Plateau - and exercise calories are sometimes 2000
Replies
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IMO, it's better to have a HRM (whether it syncs with your phone or not) for a better burn estimate. Until then, You should be eating at least the recommended minimum for men, which is 1800 calories. Which means, eat your exercise calories until you hit at least 1800 NET.
If the recommended minimum for men is 1800, why does MFP have me on 1510 at the moment
It is 2500 kcal for men. 2000 kcal for women. MFP has given me 2010 kcal a day.
That's not the minimum. It's the recommended daily intake.0 -
I did two calculations for you based on two different levels of activity.
TDEE-20% at 5-6hours of strenuous exercise:
- BMR: 2279
- TDEE: 3913
- TDEE-20%: 3145
You would therefore set your daily calorie goal to 3100.
TDEE-20% at 3-5 hours of moderate exercise:
- BMR: 2279
- TDEE: 3532
- TDEE-20%: 2826
You would therefore set your daily calorie goal to 2800.
With TDEE, you do not eat exercise calories back...you don't need to log anything but food. You also need to recalculate every 10lbs or so lost seeing as, as you lose, your caloric needs will change. Keep the -20% as your loss percentage until you get to around 30lbs from goal. At that point reduce your loss pecentage to -15% and once you're within 10lbs of goal to -10%.
Good luck!
OK - when you say 5-6 hours of strenuous exercise, or 3-5 hours of moderate exercise, is that a day or a week. How have you worked this out. The calculator I used just asked how many times a week I worked out, not what sort of intensity the workout was, or how long it lasted. Is there a better calculator.0 -
You know what - I'm making this too complicated. I need to just enjoy a healthy diet and get out and exercise more. Once I start overthinking it I then convince myself I can't do it. I will then give up and pile the weight on. I'm going to chill.0
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Try to eat a lot on those huge exercise days, but I wouldn't worry about trying to hit any exact math with it. If you haven't eaten enough from those days, you'll feel it over the next couple of days, I would think. If you feel great, no worries.
You have a lot of mass to work with. It's the teeny tiny folks on low calories who run into not being able to get near enough what they need who need to be extra careful about too many exercise calories left over, imho. Or anyone doing very low nets for too long. I don't think twice a week would do it, but if you notice symptoms or are concerned, bump up the surrounding days' calories a bit and see if that helps. You don't have to eat them all on those big exercise days, just close by, in my experience.0 -
Per week.
This is the calculator I used: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
It's a very good one and really isn't over-thinking it seeing as it takes less than 2 minutes to calculate.
Exercising more isn't going to help you as exercise is only about 20% of weight loss. It's mostly about food intake.0 -
My Food Diary is public - if anyone can make any suggestions to improvements it would be much appreciated.
less carbs - you're over 300 grams some days. If you have a T1 diabetic child you may be inclined to insulin resistance yourself and high carbs aren't the way to go. At your current weight insulin resistance is also likely.
MFP's maths does indeed suggest that if you were to actually burn 2000 calories extra (??) you should eat same extra food to cancel it out. This treadmill mentality isn't in my view appropriate to obese people looking to lose weight - they would be better off taking the extra burn as fat loss and saying thanks, rather than sticking their head in the trough. When you get closer to goal the "eating back the calories" approach becomes more appropriate.0 -
Per week.
This is the calculator I used: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
It's a very good one and really isn't over-thinking it seeing as it takes less than 2 minutes to calculate.
Exercising more isn't going to help you as exercise is only about 20% of weight loss. It's mostly about food intake.
It wasn't your suggestions making me think that I was overthinking it - glad to have your input. I presume then that if you use TDEE, which seems to make sense, especially at my weight, then you just use MFP as an overall calorie tracker without worrying about it's targets.0 -
It wasn't your suggestions making me think that I was overthinking it - glad to have your input. I presume then that if you use TDEE, which seems to make sense, especially at my weight, then you just use MFP as an overall calorie tracker without worrying about it's targets.
