Is my real TDEE now almost 1000 less than calculated?

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Replies

  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    SideSteel wrote: »
    Can you set your diary to public/open?
    I've been logging in a different app, but this is what I eat, exactly, every MWF:

    Pre-Workout (~450 calories)
    Greek yogurt - 2 cups (46P, 16C, 0F)
    Brown rice - 42g dry/128g cooked (3P, 32C, 1F)
    Strawberries - 150g (1.07P, 11.79C, 0F)

    Post-Workout (~460 calories)
    Corn tortillas - 3 (3P, 30C, 2.25F)
    Rotel - 205g (1.60P, 8.47C, 0F)
    Greek yogurt - 1 cup (23P, 8C, 0F)
    Strawberries - 75g (.54P, 5.89C, 0F)
    Whey powder - 30g (18.37P, 5.51C, 2.14F)

    Dinner (~770 calories)
    Corn tortillas - 3 (3P, 30C, 2.25F)
    Rotel - 205g (1.60P, 8.47C, 0F)
    Greek yogurt - 1 cup (23P, 8C, 0F)
    Strawberries - 75g (.54P, 5.89C, 0F)
    Whey powder - 30g (18.37P, 5.51C, 2.14F)
    Grilled Chicken - 15oz (79.8P, 0C, 20.85F)

    The other four days, I trade eggs and sausage/bacon for the tortillas/tomatoes/rice/fruit, so that the carbs and total calories are lower, but the fat is higher. Protein is basically constant all seven days (about 1g per pound).

    Just to be clear --- there are zero other calories coming into your diet and you eat exactly the same thing, in the same quantity, every single day?
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    I mean this in the nicest way then, why are you eating so little?

    A deficit like that puts you at around TDEE -40%? You won't find an expert that recommends that for long term weight loss.

    You have 17lbs to go, 0.5-1lb a week is a good goal. Honestly, I think you'd be better off looking into bulking and cutting cycles if you're looking to have an impact on your fat loss because what you're doing now is actually causing you to lose muscle as well. Not worth it. What you're trying to do just isn't all that healthy...
    To lose weight. I mean this in the nicest way, but I'm not all that concerned about expert recommendations. I'm just wondering why the math doesn't seem to match reality.

    If I'm losing a lot of muscle -- I'm sure I'm losing some, because that's just how weight loss works -- what muscle I have is surely very much stronger than the muscle I had when I started. I don't do squats for personal reasons, but I maxed the leg press machine and had to start doing one-legged presses to keep progressing. (I'm working on machine hack squats in the hope that I can do regular back-squats by summer. We'll see.)

    At 22%, or so, body fat, I'm not sure why I should do a bulking cycle and I'm essentially in a cutting cycle. At what point, body fat-wise, do you think cutting should stop and bulking should begin? I'm currently targeting 15% or a little under.

    Maybe what I'm doing isn't all that healthy, but I weight 98 pounds less, have more endurance, and am much, much stronger than when I started.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    SideSteel wrote: »
    SideSteel wrote: »
    Can you set your diary to public/open?
    I've been logging in a different app, but this is what I eat, exactly, every MWF:

    Pre-Workout (~450 calories)
    Greek yogurt - 2 cups (46P, 16C, 0F)
    Brown rice - 42g dry/128g cooked (3P, 32C, 1F)
    Strawberries - 150g (1.07P, 11.79C, 0F)

    Post-Workout (~460 calories)
    Corn tortillas - 3 (3P, 30C, 2.25F)
    Rotel - 205g (1.60P, 8.47C, 0F)
    Greek yogurt - 1 cup (23P, 8C, 0F)
    Strawberries - 75g (.54P, 5.89C, 0F)
    Whey powder - 30g (18.37P, 5.51C, 2.14F)

    Dinner (~770 calories)
    Corn tortillas - 3 (3P, 30C, 2.25F)
    Rotel - 205g (1.60P, 8.47C, 0F)
    Greek yogurt - 1 cup (23P, 8C, 0F)
    Strawberries - 75g (.54P, 5.89C, 0F)
    Whey powder - 30g (18.37P, 5.51C, 2.14F)
    Grilled Chicken - 15oz (79.8P, 0C, 20.85F)

    The other four days, I trade eggs and sausage/bacon for the tortillas/tomatoes/rice/fruit, so that the carbs and total calories are lower, but the fat is higher. Protein is basically constant all seven days (about 1g per pound).

