Frustrated! Still not sure about calories...
rorlie
Posts: 36 Member
Okay, so I have been doing this now for over a month and I still don't think I have it right. I am burning over 2400 calories a day and on MFP it tells me I can eat an average of 2100 calories a day but I still think that is too much, just not sure! I have been averaging about 1500 calories a day, eating a variety of food but I am always feeling hungry, I hate that feeling like I am starving all the time! This week I only lost .8 lbs and that just makes me feel like I should quit...why starve myself for no apparent reason if I am working so hard and this is all I lose! So, my question is do you guys think I should be eating more like at least 1800 calories or something? I just need some advice.....any help is appreciated! Thanks all
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I can't tell you how many calories to eat, but I do have a couple of suggestions based on a lifetime of weight battles. #1 Eat your exercise. Whatever extra calories you have earned, as it informs you on MFP, be sure to eat those bonus calories. #2 Weight fluctuates for many reasons, so only weigh once a week and take a long view. #3 If you're not happy with your results in a month, consider changing your MFP goals to accommodate more food. You'll still continue to lose if you're keeping up your exercise. #4 Eat more! You'll have more energy when you exercise and you'll have a greater chance to stick with it. Also, don't work out on an empty stomach when your blood sugar is low.
Good luck and be patient with yourself! Moving in the right direction is all that's required, not perfection.0 -
How much so you want to lose each week? My next question is have you run your numbers through any online calculator and compared it to MFP and what you setup in Fitbit?
For example are you really burning 2400 a day and if so, eat 500 or 400 or 300 less a day and you will still lose weight. You have to know your TDEE to make an accurate deficit. So if 2400 is right and you eat 2100 you will lose...just slower..
I personally only ate about 25% percent of my calories back depending on activity for the day...
It is trial and error for the first couple of months and in the beginning water retention and hormonal changes are huge...0 -
I can't cope when I'm hungry. I have found that I need to eat at least 2000 calories a day to not be miserable and I really prefer more like 2200 calories. So, I exercise enough to be able to eat that much. I'm a long term exercise avoider but since I figured out that the calories I am allowed to eat if I exercise increase more than any increased appetite, I'm a convert.
You have to log your food accurately for you to be able to trust the numbers that your FitBit gives you. For me, I'm finding that my FitBit really does tell me the "calories out" number. That motivates me to accurately log my calories in. Weigh everything you eat with a digital scale, especially fats (I don't tend to weigh the lettuce and cucumber in my salad, but do weigh the salad dressing, bacon crumbles and cheese).
Set a realistic goal as far as rate of weight loss. The guideline seems to be half a pound a week for every 25 pounds you have to lose, but I suspect that needs to be adjusted somewhat based on age, sex and weight loss history. I need to lose at least 40 pounds and would love to lose more like 60, but I'm female, older and have done some of the yo-yo thing on my weight (not as much as some people, but some), so I see an average of one pound a week as the maximum rate I'm going to expect to be able to attain. (My desire to avoid being hungry also plays into that.) I have my goal set to 1/2 pound a week and then I try to leave enough calories to achieve 1 pound a week, but I don't stress over it if I eat a little more than that as long as I stay under my 1/2 pound a week allotment.
Give it time. Log your food accurately, eat the calories that FitBit gives you, and see whether it has been accurate after a month.0 -
We should all be looking for the maximum number of calories at which we lose weight—never the minimum. Here's what worked for me:
Set your goal to .5 lb. for every 25 lbs. you're overweight: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided
Enable negative calorie adjustments: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings
I log exercise in Fitbit, not MFP, and eat back all my adjustments. I lost the weight & have maintained for 8 months. It will take trial & error to find what works for you.0 -
I am with the OP on this since I got my FB too.....here is my info for the last month..........and yes I do weight my food and log accurately 90% of time.....and when I cannot weigh then I over estimate....in the last month I have lost 2 lBS max......I have eaten the same way for the last 3 months and I have lost 9 lbs so far....should be 24 at least...never mind then extra I am under each week....
I have put my Cals burn from FB and my Net cals from MFP....
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I am currently data collecting so I can try to work out my true TDEE.....so I can plan my intake better.....I will keep the FB as I do like it....but if it over estimates today...then it should every day.......so eventually I will be able to work out what my TDEE is as the pattern should still be the same.......maybe even work out a % for how far its over....
my weekly intake average for them 4 weeks were....