Yes. When using TDEE method, you would set (custom) MFP goal to your TDEE-20% number. You would then use that as your daily caloric goal. And then, when you exercise (if you want to log it), you add it in and put 1 calorie burned for your duration. This is how I've seen people do it, as I've several friends using the TDEE method. This method may be easier for you, in the long run. It's pretty simple, really, with no extra maths
Good luck getting things figured out and finding what works for you!0 -
It wasn't your suggestions making me think that I was overthinking it - glad to have your input. I presume then that if you use TDEE, which seems to make sense, especially at my weight, then you just use MFP as an overall calorie tracker without worrying about it's targets.
Yes. When using TDEE method, you would set (custom) MFP goal to your TDEE-20% number. You would then use that as your daily caloric goal. And then, when you exercise (if you want to log it), you add it in and put 1 calorie burned for your duration. This is how I've seen people do it, as I've several friends using the TDEE method. This method may be easier for you, in the long run. It's pretty simple, really, with no extra maths
Good luck getting things figured out and finding what works for you!
That all makes sense - it is basically spreading my exercise over the week, rather than having one day when I eat 1500 calories and another where I eat 4000. Two questions though.
1. When it says strenuous exercise, is that strenuous for me, or strenuous for someone of my weight, or strenuous my some sort of average definition. A 35 stone person would find walking upstairs strenuous. I can comfortable ride 20 miles, though some would find that strenuous. I rand for 30 minutes this morning which felt moderate to strenuous. How do you define it.
2. How do you manually set a custom MFP goal - I can't find out how to do it.0 -
Change your routine.... that's #1 thing to do once you hit a platue of your not lifting .. .start lifting .. if you are lifting ... fine new excersizes.
I would stop all cardio as your body has adjusted to it and do something different... maybe do a body pump class or any type of class offered at your gym... that would be a good start.0 -
I think it has to do more with the amount of time spent exercising seeing as several hours at once can be hard on the body.
For the setting do a forum search for setting calorie goal. I can never remember myself.0 -
1. When it says strenuous exercise, is that strenuous for me, or strenuous for someone of my weight, or strenuous my some sort of average definition. A 35 stone person would find walking upstairs strenuous. I can comfortable ride 20 miles, though some would find that strenuous. I rand for 30 minutes this morning which felt moderate to strenuous. How do you define it.
2. How do you manually set a custom MFP goal - I can't find out how to do it.
1. Usually based on heart rate / breathlessness. Strenuous >140 bpm perhaps ??
2. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_custom0 -
I don't use a gym - lost my job ear lie this year and the gym had to go - hence running and cyclingChange your routine.... that's #1 thing to do once you hit a platue of your not lifting .. .start lifting .. if you are lifting ... fine new excersizes.
I would stop all cardio as your body has adjusted to it and do something different... maybe do a body pump class or any type of class offered at your gym... that would be a good start.0 -
I think it has to do more with the amount of time spent exercising seeing as several hours at once can be hard on the body.
For the setting do a forum search for setting calorie goal. I can never remember myself.
I found out how to do it, and MFP is now predicting that I shall gain weight. Is that normal and can I ignore it - I have a screenshot but cannot work out how to put it on here.0 -
Thanks - I found it - not sure if i've done it right though - it is now predicting that I will gain weight0
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It wasn't your suggestions making me think that I was overthinking it - glad to have your input. I presume then that if you use TDEE, which seems to make sense, especially at my weight, then you just use MFP as an overall calorie tracker without worrying about it's targets.
Yes. When using TDEE method, you would set (custom) MFP goal to your TDEE-20% number. You would then use that as your daily caloric goal. And then, when you exercise (if you want to log it), you add it in and put 1 calorie burned for your duration. This is how I've seen people do it, as I've several friends using the TDEE method. This method may be easier for you, in the long run. It's pretty simple, really, with no extra maths
Good luck getting things figured out and finding what works for you!
That all makes sense - it is basically spreading my exercise over the week, rather than having one day when I eat 1500 calories and another where I eat 4000. Two questions though.
1. When it says strenuous exercise, is that strenuous for me, or strenuous for someone of my weight, or strenuous my some sort of average definition. A 35 stone person would find walking upstairs strenuous. I can comfortable ride 20 miles, though some would find that strenuous. I rand for 30 minutes this morning which felt moderate to strenuous. How do you define it.