    Just to be clear --- there are zero other calories coming into your diet and you eat exactly the same thing, in the same quantity, every single day?

    I eat the exact same thing every MWF. The only other calories that come into my diet is a 160-calorie ice cream sandwich on non-lifting days if my carbs or fat are otherwise low. Or if I just feel like it, but that's an additional 320 calories, max, a week if I have one on both Tuesday and Thursday.

    I don't eat that exact same thing the other four days, but the total calories are a bit lower. To make it more straightforward, you could treat that list as happening all seven days, though it would overestimate calories just a little and skew the macros some.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    Also, to be clear, I don't want this to be a "you're not eating enough" vs. "I am so" thing. I get that people will disagree with me on that bit. That's cool. I understand.

    I'm just trying to get some insight on why a particular caloric deficit is no longer resulting in a particular weight loss.
  • 365andstillalive
    365andstillalive Posts: 663 Member
    I mean this in the nicest way then, why are you eating so little?

    A deficit like that puts you at around TDEE -40%? You won't find an expert that recommends that for long term weight loss.

    You have 17lbs to go, 0.5-1lb a week is a good goal. Honestly, I think you'd be better off looking into bulking and cutting cycles if you're looking to have an impact on your fat loss because what you're doing now is actually causing you to lose muscle as well. Not worth it. What you're trying to do just isn't all that healthy...
    To lose weight. I mean this in the nicest way, but I'm not all that concerned about expert recommendations. I'm just wondering why the math doesn't seem to match reality.

    If I'm losing a lot of muscle -- I'm sure I'm losing some, because that's just how weight loss works -- what muscle I have is surely very much stronger than the muscle I had when I started. I don't do squats for personal reasons, but I maxed the leg press machine and had to start doing one-legged presses to keep progressing. (I'm working on machine hack squats in the hope that I can do regular back-squats by summer. We'll see.)

    At 22%, or so, body fat, I'm not sure why I should do a bulking cycle and I'm essentially in a cutting cycle. At what point, body fat-wise, do you think cutting should stop and bulking should begin? I'm currently targeting 15% or a little under.

    Maybe what I'm doing isn't all that healthy, but I weight 98 pounds less, have more endurance, and am much, much stronger than when I started.

    Really what I'm trying to do is get you to consider your goals. The reason most people want to be under 15% body fat is for aesthetic reasons (health to an extent) to display the "leanness" they have because of their muscles; I was suggesting a bulking cycle because it might actually work with you to figure out what your TDEE actually is so that when you look to cut again, you have accurate information (rather than just averaging out online calculator recommendations).
    I recognize that you just went through a maintenance cycle, which can be awesome for sorting out your personal TDEE, but it just doesn't seem like you actually did that.

    I'm glad you weigh less, I'm glad you feel better, and right now, you likely are a lot more medically healthy than you were before you lost weight; there's a fine line though, and what many of us in this thread have attempted to get at in various ways is that we're concerned for you. We're concerned you're crossing the line into where it is far less healthy, where your deficit is too high, and where you're going to do damage to your body because of that -- and this includes gym based injuries.

    Keep doing what you're doing if you feel that's the best approach for you; the reality is, I don't know you, I'm just a random person on the internet who invested a few minutes of my time to try to give you some perspective and suggestions for things you could try -- which is what you asked for.

    Don't like the advice, don't take it. S'all good, and I wish you luck.
  • carliekitty
    carliekitty Posts: 303 Member
    I think the other poster has a very good point about you being on an extended diet. I've taken breaks for holidays, vacations, and just cause I need a break. Maybe you need a break. Btw I have a hypothyroidism and manage to loose eating more then you and I'm 5.3.5.....cause the .5 means alot to me =(
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    Is it remotely possible that the exercise calories you give is over estimated and therefore the calories out are over inflated?

    What do you give for the miles of "cardio" and what do you give for the "lifting weights". How are you calculating the calories out (actual numbers?).

    For lifting weights I too suggest bulking/cutting cycles. You really do not want to lose weight you want to gain muscle and actually lose body "fat"..

