Seriously MPF?!

EllaBelleAces

And by MPF I meant MFP

Okay, so here is the lowdown on my little situation. I am female, 22 years old, 5"7 (or 67 inches) and I currently weigh 237.5 lbs (107.8kgs) and my goal weigh is 140 lbs.

My body fat percentage is 58.1% and my goal percent is 30%.

Currently, I am on a 12 day streak, but I have been frequenting MPF on and off for a few years, halfheartedly recording, eyeballing, blah blah blah, and have quit on and off, dissolving into tears when the weight didn't dissolve from my effort!

Where I am right now is I am eating about 1350 calories on a good day. I am weighing my foods now, with an honest to goodness scale! I sometimes go over the 1350, and on bad days at least a hundred less. I was losing at first, a whole 8lbs! I was stoked, but lo' and behold, it all came rip roaring back, whats more... I gained a whole POUND.

My conclusion...I am an idiot.

Here I was, crying and moaning because I was gaining it all back, not understanding why, but not bothering to actually do any research to see, maybe, just maybe if the amount that was set was wrong.

I think I get this now, I really do, I'm going to break it down, if I haven't gotten, please someone let me know!

My BMR is 1902. That is the amount my body needs, at my current weight to function at rest. Right?

Which means I have been eating (on good days) 550 calories below what my body needs for basic function. really smart Lauren. Jeez. Now, I'm also active. I'm not jumping-jacks-all-the-way-up-the-stairs-active, but I'm not, lie-on-the-floor-like-a-puddle-inactive.

I always take the stairs, I walk around my office all day, I walk a couple blocks every day, do chores, walk around the house, etc etc etc. So I would say at the very least I am lightly active.

So according to my research (Magic School Bus anyone?) I should be taking in around 2000 calories. I also recently started the Jillian Michaels program 30 day Shred, so I should be taking half those calories into account as well.

If anyone happens to comment and say "BY JOVE! I think she's got it!" ... I may just cry rainbow tears of joy.

SezxyStef

By jove I think she's got it...*needs pics of rainbow tears or it didn't happen*

But yes you got it...the goal should be to eat as much as you can and still lose the weight...not as little as you can as punishment for being overweight...

Now remember this tho...when you lose weight your BMR does decrease...so for every ten pounds MFP will ask you to re-evaluate your goals...

If you have it set at 2lbs a week...change it when you hit 75lbs left to 1.5lbs...ditto at 50lbs to 1lb a week and then at that 25lb left mark to 1/2lb a week...

ETA: your BMR wont tank...it will decrease tho as you get smaller..mine has decrease just under 100 over the course of 8 months and 25lbs...and a birthday...

madhatter2013

EllaBelleAces

mycupyourcake

Based on your body fat percentage on this calculator, your BMR is only 1295.

http://www.naturalphysiques.com/20/basal-metabolic-rate-bmr

Aaron_K123

Your body will burn fat to sustain its calorie needs up to a point. The trick is just to have a calorie deficit that burns fat without pushing it so hard that you burn muscle as well or aren't getting enough nutrition. If you eat below your BMR your body will compensate by burning fat from your body or muscle depending on how far below your TDEE you are and how much exercise you are doing. Generally speaking it is safest and healthiest to eat somewhere between your BMR and your TDEE.

The trick here is getting an accurate number for your BMR and an accurate number for your TDEE. There are many schools of thought and many calculators that will give you different values. The only way you can really find out is to use one of these calculators to estimate then rigorously track your calorie intake and expenditure over months and see where you end up. After you have that data you can sort of back calculate to see what your own personal BMR and TDEE seem to be on average and adjust accordingly.

Yes that is a pain in the butt but I think that's the most honest approach if you really want to nail it.

EllaBelleAces

Based on your body fat percentage on this calculator, your BMR is only 1295.

http://www.naturalphysiques.com/20/basal-metabolic-rate-bmr

I used this site :http://www.fat2fittools.com/tools/bmr/

Because I read on multiple posts that it was a recommended one. I like that it takes my body fat % into it, but I have an appointment with my doctor next week, so I will ask her as well.

Your body will burn fat to sustain its calorie needs up to a point. The trick is just to have a calorie deficit that burns fat without pushing it so hard that you burn muscle as well or aren't getting enough nutrition. If you eat below your BMR your body will compensate by burning fat from your body or muscle depending on how far below your TDEE you are and how much exercise you are doing. Generally speaking it is safest and healthiest to eat somewhere between your BMR and your TDEE.

