Argh! No idea how many calories to eat, despite all the tools
micsherlock
Posts: 9 Member
My BMR is 1300, Fitbit says I’m burning between 2000-3000 depending on the day (I have heard these can be over estimates). Fitness pal says I should have made my weight loss goal two times over. And I have only lost 7lbs and hovering around same weight now for over a week.
I am very dedidicated to tracking all calories and eating between 1300-1500. I thought at first maybe I was eating too few, so tried to stick to higher end and tended to gain weight, at the low end I seem to be maintaining. I’m realizing that Despite all these tools I have absolutely no idea how many calories I should be eating.
I’m pretty active. Gym 3-4 days a week, 2 of these days are with a personal trainer. I walk a lot 15,000 steps per day on average. I’ve tried switching up my exercise, but nothing is working.
Need advice and encouragement
M
I am very dedidicated to tracking all calories and eating between 1300-1500. I thought at first maybe I was eating too few, so tried to stick to higher end and tended to gain weight, at the low end I seem to be maintaining. I’m realizing that Despite all these tools I have absolutely no idea how many calories I should be eating.
I’m pretty active. Gym 3-4 days a week, 2 of these days are with a personal trainer. I walk a lot 15,000 steps per day on average. I’ve tried switching up my exercise, but nothing is working.
Need advice and encouragement
M
5
Replies
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If you have more than 20 pounds to lose, take a 500 calorie per day deficit off the 2000-3000. If you have less to lose, take 250-300 off the 2000-3000.
I never used a fitbit. Someone else can speak to the synching thing.
Myfitnesspal will set your calories for you, but the synching is a different ballgame. This site will expect you to eat more on the days you do purposeful exercise and so will fitbit. How you calculate that varies according to the sync.0 -
Thanks for reply, but if I actually ate what fit bit or fitness pal said I should eat, I would definitely be gaining weight. I tried that in beginning when I thought the problem might be that I was eating too few calories.
All of the normal metrics don’t seem to work for me.4 -
1. The "In 5 weeks you'll weigh" thing is nonsense. You'd have to be EXACTLY the same every day.
2. 7lbs. How long, so long as it's 7 weeks or less, that's actually pretty awesome!!!!
3. Water retention. Water retention is the reason for plateaus, 1 week is nothing! My personal record for a plateau is about a month. Everything from TOM, changes in diet (particularly salt intake), changes in workout routines, to sleep patterns can affect water retention.
4. As far as the overestimating goes, that's MFP. I know my Garmin is fairly accurate. Fitbits are also fairly accurate (although high stress days can through off the numbers because of an increase in heart rate - but not by that much)
5. Food scales. Absolutely essential, and this means for a while weigh EVERYTHING you eat that has calories. Packaged products can be off on weight by up to 20%, depending on the product, that can add up fast. Eat what MFP gives you, but be very accurate in what you are actually eating. Logging errors are extremely common and most people tend to eat a lot more than they think.
6. The less you have to lose, the slower it's going to go. I have about 10-20lbs to go, and being so close to my ideal weight, 2lbs a month is a healthy rate of loss.8 -
micsherlock wrote: »Thanks for reply, but if I actually ate what fit bit or fitness pal said I should eat, I would definitely be gaining weight. I tried that in beginning when I thought the problem might be that I was eating too few calories.
All of the normal metrics don’t seem to work for me.
How long did it take you to lose 7 lbs? If it's been 2 months or less, that is a perfect pace.
And it is perfectly normal to not lose weight for a week or two. That doesn't mean your calories are wrong, it means you have a normal functioning body.
Get a food scale if you don't, and start using it for all solids. Double check the entries you are using in the database are accurate, many are user entered and aren't correct. Log accurately and consistently for 8 weeks eating your mfp goal to lose 1 lb per week, logging your exercise and eating back some of those calories. If after 8 weeks you have lost 6-10 lbs your calories and logging are on point. If not, you need to tweak.
Calculators can't give you the exact right calories, they give you a starting point. Then you have to accumulate data and make adjustments. And you need to be more patient
Your body is a complicated machine there's a lot going on in there!
Have you read the Most Helpful Posts thread pinned to the top of each board? Lots of great info in there.6 -
Ditto the food scale! Your issue (if you have one at all, beyond expectations) may simply be that you are eating more than you think.2
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What you think you're eating, is either not a calorie deficit for you, and/or you're not giving it enough time. MFP bases its predictions on you actually having eaten the amount of calories you have logged. But when you don't trust the numbers MFP gave you, and your first thought was that you weren't losing weight because you were eating too little, or something is "unusual" with you, it's no surprise you're not losing.