    You know for sure that you have exact numbers to a tee?

    You lost 98 pounds successfully, how did you lose 98 pounds???? Method, program, etc..
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    Really what I'm trying to do is get you to consider your goals. The reason most people want to be under 15% body fat is for aesthetic reasons (health to an extent) to display the "leanness" they have because of their muscles; I was suggesting a bulking cycle because it might actually work with you to figure out what your TDEE actually is so that when you look to cut again, you have accurate information (rather than just averaging out online calculator recommendations).
    I recognize that you just went through a maintenance cycle, which can be awesome for sorting out your personal TDEE, but it just doesn't seem like you actually did that.

    I'm glad you weigh less, I'm glad you feel better, and right now, you likely are a lot more medically healthy than you were before you lost weight; there's a fine line though, and what many of us in this thread have attempted to get at in various ways is that we're concerned for you. We're concerned you're crossing the line into where it is far less healthy, where your deficit is too high, and where you're going to do damage to your body because of that -- and this includes gym based injuries.

    Keep doing what you're doing if you feel that's the best approach for you; the reality is, I don't know you, I'm just a random person on the internet who invested a few minutes of my time to try to give you some perspective and suggestions for things you could try -- which is what you asked for.

    Don't like the advice, don't take it. S'all good, and I wish you luck.
    That's fair. I'm looking to get under 15% before I start putting weight back on so that the inevitable accompanying fat gain doesn't cause me to spin my wheels going back and forth between bulking and cutting too often. I'm just a broken down 51 year old guy. Not many people are going to be interesting in the leanness of my muscles. I just don't want to get rid of a bunch of flab just to go right back to adding some back.

    My deficit is already getting (marginally) smaller. I'm not going to eat any less than I am now, even as my body weight goes down. I've been doing it for 11 months and I'm a bit past the lowest deficit part of the curve and, as far as I know, I'm still healthy and I haven't had any gym-related injuries. Though, I will admit, that the hack squats made me more sore in more places than the leg presses ever did.

    I don't mean to dismiss the advice, I was just more focused on the "why the mismatch" rather than the scale of the deficit or whatever.

    As far as bulking and cutting, it seems to me that starting to bulk at 22% is a little high. Am I being too extreme on that?
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    gia07 wrote: »
    Is it remotely possible that the exercise calories you give is over estimated and therefore the calories out are over inflated?

    What do you give for the miles of "cardio" and what do you give for the "lifting weights". How are you calculating the calories out (actual numbers?).

    For lifting weights I too suggest bulking/cutting cycles. You really do not want to lose weight you want to gain muscle and actually lose body "fat"..

    You know for sure that you have exact numbers to a tee?

    You lost 98 pounds successfully, how did you lose 98 pounds???? Method, program, etc..
    I completely ignore exercise calories as far as what I eat. I've started looking more at TDEE now that I am much closer to my weight loss goal so that I can (hopefully soon) start adding back the calories a little at a time to find maintenance and then add back a handful more calories per day to work on building more muscle.

    For the cardio, I just record whatever MapMyFitness spits out. For lifting, I record nothing. Right now, though, I don't pay any attention to them as far as caloric intake. MFP says a 1000 calorie deficit at sedentary is 1650, so that's what I target. I get that these are all estimates, which is why I'm now paying more attention to what would actually be a maintenance level given my activity.

    I don't think I'm ready to gain muscle at 22% body fat. I'm just trying to preserve as much as I can of what I have. The gaining will come, hopefully, after I've lost some more fat and figured out my personal maintenance level of calories.

    I am 100% metaphysically certain that if my scale is still accurate and that the nutrition information I'm using from containers or online is correct that I have the exact numbers to a tee, allowing that there is a margin of error for nutritional info.
  • The easy answer to why you're not losing any weight is because - and this is going to seem counter-intuitive - you're not feeding your body enough. I'm not a scientist, but I've had it explained to me by Dr. Susan Kleiner that your total NET deficit should never be more than 300 calories below your recommended daily intake. So, if 2900 calories is your daily neutral target, anything less than 2600 and your body goes into starvation mode. Initially, cutting massive calories will show significant results, but once your body because accustomed to starving, it stops processing the same way and your metabolism shuts down. At this point, you're probably losing muscle mass as that's what your body is feeding on and that's all the losses are resulting from - lost muscle.

