Calorie confusion

horrorfan

Hey everyone!

My name is Ev, I'm 18 years old, 225 lbs, and I have been trying to lose weight for a few years now. I've tried everything from fitness camp (when I was smaller, I lost 25 lbs) to fad diets (lost nothing, haha), but now that I'm older and much more mature I have decided to just try to get back into my workout and healthy eating lifestyle. I lost 20 pounds in 2012 doing this, but gained it all back plus some.

I am a bit confused about the calorie consumption that I am supposed to follow, though. According to MFP, with a sedentary lifestyle at my weight, I should consume 1480 calories, but a few months ago I went to the doctor and had a BIA run (a test that uses electrodes to determine average calories burned in a day, health status, water retention, and other things) and it told me that my body burns 1300 calories a day without me doing anything. So if I eat 1480 won't I gain weight?

I don't know who to trust because the test tells me 1300, but in 2012 when I went with MFP's calorie estimate (something like 1500 at the light activity level) and exercised, I lost weight. A LOT of it, too. Then, when I tried MFP for a second time I was heavier so I was eating 1700 (light activity level) and started working out. I lost weight, but at a little bit of a slower pace.

I guess I'm just confused on why this medical test says my body only burns 1300 a day, but I can eat 1500, workout a few times a week (I was only burning about 1000 a week through exercise), and consistently lose.

Somebody help!

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

From what I understand, the BIA measures your resting calories burned. That's similar to your BMR and isn't actually the total number of calories you burn in a day. It's what you would burn if you laid in bed and did not move. Since you do (presumably) get up, get dressed, go to the bathroom, clean house, etc. you'll burn more than that over the course of the day, plus whatever you burn with exercise.

I'd try MFP's recommendation for a month. If it isn't working by then I'd consider dropping it down slightly.

malibu927

That test conducted your BMR, which, you're correct, is what you would burn just lying in bed all day. It doesn't include your normal day-to-day activities such as work, school, running errands, socializing, exercise. To get that number, you have to multiply the BMR times a factor dependent on your activity level (sedentary, lightly active, active). That is your TDEE, what you would burn in a day, and that's the number you need to stay below in order to lose weight.

horrorfan

Oh, I see! Wow, that makes so much more since. I was like "if losing weight means going 1000 calories over per week then I should be fit in no time!" haha, but that makes sense! So right now, MFP is telling me 1480 a week at sedentary. Is it safe to go with that?

esjones12

If you entered the information correctly into MFP and set it to lose 1-2lbs a week. Then yes, you should start losing weight by eating only 1480 calories a day. This has calculated a deficit so that you burn more calories than you consume.

If you were to start exercising, make sure to log that and you can eat your calories back. Most people only eat about half back. This will help keep you happy (most people get grummpy when they are hungry) and also help keep you from wanting to eat everything in sight and binging (things super hungry people tend to do).

I started at 228 and am down to 188 in the past 2.5 years. When measuring and logging my food I saw the pounds fall off quickly. When I wasn't using MFP I maintained because I had changed my lifestyle during the process and am now active (because I want to be) and eat healthy foods! You just have to keep with it. One foot in front of the other. One bite of food at a time.

Best of luck!!

SLLRunner

horrorfan wrote: »

Hey everyone!

My name is Ev, I'm 18 years old, 225 lbs, and I have been trying to lose weight for a few years now. I've tried everything from fitness camp (when I was smaller, I lost 25 lbs) to fad diets (lost nothing, haha), but now that I'm older and much more mature I have decided to just try to get back into my workout and healthy eating lifestyle. I lost 20 pounds in 2012 doing this, but gained it all back plus some.

I've been there too. I was always gaining/losing as a youngster, and I tried all the fad diets of the day.

I am a bit confused about the calorie consumption that I am supposed to follow, though. According to MFP, with a sedentary lifestyle at my weight, I should consume 1480 calories, but a few months ago I went to the doctor and had a BIA run (a test that uses electrodes to determine average calories burned in a day, health status, water retention, and other things) and it told me that my body burns 1300 calories a day without me doing anything. So if I eat 1480 won't I gain weight?

No, 1300 is your BMR (basal metabolic rate), which is how much you need to eat to sustain your body if you were in a coma. At 1480 you would still lose weight, but that would probably be too few calories for you at your height and weight. I suggest you go to either of these sites, plug in your stats, and see what you get:

http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

I don't know who to trust because the test tells me 1300, but in 2012 when I went with MFP's calorie estimate (something like 1500 at the light activity level) and exercised, I lost weight. A LOT of it, too. Then, when I tried MFP for a second time I was heavier so I was eating 1700 (light activity level) and started working out. I lost weight, but at a little bit of a slower pace.

I also suggest plugging your stats into MFP again and see what you come up with.

I guess I'm just confused on why this medical test says my body only burns 1300 a day, but I can eat 1500, workout a few times a week (I was only burning about 1000 a week through exercise), and consistently lose.

Somebody help!

Because it's your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) that you must not eat over if you want to lose weight.

wahmx3

Is 1480 your calorie goal now? If so, you need to up it. Just for comparision sake, I am late 40's, weigh about 163 and am 5'4", my calorie goal is between 1479-1750 to lose a pound a week. You are much younger and weigh more, so your goal should be higher. I calculate mine using the harris-benedict formula and have personalized my calorie goal on here.

SergeantSausage

None of this matters.

Eat 1500 (accurately counted) calories a day for 2 weeks.

If no weight lost, reduce to 1400 next week.

If no weight lost, reduce to 1300.

Rinse. Repeat as necessary.

I *guarantee* you, no matter what you're doing or who you are, if you aren't bedridden and completely immobile/inactive, you'll be losing weight when you start at 1500.

Guaranteed.

Liftng4Lis

Start with your allotted calories and after a month, adjust as needed.