Did I calculate right???

2»

Replies

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    Another thing to consider, OP, is that your body composition isn't where it needs to be. If you are looking for definition, cutting more weight not be beneficial. It's possible gaining muscle will help fill out your body. Sometimes going through a few bulk and cut phases become more beneficial. See the below for an example. While it's a bit extreme, you will determine how much muscle you want in order to achieve the body you want.

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/
  • FP4HSharon
    FP4HSharon Posts: 664 Member
    I'm 5'4", 125 lbs, 15% body fat. I don't do the TDEE, but MFP set me at 1200 calories & I only eat back my cardio, not strength training, so it works out most days to about 1500 calories. But I also have my MFP set to try to lose 2 lbs a week, sedentary level, & only 30 min exercise/day...that way if I have a day where I don't get to stuff, it doesn't hurt me.

    But are you sure you need to lose that much weight? 117 lbs seems pretty good for someone who's working out & your height. Do you have a scale where you can do body fat percentage, because that's a better indicator, when you approach a maintenance level, of whether the weight you have is muscle or fat. My weight goes up about 6 lbs when I get down to 15% body fat. So when my body fat is a little higher, like 20%, which is still good, I'm closer to 119.
    Wait, WHAT? You're at a normal BMI, a very low body fat for a woman, and you're trying to lose 2 pounds a week? That's incredibly unrealistic and unhealthy.

    I said I have it SET at a 2 lbs/week loss, not that I'm trying to lose 2 lbs/week anymore. Everyone's different, but I maintain at these settings, except when (more recently) I'm picking up muscle weight.
  • FP4HSharon
    FP4HSharon Posts: 664 Member
    I'm 5'4", 125 lbs, 15% body fat. I don't do the TDEE, but MFP set me at 1200 calories & I only eat back my cardio, not strength training, so it works out most days to about 1500 calories. But I also have my MFP set to try to lose 2 lbs a week, sedentary level, & only 30 min exercise/day...that way if I have a day where I don't get to stuff, it doesn't hurt me.

    But are you sure you need to lose that much weight? 117 lbs seems pretty good for someone who's working out & your height. Do you have a scale where you can do body fat percentage, because that's a better indicator, when you approach a maintenance level, of whether the weight you have is muscle or fat. My weight goes up about 6 lbs when I get down to 15% body fat. So when my body fat is a little higher, like 20%, which is still good, I'm closer to 119.
    Wait, WHAT? You're at a normal BMI, a very low body fat for a woman, and you're trying to lose 2 pounds a week? That's incredibly unrealistic and unhealthy.

    I was also very confused by this post. By the stats you posted, you should be able to maintain on much higher than 1500. And if those stats are accurate, setting your goal at a 1000 cal daily deficit is harmful to your health. Also, it should take months to go from 20% BF to 15% BF and it does not compute for me that you would gain 6 lbs in the process.

    I'm a small woman, which is probably why I can't do much higher than 1500 without gaining fat, 1500 cals/day is not harmful to my health, & I'm very healthy. This last time it took me 22 weeks to go from 20% body fat to 15%, I never said it happened overnight. I lost weight until I got close to 15%, both times, then I put on 6 lbs, assuming in muscle. And of course you can gain muscle weight, once you've reached a maintenance level. For example, Hillary Swank was very thin before she started training for "Million Dollar Baby" & she GAINED 19 lbs of muscle weight in 3 months of training.
  • FP4HSharon
    FP4HSharon Posts: 664 Member
    Hi Sharon,
    I don't have a fat% scale, is it possible to get one?


    I wouldn't bother, they're notoriously incorrect.....I used one at the gym today, it told me I'm 29.9% BF which is a joke...it also stated I'm 1.5" shorter than I actually am, lmao!!

    The best place to get a scale that measures body fat percentage is at Bed Bath & Beyond, if you're stateside. They have 20% coupons everywhere. The Weight Watchers or Biggest Loser scales are very accurate. HOWEVER, one reason for the inconsistent readings a lot of people get, is that they don't follow the guidelines included in most directions. We use one for our weight loss group & the numbers are always very close (usually within 1% or less of the previous week's readings. Here are the guidelines...

    Do not eat or drink anything (not even water) 4 hours before you weigh, but hydrate like crazy w/water up to the cut off. Usually this means a weigh in before bed is ideal. Try not to work out 12 hours before weighing in, because it can also dehydrate you. Make sure you're completely dry, especially your feet, so usually better before a shower. Being dehydrated can make your body fat percentage reading as much as 2% higher than it actually is.
  • FP4HSharon
    FP4HSharon Posts: 664 Member
    I'm 5'4", 125 lbs, 15% body fat. I don't do the TDEE, but MFP set me at 1200 calories & I only eat back my cardio, not strength training, so it works out most days to about 1500 calories. But I also have my MFP set to try to lose 2 lbs a week, sedentary level, & only 30 min exercise/day...that way if I have a day where I don't get to stuff, it doesn't hurt me.

