I need some help with this stuff :/

GatorRoo87

My main goal is weight loss. I used to be really fit as a dancer but stopped dancing in college. I gained some weight in college but I was still within the healthy range for my height. Once I graduated however, I gained weight quickly and have been overweight ever since. I've been on this site for years but never used it consistently. I am now ready to commit to tracking everyday. I'm 26, 5'4, and 172 pounds. NOT counting my daily exercise, I lead a sedentary lifestyle. I am back in college now attempting to get into a graduate program so as a student I spend about 17 hours a week sitting at a desk in class or in a lab, plus LOTS of hours at home studying, and another five hours a week at a desk job.

My exercise routine was non-existent for awhile due to poor time management, but for the last month or so I have been consistently going to Pure Barre about 3-4 times per week and supplementing with at-home workout sessions. I usually alternate between free weights, bosu ball training, or I'll pop in a dvd like Brazil Butt Lift, P90X, or 10 minute pilates. I have now made myself a schedule so I can be more consistent. I am going to Orange Theory Fitness twice per week (which consists of treadmill, rowing, and weight intervals in a 1 hour session), Pure Barre 3-4 times per week (which is a full body workout but focuses mainly on glutes and thighs), and kettle bell/free weights/various dvd's at home when I can fit it in.

SO, my main question is about how much I should be eating. MFP gave me a goal of 1200 calories and I plan on eating that much everyday no matter what my activity level is, since eating less than 1200 seems unhealthy. I am aiming for 1 lb per week weight loss which equates to a 3500 calorie deficit per week ( I know some people dispute this, but I want to give it a shot). I plan on splitting that up to about a 500 calorie deficit per day. HOWEVER, is it ok to NET less than 1200 calories as long as I'm eating at least that much? Or should I always net around 1200? It seems like it will be extremely difficult to net 1200 if I am trying to eat/train at a deficit.

Serious and positive responses only please. I'm trying to get this right at the beginning of my journey to avoid months of confusion and frustration later. So yeah, don't be a d**k.

ladymiseryali

If you're doing this the MFP way, you're supposed to net your caloric intake, meaning if your goal is 1200 and you work out and burn 200 calories, you eat 200 calories and NET 1200. Another method is the TDEE method. You figure out your TDEE and minus 250 calories from that amount and eat that without eating your exercise calories.

GatorRoo87

Thanks for the response! Which method do you prefer?

editorgrrl

Weight loss takes a whole lot of trial & error. Start w/ the MFP defaults. Learn to log everything you eat accurately & honestly. When you scan barcodes, verify the info against the label. (There are lots of junky entries in the database). Weigh your food. Log your exercise, and eat back 50% of your exercise calories. Your MFP calorie goal has your deficit built in; you must eat back at least some of your exercise calories. The calorie counts and burns are estimates; eating back half your calories helps reduce the margin of error.

Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

ladymiseryali

Thanks for the response! Which method do you prefer?

I personally do the TDEE minus 250 method. I also do low carb and high fat.

Francl27

I like TDEE-20% personally... I use http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

If you use MFP, you should eat the calories you burn on pure barre the days you do it, but it's hard at times to figure out how many calories you burn if you don't have a heart rate monitor... so I like TDEE-20% best. With your activity I'd put you somewhere between lightly active and moderately active (considering you sit a lot the rest of the time).

Good luck!

iwantmydenimback

What you might be missing though, is that 1200 calories already has a built in deficit. You do not need to create an additional deficit on top of that already reduced number, so you really do need to eat back at least a portion of the calories you burn through activity if you're going to go the MFP route.

Since you seem like you have a pretty consistent activity schedule that you enjoy and plan to continue, you're probably going to be a lot more satisfied following the TDEE method. Basically, when you take the average of your daily exercise and account for it in your calorie needs, there's no 'eating back' calories to think about. You just take a small-midsize cut from your TDEE, and you'll be creating the deficit needed for weightloss without feeling like you have hundreds of calories staring you in the face every time you work out. But the trick with this is not to log your exercise in MFP, so you're not accounting for exercise calories twice.

morkiemama

I prefer the TDEE method. Some people prefer the traditional MFP way.

I would recommend reading up on these threads:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974888-in-place-of-a-road-map-2k13

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants?hl=sexypants

GatorRoo87

Great link. Thanks!

GatorRoo87

Ok thanks!