1 - 1658
2 - 1859
3 - 1892
4 - 1616 (with only tomorrow to go....)0 -
I am with the OP on this since I got my FB too.....here is my info for the last month..........and yes I do weight my food and log accurately 90% of time.....and when I cannot weigh then I over estimate....in the last month I have lost 2 lBS max......I have eaten the same way for the last 3 months and I have lost 9 lbs so far....should be 24 at least...never mind then extra I am under each week....
A better place to get that data is from your FitBit profile page. It shows the last 30 days of intake vs. burn. Here's mine:
It shows that I've had an average deficit of about 500 calories a day. I'm kind of amazed because I have lost very close to what that would predict in that time (4.8 lbs, vs predicted 4.6 lbs). It really motivates me to log my food accurately.0 -
Thanks everyone, all these are good points and things I will need to play with and adjust to see what works for me. My FB profile is this below....I guess I am not tracking properly on the weekends but I changed that last weekend and now putting down everything I put in my mouth even when I over induldge! So the next few weeks will see how things change up....this is my profile and it looks like I am under 800 calories on average. I have 35 lbs to lose but more would be good. Thanks again, I will see what works the next few weeks by adjusting things and trying out. I do workout about 50 minutes a day but it is an aerobic step exercise so it just tracks my steps and I usually get 15k a day and sometimes more. Anyway, onwards and upwards! Thanks again
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Be aware too - Fitbit is basing all calorie burn on an average healthy body of your gender, age, weight, height, with average ratio of fat to muscle mass.
If you have been dieting and way under-eating for months and years of yo-yo dieting - you have actually changed that equation and Fitbit is overestimating what a suppressed stressed unhealthy body is burning.
So 2 easy directions to go.
Keep eating less and less and less. Your body can only suppress so much it's been found in studies, about 20-25% max.
You will eventually lose weight.
Your body will also be at max stress, so usually about 20% will be muscle mass, your workouts won't transform the body like they could, every binge day or meal has the potential of being over your suppressed TDEE and causing fat gain. And this is where people find hair falls out, nails chip, skin is bad, period stops, ect.
Or.
Slowly start eating more until eating at what Fitbit suggests is a healthy TDEE, which is actually underestimated by at minimum 10% of whatever you eat.
Eat at maintenance until body is unstressed.
Then take a reasonable deficit for amount to be lost and type of activity.
Sadly the 2nd solution won't do a thing if you've burned off muscle mass from bad dieting prior, that's gone, and your daily burn could be 200-400 less than otherwise average healthy body would be expected. But at least it won't be stressed.0 -
Be aware too - Fitbit is basing all calorie burn on an average healthy body of your gender, age, weight, height, with average ratio of fat to muscle mass.
If you have been dieting and way under-eating for months and years of yo-yo dieting - you have actually changed that equation and Fitbit is overestimating what a suppressed stressed unhealthy body is burning.
So 2 easy directions to go.
Keep eating less and less and less. Your body can only suppress so much it's been found in studies, about 20-25% max.
You will eventually lose weight.
Your body will also be at max stress, so usually about 20% will be muscle mass, your workouts won't transform the body like they could, every binge day or meal has the potential of being over your suppressed TDEE and causing fat gain. And this is where people find hair falls out, nails chip, skin is bad, period stops, ect.
Or.
Slowly start eating more until eating at what Fitbit suggests is a healthy TDEE, which is actually underestimated by at minimum 10% of whatever you eat.
Eat at maintenance until body is unstressed.
Then take a reasonable deficit for amount to be lost and type of activity.
Sadly the 2nd solution won't do a thing if you've burned off muscle mass from bad dieting prior, that's gone, and your daily burn could be 200-400 less than otherwise average healthy body would be expected. But at least it won't be stressed.
Sigh! Now I am even more confused....yes I have been yo-yo dieting for years, one year I am down and the next back up again! I have been on Weight watchers and tried to do it myself a few times so not sure I have been supressing myself all the time but definitely not always eating my exercise calories but I did use to eat my bonus weekly points on WW. Not sure where to go from here but I guess I will try eating more this week and see what happens and go from there...trial and error. Thanks again for all the advice.0 -
I think people're way overcomplicating this. Eat back your Fitbit adjustments for several weeks, then reevaluate your progress.0
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editorgrrl wrote: »I think people're way overcomplicating this. Eat back your Fitbit adjustments for several weeks, then reevaluate your progress.
Exactly.
But log your food accurately, or it won't work. I learned that the hard way.0 -
Sigh! Now I am even more confused....yes I have been yo-yo dieting for years, one year I am down and the next back up again! I have been on Weight watchers and tried to do it myself a few times so not sure I have been supressing myself all the time but definitely not always eating my exercise calories but I did use to eat my bonus weekly points on WW. Not sure where to go from here but I guess I will try eating more this week and see what happens and go from there...trial and error. Thanks again for all the advice.
