Activity levels and calories

lilmissymoo90

So I started my journey at 23stone and I’m currently 17.10 I’m 5ft 4 and 30 years old my weight hasn’t even fluctuated in 3 weeks and I’ve been back logging on MFP during that time.

I set my account at sedentary cause at 23 stone I basically was 🙈 and it set my calories at 1290 a day I use a fitbit too but don’t eat over 1300 no many how many calories a I burn.

I also have a cheat day on a Friday and we go for dinner or have a takeaway.

Recently I got a bike and started cycling/ spinning for 30 mins every other day my fitbit records this as just under 400 calories burnt each time. Again I don’t eat these back and I go for a 25-30 min walk every night.

So the question is a friend of mine recently said I should change my account to lightly active which puts my calories closer to 1500 a day and said the reason I could have stalled is due to actually introducing exercise but as I hvent lost weight at 1290 calories a day I’m worried now I’ll actually gain any advice?

L1zardQueen

Do you use a food scale to weigh everything you eat? At 1290 a day and not eating back calories burned you should be losing weight.

lilmissymoo90

Yeah I weight everything probably over doing it on my Friday days offf 🙈 literally 5 stone off and for the past year I go between 17 and 18 stone I’ve only reintroduced exercise for about 3 weeks now hoping that will give me a boost. Putting my calories up thou gives me proper anxiety 🙈

L1zardQueen

How many calories do you have on your “cheat day”? Also, where are you in your cycle? That will mask changes in weight loss.

lilmissymoo90

I don’t log on my cheat days I’m going to tomorrow to the best of my ability as we usually have Chinese ect I’m mid cycle atm. My partner said to me earlier the shape of my legs and bum ha changed so maybe in a week or two the scales might start changing too

cmriverside

Start logging that cheat day. Sounds like you don't even know how much you're eating on that day(s)?

If you're going to go to the trouble to log some food, log all of it, ya know? Also, I'd say 1290 is way too low. Start eating those earned exercise calories. Again, if you're using Myfitnesspal to calculate your base calories, it makes sense to use the app as it is designed to be used.

I lost all my weight (80 pounds, 2008) eating back exercise calories, and I was eating a lot more as base calories.

If I wasn't logging accurately and consistently I would not have had any idea how it all works.

lilmissymoo90

That’s today after I switched to lightly active

lilmissymoo90

I only have a cheat day on a Friday well fat Friday 😂😂 as I found it hard to log takeaways and meals out I’ve raised the calories to lightly active and I’m going to eat the calories it gives me. I thought my stall was because I barely moved during lockdown but then this past three weeks I haven’t gained or lost 🙈

Go_Deskercise

nanastaci2020

Water weight from your monthly cycle/TOM/ovulation/hormones can hide your true loss. And starting a new workout routine: your muscles hold water to help with healing. Its temporary and nothing to worry about.

My body: I tend to gain a couple of pounds when TOM starts, then hold steady for a week or longer after. Then within about 7 days I will 'lose' the few I 'gained' and a little more, putting me at a new low weight. A few days later: it starts over again.

Your body's cycle in terms of water weight due to being a female could be different from mine however. A good way to look at it is: if you weigh less today than you weighed on this day in your last cycle, all is well.

If eating at 1300 x 6 days and then 3000 the other day works for you: no need to change it. Many people do calorie cycling of some sort for just this sort of thing. Essentially if you are gaining 300 extra calories per day from exercise/activity, and not eating them, that is 1800 calories saved up over the 6 days when you're eating at 1300. If you like this method, no problem. Or find somewhere in the middle. Eat 1600 x 6, and maybe 2000 on the other day.

Do double check your patterns from time to time to make sure your food logging is accurate. Using a food scale, correct entries, etc. No need to change your activity level though. If you have your Fitbit connected, it does this for you. You just have to decide whether or not you'd like to eat a little more everyday or alot more one day each week.

nooshi713

Your cheat day is likely wiping out your whole week’s deficit.

spyro88

Are you changing your account to lightly active because of the exercise, or are you more active now generally than you used to be?

If you changed your account because of the extra exercise, then you shouldn't be logging it all as well. You might be doubling up your calories there.

Dogmom1978

spyro88 wrote: »

Are you changing your account to lightly active because of the exercise, or are you more active now generally than you used to be?

If you changed your account because of the extra exercise, then you shouldn't be logging it all as well. You might be doubling up your calories there.

^^^^

This! I have mine set as sedentary as I work a desk job. THEN I enter my exercise separately. This way I do not double dip on calories.

If you want to switch to lightly active, then you don’t ALSO add the exercise in as now you will eat too many calories and cause weight gain.

My personal preference is to add my exercise in as it holds me accountable. Plus, what if I get busy and I go days or a whole week without getting my normal exercise in??? Then I might eat too many calories if I set myself to more active in MFP.

You need to find what works best for you, but don’t switch it to lightly active AND enter your exercise in separately (unless you are lightly active already BEFORE the exercise). You would do one or the other.

sijomial

lilmissymoo90 wrote: »

Recently I got a bike and started cycling/ spinning for 30 mins every other day my fitbit records this as just under 400 calories burnt each time. Again I don’t eat these back and I go for a 25-30 min walk every night.

So the question is a friend of mine recently said I should change my account to lightly active which puts my calories closer to 1500 a day and said the reason I could have stalled is due to actually introducing exercise but as I hvent lost weight at 1290 calories a day I’m worried now I’ll actually gain any advice?

Your friend is describing how TDEE calculators work where you estimate daily activity AND exercise up front as an average. A same every day goal.

But MyFitnessPal doesn't work that way. The activity setting specificically excludes exercise which is only added after you do it. A variable daily goal in line with exercise.
On here whether your daily activity setting is sedentary, active or highly active due to your daily routine life exercise calories get added on top of that.

And then you mention a Fitbit (tries to estimate your expenditure on a daily basis) - so that's now three different ways to estimate your daily calorie needs and I've no idea which method you are trying to use.

Luckily all three methods can work but mixing them up leads to confusion and inaccurate numbers.