Frustrated! Still not sure about calories...
Replies
-
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.......
That would be so hard for me! I am really trying to cut back on sugar but I have such a sweet tooth! Especially for chocolate.
I understand your love of data. I'm a retired engineer, myself. (Software, although my degree is Electrical Engineering.) Funny thing is, the two dyslexics in my life (husband and son) aren't nearly as data driven as I am - although they're both engineers, too.
I sometimes think about trying the FB premium service, but right now things are working for me, in terms of weight loss, so "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."0 -
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.
I sure hope those more recent studies are right. That video was fascinating, but a little discouraging.0 -
Where do you find that burn vs intake chart? I don't have an "overall" tab.0
-
Angierae75 wrote: »Where do you find that burn vs intake chart? I don't have an "overall" tab.
It's on your FitBit profile page. Click on your profile picture in the upper right.0 -
On that page for estimating TDEE from 5 rough levels - don't use Harris BMR as start.
The better Mifflin could be a lot different, it's at least considered 5% more accurate, and scales better when overweight.
But you aren't calculating your TDEE honestly either - because you are hardly sedentary, either in work or exercise. Gotta combine the 2.
If your calculated TDEE is already down at 1800 - then you've already hit the negative effects to the max. Also sounds like the Fitbit is overestimating exercise, or you've obtained more than 25% slowdown daily.
Because will you be successful either eating a lot less to keep losing, or exercising enough to compensate?
And how bad will maintenance be then?
And when you say you gain weight when you eat more - how fast?
Too fast for fat?
Remember, for it to be fat, the 3500 cal / lb applies.
So a 1 lb gain one day to the next can't be fat, that would imply you ate 3500 calories over maintenance.
Same applies to the week.
Pounds change in weight x 3500 / days of change = deficit or surplus from TDEE to eating level.
So even if your current TDEE is 1800 and is really your potential TDEE, and you ate Fitbit's maintenance level for 1 week - you'd only see 2 lb gain almost.
But I bet you'd gain faster, because current TDEE 1800 is suppressed, not potential, you'd be topping off water weight at probably more pounds.
Just a thought as you think of the future and reaching goal and maintaining.0 -
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.
I sure hope those more recent studies are right. That video was fascinating, but a little discouraging.
Yep, even shows that if you go in to the diet right, you may not even slow your system down. But for those that did, recovery was just barely starting even for the 3 months before study ended.
Though, even in this study, the running they started out with as their first exercise, at some point would have stopped being resistance level for them, and just straight cardio. Other studies show straight cardio for those already doing it, doesn't have the same positive results as resistance training does to keeping the RMR up.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/heybales/view/reduced-metabolism-tdee-beyond-expected-from-weight-loss-6162510 -
Angierae75 wrote: »Where do you find that burn vs intake chart? I don't have an "overall" tab.
It's on your FitBit profile page. Click on your profile picture in the upper right.
Thank you!0 -
Okay, that's going to take me a little time to read and digest and I've already procrastinated too long on exercising today. So, after I get in some cardio and some strength training...0 -
Okay, I read the blog entry by heybales. Good stuff. Especially since what I take from it on a personal level is that maybe I haven't destroyed my body's ability to burn calories, at least not since the last time I lost weight (>10 years ago). I've been focusing on losing weight by means of exercise, rather than any real calorie restriction. Diet changes have mostly been to improve the quality, not decrease the quantity.0
-
Okay, I read the blog entry by heybales. Good stuff. Especially since what I take from it on a personal level is that maybe I haven't destroyed my body's ability to burn calories, at least not since the last time I lost weight (>10 years ago). I've been focusing on losing weight by means of exercise, rather than any real calorie restriction. Diet changes have mostly been to improve the quality, not decrease the quantity.
And that's true, most people couldn't cause a 25% or greater deficit by merely exercising more.
If they were eating 2000 daily, that would mean burning 2700 on daily basis or more to cause it. But if some of the exercise was the right type, not nearly the issue.
Then again, we've seen the ones that start up exercise 6 days weekly at 2 hrs daily and don't eat back adjustments and wonder why their body is rebelling for weight loss eating at 50% deficit.
Almost the anorexia athletica issue, hypergymnasia.0 -
SO to be honest I cannot read all the posts here they are long! But what I finally did was to disconnect Fitbit from MFP, and set FITBIT to what I want to burn a day. (2500) Then I set my MFP goal manually to 2500. So that I am equal there and then whatever else I do creates the loss.0
-
Okay, I read the blog entry by heybales. Good stuff. Especially since what I take from it on a personal level is that maybe I haven't destroyed my body's ability to burn calories, at least not since the last time I lost weight (>10 years ago). I've been focusing on losing weight by means of exercise, rather than any real calorie restriction. Diet changes have mostly been to improve the quality, not decrease the quantity.
And that's true, most people couldn't cause a 25% or greater deficit by merely exercising more.
If they were eating 2000 daily, that would mean burning 2700 on daily basis or more to cause it. But if some of the exercise was the right type, not nearly the issue.