    This is Dr. Sue's website
    http://drskleiner.com/
    Her most famous book is called Power Eating. She's frequently fired by major sports franchises to set up programs for athletes (i.e. a former QB for the Seahawks, a future hall-of-famer that played for the Miami Heat and so on). Her mantra is "fuel your workouts".

    Moreover, at 6'9", 237 is a pretty healthy weight anyway - depending on how that mass is established. Perhaps it's time to stop looking at weight and start looking at composition?
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited April 2015
    To the OP thanks for clarification. You are lifting weights now and so you are sort of if not are already essentially doing a cut.. But you focus on losing weight and at the same time you say lose fat and this categorically really does not work or at least the way you are trying to describe it.

    You should continue to lift (no doubt) but the goal in my mind should be different. Not bulk because this is something totally different nutrition wise as you already know.

    If you have body fat to loose only then a cutting then bulking cycle is where you should be focused.

    Do not pay any attention to anyone that says there is a "starvation mode", yadi, yadi, yadi... This does not happen unless you are on stranded desert with no food or water.

    I understand that you are following calculations given to you from several different sources and although I did not run the numbers my self I think that allowing MFP to calculate your cardio is some to blame but not all.

    I think we have all hashed this by asking the right questions and you have been great about trying to give us information in order to be helpful.. Yes there is something off and I presume the next offense is to get a blood panel and talk to your doc...

  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    The easy answer to why you're not losing any weight is because - and this is going to seem counter-intuitive - you're not feeding your body enough. I'm not a scientist, but I've had it explained to me by Dr. Susan Kleiner that your total NET deficit should never be more than 300 calories below your recommended daily intake. So, if 2900 calories is your daily neutral target, anything less than 2600 and your body goes into starvation mode. Initially, cutting massive calories will show significant results, but once your body because accustomed to starving, it stops processing the same way and your metabolism shuts down. At this point, you're probably losing muscle mass as that's what your body is feeding on and that's all the losses are resulting from - lost muscle.

    This is Dr. Sue's website
    http://drskleiner.com/
    Her most famous book is called Power Eating. She's frequently fired by major sports franchises to set up programs for athletes (i.e. a former QB for the Seahawks, a future hall-of-famer that played for the Miami Heat and so on). Her mantra is "fuel your workouts".

    Moreover, at 6'9", 237 is a pretty healthy weight anyway - depending on how that mass is established. Perhaps it's time to stop looking at weight and start looking at composition?

    Yeah no, that's completely wrong.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited April 2015
    Why are telling MFP that you are sedentary? You are far from being sedentary, have you tried to actually use your true activity levels to determine your calories... I think I just answered my own question because you will get a more accurate number plus make sure that the BMR based on 98 pounds lost appears to be accurate and reasonable.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    gia07 wrote: »
    Why are telling MFP that you are sedentary? You are far from being sedentary, have you tried to actually use your true activity levels to determine your calories... I think I just answered my own question because you will get a more accurate number plus make sure that the BMR based on 98 pounds lost appears to be accurate and reasonable.
    Mostly because I don't want to eat at a calorie level that requires walking 42 miles a week or trying to match what I really burn to what MFP thinks I burn. I'd rather have any exercise calories be a bonus to what I lose.

    Now, as I get closer to my target -- and what brought the whole fiasco into sharper focus -- I want to get a pretty good grip on what my actual maintenance level will be so that I can add enough calories for reasonable muscle growth without an unreasonable amount of added fat.
  • merde_il_pleut
    merde_il_pleut Posts: 17 Member
    I'd be super curious to know what your blood work looks like. A thyroid panel, for sure, at least (TSH, free T3 and T4). A fasting glucose and an A1C, as well as a CBC with diff, and ferritin would be good too. Are you taking any medications at all? I don't have any real suggestions, to be honest, I'm just curious.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    I'd be super curious to know what your blood work looks like. A thyroid panel, for sure, at least (TSH, free T3 and T4). A fasting glucose and an A1C, as well as a CBC with diff, and ferritin would be good too. Are you taking any medications at all? I don't have any real suggestions, to be honest, I'm just curious.
    No medications at all.

