- are you normally losing about 2-2.5 lb/week right now? If so, what you are doing is fine. Sometimes when you have a lot to lose calculators (including MFP) can overestimate BMR, and also sometimes when new you underestimate calories, which is why results is the best test. Results of 2.5 per week or less I think is fine. More than 2.5 consistently, I'd try to eat a little more, especially since you are so active during your job.2 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »Bluedragonfire76 wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »People weren't saying they didn't believe you, but questioning whether the count was accurate. Sometimes when you first start using a tracker they need to get used to you or be adjusted, and sometimes people interpret a total calorie estimate as just an exercise calorie estimate, so end up double counting. Bigger issue is what actual results are, anyway.
Our of curiosity, what do you get as a goal with MFP on active for a 2 lb loss? That might be a better way to figure what your goal should be?
However, that aside, you say (if I'm following) that you have lost 39 lb in 3 months, which is about 13 lb per month. For the last 6 weeks, what have you lost? Or what are you losing most weeks? Assuming that you lost a significant amount in the first few weeks (as is common) and then about 10 lb per week, I think that's fine at your current weight and there's no need to eat more. Of course, you probably could eat a little more if you wanted to -- seems like the MFP goal makes sense.
What do you mean by goal they have me set at 2310 calories per day is what I'm supposed to eat I don't know any other goal I've looked at the weekly thing and don't even really understand the Net versus total cuz usually under by my total...
Yeah, I meant the 2310 goal makes sense.
But to avoid the stuff about net vs total and worrying about your tracker (except to make sure your activity stays up), I suggested re-calculating your goal based on you being active (if you didn't already put that in when they asked activity level) and then wanting a 2 lb loss -- what does MFP give you then?
I would probably recommend not overthinking it, though -- are you normally losing about 2-2.5 lb/week right now? If so, what you are doing is fine. Sometimes when you have a lot to lose calculators (including MFP) can overestimate BMR, and also sometimes when new you underestimate calories, which is why results is the best test. Results of 2.5 per week or less I think is fine. More than 2.5 consistently, I'd try to eat a little more, especially since you are so active during your job.
I already have it set like that. I lose somewhere around 2 pounds a little higher a week. I am only trying to lose at maximum 10 pounds a month.
I know my earlier comments or some of them sounded quite defensive and that is because I am already getting blow back about this from my family since they have already given up on this (we started this together). I plan make this a lifestyle not just something I'm doing for the moment. All I mean by that is I want and I'm going to keep the changes I've made so far and make my best efforts to keep active.4 -
Bluedragonfire76 wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Bluedragonfire76 wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »People weren't saying they didn't believe you, but questioning whether the count was accurate. Sometimes when you first start using a tracker they need to get used to you or be adjusted, and sometimes people interpret a total calorie estimate as just an exercise calorie estimate, so end up double counting. Bigger issue is what actual results are, anyway.
Our of curiosity, what do you get as a goal with MFP on active for a 2 lb loss? That might be a better way to figure what your goal should be?
However, that aside, you say (if I'm following) that you have lost 39 lb in 3 months, which is about 13 lb per month. For the last 6 weeks, what have you lost? Or what are you losing most weeks? Assuming that you lost a significant amount in the first few weeks (as is common) and then about 10 lb per week, I think that's fine at your current weight and there's no need to eat more. Of course, you probably could eat a little more if you wanted to -- seems like the MFP goal makes sense.
What do you mean by goal they have me set at 2310 calories per day is what I'm supposed to eat I don't know any other goal I've looked at the weekly thing and don't even really understand the Net versus total cuz usually under by my total...
Yeah, I meant the 2310 goal makes sense.
But to avoid the stuff about net vs total and worrying about your tracker (except to make sure your activity stays up), I suggested re-calculating your goal based on you being active (if you didn't already put that in when they asked activity level) and then wanting a 2 lb loss -- what does MFP give you then?
I would probably recommend not overthinking it, though -- are you normally losing about 2-2.5 lb/week right now? If so, what you are doing is fine. Sometimes when you have a lot to lose calculators (including MFP) can overestimate BMR, and also sometimes when new you underestimate calories, which is why results is the best test. Results of 2.5 per week or less I think is fine. More than 2.5 consistently, I'd try to eat a little more, especially since you are so active during your job.