2. How do you manually set a custom MFP goal - I can't find out how to do it.
The TDEE method is great! Ive been eating at higher calories for about 70 days now, and the results on my body are awesome.
MFP method does work, but this method I find burns more fat than lean body mass (which happens at a very low calorie deficit)
So can I suggest take measurements/photos? Don't pay all your attention to the scale. It took me 6 weeks to see it move down (in combination with adding a strength program) And I dropped all expected weight.
I love being able to eat! And it makes me really hopeful that I can go from losing weight to maintaining once I hit my goal a lot easier. I usually go on a stuff your face run after low calorie diets and gain it all back lol.
1. The calculators are all different, I was stuck with this question for a long time too! My solution use Scrooby's calculator (http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/) cause it gives exercise in hours worked during the week
Remember it is all a guestimation, nothing is 100% accurate, as we are different, but this for me personally and for a few friends that I have seen following the method, its a great way to drop that fat!
2. How do you manually set a custom MFP goal - I can't find out how to do it.
Goals - Change Goals - CUSTOM Continue and there we go 0 -
It wasn't your suggestions making me think that I was overthinking it - glad to have your input. I presume then that if you use TDEE, which seems to make sense, especially at my weight, then you just use MFP as an overall calorie tracker without worrying about it's targets.
Yes. When using TDEE method, you would set (custom) MFP goal to your TDEE-20% number. You would then use that as your daily caloric goal. And then, when you exercise (if you want to log it), you add it in and put 1 calorie burned for your duration. This is how I've seen people do it, as I've several friends using the TDEE method. This method may be easier for you, in the long run. It's pretty simple, really, with no extra maths
Good luck getting things figured out and finding what works for you!
That all makes sense - it is basically spreading my exercise over the week, rather than having one day when I eat 1500 calories and another where I eat 4000. Two questions though.
1. When it says strenuous exercise, is that strenuous for me, or strenuous for someone of my weight, or strenuous my some sort of average definition. A 35 stone person would find walking upstairs strenuous. I can comfortable ride 20 miles, though some would find that strenuous. I rand for 30 minutes this morning which felt moderate to strenuous. How do you define it.
2. How do you manually set a custom MFP goal - I can't find out how to do it.
The TDEE method is great! Ive been eating at higher calories for about 70 days now, and the results on my body are awesome.
MFP method does work, but this method I find burns more fat than lean body mass (which happens at a very low calorie deficit)
So can I suggest take measurements/photos? Don't pay all your attention to the scale. It took me 6 weeks to see it move down (in combination with adding a strength program) And I dropped all expected weight.
I love being able to eat! And it makes me really hopeful that I can go from losing weight to maintaining once I hit my goal a lot easier. I usually go on a stuff your face run after low calorie diets and gain it all back lol.
1. The calculators are all different, I was stuck with this question for a long time too! My solution use Scrooby's calculator (http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/) cause it gives exercise in hours worked during the week Remember it is all a guestimation, nothing is 100% accurate, as we are different, but this for me personally and for a few friends that I have seen following the method, its a great way to drop that fat!
2. How do you manually set a custom MFP goal - I can't find out how to do it.
Goals - Change Goals - CUSTOM Continue and there we go
Do I just ignore all the other stats on the goal page once I have put my TDEE-20% into target calories, and just use MFP as a calorie tracker then, including the number of times exercised etc.0 -
However, sometimes I do a 25 mile cycle, which burns around 2500 calories...
IMO that is a significant over-estimate of the cycling calories. Around 1000 would be much closer, and even that is probably on the high side. Over the course of a week, that's averages out to about 150 extra calories a day.
Now, your running seems to be over-estimated by about 100 calories/run, which balances that out since you appear to be eating those back. So in reality, it looks to me like your body is telling you the truth - you're pretty much spot on.
HRMs are like religion on MFP - they are not necessary, and they get the calorie burns as wrong as anything else, for most people here, most of the time.0 -
1. When it says strenuous exercise, is that strenuous for me, or strenuous for someone of my weight, or strenuous my some sort of average definition.