The trick here is getting an accurate number for your BMR and an accurate number for your TDEE. There are many schools of thought and many calculators that will give you different values. The only way you can really find out is to use one of these calculators to estimate then rigorously track your calorie intake and expenditure over months and see where you end up. After you have that data you can sort of back calculate to see what your own personal BMR and TDEE seem to be on average and adjust accordingly.

Yes that is a pain in the butt but I think that's the most honest approach if you really want to nail it.

I really want to nail it.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Also just remember to be patient.

Aaron_K123

Trick is to stick with something. If you constantly re-evaluate and change your diet or exercise on a weekly basis it will be really hard to tell what is going on with your diet if you don't end up where you expected to be months down the line. I'd pick something, anything really, and just stick with it. I'd suggest you err on the side of not losing as much weight as you would like versus starving yourself and then a couple months down the line if you found you aren't making the progress you want you can adjust then.

Galatea_Stone

Stick with this new plan for at least a month. Your weight is going to fluctuate, even +/-5 pounds a day isn't uncommon.

Your BMR is greater than 1295. Your calculation of 1900 is far likely more accurate. Just eat at a reasonable and comfortable deficit and it'll happen.

EllaBelleAces

Thank you everyone. I truly appreciate y'all weighing in (so to speak ^_^)

I am going to give this new plan a serious try. If I find nothing is happening in a months time, I will try switching the amount up. Something is going to work by jove!

Aaron_K123

Thank you everyone. I truly appreciate y'all weighing in (so to speak ^_^)

I am going to give this new plan a serious try. If I find nothing is happening in a months time, I will try switching the amount up. Something is going to work by jove!

Will most likely take longer than a month to be able to get good numbers on rate of change I hate to say.

maz504

Adding you because you're like my identical weight loss twin

EddieHaskell97

By jove! I think she's got it!

Jerrypeoples

Based on your body fat percentage on this calculator, your BMR is only 1295.

http://www.naturalphysiques.com/20/basal-metabolic-rate-bmr

im not sure how accurate that is. my bmr on there is 1684 where as when i went and actually had it tested i was more at 2200. that's quiet the differential

using http://www.fat2fittools.com/tools/bmr/ it has me at 2400

id think its best to either get it done professionally (mine was $80) or take 4 or 5 websites and average it out.

regardless good luck

mslisatm

Ive recently come to the same conclusion. I just can't eat a lot, so my problem is upping the calls while staying healthy…I have a lot of trouble getting enough lean protein that won't add to my fat. I have a friend who was about 260 and eating at 1300 cals and running and lifting. When he doctor put her at 1900 calls which was between her BMR and TDEE she started losing and as she lost she adjusted it over time. She lost 100 pounds in a little over a year from eating well and exercise and not starving herself! Great inspiration! Im off to the TDEE and BMR calculators!

streamgirl

Make sure you aren't solely focusing on weight, either. I started (again) first of the year and lost 8 pounds in January. Then about one pound all of Feb and most of March. Now I'm going down again. I dropped almost three pounds this last week and a half. Track measurements and pay attention to how clothes fit. Weight loss is not one long downward march of the graph. I think it looks more like a stock ticker on a downward trend. Some up, some down, some flat, but an overall trend down. I was REALLY frustrated to see my chart flat for so long, but I stuck with it and in that time I lost 3 inches off my hips, dropped a pant size, and gained discernible biceps. If I only focused on the scale I would have given up. Good luck and be patient!

Ninkyou

Also keep in mind weight fluctuations. Water retention cause by sodium, ovulation, period, exercise, etc. may cause your weight to increase but they're all temporary.

Keep doing the logging/weighing and you'll see the downward trend.

EllaBelleAces

Also keep in mind weight fluctuations. Water retention cause by sodium, ovulation, period, exercise, etc. may cause your weight to increase but they're all temporary.

Keep doing the logging/weighing and you'll see the downward trend.

All very good advice.. And hey.. Sailor Moon.

AnnieRN6

Remember that weight loss isn't a steady downward process--if you graphed it, it would look more like a stock -exchange chart for a company having a bad month. Increase your activity to "real" exercise that you schedule into your day, because it will make you healthy even as you lose weight. Record your activity and your food intake into MFP every day, and TRUST THE PROCESS. There is no magic about this. Solid dependable weight loss is boring--like kissing your sister. There is no sudden week where you lose twenty pounds and ride off skinny into the sunset.

Angold83

By jove! I think she's got it!

I love this! ^