    But are you sure you need to lose that much weight? 117 lbs seems pretty good for someone who's working out & your height. Do you have a scale where you can do body fat percentage, because that's a better indicator, when you approach a maintenance level, of whether the weight you have is muscle or fat. My weight goes up about 6 lbs when I get down to 15% body fat. So when my body fat is a little higher, like 20%, which is still good, I'm closer to 119.

    Out of curiosity, how are you measuring body fat.. 15% is very low for a woman and a six pack would be highly visible.

    Electrical Impedance scale, which is what most doctors' offices use & usually considered more accurate than calipers. 15% is low for an average woman, but not that low for a woman who's doing serious workouts. I do an hour of cardio 6 days/week, alternating running w/stationary bike, then I try to do 1-3 hours of either weights or martial arts training right after the daily cardio. Before I got in shape, I was 154 lbs/28% body fat. On the 6-pack...yeah...not one of those people who feel the need to post photos of my body's progress.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    I'm 5'4", 125 lbs, 15% body fat. I don't do the TDEE, but MFP set me at 1200 calories & I only eat back my cardio, not strength training, so it works out most days to about 1500 calories. But I also have my MFP set to try to lose 2 lbs a week, sedentary level, & only 30 min exercise/day...that way if I have a day where I don't get to stuff, it doesn't hurt me.

    But are you sure you need to lose that much weight? 117 lbs seems pretty good for someone who's working out & your height. Do you have a scale where you can do body fat percentage, because that's a better indicator, when you approach a maintenance level, of whether the weight you have is muscle or fat. My weight goes up about 6 lbs when I get down to 15% body fat. So when my body fat is a little higher, like 20%, which is still good, I'm closer to 119.

    Out of curiosity, how are you measuring body fat.. 15% is very low for a woman and a six pack would be highly visible.

    Electrical Impedance scale, which is what most doctors' offices use & usually considered more accurate than calipers. 15% is low for an average woman, but not that low for a woman who's doing serious workouts. I do an hour of cardio 6 days/week, alternating running w/stationary bike, then I try to do 1-3 hours of either weights or martial arts training right after the daily cardio. Before I got in shape, I was 154 lbs/28% body fat. On the 6-pack...yeah...not one of those people who feel the need to post photos of my body's progress.

    Bioimpedance machines are highly inaccurate and can vary 6-8% in a given day based on hydration level alone or even if it's not set up correctly (athlete vs non athlete). DEXA scans or water immersion are the best option but even calipers (if done correctly) is a bit more accurate than electronic machines. Overall, the exact body fat doesn't matter too much as trends are a bit more important that the number itself.
  • FP4HSharon
    FP4HSharon Posts: 664 Member
    I'm 5'4", 125 lbs, 15% body fat. I don't do the TDEE, but MFP set me at 1200 calories & I only eat back my cardio, not strength training, so it works out most days to about 1500 calories. But I also have my MFP set to try to lose 2 lbs a week, sedentary level, & only 30 min exercise/day...that way if I have a day where I don't get to stuff, it doesn't hurt me.

    But are you sure you need to lose that much weight? 117 lbs seems pretty good for someone who's working out & your height. Do you have a scale where you can do body fat percentage, because that's a better indicator, when you approach a maintenance level, of whether the weight you have is muscle or fat. My weight goes up about 6 lbs when I get down to 15% body fat. So when my body fat is a little higher, like 20%, which is still good, I'm closer to 119.

    Out of curiosity, how are you measuring body fat.. 15% is very low for a woman and a six pack would be highly visible.

    Electrical Impedance scale, which is what most doctors' offices use & usually considered more accurate than calipers. 15% is low for an average woman, but not that low for a woman who's doing serious workouts. I do an hour of cardio 6 days/week, alternating running w/stationary bike, then I try to do 1-3 hours of either weights or martial arts training right after the daily cardio. Before I got in shape, I was 154 lbs/28% body fat. On the 6-pack...yeah...not one of those people who feel the need to post photos of my body's progress.

    Bioimpedance machines are highly inaccurate and can vary 6-8% in a given day based on hydration level alone or even if it's not set up correctly (athlete vs non athlete). DEXA scans or water immersion are the best option but even calipers (if done correctly) is a bit more accurate than electronic machines. Overall, the exact body fat doesn't matter too much as trends are a bit more important that the number itself.

    You're right, hydration level can make a huge difference. HOWEVER, one reason for the inconsistent readings a lot of people get, is that they don't follow the guidelines included in most directions. We use one for our weight loss group & the numbers are always very close (usually within 1% or less of the previous week's readings. Here are the guidelines...