So I think you just need to accept how weightloss works, which in theory is simple enough, but it can be tricky in practice: EVERYBODY lose weight OVER TIME when they're in a TRUE calorie deficit.3 -
Thanks, some good advice here. I only have 10l-15lb to go before I am ready for maintenance so good to know those last pounds go more slowly. Its been 3 months since I started. Food scales are a great idea. I definitely double check entries with internet or other sources, but sometimes I do have to eyeball and best guess. Water retention definitely makes sense too.
I thought maybe I was eating too little because MFP in last three days says I should have eaten 2023, 1926, and 1785. I actually logged 1370, 1419, and 1008 (that last one is before dinner), so even if there is some error there in my log it’s still significantly lower so I should have pretty substantial deficit.
So I guess I keep to current calorie goal- 1200 to 1500 depending on exercise and try the scale.
I want to get this right so I can get back to my weight of two years ago. Definitely needed to make life changes perimenopause hit and my metabolism was no longer keeping up. I was on path to gain 10lbs /year and need to nip in the bud.
Thanks for the support and ideas.
M2 -
Really examine what is going on and if there is any place that isn't jiving.
* 15,000 steps is about 5.5 miles. At a walking pace of about 3-4 mph that would mean you are walking for 1.5 - 2 hours a day.
* 1,500 calories minus the steps is enough where you should be at a caloric deficit. The food scale advice is crucial. A lot of meals are hard to measure accurately. Sugar tends to creep up on me. A half teaspoon of peanut butter can be the difference between weight loss and gain.
Above all, do not quit trying. Any improvement will take time. You have to embrace the journey and accept it for what it is -- a long-term commitment. Keep finding out what works for you and keep doing it. I recently spent a lot of time tweaking things by just a few calories to create something that I could consistently follow.2 -
Really examine what is going on and if there is any place that isn't jiving.
* 15,000 steps is about 5.5 miles. At a walking pace of about 3-4 mph that would mean you are walking for 1.5 - 2 hours a day.
* 1,500 calories minus the steps is enough where you should be at a caloric deficit. The food scale advice is crucial.
Ya, I live in a city, don’t have a car, commute to work by foot, plus I have a dog that needs walking. On days in gym I log even more steps and at higher intensity, plus the weight resistance training. So not hard to get the steps and workouts. I am not completely clueless about my diet, it’s always been pretty good and I generally understand the size, weight of things. It seems that even if I built in a +20% error I should still be farther along. I’ve always been active enough that I hardly worried about calories and if I needed to drop a couple pounds no problem. And now it takes me almost two weeks to loose one pound?
I did order a food scale and look forward to trying it out to see just how far off I might be.
Thanks for the encouragement!1 -
So you assume your FitBit and other projections are too high, but you haven’t been very consistent and accurate with your logging and your methods...
So why do you dismiss those numbers as wrong?8 -
You don't have a food scale? That explains it then. You're eating more than you think, but actually your rate of loss isn't bad given your stats.11
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WinoGelato wrote: »So you assume your FitBit and other projections are too high, but you haven’t been very consistent and accurate with your logging and your methods...
So why do you dismiss those numbers as wrong?
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Because if you look into the research, which I have, studies on that topic have found Fitbit to over estimate calories burned. Still a good tool, but have to assume some over estimation. And, I actually said I think I am pretty accurate logging calories, but I am sure a scale will help me be even more accurate.1
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micsherlock wrote: »Because if you look into the research, which I have, studies on that topic have found Fitbit to over estimate calories burned. Still a good tool, but have to assume some over estimation. And, I actually said I think I am pretty accurate logging calories, but I am sure a scale will help me be even more accurate.
I don't know, my n=1 experience is that my FitBit is very accurate for me, and the data contradicts what the calculators and MFP would predict. I'm a petite female (5'2, 118 lbs) over 40 with a desk job, but I average 12-15K steps/day and do light circuit training. My TDEE according to my FitBit, is around 2100-2200, and my results show that is accurate as I lost the weight I set out to lose, eating back those calorie adjustments, and have maintained the loss for over 3 years. There are certainly some people for whom FitBit or other activity trackers are inflated - but if you read through the FItBit user group on here, and the success stories, I think these are the exceptions rather than the rule. For the majority of us, who have been logging accurately and have data to back up our experiences - the numbers from these tools are usually accurate within 5-10%.