It means strenuous by actual athlete standards. How much you or I huff and puff during these activities is irrelevant, as that has poor correlation with calorie burn.
What matters for running and cycling is (a) how much do you weigh? and (b) how far did you go?0 -
However, sometimes I do a 25 mile cycle, which burns around 2500 calories...
IMO that is a significant over-estimate of the cycling calories. Around 1000 would be much closer, and even that is probably on the high side. Over the course of a week, that's averages out to about 150 extra calories a day.
Now, your running seems to be over-estimated by about 100 calories/run, which balances that out since you appear to be eating those back. So in reality, it looks to me like your body is telling you the truth - you're pretty much spot on.
HRMs are like religion on MFP - they are not necessary, and they get the calorie burns as wrong as anything else, for most people here, most of the time.
I did a 12 mile cycle ride yesterday - Endomondo estimated it at over 1200 calories. MFP estimated it at 998 calories. According to you these are both off, but does my massive 18.5 stone make a difference - are these higher figures likely to be because I am so big? I might look and see if there are any better calculators out there to check this with.0 -
I can safely say you have an over estimate on your exercise calories.
What is your current weight?
I'm 44, 6'3, 215lbs(15.4 stone) and I use a HRM. When I cycle 25 miles, I am at 1400 calories. That is a huge difference.
Also if you need any recommendations, you can look at my food diary. I averaged 2300-2400 calories burned every day last week & easily ate them back. That is a total of 4500-5000 calories I ate a day. I usually don't log my last meal of the day, but you will get the drift on things you can eat to boost your calories.
Though the amount of calories burned per exercise is where your problem lies.0 -
However, sometimes I do a 25 mile cycle, which burns around 2500 calories...
IMO that is a significant over-estimate of the cycling calories. Around 1000 would be much closer, and even that is probably on the high side. Over the course of a week, that's averages out to about 150 extra calories a day.
Now, your running seems to be over-estimated by about 100 calories/run, which balances that out since you appear to be eating those back. So in reality, it looks to me like your body is telling you the truth - you're pretty much spot on.
HRMs are like religion on MFP - they are not necessary, and they get the calorie burns as wrong as anything else, for most people here, most of the time.
I've just used several calculators for my weight, age etc for running and cycling, and endomondo seems to be overestimating but only by about 150 calories per hour of cycling - so where endomondo has me at 2500 the average of all the other calculators I have found seemed to suggest about 22000 -
I can safely say you have an over estimate on your exercise calories.
What is your current weight?
I'm 44, 6'3, 215lbs(15.4 stone) and I use a HRM. When I cycle 25 miles, I am at 1400 calories. That is a huge difference.
Also if you need any recommendations, you can look at my food diary. I averaged 2300-2400 calories burned every day last week & easily ate them back. That is a total of 4500-5000 calories I ate a day. I usually don't log my last meal of the day, but you will get the drift on things you can eat to boost your calories.
Though the amount of calories burned per exercise is where your problem lies.
I am 3 stone heavier than you - I've just used several calculators for my weight, age etc for running and cycling, and endomondo seems to be overestimating but only by about 150 calories per hour of cycling - so where endomondo has me at 2500 the average of all the other calculators I have found seemed to suggest about 2200 for 25 miles. Of course this isn't based on a HRM - just weight, speed and distance.0 -
My calculator has you burning 800 calories under the following conditions:
250 pound rider
30 pound bike
Riding on the bar tops
25 miles
90 minutes
Weight is not as important as in running (for amateurs, anyway), because it doesn't make a difference in the flats, and helps in the downhill portions. It sucks for the uphill portions, but that is more of a power issue, not an energy burn issue.0 -
I did a 12 mile cycle ride yesterday - Endomondo estimated it at over 1200 calories. MFP estimated it at 998 calories. According to you these are both off, but does my massive 18.5 stone make a difference - are these higher figures likely to be because I am so big? I might look and see if there are any better calculators out there to check this with.
On a 14 and 16 mile ride I clocked 900 and 800 extra calories compared to sitting. The longer one was 10 mph average moving speed and 800 ft of altitude gained and lost. The shorter was 11 mph and 690 ft. The physics are that your greater weight will need more energy to move it uphill, it will generate more friction to overcome and you may have a bigger wind resistance.
