High calorie target - will I lose weight?
Replies
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I don't log the exercise section of MFP because given that I may overestimate my calorie intake, atleast the exercise offsets it. MFP can not pinpoint how many calories you burned or how much muscle you have to assist in calorie burning but it can accurately estimate what goes into your body. Exercise is not a licence to eat. For example, if you input your activity level into MFP, it will assume that your activity level is of that everyday. Some days you don't go to the gym but you will still consume the same amount of calories as if you went, and bam that's when the calories climb back up. Maybe you should focus doing on one thing (that is, calorie restricting) and let exercise be a bonus.
It's really as simple as move more, eat less, drink water, avoid packaged food and you'll gradually see a difference.
I gained around 10kg over the past year once I stopped going to the gym and tracking my calories, pretty much let myself go.
I'm currently on "1700" calories, weight training only for 4-5 times a week. Still occasionally have my junk food here and there, but the main difference to my diet is more meat, less sugared snacks (replaced with mandarins) and ONLY water (with the occasional coffee).
Started in early September at 78kg, now at 72kg as of November. Newbie gains kicking in.
Of course, my body functions differently from you because of my age, gender, height etc but I hope you got the point I'm trying to make.
All the best
I agree, OP try just starting with your diet first and then work exercise in once you have that part under control. It might be easier to focus on one thing at a time for right now.2 -
Just be sure to log your food, junk, and booze accurately and honestly. Hot wings are food. Honey buns are food. Just log it.1
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dinadyna21 wrote: »I honestly don't trust the machines at my gym to accurately calculate my calorie burn because the totals when I'm done seem way off. And until I get a heart rate monitor I just don't see a point in logging my exercise and eating back the calories. I tried doing that when I first started and my weight didn't budge because I had no deficit.
That's no excuse for not using MFP as it was designed.
There are several ways to get around this. Make note of how long you used the equipment, use MFP's data base to log your activity, and eat back just a percentage of those calories. See how your weight loss goes. If you are losing at the rate expected, all is well. If you're losing too quickly, eat back a greater percentage. If you're losing too slowly, eat back a little less.
What you shouldn't do is not eat back any exercise calories at all.
People just starting out and a lot left to go can get away with doing something like not eating back their exercise calories, and I understand it's alluring because you lose weight faster, but it's a bad habit to get into. Weight loss isn't a race. Don't be in a rush to lose weight quickly. It always comes back to bite you.7 -
I appreciate your concern, trust me I'm not in a rush to lose weight. I certainly didn't gain it in a hurry
MFP is a tool that I feel we all have to utilize to the best of our ability, whichever way that is. At this point I'm losing at the rate I intended to so I'm not worried about the exercise calories.3 -
dinadyna21 wrote: »I appreciate your concern, trust me I'm not in a rush to lose weight. I certainly didn't gain it in a hurry
MFP is a tool that I feel we all have to utilize to the best of our ability, whichever way that is. At this point I'm losing at the rate I intended to so I'm not worried about the exercise calories.
If you're losing weight at the rate expected while not logging exercise, there's likely an issue with your logging.
I'd ask you, with all due respect, to maybe consider that you shouldn't pass along the advice to others that they shouldn't eat back their exercise calories in case their logging is on point. Especially people like the OP, whose first post told of how she had behaviors in the past where she exercised a lot and didn't eat enough to fuel it and that resulted in her giving up.8 -
I think you misunderstood what I was trying to say, I told the OP she should focus on diet for now and focus on exercise later. Anything I mentioned about what I do is anecdotal and merely to give an idea of how I use MFP. If she wants to follow that or not is her choice. I'm not telling her to follow what I do.3
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I think your biggest concern will be counting calories correctly. This is not a trivial task and many have found it necessary to prepare their own food and weigh their ingredients in order to hit an accurate number.
Ultimately, calorie counting is a skill that many take for granted. In my experience with helping people lose weight they are frequently as much as 50% off at the end of the day.
What may be more important is to think about how you ate in the past - how you got to where you are today. Estimate those calories and I think you'll get an idea for whether or not 1920 is a significant reduction for you.
I once tracked my own intake from memory and determined that I had an average intake of 3800 calories per day. MFP recommended 2080 calories per day for me for a 1 pound/week weight loss. Following that and eating my exercise calories back, I lost about 3 lbs a week for a month straight.
I think it is likely that you will lose some fat at that rate, also, that you'll find 1920/day a lot easier to stick to than 1600/day. For the ultimate goal of long term success, I say, give this a try. You'll know in a few weeks if you need to make an adjustment.3 -
Keep in mind that there are 2 ways to use MFP.