    It sounds like the next trip to the doctor will be more than "I'm fine, let me out of here."

  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited April 2015
    I already see several things wrong. First we have no idea at this point how you are truly using the MFP tool and how you expect to be successful. You want MFP to figure your calories to eat back your exercise calories but try to actually match your actual TDEE.. And you allow MFP to estimate your cardio with is way over estimated but at the same time you do not want to do "cardio" at the level you are.. But you stated you want actual numbers and you are not giving MFP the actual truth about your fitness because you want to loose weight faster, ?? ? ? ? ? ?? ? ? ? ? ? ??

    Dude I hate to say this and maybe some tough love here, but you are not doing this right nor are you clear what the goals are or at least what you are trying to describe. You are throwing around three or four different things into a single equation.

    You still have not explained how you successfully lost 98 pounds to get where you are today and you want a TDEE to be XXX number or something that I can't quite figure out. What method, what program, what exercise, etc..... you have experience in being successful at loosing right???

    And going to maintenance is a different beast, but you say you want to build muscle, yadi, yadi, yadi... My suggestion is that you speak to a fitness professional that can help you with setting up nutrition and help you with your numbers..

    I predict you need to do some more research on setting up the right goal and when you describe to others the goal is clearly defined using language that we all understand because I think the blue print you are going by is a bit off..

  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    Your walking adds an average of ~500 calores/day to your TDEE.
    Which is marginally less than half of what MapMyFitness tries to tell me, so that sounds pretty reasonable and relatively in line with the 2906 TDEE from IIFYM, given that I was conservative with the "3 times a week for exercise."

    That was my thought as well, yes.

    Would need to see your diary to get offer more detailed/relevant observations.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    Your walking adds an average of ~500 calores/day to your TDEE.
    Which is marginally less than half of what MapMyFitness tries to tell me, so that sounds pretty reasonable and relatively in line with the 2906 TDEE from IIFYM, given that I was conservative with the "3 times a week for exercise."

    That was my thought as well, yes.

    Would need to see your diary to get offer more detailed/relevant observations.

    See his other post on page 1. He does not use MFP to log his nutrition (any more).
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    edited April 2015
    gia07 wrote: »
    I already see several things wrong. First we have no idea at this point how you are truly using the MFP tool and how you expect to be successful. You want MFP to figure your calories to eat back your exercise calories but try to actually match your actual TDEE.. And you allow MFP to estimate your cardio with is way over estimated but at the same time you do not want to do "cardio" at the level you are.. But you stated you want actual numbers and you are not giving MFP the actual truth about your fitness because you want to loose weight faster, ?? ? ? ? ? ?? ? ? ? ? ? ??

    Dude I hate to say this and maybe some tough love here, but you are not doing this right nor are you clear what the goals are or at least what you are trying to describe. You are throwing around three or four different things into a single equation.

    You still have not explained how you successfully lost 98 pounds to get where you are today and you want a TDEE to be XXX number or something that I can't quite figure out. What method, what program, what exercise, etc..... you have experience in being successful at loosing right???

    And going to maintenance is a different beast, but you say you want to build muscle, yadi, yadi, yadi... My suggestion is that you speak to a fitness professional that can help you with setting up nutrition and help you with your numbers..

    I predict you need to do some more research on setting up the right goal and when you describe to others the goal is clearly defined using language that we all understand because I think the blue print you are going by is a bit off..
    I am using the MFP tool to give me a calorie deficit given my current weight that will theoretically allow me to lose two pounds a week from that calorie deficit.

    I don't really care, at this point, about my TDEE. However, since I am getting within sight of my weight loss goal, I've started looking at my estimated TDEE, my actual caloric intake, my exercise, and the net effect of all these things on my weight.

    So, I am currently losing weight based on a 1000 calorie a day deficit from diet plus whatever actual calories I'm burning by moving beyond the sedentary level, which is baked in to the 1000 calorie deficit MFP gives me.

    As it turns out, at this point, my total caloric deficit (from both diet and exercise) is resulting in a weight loss that is less than predicted by the math. Therefore, it appears to be, the TDEE estimate is far higher than what it would actually take for me to maintain if I were ready to start maintaining at this point.