If you have been badly undereating for months on end, suggest you slowly increase that amount.
Like each week, eat 100 calories more daily than prior week.
Keep going until eating at maintenance.
Because sadly when you are starting at bare bottom levels, increasing up to the diet level doesn't mean the body is going to unstress enough and go to full potential burn.
You could be eating more, like many have found, and not gain, or lose, weight.
So if you were to re-evaluate at this point, you might think you should then eat less calories. Which you already were, and weren't losing at all or what would be expected.
So back to square one - which it sounds like you have done over the years already.
You have to totally unstress by eating at maintenance to get a healthy body back.
Then you follow advice above to eat a reasonable deficit goal, each day.0 -
Okay, thanks everyone...I will try not to stress over it too much! I am going to start eating more calories this week and continue on that pattern for the next 4 weeks and see how things go. Will let you all know! Thanks again for all the advice and support, it is great to be on this board and have people to talk to about all this stuff. Have a great week! Rose0
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"NancyN795 wrote: »A better place to get that data is from your FitBit profile page. It shows the last 30 days of intake vs. burn. Here's mine:
Thanks...took me a bit to find it....had to come back to read your post...lol.....here is mine.....
Burn v intake is great...I know my step rate started off poor....but it is getting better, and more consistent too....rather than up down up down....lol
If you have been badly under eating for months on end, suggest you slowly increase that amount.
Like each week, eat 100 calories more daily than prior week.
Keep going until eating at maintenance.
I am interested in this concept....although to my simple head I do not understand how this can be...for a week or 3 yes...but months??......eat more to lose...I have read it on here often.....in my head if you eat low for 2 or 3 months surely at some point your body will eat into the fat store and you will lose?? or even muscle waste...again lose weight.....I am eating under most days...and since I got my Fitbit I am now miles under each day.........since I have not been losing at the rate stated this led me to eat 100 lower to try to get my loss started properly.....I weight myself daily....but log on MFP every 2 weeks, I feel 2 weeks is a true reflection of any losses you have had....I weight the other days for data only...I am a data nerd so I collect as much data as possible.....
My diary is open...I am trying to change WHAT I eat slowly....and recently my diet has been ok...much much better than usual.....but still only 9 lbs lost in 12 weeks.....my initial goal was to try to lose 2 stone in 15 weeks after Xmas...so was set to lose the max 2lbs a week.....
I have a holiday booked at the end of April.....so I will continue how I am going as I do feel a difference since I started...but I am will to give the eat more thing a go after my holiday if that's what people think I should do....
P.S. I too am not stressing over anything at all.....not losing just makes me more determined to make the hard work done so far work...hence me buying the Fitbit......I have lost 5 stone in the past on here over 18 months...I did it slow and steady and kept all but 1 of the 5 off.....after 3 yrs....so I can do it, and I sort of know what to do....but I just am not seeing the loss this time round.....(I know it will come...lol)
Cheers
Jon
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My diary is open...I am trying to change WHAT I eat slowly....and recently my diet has been ok...much much better than usual.....but still only 9 lbs lost in 12 weeks.....my initial goal was to try to lose 2 stone in 15 weeks after Xmas...so was set to lose the max 2lbs a week.....
That is probably too ambitious. They say 0.5 lb/week for every 25 pounds you have to lose. So aim for 1 pound a week for a while and see how you do.
My biggest roadblock was not logging my food carefully. It can be a real pain in the neck. It would be even harder if I ate out more often. Now that I'm convinced that my FitBit really is accurately estimating my calories burned, I'm much more motivated to log everything.0 -
I am interested in this concept....although to my simple head I do not understand how this can be...for a week or 3 yes...but months??......eat more to lose...I have read it on here often.....in my head if you eat low for 2 or 3 months surely at some point your body will eat into the fat store and you will lose?? or even muscle waste...again lose weight.....I am eating under most days...and since I got my Fitbit I am now miles under each day.........since I have not been losing at the rate stated this led me to eat 100 lower to try to get my loss started properly.....I weight myself daily....but log on MFP every 2 weeks, I feel 2 weeks is a true reflection of any losses you have had....I weight the other days for data only...I am a data nerd so I collect as much data as possible.....
People have plateaued for many months on end by attempting an aggressive diet. If they had done reasonable the whole time, they would have lost more over the same period, and not had a a stressed out body.
Oh, and you feeling non-stressed doesn't mean your body isn't stressed.