    Do not eat or drink anything (not even water) 4 hours before you weigh, but hydrate like crazy w/water up to the cut off. Usually this means a weigh in before bed is ideal. Try not to work out 12 hours before weighing in, because it can also dehydrate you. Make sure you're completely dry, especially your feet, so usually better before a shower. Being dehydrated can make your body fat percentage reading as much as 2% higher than it actually is.
  • wild_wild_life
    wild_wild_life Posts: 1,334 Member
    I'm 5'4", 125 lbs, 15% body fat. I don't do the TDEE, but MFP set me at 1200 calories & I only eat back my cardio, not strength training, so it works out most days to about 1500 calories. But I also have my MFP set to try to lose 2 lbs a week, sedentary level, & only 30 min exercise/day...that way if I have a day where I don't get to stuff, it doesn't hurt me.

    But are you sure you need to lose that much weight? 117 lbs seems pretty good for someone who's working out & your height. Do you have a scale where you can do body fat percentage, because that's a better indicator, when you approach a maintenance level, of whether the weight you have is muscle or fat. My weight goes up about 6 lbs when I get down to 15% body fat. So when my body fat is a little higher, like 20%, which is still good, I'm closer to 119.
    Wait, WHAT? You're at a normal BMI, a very low body fat for a woman, and you're trying to lose 2 pounds a week? That's incredibly unrealistic and unhealthy.

    I was also very confused by this post. By the stats you posted, you should be able to maintain on much higher than 1500. And if those stats are accurate, setting your goal at a 1000 cal daily deficit is harmful to your health. Also, it should take months to go from 20% BF to 15% BF and it does not compute for me that you would gain 6 lbs in the process.

    I'm a small woman, which is probably why I can't do much higher than 1500 without gaining fat, 1500 cals/day is not harmful to my health, & I'm very healthy. This last time it took me 22 weeks to go from 20% body fat to 15%, I never said it happened overnight. I lost weight until I got close to 15%, both times, then I put on 6 lbs, assuming in muscle. And of course you can gain muscle weight, once you've reached a maintenance level. For example, Hillary Swank was very thin before she started training for "Million Dollar Baby" & she GAINED 19 lbs of muscle weight in 3 months of training.

    I can tell you have worked very hard and seen great results, so congrats on your success. My understanding is that when you are very lean, eating at a calorie deficit can be detrimental. It sounds like you are not at a deficit if your weight has been stable for some time. I am also 5'4" and 125lbs with a higher BF% than you , and I maintain on around 1900 with minimal cardio. I guess different factors will play into metabolism though. When you went from 20% to 15%, how big was your calorie surplus? (apologies to OP for hijacking thread)
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    I'm 5'4", 125 lbs, 15% body fat. I don't do the TDEE, but MFP set me at 1200 calories & I only eat back my cardio, not strength training, so it works out most days to about 1500 calories. But I also have my MFP set to try to lose 2 lbs a week, sedentary level, & only 30 min exercise/day...that way if I have a day where I don't get to stuff, it doesn't hurt me.

    But are you sure you need to lose that much weight? 117 lbs seems pretty good for someone who's working out & your height. Do you have a scale where you can do body fat percentage, because that's a better indicator, when you approach a maintenance level, of whether the weight you have is muscle or fat. My weight goes up about 6 lbs when I get down to 15% body fat. So when my body fat is a little higher, like 20%, which is still good, I'm closer to 119.
    Wait, WHAT? You're at a normal BMI, a very low body fat for a woman, and you're trying to lose 2 pounds a week? That's incredibly unrealistic and unhealthy.

    I was also very confused by this post. By the stats you posted, you should be able to maintain on much higher than 1500. And if those stats are accurate, setting your goal at a 1000 cal daily deficit is harmful to your health. Also, it should take months to go from 20% BF to 15% BF and it does not compute for me that you would gain 6 lbs in the process.

    I'm a small woman, which is probably why I can't do much higher than 1500 without gaining fat, 1500 cals/day is not harmful to my health, & I'm very healthy. This last time it took me 22 weeks to go from 20% body fat to 15%, I never said it happened overnight. I lost weight until I got close to 15%, both times, then I put on 6 lbs, assuming in muscle. And of course you can gain muscle weight, once you've reached a maintenance level. For example, Hillary Swank was very thin before she started training for "Million Dollar Baby" & she GAINED 19 lbs of muscle weight in 3 months of training.
    You don't gain muscle at maintenance. You need to be in caloric surplus to put on muscle. Also, if she actually put on 19 pounds of muscle in 3 months, Hilary Swank is either a serious genetic outlier, or she was on steroids. A woman doesn't have the testosterone levels required to put on 6 pounds of muscle a month. That's a high gain even for a man.
  • 1200lne
    1200lne Posts: 15
    for me to maintain my weight, I read I have to eat 1800..
    forgive my ignorance, but how will eating 200cal less make me lose weight?