Usually when people think that FitBit is overestimating their calorie burn, it is because they are under the impression there is no way someone of a particular stature could burn that many calories, they've been convinced that in order to lose weight one must eat very low calories... OR .... they aren't logging that accurately to begin with and they are actually eating more than they think they are so the activity tracker numbers are correct (CO) but their CI estimates are too low.3 -
micsherlock wrote: »Because if you look into the research, which I have, studies on that topic have found Fitbit to over estimate calories burned. Still a good tool, but have to assume some over estimation. And, I actually said I think I am pretty accurate logging calories, but I am sure a scale will help me be even more accurate.
My FitBit underestimates by about 200 calories per day. But then I use a food scale and very accurate with my intake logging as well, so I know I can trust my numbers. All gadgets will have a margin of error. The only thing you have control over is the accuracy of the information you input.6 -
micsherlock wrote: »My BMR is 1300, Fitbit says I’m burning between 2000-3000 depending on the day (I have heard these can be over estimates). Fitness pal says I should have made my weight loss goal two times over. And I have only lost 7lbs and hovering around same weight now for over a week.
I am very dedidicated to tracking all calories and eating between 1300-1500. I thought at first maybe I was eating too few, so tried to stick to higher end and tended to gain weight, at the low end I seem to be maintaining. I’m realizing that Despite all these tools I have absolutely no idea how many calories I should be eating.
I’m pretty active. Gym 3-4 days a week, 2 of these days are with a personal trainer. I walk a lot 15,000 steps per day on average. I’ve tried switching up my exercise, but nothing is working.
Need advice and encouragement
M
fitbits include your BMR in the calories you burned for the day. so that 1300 is part of the 2000-3000. so if you have a day where you burn 2000 you are burning an additional 700 calories more than your bmr of 1300.which for 15000 steps seems accurate. anything more will be from other activity you do. weight loss isnt linear so you wont lose at the same pace every week. some weeks you wont lose at all.1 -
My fitbit underestimates my calories... or I would have gained 30 lbs back in the last 2 years.
If you're not losing, you're eating more than you think (although one week is really not long enough to determine if your diet is working or not - give it 5 more weeks).2 -
One other thing that I haven't seen in this thread, just because you're not losing weight doesn't mean you're not losing fat. When I plateau, I start measuring my waist, thighs, and arms to look for size reduction.
You could simply be losing mass and fat, while transforming fat into muscle. Don't be discouraged, though. As for the food scale, I bought one at Walmart for cheap, and it's extremely accurate. It's been my diet saver, for sure!18 -
One other thing that I haven't seen in this thread, just because you're not losing weight doesn't mean you're not losing fat. When I plateau, I start measuring my waist, thighs, and arms to look for size reduction.
You could simply be losing mass and fat, while transforming fat into muscle. Don't be discouraged, though. As for the food scale, I bought one at Walmart for cheap, and it's extremely accurate. It's been my diet saver, for sure!
yes you can lose fat but you dont transform fat into muscle. its scientifically impossible. if you lose mass that could mean lean mass and so on and not just fat. water retention can mask weight loss but eating more than you think is very easy to do. Ive been there and done that4 -
Have you looked at muscle gain? You could be losing fat but gaining muscle?
Otherwise I would say u simply have a slow metabolism. One trick I use is to have a day of high calories (~2,000) followed by low (~1,000). This works for me, I eat a less than 1,000 but would not recommend as its unhealthy. Also, you can look at foods to increase metabolism eg cinnamon, spirulina, green tea, cayenne, etc.
Good luck take care ❤️22 -
Lifestyle0 wrote: »Have you looked at muscle gain? You could be losing fat but gaining muscle?
Otherwise I would say u simply have a slow metabolism. One trick I use is to have a day of high calories (~2,000) followed by low (~1,000). This works for me, I eat a less than 1,000 but would not recommend as its unhealthy. Also, you can look at foods to increase metabolism eg cinnamon, spirulina, green tea, cayenne, etc.