I already have it set like that. I lose somewhere around 2 pounds a little higher a week. I am only trying to lose at maximum 10 pounds a month.
I know my earlier comments or some of them sounded quite defensive and that is because I am already getting blow back about this from my family since they have already given up on this (we started this together). I plan make this a lifestyle not just something I'm doing for the moment. All I mean by that is I want and I'm going to keep the changes I've made so far and make my best efforts to keep active.
Kudos for that commitment! Most of us find that the weight loss is a huge life improvement in so many ways. Definitely don't let anyone persuade you to abandon your goals!
But please don't misunderstand what we're saying as an attempt to pull you away from your goals, either. Most of the people who are asking you questions and making suggestions here are people who've been successful at weight loss, are staying at a healthy weight (many of us long term), and who try to help newer MFP-ers avoid some of the pitfalls we fell into.
We want to see you achieve your goal weight; stay strong, energetic and healthy while you do so, and develop the knowledge and skills to stay at a healthy weight long term.
I lost about a third of my body weight in 2015. Along the way, I briefly lost weight too fast for my situation (without intending to). Though I corrected as soon as I saw the scale dropping too fast, I still got fatigued and weak, and it took several weeks to feel back to normal. I don't want to see anyone else go through that!
I completely agree with what lemurcat12 says here:lemurcat12 wrote: »Bluedragonfire76 wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »People weren't saying they didn't believe you, but questioning whether the count was accurate. Sometimes when you first start using a tracker they need to get used to you or be adjusted, and sometimes people interpret a total calorie estimate as just an exercise calorie estimate, so end up double counting. Bigger issue is what actual results are, anyway.
Our of curiosity, what do you get as a goal with MFP on active for a 2 lb loss? That might be a better way to figure what your goal should be?
However, that aside, you say (if I'm following) that you have lost 39 lb in 3 months, which is about 13 lb per month. For the last 6 weeks, what have you lost? Or what are you losing most weeks? Assuming that you lost a significant amount in the first few weeks (as is common) and then about 10 lb per week, I think that's fine at your current weight and there's no need to eat more. Of course, you probably could eat a little more if you wanted to -- seems like the MFP goal makes sense.
What do you mean by goal they have me set at 2310 calories per day is what I'm supposed to eat I don't know any other goal I've looked at the weekly thing and don't even really understand the Net versus total cuz usually under by my total...
Yeah, I meant the 2310 goal makes sense.
But to avoid the stuff about net vs total and worrying about your tracker (except to make sure your activity stays up), I suggested re-calculating your goal based on you being active (if you didn't already put that in when they asked activity level) and then wanting a 2 lb loss -- what does MFP give you then?
I would probably recommend not overthinking it, though -- are you normally losing about 2-2.5 lb/week right now? If so, what you are doing is fine. Sometimes when you have a lot to lose calculators (including MFP) can overestimate BMR, and also sometimes when new you underestimate calories, which is why results is the best test. Results of 2.5 per week or less I think is fine. More than 2.5 consistently, I'd try to eat a little more, especially since you are so active during your job.
It's a good health-promotion strategy to keep your actual loss rate averaging 1% of your body weight (or less) weekly, as well as getting good nutrition and keeping up with your good exercise practices.
One thing to understand is that all the calorie needs calculators and fitness devices are just giving estimates based on algorithms and statistical studies of large groups of people. Those estimates are close for most people, but can be further off for a minority. After several weeks of experience (needed because results can fluctuate wildly right at first), your own average results are always your best guide.
Best wishes for continued success!
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Bluedragonfire76 wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Bluedragonfire76 wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »People weren't saying they didn't believe you, but questioning whether the count was accurate. Sometimes when you first start using a tracker they need to get used to you or be adjusted, and sometimes people interpret a total calorie estimate as just an exercise calorie estimate, so end up double counting. Bigger issue is what actual results are, anyway.
Our of curiosity, what do you get as a goal with MFP on active for a 2 lb loss? That might be a better way to figure what your goal should be?