1. Set your activity level to Sedentary and manually log exercise calories
2. Set your activity level to your actual activity level (Lightly Active, Active, etc) and NOT log exercise calories
@toxikon
No that's completely wrong I'm afraid and not the way this tool works.
Activity setting and exercise are completely separate.
Whatever is your true activity setting is that's what you set to account for your daily routine.
My son is a builder so has an active setting to account for his job - when he exercises he needs more.
For me for example I recently retired from a sedentary job but with a very large exercise routine.
Now I'm retired my activity setting would be lightly active as I'm moving much more during the day - but I still have the same large exercise routine.
You might notice above that @janejellyroll pointed out that some people who lead naturally active lives (like working on their feet all day) would want to input a higher activity level than Sedentary - which I agree with. I'm a Sedentary person so I forgot about that point - but it would still fall under "option 1" - just sub out Sedentary with whatever your non-exercise-routine activity level would be.
You still aren't getting it.
Of course a person who isn't sedentary shouldn't choose sedentary!
Whatever your activity level is you still add exercise. That's the way the tool is designed - to give an allowance to both parts, activity and exercise.
Your calorie goal on here is all of your daily routine activity plus exercise calories.
The two options are in fact:
1/ MFP method: Set your correct daily activity setting and add exercise in addition. A variable daily amount.
2/ Follow the TDEE method where your daily estimate includes exercise as well. An average daily portion of your exercise is included so you have a same every day allowance.
...That's exactly what I said?
You either set your Activity level to your natural Activity level (deskjob = Sedentary, working on your feet = Lightly Active, whatever) and manually input your intentional excercise (log that you ran a 5k after work).
OR
If you run a 5k every day, set your Activity Level higher so you don't need to manually log the 5ks.
What am I missing here?
For what it's worth, most people who exercise regularly will want to log it for reasons that have nothing to do with calories. How else would you know how many miles you ran this month, what your best recent pace was, or when your shoes have enough miles on them to wear out soon - so you can buy a new pair before you're unable to run? People also log to see their training load and recovery status.
MFP can't tell you any of those things. Most runners and cyclists don't log exercise here, we have running or cycling devices that log our exercise for us and sync the data here.
So it's really no hassle to log your 5k here, it's like three button presses on your watch. And if you're running a 5k every day that's 93 miles per month, making you a high level runner, who almost certainly already did this anyway.2 -
@toxikonKeep in mind that there are 2 ways to use MFP.
1. Set your activity level to Sedentary and manually log exercise calories
2. Set your activity level to your actual activity level (Lightly Active, Active, etc) and NOT log exercise calories
@toxikon
No that's completely wrong I'm afraid and not the way this tool works.
Activity setting and exercise are completely separate.
Whatever is your true activity setting is that's what you set to account for your daily routine.
My son is a builder so has an active setting to account for his job - when he exercises he needs more.
For me for example I recently retired from a sedentary job but with a very large exercise routine.
Now I'm retired my activity setting would be lightly active as I'm moving much more during the day - but I still have the same large exercise routine.
You might notice above that @janejellyroll pointed out that some people who lead naturally active lives (like working on their feet all day) would want to input a higher activity level than Sedentary - which I agree with. I'm a Sedentary person so I forgot about that point - but it would still fall under "option 1" - just sub out Sedentary with whatever your non-exercise-routine activity level would be.
You still aren't getting it.
Of course a person who isn't sedentary shouldn't choose sedentary!
Whatever your activity level is you still add exercise. That's the way the tool is designed - to give an allowance to both parts, activity and exercise.
Your calorie goal on here is all of your daily routine activity plus exercise calories.
The two options are in fact:
1/ MFP method: Set your correct daily activity setting and add exercise in addition. A variable daily amount.
2/ Follow the TDEE method where your daily estimate includes exercise as well. An average daily portion of your exercise is included so you have a same every day allowance.
...That's exactly what I said?
You either set your Activity level to your natural Activity level (deskjob = Sedentary, working on your feet = Lightly Active, whatever) and manually input your intentional excercise (log that you ran a 5k after work).
OR
If you run a 5k every day, set your Activity Level higher so you don't need to manually log the 5ks.
What am I missing here?
What you are missing is that what you are saying now is not the same as your original statement!
Read them carefully to see what you wrote as opposed to what you seem to think you wrote.
Because what you actually said was...
"2. Set your activity level to your actual activity level (Lightly Active, Active, etc) and NOT log exercise calories"
Where in that method are you accounting for your exercise?