    Should I follow MFP 1200 or TDEE 1400-1600?

    I gained weight lol.....
    On Sunday I was at my lowest 52.5 now, (since a 2 days of increasing) I am 53.5!

    It doesn't sound like you need to lose weight. ? The body can be very resistant to losing weight when you are already fairly light. If you want to look "leaner" and are willing to lift weights/strength train, lean recomposition is probably the way to go.

    ah finally found page 2! I kept hopping back on the page but never saw anyone reply lol..
    I do feel chubby, my arms are very flabby :( you know when people squeeze their bellies and a donut forms.. I have a birthday CAKE size D:... my bones are very small, so I know my fat% is high.
    I'm back to 52.5- trying to lose 4.5kg, my friend actually told me to lose 7.5kg more to "look good" I won't go that far though! that's way too boney. She is 15cm taller then me and 50kg, wanting to lose another 2kg! but she eats ALOT though. I never met any girl that eats as much as her haha.
  • wild_wild_life
    wild_wild_life Posts: 1,334 Member
    for me to maintain my weight, I read I have to eat 1800..
    forgive my ignorance, but how will eating 200cal less make me lose weight?

    Should I follow MFP 1200 or TDEE 1400-1600?

    I gained weight lol.....
    On Sunday I was at my lowest 52.5 now, (since a 2 days of increasing) I am 53.5!

    It doesn't sound like you need to lose weight. ? The body can be very resistant to losing weight when you are already fairly light. If you want to look "leaner" and are willing to lift weights/strength train, lean recomposition is probably the way to go.

    ah finally found page 2! I kept hopping back on the page but never saw anyone reply lol..
    I do feel chubby, my arms are very flabby :( you know when people squeeze their bellies and a donut forms.. I have a birthday CAKE size D:... my bones are very small, so I know my fat% is high.
    I'm back to 52.5- trying to lose 4.5kg, my friend actually told me to lose 7.5kg more to "look good" I won't go that far though! that's way too boney. She is 15cm taller then me and 50kg, wanting to lose another 2kg! but she eats ALOT though. I never met any girl that eats as much as her haha.

    Sounds like the initial weight gain came off again? That often happens after a calorie increase if you are still under your TDEE. In regards to the deficit, I would still recommend a very conservative/moderate deficit, such as TDEE-20% which, assuming your TDEE is around 2000, would be around 1600 at the very least (gross intake, exercise included). And strength training would benefit you tremendously in preserving the lean mass you have. Without strength training, you could lose 10 more lbs in a combination of fat and muscle and not be much happier with your body composition than you are now.

    Good luck!

    ETA --if you look in "my topics" on the top of the forums page it will tell you if there has been recent activity in the topics you posted in. It took me about a year to figure that out...
  • 1200lne
    1200lne Posts: 15
    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/
    Thanks for this! I am very weak, so this sounds like a great thing to do! but the eating plan (for me at this stage) is too unrealistic! I can't eat that much chicken and steamed vegetables D:!! I hate chicken the most out of all meats lol
    (apologies to OP for hijacking thread)
    no problem at all :D

    Thanks jsl_mfp! Will definitely look into weight training!!! Where do I start?? I am so weak I can't even lift myself over a fence
  • wild_wild_life
    wild_wild_life Posts: 1,334 Member
    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/
    Thanks for this! I am very weak, so this sounds like a great thing to do! but the eating plan (for me at this stage) is too unrealistic! I can't eat that much chicken and steamed vegetables D:!! I hate chicken the most out of all meats lol
    (apologies to OP for hijacking thread)
    no problem at all :D

    Thanks jsl_mfp! Will definitely look into weight training!!! Where do I start?? I am so weak I can't even lift myself over a fence

    I do body weight strength training for the most part so someone else can advise you better on weight lifting programs, but here are my favorite resources -- the first is more general but very good info and I used it to get started when I was doing some dumbbell stuff, and the others are body weight related.

    http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/the-ultimate-weight-training-workout-routine/

    http://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/faq

    http://ashotofadrenaline.net/body-weight-workouts/

    http://www.fitness666.com/p/bodyweight-666.html

    More body weight resources would include the "you are your own gym" book and app (app is worth the price at just a few bucks) and the convict conditioning program although I haven't personally used the latter.

    I like body weight stuff because you can do it anywhere with minimal equipment and I feel that the movements are more functional and more likely to involve core/balance/proprioception work, but people love going to the gym and lifting weights too. There is plenty of advice on the boards for new lifters. The key is finding something that you enjoy and will do consistently.

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