However, that aside, you say (if I'm following) that you have lost 39 lb in 3 months, which is about 13 lb per month. For the last 6 weeks, what have you lost? Or what are you losing most weeks? Assuming that you lost a significant amount in the first few weeks (as is common) and then about 10 lb per week, I think that's fine at your current weight and there's no need to eat more. Of course, you probably could eat a little more if you wanted to -- seems like the MFP goal makes sense.
What do you mean by goal they have me set at 2310 calories per day is what I'm supposed to eat I don't know any other goal I've looked at the weekly thing and don't even really understand the Net versus total cuz usually under by my total...
Yeah, I meant the 2310 goal makes sense.
But to avoid the stuff about net vs total and worrying about your tracker (except to make sure your activity stays up), I suggested re-calculating your goal based on you being active (if you didn't already put that in when they asked activity level) and then wanting a 2 lb loss -- what does MFP give you then?
I would probably recommend not overthinking it, though -- are you normally losing about 2-2.5 lb/week right now? If so, what you are doing is fine. Sometimes when you have a lot to lose calculators (including MFP) can overestimate BMR, and also sometimes when new you underestimate calories, which is why results is the best test. Results of 2.5 per week or less I think is fine. More than 2.5 consistently, I'd try to eat a little more, especially since you are so active during your job.
I already have it set like that. I lose somewhere around 2 pounds a little higher a week. I am only trying to lose at maximum 10 pounds a month.
I know my earlier comments or some of them sounded quite defensive and that is because I am already getting blow back about this from my family since they have already given up on this (we started this together). I plan make this a lifestyle not just something I'm doing for the moment. All I mean by that is I want and I'm going to keep the changes I've made so far and make my best efforts to keep active.
Oh, good. I'd keep doing what you are doing, seems like it is working.0 -
Your calorie out counts do not sound exaggerated given you 30k steps a day.
Your calorie in counts are hopefully slightly underestimated which is pretty common.
Your weight loss indicates that you're achieving a pretty good deficit at a pretty good clip.
The most important thing is not making things too difficult for you right now... because you have a long way ahead of you.
You're currently losing faster than you have to and probably at a faster than optimal it rate.
There is no special prize for fast or for going so fast you crash. You get the prize by staying the course, achieving your aims, and putting yourself in the position to maintain when you get there.
Just to put things in perspective, mfp's **very active** level tops out at about 15,500 steps.
You are considerably above that in terms of activity.
While you continue to be morbidly obese I would be tempted to eat at the 2lb a week level for a *very active* person as given by MFP.
I would then add some or all of the adjustment you would still be getting when still at the obese level.
After that, or at any point when it starts to feel unsustainable, I would either reduced to 1 and 1/2 lb, or reduce to one pound a week. in the mid overweight stage I would definitely be moving to 1lb a week.
Strictly speaking your adjustment is not an actual exercise adjustment. It is an adjustment equalizing the independently determined total amount of calories you spent during your day to what mfp was expecting you to spend based on your inputs.
The other issue you may run into in the near future, especially when you're no longer keeping to these large deficits, is that the scale may be less willing to cooperate.
A lot of people find it useful to use a trending weight application and to understand how their weight fluctuates from day to day for reasons having nothing to do with changes to our fat reserves.
As a reference to you I am 5ft 7.5" and in the first 12 months after I joined MFP, so at 49, I dropped ~72.5lbs (so about 1.5lbs a week), from a lower starting point (I was already under 240 by the time I joined) eating, on average *2560* fairly carefully counted calories while having a tdee close to 3360 according to Fitbit (yes a 0.15% difference between expected and actual tdee, though nowadays it is as high as 5%).
Now here is the kicker. My average steps were high.... at just under 18000 per day.
So you're MUCH more active. And weigh more.
Height and age play a role too, but I strongly suspect you can eat an extra 500 to 750 calories while still getting excellent results.
A deficit of 25% off of actual TDEE is sort of at the limit for an obese person (reducing to 20% or lower when overweight, or normal weight)
This would be nowhere close to BMR as even sedentary is variably defined as BMR x 1.2 or 1.25 and you're explonentially more active than that!
So.
Eat more. Lose slightly slower. Start figuring out how/when/why you were overeating and what you can do to modify the outcome of ingesting too many calories in similar situations. Use a trending weight app. Remember that long term compliance and continued effort in the right direction is more important than quick results.2
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