Just as a vitamin or mineral deficiency usually doesn't show up fast, but takes awhile (depending on level and what you do that requires it), and then negative effects that may take a long while to get out of, big calorie deficiency is that way too.
So the what and the why of what your body will eventually do, the speed at which it does so is genetics and the level of stress you place on it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i_cmltmQ6A
Your body eats into fat stores every single day.
What actually happens if you attempt too aggressive is the body doesn't like that direction, adapts by slowing down everything, in order to conserve energy for the basic functions of living. As above and other studies show, too much fat gone the body reacts to hold it.
Now, it can only slow down so much, upwards of 20-25%, and if you keep eating less and less eventually you will start losing again.
But under that much stress, a good part of weight is muscle mass. Workouts won't get nearly the improvement they could otherwise, hair and nail growth slow down, women can lose their periods, men get lowered T, ect.
And which is easier to adhere to - losing 1 lb weekly eating 1400 and bunches of exercise, or 2000 with same or less amount of exercise?
And do you want the exercise to transform your body?
A body that has slowed down to conserve calories isn't about to make changes that cause more energy use.
And then if you reach goal weight, eating so little and/or exercising so much, will you keep it up to maintain?
Now, a further study more recent than that in the video shows recovery is possible, body can speed back up (won't magically add muscle mass back though fast), but that takes months too.
So just depends on what is easier and more long lasting. Most don't gain the weight fast, don't try to lose it fast.
Or body will rebel and it'll be slow anyway, with worse side-effects.
So indeed, eat more than bare minimum, but still less than you burn - by reasonable amount.0 -
Thanks for this Heybales.....I will look into this more, Its not I do not believe the science etc....what I do not believe is the fitbit....lol...
I used MFP 5 yrs ago to slowly lose 5 stone....I only set this time to lose 2lb a week so I could lose 2 stone for my holiday 3 months later....I knew 2 stone was a push...but better to push yourself than to fail....(that's my way...ex army...lol)....
I fully intend on continuing after the holiday at a much slower pace....0.5 lb a week is fine for me....if I can understand what doing what does to my body / weight etc...so I am trying to find my true TDEE.....I think what I am doing wrong is to find the TDEE while I still try to lose, I think that by collecting data (I have a spreadsheet that has much much info in it, to track trends / patterns) once I have enough data to see a pattern between what I eat / lose / exercise, then I will then understand that if I eat a pizza one week then the next I need to up my workout....or if I feel off exercise for that week or 2 then to eat ??? a day to not gain etc....as we all want to know....but I still am using data while trying to lose (there is no way before this holiday I will eat more than I do now to find my TDEE, but I will do it after the Hol)
I have planned this down to fine detail....and I am the type that continues till I succeed...then I lose interest..so I am trying to gain as much knowledge too about what to do and how to do it so going forward I will not be as obsessive....lol...its the way I work in everything in life...
I currently think my true TDEE is around 1800 calories a day....if I eat that then I do not gain and looking at figures I do not lose at that either.... this would also help to explain the 9lbs in 12 weeks, as my average cal intake is 1750, then add the exercise on top I have done more than usual, then that would add up to around the 9lb figure......(I did not eat much over this before I started back on here, but I could some weekends demolish a large dominos to myself or a big curry with 10 pints...) but its that I am now keeping in check to try to help me lose.....at no point yet am I feeling that hungry it distracts me or hurts in any way etc....
So what I do not believe is the figure that Fitbit tells me to eat based on my size / height / age....doing TDEE calculators and what FB says my TDEE is around 2600.....I was 18 stone 2 months ago, 5'10 and 41 yrs....with a sedentary work load....
I have just done a calculator again...with my current data.....this are the figures I do not believe to be true FOR ME.....
Yes yrs ago I used to drink a lot, and I mean a lot 40 + pints of lager a week maybe...+ all the crap take away food or easy fried food...but that changed about 7 yrs ago...I rarely drink now...in fact I went all of Feb this yr dry and into March....32 days dry... and I have drank 3 times only sine then.....and I have a take away once a week at most....and I do cook fresh a lot and eat much better choice...although they can still be improved a lot....I believe if I ate what FB tells me then I would gain, and gain fast....as it would be much more than I do currently eat....
Saying all this I do believe my next weigh in I will have lost 6 lbs...in 2 weeks...so maybe my body is catching up at last......lol
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My biggest roadblock was not logging my food carefully. It can be a real pain in the neck. It would be even harder if I ate out more often. Now that I'm convinced that my FitBit really is accurately estimating my calories burned, I'm much more motivated to log everything.[/quote]
I do promise you I log as accurately as I possibly can....I weight my foods that I eat at home, I log all drinks, and nibbles and all meals etc....I stopped drinking Lucozade 2 months ago to give me more food calories...so I eat near to what I always have done...but my main cut back is full fat soda and energy drinks and sweets and biscuits....