Good luck take care ❤️
With OP eating 1300-1500 calories, it is unlikely she is building much muscle. Even less likely that it would build at an equivalent rate as fat loss. I have not seen any evidence that foods can increase metabolism in any way significant enough to make a difference.9 -
i'm guessing the fitbit overestimating is often more calorie intake error and not outgoing. (user eating more than they think)1
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yes you can lose fat but you dont transform fat into muscle. its scientifically impossible. if you lose mass that could mean lean mass and so on and not just fat. water retention can mask weight loss but eating more than you think is very easy to do. Ive been there and done that[/quote]
I didn't mean it literally. I simply meant that she could be losing fat and gaining muscle. I also meant to explain how, when measuring in units of volume, muscle has more mass than fat, which is why she might not be seeing a change on the scale, and should instead measure with a tape. I'll be sure to be more clear with my verbiage from now on.3 -
I didn't mean it literally. I simply meant that she could be losing fat and gaining muscle. I also meant to explain how, when measuring in units of volume, muscle has more mass than fat, which is why she might not be seeing a change on the scale, and should instead measure with a tape. I'll be sure to be more clear with my verbiage from now on.
Ignore the part about the foods and metabolism because it doesn't apply to your comment, but the first part does:nutmegoreo wrote: »Lifestyle0 wrote: »Have you looked at muscle gain? You could be losing fat but gaining muscle?
Otherwise I would say u simply have a slow metabolism. One trick I use is to have a day of high calories (~2,000) followed by low (~1,000). This works for me, I eat a less than 1,000 but would not recommend as its unhealthy. Also, you can look at foods to increase metabolism eg cinnamon, spirulina, green tea, cayenne, etc.
Good luck take care ❤️
With OP eating 1300-1500 calories, it is unlikely she is building much muscle. Even less likely that it would build at an equivalent rate as fat loss. I have not seen any evidence that foods can increase metabolism in any way significant enough to make a difference.
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yes you can lose fat but you dont transform fat into muscle. its scientifically impossible. if you lose mass that could mean lean mass and so on and not just fat. water retention can mask weight loss but eating more than you think is very easy to do. Ive been there and done that
I didn't mean it literally. I simply meant that she could be losing fat and gaining muscle. I also meant to explain how, when measuring in units of volume, muscle has more mass than fat, which is why she might not be seeing a change on the scale, and should instead measure with a tape. I'll be sure to be more clear with my verbiage from now on. [/quote]
its very hard to gain muscle in a surplus let alone a deficit for women. its a slow process muscle takes up less space than fat of course but eventually you will see a change on the scale. Im recomping and have been for awhile and Im losing fat and gaining some muscle not sure how much, but in the last 2-3 months the scale has barely budged at all. but thats expected I can see the results happening,but the scale isnt moving. tape measure isnt a help because Im losing fat in places I cant really measure.(lower abdomen,upper abdomen,etc.) But eating 1300-1500 the scale not moving is most likely eating more than you think,water retention, TOM,eating back highly estimated exercise calories or a combo of those things. for the scale not to move you would have to lose fat and gain muscle in a 1:1 ratio and it seldom works that way.2 -
Hi all, thanks again for the comments. I got the scale, which was an interesting experiment. Turns out I was over estimating some things, but also underestimating others. All in all, I was pretty accurate before scale, but now I know for sure.
Even before I got the scale, I started to break through the weird plateau I was on. Almost 10 days at same weight and even creeping up a tiny bit. I gained a pound during these exchanges, then boom, I lost 2lbs in one day, then a bit more, another pound, and another. 4.8 lbs this week!
I didn’t change a thing, must be hormones and water. Less than 10 to go, then the hard part...maintenance. :-)4 -
Update: I had my annual physical last week and discussed my slow weight loss, shared data from Fitbit and MyFitnessPal. Turns out I have low thyroid levels, Hashimoto’s to be exact. Sucks, but at least things make sense now. I was so frustrated because most people thought I was lying to myself, not exact with my food diary, etc.
Still on my path, on average less than 2lbs lost per month. Slow, but at least steady and it has taken so long I feel I have made some lasting sustainable changes. Doc says the thyroid replacement may help.4 -
What will matter in determining what amount of calories is appropriate for steady weightloss will be determined by diligently sticking to the same range and then tracking over the period of months, not a single week. Single weeks don't matter and will be very misleading. If you end up constantly adjusting your intake based on week to week variations in your weight you will just end up with a confusing mess of data that will make it difficult to track any actual trend.
Pick something, stick with it for 3 months...see where you are at and then with that data, the data that is actually from you and therefore most relevant to you, make adjustments to have the weight loss over time you are looking for. Adjust your goals quarterly, not weekly.2 -
The Hashimoto’s explains the plateau! I was at a plateau for a year and a half before I was diagnosed! Once I started on medication I started losing again. Now a year later I hit another plateau and trying to find the right dose is getting harder and harder!0
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