I get the impression the penny has dropped for you as you are now saying set your activity level higher than reality to compensate for not logging exercise. Which in an odd and less accurate way does account for exercise.
You can't think not accounting for exercise and accounting for exercise are "exactly the same" so I assume you are reading what you expect to see and meant to write rather than what you really did type.
6 -
@toxikonKeep in mind that there are 2 ways to use MFP.
1. Set your activity level to Sedentary and manually log exercise calories
2. Set your activity level to your actual activity level (Lightly Active, Active, etc) and NOT log exercise calories
@toxikon
No that's completely wrong I'm afraid and not the way this tool works.
Activity setting and exercise are completely separate.
Whatever is your true activity setting is that's what you set to account for your daily routine.
My son is a builder so has an active setting to account for his job - when he exercises he needs more.
For me for example I recently retired from a sedentary job but with a very large exercise routine.
Now I'm retired my activity setting would be lightly active as I'm moving much more during the day - but I still have the same large exercise routine.
You might notice above that @janejellyroll pointed out that some people who lead naturally active lives (like working on their feet all day) would want to input a higher activity level than Sedentary - which I agree with. I'm a Sedentary person so I forgot about that point - but it would still fall under "option 1" - just sub out Sedentary with whatever your non-exercise-routine activity level would be.
You still aren't getting it.
Of course a person who isn't sedentary shouldn't choose sedentary!
Whatever your activity level is you still add exercise. That's the way the tool is designed - to give an allowance to both parts, activity and exercise.
Your calorie goal on here is all of your daily routine activity plus exercise calories.
The two options are in fact:
1/ MFP method: Set your correct daily activity setting and add exercise in addition. A variable daily amount.
2/ Follow the TDEE method where your daily estimate includes exercise as well. An average daily portion of your exercise is included so you have a same every day allowance.
...That's exactly what I said?
You either set your Activity level to your natural Activity level (deskjob = Sedentary, working on your feet = Lightly Active, whatever) and manually input your intentional excercise (log that you ran a 5k after work).
OR
If you run a 5k every day, set your Activity Level higher so you don't need to manually log the 5ks.
What am I missing here?
What you are missing is that what you are saying now is not the same as your original statement!
Read them carefully to see what you wrote as opposed to what you seem to think you wrote.
Because what you actually said was...
"2. Set your activity level to your actual activity level (Lightly Active, Active, etc) and NOT log exercise calories"
Where in that method are you accounting for your exercise?
I get the impression the penny has dropped for you as you are now saying set your activity level higher than reality to compensate for not logging exercise. Which in an odd and less accurate way does account for exercise.
You can't think not accounting for exercise and accounting for exercise are "exactly the same" so I assume you are reading what you expect to see and meant to write rather than what you really did type.
I apologize for not being clear in my original wording, let me fix it just for you, kay? Then can we just drop it?
Option 1. Set your activity level to Sedentary your NEAT and manually log exercise calories
Option 2. Set your activity level to your actual activity level (Lightly Active, Active, etc) TDEE and NOT log exercise calories1 -
@toxikonKeep in mind that there are 2 ways to use MFP.
1. Set your activity level to Sedentary and manually log exercise calories
2. Set your activity level to your actual activity level (Lightly Active, Active, etc) and NOT log exercise calories
@toxikon
No that's completely wrong I'm afraid and not the way this tool works.
Activity setting and exercise are completely separate.
Whatever is your true activity setting is that's what you set to account for your daily routine.
My son is a builder so has an active setting to account for his job - when he exercises he needs more.
For me for example I recently retired from a sedentary job but with a very large exercise routine.
Now I'm retired my activity setting would be lightly active as I'm moving much more during the day - but I still have the same large exercise routine.
You might notice above that @janejellyroll pointed out that some people who lead naturally active lives (like working on their feet all day) would want to input a higher activity level than Sedentary - which I agree with. I'm a Sedentary person so I forgot about that point - but it would still fall under "option 1" - just sub out Sedentary with whatever your non-exercise-routine activity level would be.
You still aren't getting it.
Of course a person who isn't sedentary shouldn't choose sedentary!
Whatever your activity level is you still add exercise. That's the way the tool is designed - to give an allowance to both parts, activity and exercise.
Your calorie goal on here is all of your daily routine activity plus exercise calories.
The two options are in fact:
1/ MFP method: Set your correct daily activity setting and add exercise in addition. A variable daily amount.
2/ Follow the TDEE method where your daily estimate includes exercise as well. An average daily portion of your exercise is included so you have a same every day allowance.
...That's exactly what I said?
