We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!
Intake Assistance please
Blueberry09
Posts: 821 Member
Provide your stats (height/weight/age/bodyfat% if you know it/etc)
Female 48 years old
5'7"
153lbs (this morning - fluctuates 0-2 lbs daily
29% BF according to my hand held scale - that fluctuates wildly too.
Started at 165lbs and goal is 140
What's your current gross intake of calories, on average?
including exercise calories (HRM) - 1784
What's your current average intake of protein, carbs, and fats, in grams? (GRAMS, not percent!)
including adjustments from MFP for exercise calories
c 192
f 58
p 117
Do you use a food scale and measure everything?
YES - I don't measure individual servings of processed foods (yogurt, protein bars) or bread (the one or two times a month I might have it). I also don't weigh lettuce that comes out of a bag. I always log it as two servings. I log meat for meals as 1/2 the amount on the package (I only cook for two) but make sure to take the slightly smaller portion.
Do you track all of your intake, daily? (Everything?)
I don't track my 2-3 coffee (14oz cup with one splenda), or diet coke that I consume in restaurants. I try not to drink my calories but will log alcohol. I'm also not a big condiment user - I add no seasoning to meat when cooking but will log a tbsp or two of marinade if I use it. I log all the water I drink at the office - I usually have a couple of more glasses at home that don't get logged. Sometimes with crystal light.
Do you take cheat days or days off?
If I'm travelling or on vacation I don't log anything. I don't deprive myself but I try not to overdo it. I'm right back on the wagon as soon as I get back.
How much weight have you lost so far and over what time period?
I started in 2011 and it took me six months to lose 12 lbs eating 1200 cals. I upped to 1350 from about Jul-11 to Apr-12 when I tried the eat more 'diet'. I put on 9lbs over that summer and went back to MFB basics - 1/2 lb week eating back exercise calories. MFP gave me 1450 to eat. I lost those lbs over the next six months and now I hover around the 152 mark. My goal is 140.
Describe your activity (exercise and non exercise) and did you change that activity withing the last couple of months?
I've exercised regularly (4x a week - 350 avg burns) since 2010 and do try to mix it up. Through the summer I will run outside - I'm very slow and my HR is upper 160s. I've also done the 30DS and will mix up the exercise bike and treadmill thru the winter (2-3 weeks each at a time). In November I started the NROL4W and will warm up with 15min of intervals - again switching up the bike and treadmill. I take the breaks suggested by the program and will do light cardio on those days.
How long have you been stalled and if it is not a complete stall please be very specific as to how much you have lost over the stalled period.
Going on 3 years now! I had my RMR tested in 2012 and it came out at 1411. According to my FitBit, my TDEE (including exercise cals linked to MFP) is 1783. Based on these numbers I'm eating at maintenance which explains the no weight loss but the MFP math just doesn't add up. I managed to lose the extra lbs doing the MFP way - I've changed nothing and now I'm stalled - again. Days that I don't do anything other than my office job, my FitBit says I burn 1500-1510 which is way less than the 1.2 multiplier used for sedendtary people.
I feel like I eat about 80% clean with little to no processed food but I do like my treats (dont' we all?) and eating out at restaurants. My calories are all over the place on any given day - I try to balance it out over the week.
I prefer eating back exercise cals but I'm not sure where to place my base number. I'd really like to break thru the 150 mark - will reducing cals by 100 to 1350 do that for me? That's a 10% cut from my everyday TDEE. Or should I keep my cals at 1450-1500 and not eat exercise cals back?
Finding that calorie sweet spot is the hardest thing about losing!
Are you breastfeeding? no Do you have thyroid issues/risks or PCOS? no
Female 48 years old
5'7"
153lbs (this morning - fluctuates 0-2 lbs daily
29% BF according to my hand held scale - that fluctuates wildly too.
Started at 165lbs and goal is 140
What's your current gross intake of calories, on average?
including exercise calories (HRM) - 1784
What's your current average intake of protein, carbs, and fats, in grams? (GRAMS, not percent!)
including adjustments from MFP for exercise calories
c 192
f 58
p 117
Do you use a food scale and measure everything?