I work in a chocolate factory BTW, just to add to the mix....lol..... making a variety of 8 different sweets + Easter eggs + Peanut butter cups + Choc Bisuits.......so I have a big big reason to log accurately too....and I do log my sweets I eat at work...the only meal I have that is not measured accurately is my meal at work...from the canteen. I work nights and it is easy to get your food from the canteen...and I do...but I do know what sizes are by looking ( ish ) from what I log from my food weighing at home. so I know this meal log will not be 100% accurate. but there is no way that these 4 meals a week + the takeaway on a weekend will take me 7000 calories over my weekly totals, and this 7000 does not include the 1000 a day I have so I lose 2lbs in MFP.....this is why I do think my figures are wrong... if anyone can look at my diary and see mistakes leading to explain any of my above points then please do....other than you cannot be logging correctly......
I am an engineer by trade, working in lean manufacturing, also implementing TPM (line / efficiency improvements to a production line) to call me a data nerd would be an understatement. I truly know the value of true data, and I know that the only way to understand anythingis to understand the data and work out patterns....I am dyslexic too, and for my brain to function in a normal way I need to see figures / data to understand how things work....in a way the world only becomes alive with data.....so trust me please when I do say I log accurately....lol....
see an old post of mine to see how obsessed I am over data...lol...(my next spreadsheet consists of a training plan to get me to run too...its under construction as we speak...lol...)
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084832/how-obsessed-have-you-become-over-this#latest
I will be honest, this SS has gone down the list recently, since I got the FB...but all it takes is to input data already stored in MFP or FB so I am good to get it up to date anytime....
I have also bought the Premium service from FB again so I can get more data...lol...sad I know but each to there own...lol
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Like you I have battled with weight for years and its never as easy as "Eat Less" and one thing i've learnt is that ANY commercial diet like Atkins, Weight Watchers, Lighter Life or Slimming World is a business. They need to make money and the sales pitch of "Eat anything you like, dont count calories, loose weight" sells. But doesn't actually work.
I'm 35 now and finally decided to get a personal trainer... And... It works. Heres what ive learnt so far.
If your hungry, you wont loose weight. Your body will go into starvation mode and as others have said slow your metabolism down. You want to loose weight you need to speed up your metabolism through careful diet and exercise. Even 60 minutes of walking a day (in the morning before breakfast) is all it takes.
I used to think like many that the less I eat = more weight lost. This is true to a point. If you reduce your calories by no more than 1000 more than you burn. Any more and your body shuts down and it will try and store anything that goes into your mouth. This can work but only if your calories are SEVERELY restricted. Like only eating dust all day. But then you have the problem of the moment you eat anything it all goes back on. I've tried Cambridge and Lighter Life but the hunger will drive you insane.
So, to loose weight this is whats now working for me and my wife;
1) Don't eat any starchy carbs after 5pm. So no rice, potatoes or pasta with your evening meal. Your body doesn't need that much fuel so close to the end of the day. By all means eat chips in the day. But after 5pm have some nicely seasoned meat with plenty of veg. Tonight I have Nandos marinated chicken with sweetcorn.
2) Do some excercise before breakfast. Start off with a 60 minute walk then look into maybe changing that to a 15 minute run or some circuit training.
3) Setup MFP to not only allocate you more calories from Fitbit but also allow negative adjustments. This way if your having a lazy day it will take calories off you. But do your 10,000 steps a day and you earn back 500+.
4) Eat those calories. They are not bonus calories that mean more weight loss. Youve burnt them your body needs to eat them or it will shut down.
5) Aim for no more than a 1000 calorie deficit a day. thats healthy for max weight loss but still gives you enough to function and not starve. If your hungry ive been advised to grab a handful off nuts or fruit. Yes nuts have fat but your body needs fat to function.
I go by the calories in MFP. Fitbit is pretty much the same but I found it much more confusing to understand as it seems to base its assumptions on your days activity continuing at the current pace and doesnt assume you will stop and sleep. By the end of the day it matches MFP but during the day it can tell me to eat way more than I need to.
You may also need to get a more accurate calculation of your daily burn. The Fitbit Charge HR can do this as the Heart Rate really is the best judge of how hard you are working. The other fitbits just use your number of steps to make a lot of 'estimates'.
By doing this i have learnt to not be so precious about calories. As long as my burn is greater than my intake I will loose weight. And only if I don't feel hungry.0