As you said earlier you can overthink this. If I was at 18 stone and burned more calories on a bike ride I would be happy to pocket that as an extra fat loss and not consider eating more to cancel it out.0 -
However, sometimes I do a 25 mile cycle, which burns around 2500 calories...
IMO that is a significant over-estimate of the cycling calories. Around 1000 would be much closer, and even that is probably on the high side. Over the course of a week, that's averages out to about 150 extra calories a day.
Now, your running seems to be over-estimated by about 100 calories/run, which balances that out since you appear to be eating those back. So in reality, it looks to me like your body is telling you the truth - you're pretty much spot on.
HRMs are like religion on MFP - they are not necessary, and they get the calorie burns as wrong as anything else, for most people here, most of the time.
I did a 12 mile cycle ride yesterday - Endomondo estimated it at over 1200 calories. MFP estimated it at 998 calories. According to you these are both off, but does my massive 18.5 stone make a difference - are these higher figures likely to be because I am so big? I might look and see if there are any better calculators out there to check this with.
I ride a lot and I usually go on 17 mile or 25 mile rides. I use Runkeeper’s calorie burn because it automatically updates to MFP for me and the total is always less than what my HRM says. Usually my 25 mile rides (depending on the wind) is 1100 to 1300 and the 17 mile ride is (800 to 950). Once I get warmed up I try and ride hard enough to keep my HR between 140’s and 150’s. That being said you’re a bigger guy so you will burn more calories.0 -
OK - all you guys are saying that you calculate less than me, but what are you using to calculate. I have tried endomondo, MFP, http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc, http://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/prevention/calorie-calculator.aspx.
I have used age 42, 117kg, and either 20 miles or 1 hr 45 minutes (or both - when I did a 20 mile bike ride that is how long it took me)
Endomondo - 1867 calories
http://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/prevention/calorie-calculator.aspx - 1638 calories
http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc - 1787 calories
MFP - 1638
It looks like MFP is the best way to go, so when I import from endomondo, go into mfp and recalculate it (or just disconnect the accounts and do it manually.
However, I would like to know where some of you estimating 1000 calories or less are getting these figures from. Within 2 hunder calories the above are fairly consistent.0 -
Garmin bike computer with heart rate monitor, and Polar FT6 HRM that knows my VO2max.
https://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/prevention/calorie-calculator.aspx at 117 kg says 1269 calories in 1h45 or at 72 kg it says 761 calories. I haven't looked into the derivation of its equations to see if it was built on a set of data for lighter people that could lead it to overshoot on heavy people.
In general a large person is a small one in a fat suit, you don't get 62.5% more power by getting 62.5% heavier, potentially your aerobic fitness is worse.
But it doesn't matter really either way, do the exercise and reap the benefit.0 -
Watts, basically ignore what MFP says from now on concerning your weight. It's doing that only because you changed your goal.
Do keep your macros in a 40/30/30 split though, it keeps you on track for those.
The joy of TDEE is that the calories burned in exercise no longer need to be tracked because they've been included based off the exercise level you chose. You need to give the method a good 4 weeks at the calorie level you calculated to determine if the calorie intake is too much fro you. If it is, just drop it by 100-200 cals and test again for another 4 weeks until you find your sweet spot...:)0 -
Watts, basically ignore what MFP says from now on concerning your weight. It's doing that only because you changed your goal.
Do keep your macros in a 40/30/30 split though, it keeps you on track for those.
The joy of TDEE is that the calories burned in exercise no longer need to be tracked because they've been included based off the exercise level you chose. You need to give the method a good 4 weeks at the calorie level you calculated to determine if the calorie intake is too much fro you. If it is, just drop it by 100-200 cals and test again for another 4 weeks until you find your sweet spot...:)
I shall call quits on this now - in the end I am enjoying the exercise, and am not starving. I'm not getting hungry, and I have enough energy to exercise. I may buy some dumbells and add some strength training into what I am doing.
Thank you all for your input.0
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