Then again, we've seen the ones that start up exercise 6 days weekly at 2 hrs daily and don't eat back adjustments and wonder why their body is rebelling for weight loss eating at 50% deficit.
Almost the anorexia athletica issue, hypergymnasia.
It looks like I've been running about a 20% deficit in the last month, while eating over 2000 calories a day. When I started this, a little over 2 years ago, I started with just exercise, mainly cardio. I was really, really out of shape at that point. I didn't start tracking what I ate for a couple of months, and then it was pretty casual. Lately, I still do mostly cardio, but with some strength training every other day. I'm not sure I'm doing the strength training "right", but I'm trying.0 -
SO to be honest I cannot read all the posts here they are long! But what I finally did was to disconnect Fitbit from MFP, and set FITBIT to what I want to burn a day. (2500) Then I set my MFP goal manually to 2500. So that I am equal there and then whatever else I do creates the loss.
Uh, why? If you burn 2500 calories a day (what you set in FitBit as what you want to burn), and you eat 2500 calories a day (your MFP goal) then you're at maintenance. Is that what you want?
The bottom line that I took away from the long posts was:
1) Don't try to lose weight too fast. It damages your ability to burn calories.
2) Exercise. It helps to maintain your ability to burn calories.
I keep FitBit and MFP connected.
I let FitBit set my calorie burn goal, but generally exceed it. (Goal is 2411, average for the last month is 2730.)
I let MFP set my daily eating goal based on my desired rate of weight loss (0.5 lb per week), stated activity level (sedentary) and other stats (height, weight, age).
I exercise (and move around as much as possible when not exercising) and FitBit sends that data to MFP and I eat back enough calories so that I am not hungry and so that I am not going to lose much more than 1 lb a week. That usually works out to around 2100 calories.
I don't really have to think about, or mess with anything. FitBit tells MFP how many calories I burn, MFP tells me how much I can eat.
0 -
Okay, I read the blog entry by heybales. Good stuff. Especially since what I take from it on a personal level is that maybe I haven't destroyed my body's ability to burn calories, at least not since the last time I lost weight (>10 years ago). I've been focusing on losing weight by means of exercise, rather than any real calorie restriction. Diet changes have mostly been to improve the quality, not decrease the quantity.
And that's true, most people couldn't cause a 25% or greater deficit by merely exercising more.
If they were eating 2000 daily, that would mean burning 2700 on daily basis or more to cause it. But if some of the exercise was the right type, not nearly the issue.
Then again, we've seen the ones that start up exercise 6 days weekly at 2 hrs daily and don't eat back adjustments and wonder why their body is rebelling for weight loss eating at 50% deficit.
Almost the anorexia athletica issue, hypergymnasia.
It looks like I've been running about a 20% deficit in the last month, while eating over 2000 calories a day. When I started this, a little over 2 years ago, I started with just exercise, mainly cardio. I was really, really out of shape at that point. I didn't start tracking what I ate for a couple of months, and then it was pretty casual. Lately, I still do mostly cardio, but with some strength training every other day. I'm not sure I'm doing the strength training "right", but I'm trying.
Studies where the deficits weren't extreme found that any resistance training was enough to retain LBM (one might assume muscle too).
Only when extreme was heavier weight training needed to convince body those muscles were needed.
So you are probably doing "good enough" for muscle retaining. Anything beyond depends on your goals and results desired.0 -
SO to be honest I cannot read all the posts here they are long! But what I finally did was to disconnect Fitbit from MFP, and set FITBIT to what I want to burn a day. (2500) Then I set my MFP goal manually to 2500. So that I am equal there and then whatever else I do creates the loss.
So you have a daily burn goal on Fitbit, that will match your eating goal on MFP.
So maintenance.
Unless you don't reach that burn goal, or you go over it.
But by linking accounts, setting MFP to maintain, you would in essence be accomplishing the same thing - except each day would adjust so that maintenance was easier.
But it is an option, many do use the average weekly TDEE method of eating, for sure.
Makes it easier to plan meals, same amount daily.
0 -
Wow, this is all good stuff that I need to digest and figure it all out as I keep going. I like they way some of you put it in just plain English for me to understand and do what I need to do in order to lose weight. I need to stop starving myself, eating 1500 calories a day when I am burning over 2400 is killing me...I am hungry all the time! SO now, I am trying to eat around 1800 to 1900 to see if that helps and see what it does to my weight loss. I hope over time to figure this all out and see what works best for me long term. Doing 1 hour of exercise a day helps and moving around as much as possible during the day instead of sitting at my desk is helping a lot as well. Onwards and upwards....all this great info is a big help! Thanks0
-
I just posted this:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10120819/fitbit-margin-of-error-calculated#Item_2
Basically, expect that there's a margin of error in what FitBit is recording. You may indeed be losing weight but it could only be on the order of .5 pounds a week. It really depends on your average burn and average intake.
Also make sure you're making some attempt to qualify weight loss. If the fat is coming off but the scale is not moving, then those changes would be reflected in measurements or fat caliper readings.0