You either set your Activity level to your natural Activity level (deskjob = Sedentary, working on your feet = Lightly Active, whatever) and manually input your intentional excercise (log that you ran a 5k after work).
OR
If you run a 5k every day, set your Activity Level higher so you don't need to manually log the 5ks.
What am I missing here?
What you are missing is that what you are saying now is not the same as your original statement!
Read them carefully to see what you wrote as opposed to what you seem to think you wrote.
Because what you actually said was...
"2. Set your activity level to your actual activity level (Lightly Active, Active, etc) and NOT log exercise calories"
Where in that method are you accounting for your exercise?
I get the impression the penny has dropped for you as you are now saying set your activity level higher than reality to compensate for not logging exercise. Which in an odd and less accurate way does account for exercise.
You can't think not accounting for exercise and accounting for exercise are "exactly the same" so I assume you are reading what you expect to see and meant to write rather than what you really did type.
I apologize for not being clear in my original wording, let me fix it just for you, kay? Then can we just drop it?
Option 1. Set your activity level to Sedentary your NEAT and manually log exercise calories
Option 2. Set your activity level to your actual activity level (Lightly Active, Active, etc) TDEE and NOT log exercise calories
Thank you - we all make mistakes and it's hard to proof-read something you wrote yourself.
:flowerforyou:3 -
The person who can eat the most and still lose weight is the winner!6
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dinadyna21 wrote: »I honestly don't trust the machines at my gym to accurately calculate my calorie burn because the totals when I'm done seem way off. And until I get a heart rate monitor I just don't see a point in logging my exercise and eating back the calories. I tried doing that when I first started and my weight didn't budge because I had no deficit.
Zero (dramatically underestimating exercise calorie burn) is not more accurate than blindly believing a high estimate.
Significantly underfueling exercise, especially if one sets a high loss-rate goal like 2 pounds a week, may be an unhealthy decision, worse for most people than slow or delayed initial weight loss. It can also be unsustainable (lead to binge-y behavior).
After around 6 weeks of experience, we have enough data of our own to adjust how much exercise burn we should eat back to lose at a sensible rate. Everyone should plan to assess, and if necessary adjust, after getting enough personal experience.
OP has gotten the same advice from several MFP "old hands" who've been very successful here long term themselves: Use MFP as designed for a month or two. Set activity based on daily life outside of intentional exercise. Log exercise and eat at least some of it back.
I endorse that, too. It's not a theory. It worked for me (a couple of years back, and I'm still at a healthy weight now).
Furthermore, since OP has struggled in the past, I think her "pound a week" idea is a good place to start. If that proves pretty easy, she can always increase it later as long as not exceeding around 1% of body weight lost weekly.
Edited: typos5 -
dinadyna21 wrote: »I honestly don't trust the machines at my gym to accurately calculate my calorie burn because the totals when I'm done seem way off. And until I get a heart rate monitor I just don't see a point in logging my exercise and eating back the calories. I tried doing that when I first started and my weight didn't budge because I had no deficit.
Zero (dramatically underestimating exercise calorie burn) is not more accurate than blindly believing a high estimate.
Significantly underfueling exercise, especially if one sets a high loss-rate goal like 2 pounds a week, may be an unhealthy decision, worse for most people than slow or delayed initial weight loss. It can also be unsustainable (lead to binge-y behavior).
After around 6 weeks of experience, we have enough data of our own to adjust how much exercise burn we should eat back to lose at a sensible rate. Everyone should plan to assess, and if necessary adjust, after getting enough personal experience.
OP has gotten the same advice from several MFP "old hands" who've been very successful here long term themselves: Use MFP as designed for a month or two. Set activity based on daily life outside of intentional exercise. Log exercise and eat at least some of it back.
I endorse that, too. It's not a theory. It worked for me (a couple of years back, and I'm still at a healthy weight now).
Furthermore, since OP has struggled in the past, I think her "pound a week" idea is a good place to start. If that proves pretty easy, she can always increase it later as long as not exceeding around 1% of body weight lost weekly.
Edited: typos
Ok, you're basing this off of very little info about me. I might exercise 1 day a week for all you know and do nothing else. As I said before, what I'm doing is working for me. I'm losing weight, I'm not hungry, I feel good, and I'm definitely fueling any workout I am doing or I wouldn't be able to do it all. Again I'm thankful for the advice and I really appreciate it.3 -
dinadyna21 wrote: »dinadyna21 wrote: »I honestly don't trust the machines at my gym to accurately calculate my calorie burn because the totals when I'm done seem way off. And until I get a heart rate monitor I just don't see a point in logging my exercise and eating back the calories. I tried doing that when I first started and my weight didn't budge because I had no deficit.