    I successfully lost 98 pounds by eating at a 1000 calorie a day deficit (my daily intake gradually decreased as my weight did) and exercising. Which is exactly what I am doing now. Which is why it's a little baffling that the correlation between total caloric deficit and weight loss which was present up until about six weeks ago is no longer holding. Which is why I asked my original questions.

    Yes, going to maintenance is a different beast. It has to take into account exercise, while losing really doesn't have to (though it can). Which is why I'm trying to figure out what caloric intake that might require. As it is, losing .59 pounds per week, it appears that maintenance for me would be about 295 calories more per day. However, that still leaves me well below what any TDEE calculator shows for my age, height, weight, and exercise level. Hence my concern.

    My goal is to determine the caloric intake that will maintain my weight, given my age, height, weight, and activity level. The theoretical answer to that question via TDEE calculators is very much different from the practical answer via actual results right now. So I'm asking if I'm missing anything or if, in my case, I really would need to consume about 1000 calories less per day than the calculators would indicate.

    Edit: This is my 342nd day in a row to log in, which puts my first day with MFP as 4/27/2014, which is about right since the visit to the doctor which started this ball rolling was on 4/25/2014.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    gia07 wrote: »
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    Your walking adds an average of ~500 calores/day to your TDEE.
    Which is marginally less than half of what MapMyFitness tries to tell me, so that sounds pretty reasonable and relatively in line with the 2906 TDEE from IIFYM, given that I was conservative with the "3 times a week for exercise."

    That was my thought as well, yes.

    Would need to see your diary to get offer more detailed/relevant observations.

    See his other post on page 1. He does not use MFP to log his nutrition (any more).
    But I have provided exactly the same information, in a more detailed fashion, than my MFP diary would provide.

    If it makes it easier, presume that what I've listed for MWF is what I eat every day. That would close the gap a little since it would overestimate my total calories, but it wouldn't be an outrageous difference.

  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    I have written my post over 4 different times and I am now posting this one..

    I have to throw my hands up on this one.. I do understand the following but I am not explaining it right and I am def not helping..

    1) I understand now that all you want to know is calories for maintenance only at this point and you are not getting the numbers right from the 3 or 4 calculators including MFP.

    2) You are not loosing weight today as predicted according to the math from said calculators. You are loosing less than what the reports or spreadsheets say you should.

    3) Your estimated TDEE based on your personal stats is totally off on all the calculators and nutrition (calories in based on what you listed as food intake) is NOT the problem at all?

    4) You know your actual and true TDEE now? And nothing (no estimates) comes close within the other calculators to what your actual data is?

    Someone step in and help this guy out if you can.... Good luck...

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    edited April 2015
    Frankly... I'd take a diet break. Eat at TDEE for a month. See what happens. Then cut again.

    Heck, you could try to eat a bit over your TDEE and try to bulk for a month, so it's not totally wasted, lol.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    edited April 2015
    Grilled Chicken - 15oz (79.8P, 0C, 20.85F)

    Not sure about this entry. That's basically a pound of chicken. Assuming it's straight grilled chicken breast - ie, leanest lowest calorie part of the chicken - at 2 calories/gram -> 850-ish calories for the meat alone. Roughly double the protein grams.

    That alone would be a big chunk of the riddle.

    What am I missing or misinterpreting?
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    edited April 2015
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    Grilled Chicken - 15oz (79.8P, 0C, 20.85F)

    Not sure about this entry. That's basically a pound of chicken. Assuming it's straight grilled chicken breast - ie, leanest lowest calorie part of the chicken - at 2 calories/gram -> 850-ish calories for the meat alone. Roughly double the protein grams.

    That alone would be a big chunk of the riddle.

    What am I missing or misinterpreting?
    Everything I've ever found, including while the weight was falling off, puts chicken breast at 31-35 calories per ounce. That would be 465-525 calories, and about 80 grams of protein, for 15 ounces, unless my math is just way off.

    Where are you finding 160 grams of protein per 15 ounces of chicken breast or 57 calories per once of chicken breast? Yeah, that would make a difference, but I haven't seen those numbers anywhere at all.

  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    Grilled Chicken - 15oz (79.8P, 0C, 20.85F)

    Not sure about this entry. That's basically a pound of chicken. Assuming it's straight grilled chicken breast - ie, leanest lowest calorie part of the chicken - at 2 calories/gram -> 850-ish calories for the meat alone. Roughly double the protein grams.

