A little confused

xNinja83x

Hi, I hope I'm in the right place. I am a 30 year old male 6ft 1in 230 lbs. I don't know if I set everything up right or if I'm taking in the right calories. Right now I fix computer for money so I sit all day long, If I set it to Sedentary which I am most days it tells me I can have 1570 calories... Everywhere I look people say that is far to low. I set it to lightly active to give myself a buffer. It allows me 1870 calories a day that I use as a ceiling. My exercises supposedly allow me an extra 250 calories. Please keep in mind that I have almost no muscle except for my biceps and also keep in mind that about five years ago I was stressed out really bad and ate hardly anything. During that time I lost a lot of weight, I got down to 160 without noticing, yet I still had about an inch of fat on my stomach that I suspect I will never get be able to get rid of. Also at that time I benched and squated the same weight that I do now (tested it out recently) and have always done so it was mostly fat. My goal is to lose as much fat as I can without dying and then start lifting to build muscle. Thanks for any input.

xNinja83x

I forgot to mention that I lost 10 lbs since I started but looking at the scales yesterday and today showed that I gained 2 1/2 lbs...

mschicagocubs

Do you currently work out? Definitely start some weight lifting!

You aren't sedentary unless you literally sit all day and don't do anything.

I have a desk job, but I work out 5 days a week. So I eat inbetween my lightly active and moderately active calorie goal.

mschicagocubs

I forgot to mention that I lost 10 lbs since I started but looking at the scales yesterday and today showed that I gained 2 1/2 lbs...

Weight fluctuates. I always tell people not to weigh themselves every day. I only weigh every 2 weeks, when I wake up, after I go to the bathroom, naked. It is consistent.

WBB55

how many calories per day does MFP tell you to eat if you set it to "lose 1 lb per week"?

xNinja83x

I do about 30 minutes of cardio a day. Exercise bike, Sprinting, Punching bag etc. I would really like to lose the weight before starting to lift as I gain weight easy and as I understand it if I lift I need to consume more calories than my body needs. So I'm ok setting it to lightly active (+300 calories) and factoring in my cardio (+250 calories) ? Thanks

xNinja83x

how many calories per day does MFP tell you to eat if you set it to "lose 1 lb per week"?

2350

parkscs

1570 is probably 2 lbs/week. If you aren't hungry/unhappy at 1570 net calories, you're probably fine to start there. If you find you need to eat more to stay satiated, something closer to 2000 calories will result in slower weight loss but gives you a bit more wiggle room in what you eat. You should really look into lifting while cutting - no reason to weight until you've lost fat to hit the weights.

I do about 30 minutes of cardio a day. Exercise bike, Sprinting, Punching bag etc. I would really like to lose the weight before starting to lift as I gain weight easy and as I understand it if I lift I need to consume more calories than my body needs. So I'm ok setting it to lightly active (+300 calories) and factoring in my cardio (+250 calories) ? Thanks

To put on significant muscle mass you need surplus calories. To gain strength and see benefits from lifting, no caloric surplus is required.

WBB55

how many calories per day does MFP tell you to eat if you set it to "lose 1 lb per week"?

2350

you should eat that.

But, if it were me, and I switched to 2350 every day, I probably wouldn't add back in exercise calories. But that's just my two cents.

mschicagocubs

I do about 30 minutes of cardio a day. Exercise bike, Sprinting, Punching bag etc. I would really like to lose the weight before starting to lift as I gain weight easy and as I understand it if I lift I need to consume more calories than my body needs. So I'm ok setting it to lightly active (+300 calories) and factoring in my cardio (+250 calories) ? Thanks

Correct, but you dont have to want to gain muscle to lift weights.

I'm in a deficit and lifting weights, making sure I get my protein goals in. I'm losing weight, but my body looks better because I am not burning the muscle as much during my cardio workouts.

It is never too early to start lifting.

xNinja83x

I do plan to lift and cut at the same time once I start lifting but a lot of people say that you make your biggest gains in the first year, If I spend a good chunk of that time in a calorie deficit will that affect my overall muscle gains? So do you think 1570 should be my minimum or my target? I'm not very hungry.

1570 is probably 2 lbs/week. If you aren't hungry/unhappy at 1570 net calories, you're probably fine to start there. If you find you need to eat more to stay satiated, something closer to 2000 calories will result in slower weight loss but gives you a bit more wiggle room in what you eat. You should really look into lifting while cutting - no reason to weight until you've lost fat to hit the weights.

I do about 30 minutes of cardio a day. Exercise bike, Sprinting, Punching bag etc. I would really like to lose the weight before starting to lift as I gain weight easy and as I understand it if I lift I need to consume more calories than my body needs. So I'm ok setting it to lightly active (+300 calories) and factoring in my cardio (+250 calories) ? Thanks

To put on significant muscle mass you need surplus calories. To gain strength and see benefits from lifting, no caloric surplus is required.

WBB55

I do plan to lift and cut at the same time once I start lifting

If you keep eating at the deficit you're eating right now, but don't lift weights, you WILL BE losing more muscle than you want to.

If you want to decrease the amount of muscle you're losing, I highly suggest eating more and lifting heavy weights. TRUST ME, once you start eating at a surplus again to gain muscle, you will gain it. But for now, I would hate for you to lose the muscle you have

parkscs

I do plan to lift and cut at the same time once I start lifting but a lot of people say that you make your biggest gains in the first year, If I spend a good chunk of that time in a calorie deficit will that affect my overall muscle gains? So do you think 1570 should be my minimum or my target? I'm not very hungry.

While that's true, it's also true that lifting during a cut helps you preserve the lean mass you already have. If 6 months down the road you switch over to bulking, you'll be better off starting with all the lean mass you have now than if you have to dig yourself out of a hole because you lost significant lean mass while cutting.

In my unprofessional random guy on the Internet opinion, 1570 net calories is likely fine if you aren't hungry. Or you could compromise and go for something like 1700-1800. Get adequate protein based on your lean mass, lift heavy and regularly, and keep on keeping on.

deksgrl

I do plan to lift and cut at the same time once I start lifting but a lot of people say that you make your biggest gains in the first year, If I spend a good chunk of that time in a calorie deficit will that affect my overall muscle gains? So do you think 1570 should be my minimum or my target? I'm not very hungry.

You aren't very hungry because you don't feed your body. Hunger is controlled by hormones. Hormones are controlled by how much food they are or are not getting. Anorexics do not feel hungry. So that isn't a good bench mark for how much you SHOULD be eating.

xNinja83x

Thanks guys, I will think about starting lifting now but for now I am mostly worried about not entering starvation mode. I want the fat gone yesterday LOL. So does everyone pretty much agree that for me 1500 - 2000 is a good range without lifting? What about if I start lifting? Thanks again I appreciate the feedback.

deksgrl

http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

xNinja83x

I will continue everything I have been doing and increase my calories to 1900 - 2000 then and see what happens in a week or two

http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/