Calculating CO, so that I can calculate CI (SpEsHuL SnOwFlAkE edition)

CurlyCockney

Does anyone have any advice as to how to calculate just how many calories I need to take in a day? Please bear with me, as I'm trying to make sense of this as I'm typing...

I'm 57 years old, 5ft 5ins tall and weigh 14st 11lb 8oz (207lb 8oz). I've been counting my calories for 75 days, and have lost 12lb. I weigh (with a scale and by gramme) all my food, and I've set MFP to give me a 1lb loss per week - I'm not in a hurry to lose weight, but I'm trying to get my nutrition on track due to poor blood test results.

My issue is with the CO part of the equation. I have a neurological condition, Transverse Myelitis, which (amongst other things) means that I can't walk very far or use my arms for very long on a regular basis. I head-counted my steps on a really good day and I did 198. This, however, resulted in me lying in bed unable to move the next day. Because of this, I'm not even reaching the Sedentary Level of MFP. I've got a Withings O2 tracker which I wear on my clothing, and a Jawbone UP3 which I wear on my wrist but only the UP3 is linked to MFP. I know neither of these can be accurate because they are not made for people like me (snowflake!) so I ignore the extra calories I get (yesterday I was literally in my powerchair all day at the hospital, but MFP gave me 656 extra calories). I'm wondering how I else I can get an idea of how much energy I'm expending. My Physiotherapist said that I'm using more energy in everything I do because the muscles aren't getting the right signals from the damaged spinal cord, but she was talking about fatigue management rather than calorie counting.

Clearly I'm losing weight, so that's ok. It's just that I'm so careful at measuring the CI that it bothers me to guess at the CO and to have to undercut the calories MFP says I need (my net calories are scarily low) in order to get that loss. I'm happy to hear any advice you can give, but I'm not going to be changing the types of food that I eat because I have a team of doctors and specialist nurses telling me what nutrition I need to increase for my health - my weight is not a priority for them.

Thanks in advance for any help.

ETA: When I said my net calories are scarily low, this is due to the information that UP3 is giving MFP. My MFP target is 1430 but I don't always reach it. I always take in over 1000, usually 1200-1300.

DeadsAndDoritos

Add up the total calories consumed over the 75 days. Since you have lost 12lbs, that's equivalent to a deficit of approx. 12x3500 = 42000 calories. Take the calories consumed and add the 42000, then divide by 75. That's roughly how many calories you burn in a day (assuming your activity levels over the past 75 days are typical). To lose 1 lb a week you need to eat 500 less than that amount. You could then choose to set your calories at that level (assuming it is not lower than 1200), and not log exercise calories.

Hope that helps.

CurlyCockney

@sucampbeN Thank you so much! Not only for reading my rambling post, but for giving me something to work with! Much appreciated :-)

DeadsAndDoritos

You're welcome

Sued0nim

CurlyCockney wrote: »

Does anyone have any advice as to how to calculate just how many calories I need to take in a day? Please bear with me, as I'm trying to make sense of this as I'm typing...

I'm 57 years old, 5ft 5ins tall and weigh 14st 11lb 8oz (207lb 8oz). I've been counting my calories for 75 days, and have lost 12lb. I weigh (with a scale and by gramme) all my food, and I've set MFP to give me a 1lb loss per week - I'm not in a hurry to lose weight, but I'm trying to get my nutrition on track due to poor blood test results.

My issue is with the CO part of the equation. I have a neurological condition, Transverse Myelitis, which (amongst other things) means that I can't walk very far or use my arms for very long on a regular basis. I head-counted my steps on a really good day and I did 198. This, however, resulted in me lying in bed unable to move the next day. Because of this, I'm not even reaching the Sedentary Level of MFP. I've got a Withings O2 tracker which I wear on my clothing, and a Jawbone UP3 which I wear on my wrist but only the UP3 is linked to MFP. I know neither of these can be accurate because they are not made for people like me (snowflake!) so I ignore the extra calories I get (yesterday I was literally in my powerchair all day at the hospital, but MFP gave me 656 extra calories). I'm wondering how I else I can get an idea of how much energy I'm expending. My Physiotherapist said that I'm using more energy in everything I do because the muscles aren't getting the right signals from the damaged spinal cord, but she was talking about fatigue management rather than calorie counting.