    That alone would be a big chunk of the riddle.

    What am I missing or misinterpreting?

    Hm? A pound were 450 grams or so, right? 100 grams is just over 100 calories, something like 110-120.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    Grilled Chicken - 15oz (79.8P, 0C, 20.85F)

    Not sure about this entry. That's basically a pound of chicken. Assuming it's straight grilled chicken breast - ie, leanest lowest calorie part of the chicken - at 2 calories/gram -> 850-ish calories for the meat alone. Roughly double the protein grams.

    That alone would be a big chunk of the riddle.

    What am I missing or misinterpreting?
    Everything I've ever found, including while the weight was falling off, puts chicken breast at 31-35 calories per ounce. That would be 465-525 calories, and about 80 grams of protein, for 15 ounces, unless my math is just way off.

    Where are you finding 160 grams of protein per 15 ounces of chicken breast or 57 calories per once of chicken breast? Yeah, that would make a difference, but I haven't seen those numbers anywhere at all.

    I'm using cooked weights.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    edited April 2015
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    Grilled Chicken - 15oz (79.8P, 0C, 20.85F)

    Not sure about this entry. That's basically a pound of chicken. Assuming it's straight grilled chicken breast - ie, leanest lowest calorie part of the chicken - at 2 calories/gram -> 850-ish calories for the meat alone. Roughly double the protein grams.

    That alone would be a big chunk of the riddle.

    What am I missing or misinterpreting?
    Everything I've ever found, including while the weight was falling off, puts chicken breast at 31-35 calories per ounce. That would be 465-525 calories, and about 80 grams of protein, for 15 ounces, unless my math is just way off.

    Where are you finding 160 grams of protein per 15 ounces of chicken breast or 57 calories per once of chicken breast? Yeah, that would make a difference, but I haven't seen those numbers anywhere at all.

    I'm using cooked weights.
    Here's one example:

    https://mobile.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/generic/chicken-breast-ns-as-to-skin-eaten?portionid=5041&portionamount=1.000

    Do you have a link or a search term in MFP's database that shows such high numbers? If the numbers I'm using are that far off, that would be a problem.

    Edit: The first entry for grilled chicken in MFP is 31 calories per ounce.
  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
    OP--I plugged your sample day into MFP--it's ~2,115 calories. That's nearly 500 calories above your estimate. Congrats! You've found the source of most of the problem--"calorie creep"--and it happens to the best of us (I know, because I've fallen victim, too--and I'm the "best" in my eyes). Assuming a 5% margin of error (assuming best measuring practices, which I believe you use them, too), and you're losing "around" what you should (300-500 calorie deficit level--or your reported .59lb or whatever it is, I forgot).

  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    edited April 2015
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    Grilled Chicken - 15oz (79.8P, 0C, 20.85F)

    Not sure about this entry. That's basically a pound of chicken. Assuming it's straight grilled chicken breast - ie, leanest lowest calorie part of the chicken - at 2 calories/gram -> 850-ish calories for the meat alone. Roughly double the protein grams.

    That alone would be a big chunk of the riddle.

    What am I missing or misinterpreting?
    Everything I've ever found, including while the weight was falling off, puts chicken breast at 31-35 calories per ounce. That would be 465-525 calories, and about 80 grams of protein, for 15 ounces, unless my math is just way off.

    Where are you finding 160 grams of protein per 15 ounces of chicken breast or 57 calories per once of chicken breast? Yeah, that would make a difference, but I haven't seen those numbers anywhere at all.

    I'm using cooked weights.
    Here's one example:

    https://mobile.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/generic/chicken-breast-ns-as-to-skin-eaten?portionid=5041&portionamount=1.000

    Do you have a link or a search term in MFP's database that shows such high numbers? If the numbers I'm using are that far off, that would be a problem.

    Edit: The first entry for grilled chicken in MFP is 31 calories per ounce.

    I pulled directly from USDA database. Estimating other people's food is a tricky business - I'm not saying I'm right and you're wrong, just trying to be helpful and point out what jumped out at me, based on errors I've made in my own logging.

    :drinker:

    ybIOIE4.png
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