Help needed to lose weight

AnnPT77

I'd add that the idea of using your RMR and adding every single thing you do as exercise is . . . unusual, shall we say.

If you use MFP's guided set-up as directed, and set it up per instructions (selecting activity level based on pre-exercise activities, inputting a desired weekly loss rate), it will estimate your daily calorie needs including an average amount of daily life activity for housework and whatnot, and include an allowance (deficit) to achieve weight loss. You then add *intentional* exercise by logging it separately.**

I won't try to speak for you, but I can't imagine trying to log every bit of dish-washing and floor-sweeping, grocery shopping, etc. Yes, cleaning/housework is in the exercise database. (There's a technical pitfall in looking at it as RMR + logging all activity, too, that has to do with gross vs. net calories, but I won't wade into that unless you ask.)

Most people don't use those daily life "exercise" entries, unless they're doing something much more extreme than their usual routine (like an all-day bout of cleaning out the attic, for example). It's a simplifying assumption to include your routine activities in your "activity level" setting, and log only intentional exercise: Most of us are fairly consistent in daily life, averaged over a normal sort of week.

It's also possible, for those who prefer to eat the same number of calories daily, to use an outside-of-MFP TDEE calculator (this is an example: https://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/) and let it do the calculations for you, averaging in the exercise activity as well. They then set their MFP calorie goal manually That can work great for people with a consistent, predictable exercise schedule. (Mine isn't, so I prefer the MFP way.)

** You can also use the MFP guided set-up, synch your Garmin to MFP, and let the two of them work out the adjustments, which works well for many people, too.

Regardless of method chosen, it's useful to stick with one routine for a month or so, average your weight losses, and adjust intake (or activity level setting) as needed, to achieve a sensible, satisfying weight loss rate. Any of the estimating methods (including things like Garmin) can be inaccurate, though they're usually close for the majority of people.

Best wishes!

prehistoricmoongoddess

AnnPT77 wrote: »

I'd add that the idea of using your RMR and adding every single thing you do as exercise is . . . unusual, shall we say.

If you use MFP's guided set-up as directed, and set it up per instructions (selecting activity level based on pre-exercise activities, inputting a desired weekly loss rate), it will estimate your daily calorie needs including an average amount of daily life activity for housework and whatnot, and include an allowance (deficit) to achieve weight loss. You then add *intentional* exercise by logging it separately.**

I don't do any intentional exercise and log it separately.

My Garmin is linked to MFP and my steps are logged and the adjustments are made automatically.

I will probably get to 7000 steps which will give me quite a few exercise calories but I rarely get to eat any of them back as I'm struggling to eat the minimum that are set.

If I tried to eat at a 500 or even a 350 calorie deficit then I'd be eating less than1200 most days.

AnnPT77

prehistoricmoongoddess wrote: »

AnnPT77 wrote: »

I'd add that the idea of using your RMR and adding every single thing you do as exercise is . . . unusual, shall we say.

If you use MFP's guided set-up as directed, and set it up per instructions (selecting activity level based on pre-exercise activities, inputting a desired weekly loss rate), it will estimate your daily calorie needs including an average amount of daily life activity for housework and whatnot, and include an allowance (deficit) to achieve weight loss. You then add *intentional* exercise by logging it separately.**

I don't do any intentional exercise and log it separately.

My Garmin is linked to MFP and my steps are logged and the adjustments are made automatically.

I will probably get to 7000 steps which will give me quite a few exercise calories but I rarely get to eat any of them back as I'm struggling to eat the minimum that are set.

If I tried to eat at a 500 or even a 350 calorie deficit then I'd be eating less than1200 most days.

It sounds like you're on a very reasonable track, then: You can forget all that stuff about RMR.

What's really important is not your theoretical (estimated) deficit, what's really important is your actual weight loss rate (which gives you insight into your true deficit).

So, stick with what you're doing, consistently for a month. Try to get in at least the 1200, and at/near/over the goals for protein and fats (which are essential nutrients, i.e., you need to eat some, because your body can't manufacture them from other nutrients).