Zero (dramatically underestimating exercise calorie burn) is not more accurate than blindly believing a high estimate.
Significantly underfueling exercise, especially if one sets a high loss-rate goal like 2 pounds a week, may be an unhealthy decision, worse for most people than slow or delayed initial weight loss. It can also be unsustainable (lead to binge-y behavior).
After around 6 weeks of experience, we have enough data of our own to adjust how much exercise burn we should eat back to lose at a sensible rate. Everyone should plan to assess, and if necessary adjust, after getting enough personal experience.
OP has gotten the same advice from several MFP "old hands" who've been very successful here long term themselves: Use MFP as designed for a month or two. Set activity based on daily life outside of intentional exercise. Log exercise and eat at least some of it back.
I endorse that, too. It's not a theory. It worked for me (a couple of years back, and I'm still at a healthy weight now).
Furthermore, since OP has struggled in the past, I think her "pound a week" idea is a good place to start. If that proves pretty easy, she can always increase it later as long as not exceeding around 1% of body weight lost weekly.
Edited: typos
Ok, you're basing this off of very little info about me. I might exercise 1 day a week for all you know and do nothing else. As I said before, what I'm doing is working for me. I'm losing weight, I'm not hungry, I feel good, and I'm definitely fueling any workout I am doing or I wouldn't be able to do it all. Again I'm thankful for the advice and I really appreciate it.
You were - presumably - writing with the intent to respond to the OP . . . that's definitely what I was doing.
You're right: I know nothing about you. You didn't - that I saw - ask for advice. By all means, you do you.
OP, by contrast, told us a good bit about herself, and did ask for responses. With her specifics, I believe that your philosophy of not eating back exercise is a suboptimal philosophy for her, which is why I quoted you, and recommended a different approach. She's getting a fair amount of exercise; I think she should start by eating some of those calories back.
Heck, I ate all my exercise calories back while losing, and lost like a house afire, even as a 5'5" 59-60 y/old starting at 183 lbs (now 128). But I know that my approach doesn't work for a fair fraction of people, so I didn't recommend it as a starting point for OP, either. 5 -
dinadyna21 wrote: »dinadyna21 wrote: »I honestly don't trust the machines at my gym to accurately calculate my calorie burn because the totals when I'm done seem way off. And until I get a heart rate monitor I just don't see a point in logging my exercise and eating back the calories. I tried doing that when I first started and my weight didn't budge because I had no deficit.
Zero (dramatically underestimating exercise calorie burn) is not more accurate than blindly believing a high estimate.
Significantly underfueling exercise, especially if one sets a high loss-rate goal like 2 pounds a week, may be an unhealthy decision, worse for most people than slow or delayed initial weight loss. It can also be unsustainable (lead to binge-y behavior).
After around 6 weeks of experience, we have enough data of our own to adjust how much exercise burn we should eat back to lose at a sensible rate. Everyone should plan to assess, and if necessary adjust, after getting enough personal experience.
OP has gotten the same advice from several MFP "old hands" who've been very successful here long term themselves: Use MFP as designed for a month or two. Set activity based on daily life outside of intentional exercise. Log exercise and eat at least some of it back.
I endorse that, too. It's not a theory. It worked for me (a couple of years back, and I'm still at a healthy weight now).
Furthermore, since OP has struggled in the past, I think her "pound a week" idea is a good place to start. If that proves pretty easy, she can always increase it later as long as not exceeding around 1% of body weight lost weekly.
Edited: typos
Ok, you're basing this off of very little info about me. I might exercise 1 day a week for all you know and do nothing else. As I said before, what I'm doing is working for me. I'm losing weight, I'm not hungry, I feel good, and I'm definitely fueling any workout I am doing or I wouldn't be able to do it all. Again I'm thankful for the advice and I really appreciate it.
You were - presumably - writing with the intent to respond to the OP . . . that's definitely what I was doing.
You're right: I know nothing about you. You didn't - that I saw - ask for advice. By all means, you do you.
OP, by contrast, told us a good bit about herself, and did ask for responses. With her specifics, I believe that your philosophy of not eating back exercise is a suboptimal philosophy for her, which is why I quoted you, and recommended a different approach. She's getting a fair amount of exercise; I think she should start by eating some of those calories back.
Heck, I ate all my exercise calories back while losing, and lost like a house afire, even as a 5'5" 59-60 y/old starting at 183 lbs (now 128). But I know that my approach doesn't work for a fair fraction of people, so I didn't recommend it as a starting point for OP, either.
0
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