Clearly I'm losing weight, so that's ok. It's just that I'm so careful at measuring the CI that it bothers me to guess at the CO and to have to undercut the calories MFP says I need (my net calories are scarily low) in order to get that loss. I'm happy to hear any advice you can give, but I'm not going to be changing the types of food that I eat because I have a team of doctors and specialist nurses telling me what nutrition I need to increase for my health - my weight is not a priority for them.

Thanks in advance for any help.

ETA: When I said my net calories are scarily low, this is due to the information that UP3 is giving MFP. My MFP target is 1430 but I don't always reach it. I always take in over 1000, usually 1200-1300.

Take your gross calorie intake over 75 days

Add 3500x12

Divide number by 75

Et voila your TDEE

Kalikel

You should get a referral to a dietitian. We talk a lot here about how they're helpful for weight loss, but that's not what they're best at doing, IMO. Their forte is helping people who have special diets. I don't think there is any medical diet you can give them that will stump them. When I'd say "NASH diet" to family or friends, they'd never heard of it. When I went to the dietitian, she nodded her head in that, "Yes, I know what that is" way people do. Like it wasn't a thing.

So if there are certain foods or kinds of foods you are supposed to be eating, they work with you on that. In my case, it was dirt and sand and little bits of cotton but she was very helpful.

They get your info from the doctor and work with you to come up with a plan that works for you and you alone. If you have allergies or things you don't like, they work with that, too.

Call the doctor and get a referral. It is the best 30-60 minutes you will spend on your diet!!!

Plus, when you get info from the doctor and dietitian and read something else here or hear something else from friends and coworkers, you can let it go in one ear and out the other. You don't have to wonder if you're doing the right thing for you because you know you are.

Need2Exerc1se

A couple of people have already posted the formula but honestly it seems liked you've already found the right amount of calories to eat. 10 lbs in 7 weeks seems like a nice rate at which to lose. If it were me, I wouldn't change a thing (unless directed to do so by a Dr., of course).

Best of luck to you.

SingRunTing

Trial and error.

You can back calculate it the way people mentioned above. But, if how many calories you're eating is working for your goals, then stick with it. If not, adjust slowly until they do.

CurlyCockney

Sorry I didn't respond earlier, but I've just got back home. Thank you all for your advice, and I'll take it on board and work out my numbers later (after a nap!).

CurlyCockney

OK I think I've got it now. Using the calculation methods from @sucampbeN and @rabbitjb I see that my TDEE is 1800, and so I'll change my goal to 1300 to lose 1lb per week and disconnect the UP3. Am I right to assume that this figure might need to be tweaked when I've lost another stone or so? Or will it always be accurate?

Thanks again for all the help, and also for the encouragement :-)

Sued0nim

Continue to check over rolling 6-8 week periods

CurlyCockney

Cheers!

StaciMarie1974

It will change slowly over time as you lose weight. Since you probably do not want to cut your CI too low, it means your deficit will go down.

For what its worth, sounds like you are 'sedentary' by the MFP calculations. Your body uses energy to get thru your day, even if you're not walking. When I ran your #s I came up with 1525 BMR. A 20% increase for sedentary would put you at 1830, and from your results, that is about right.

I went thru that to show this: At 150 pounds your BMR would be about 1266. With a 20% increase for sedentary activity, your maintenance would be about 1500 per day. (I don't know your goal weight, just used a round #.) So even then you'd have a 200/day deficit if you aimed for 1300 CI.

Perhaps work with your physiotherapist to see if there is any type of activity you can incorporate into your day? Every little bit helps.

CurlyCockney

Thanks for crunching the numbers for me. I've set my target for 10st 7lb (147lb) for now, so you were pretty close! I've been using Bodylastics resistance bands at home twice a week to increase my range of arm movements, as well as the normal daily physiotherapy. I also play Sitting Tennis with the Wii Fit. I'm not complaining, but everything comes at a cost in regards to fatigue and pain the next day so I don't play it often. Hopefully my stamina will increase over time, because I'd really like to get into Wheelchair Archery (I live very close to the Olympic Stadium, and was enthralled and inspired by the 2012 Paralympics).