Then, look at your average weight loss rate. If you're losing too fast (say, more than 1% of your current weight per week), it would be a really health-promoting idea to eat more. If you need to do that, you can use more calorie-dense but not very satiating foods. For most people, that would be things like nuts, nut butters, seeds, a bit more olive oil or similar on veggies or salads, etc.: Calories, useful nutrients, not very filling. Even using some treats to get to a sensible calorie goal - one where you're not losing riskily fast - is fine, especially if nutrition is already in pretty good shape for the day. Some people like to lose fast, but there can be risks in doing that. Those risks can be a little higher, at our age. I don't want to scare you, but moderation is a conservative, healthy approach.

You may lose just fine at the 1200, not too fast, not too slow. If you can get your good nutrition in at that level, too, you're golden.

Keep in mind that your true deficit (the one your body acts out in bodyweight changes over weeks) is figured with the exercise or daily activity also in the equation. If you're not able to eat your activity calories now, in effect, they're increasing your deficit. (Your Garmin could be over- or under-estimating them, but they don't burn zero, so they count as part of your calories out, whatever the actual non-zero number of them is). If they're increasing your true deficit, but you don't lose weight riskily fast as a result, and you also don't become weak or fatigued, you should be fine.

All the best!

P.S. Sometimes the first couple of weeks on a new routine, with calorie limits, can be a bit of a roller coaster (water retention changes from different eating/exercise, and that sort of thing). If when you get to the month or so of experience and re-evaluate, but see that the first week or two were very unusual compared to later, I'd suggest ignoring those weeks, maybe letting things roll on for another week or two to get plenty of data, and using later weeks to get averages.

prehistoricmoongoddess

Thank you @AnnPT77

Thank you for taking the time to write such a comprehensive reply.

At the moment I have set my macros at 50 carbs, 30 fats and 20 protein. I'm hitting the fats, exceeding the protein and not reaching the carbs. I've been a bit worried that I might exceed the fats and sugars, although the sugars are not added sugars, but mainly fruit and milk sugars.

I'm losing about 1lb a week but I'm only on about week 5, and I was losing a few weeks before that but I was not properly monitoring at that time.

I might eat more nuts if it's ok to exceed the fats I'll get. I really don't want to eat more carbs as I'm not really that hungry anymore.

AnnPT77

prehistoricmoongoddess wrote: »

Thank you @AnnPT77

Thank you for taking the time to write such a comprehensive reply.

At the moment I have set my macros at 50 carbs, 30 fats and 20 protein. I'm hitting the fats, exceeding the protein and not reaching the carbs. I've been a bit worried that I might exceed the fats and sugars, although the sugars are not added sugars, but mainly fruit and milk sugars.

I'm losing about 1lb a week but I'm only on about week 5, and I was losing a few weeks before that but I was not properly monitoring at that time.

I might eat more nuts if it's ok to exceed the fats I'll get. I really don't want to eat more carbs as I'm not really that hungry anymore.

It's typically not a good plan to be persistently under fats or protein by large-ish proportions. It's fine to be over them, from both a weight loss and health/nutrition perspective (unless you personally have some medical issue that requires limitations on them, such as kidney disease).

Carbs, IMO, don't matter very much, in the abstract. Some people find carbs cause them to crave more carbs, so make it hard to stick with a calorie goal happily. Those people should eat fewer carbs. Other people find that if they eat low carb, their energy tanks, or other bad side-effects happen (sleep problems, mood, whatever). Those people are probably better off eating a bit more carbs. Obviously, people who've been diagnosed as diabetic or insulin resistant will need to manage their carbs, per their doctor & registered dietitian's directions. The rest of us, in my view, can just let carbs fall wherever they end up, that keeps us happy, as long as we're getting enough fats/protein (and of course a good amount of veg & fruit for micros and fiber).

Inherent (non-added) sugars are not a worry, either, IMO, as long as protein, fat and the veg/fruit servings are in the groove. Even added sugar is mostly a problem if it drives out proper nutrition, or drives us past calorie goal while getting proper nutrition. (Obviously, unless diabetic/insulin resistant or something like that.)

So, regulating your carbs based on how you feel is fine (absent medical conditions) and it's also fine to trade some carbs for some nuts to get a few more calories if you need them to keep your weight loss at a sensible rate. For most people with a bit to lose, a pound a week is a good rate (maybe a little slower when within around 15-20 pounds of goal, can safely be a bit faster if desired for those substantially obese). Sounds like you're right in the sweet spot now. 🙂

prehistoricmoongoddess

Thanks a lot AnnPT77