YES - I don't measure individual servings of processed foods (yogurt, protein bars) or bread (the one or two times a month I might have it). I also don't weigh lettuce that comes out of a bag. I always log it as two servings. I log meat for meals as 1/2 the amount on the package (I only cook for two) but make sure to take the slightly smaller portion.
Do you track all of your intake, daily? (Everything?)
I don't track my 2-3 coffee (14oz cup with one splenda), or diet coke that I consume in restaurants. I try not to drink my calories but will log alcohol. I'm also not a big condiment user - I add no seasoning to meat when cooking but will log a tbsp or two of marinade if I use it. I log all the water I drink at the office - I usually have a couple of more glasses at home that don't get logged. Sometimes with crystal light.
Do you take cheat days or days off?
If I'm travelling or on vacation I don't log anything. I don't deprive myself but I try not to overdo it. I'm right back on the wagon as soon as I get back.
How much weight have you lost so far and over what time period?
I started in 2011 and it took me six months to lose 12 lbs eating 1200 cals. I upped to 1350 from about Jul-11 to Apr-12 when I tried the eat more 'diet'. I put on 9lbs over that summer and went back to MFB basics - 1/2 lb week eating back exercise calories. MFP gave me 1450 to eat. I lost those lbs over the next six months and now I hover around the 152 mark. My goal is 140.
Describe your activity (exercise and non exercise) and did you change that activity withing the last couple of months?
I've exercised regularly (4x a week - 350 avg burns) since 2010 and do try to mix it up. Through the summer I will run outside - I'm very slow and my HR is upper 160s. I've also done the 30DS and will mix up the exercise bike and treadmill thru the winter (2-3 weeks each at a time). In November I started the NROL4W and will warm up with 15min of intervals - again switching up the bike and treadmill. I take the breaks suggested by the program and will do light cardio on those days.
How long have you been stalled and if it is not a complete stall please be very specific as to how much you have lost over the stalled period.
Going on 3 years now! I had my RMR tested in 2012 and it came out at 1411. According to my FitBit, my TDEE (including exercise cals linked to MFP) is 1783. Based on these numbers I'm eating at maintenance which explains the no weight loss but the MFP math just doesn't add up. I managed to lose the extra lbs doing the MFP way - I've changed nothing and now I'm stalled - again. Days that I don't do anything other than my office job, my FitBit says I burn 1500-1510 which is way less than the 1.2 multiplier used for sedendtary people.
I feel like I eat about 80% clean with little to no processed food but I do like my treats (dont' we all?) and eating out at restaurants. My calories are all over the place on any given day - I try to balance it out over the week.
I prefer eating back exercise cals but I'm not sure where to place my base number. I'd really like to break thru the 150 mark - will reducing cals by 100 to 1350 do that for me? That's a 10% cut from my everyday TDEE. Or should I keep my cals at 1450-1500 and not eat exercise cals back?
Finding that calorie sweet spot is the hardest thing about losing!
Are you breastfeeding? no Do you have thyroid issues/risks or PCOS? no
0
Replies
-
Tagging0
-
bumping now that the long weekend is over
0 -
Set your intake as follows, this is gross intake or average intake. So in other words if you choose to eat more on exercise days that's fine but make it sure it averages out to the following:
1650 calories
150 carbohydrate
60 fat
130 protein
Follow up with us in 2 weeks if you would like us to adjust as needed. Track your weight daily if possible so we can monitor change in weight.
Your logging looks accurate for the most part (better than what we usually see) but there are a few things to be aware of:
1) Eating out frequently is fine but realize that it does introduce a potentially wider range of error in tracking accuracy.
2) There are a few food items in your log without macros entered.
Let us know if you have any questions0 -
Thanks SS - I will give it a whirl!
One thing that I noticed when calculating my % is that some days the macros added up to 95% - others were over 100%. I find using the phone app is when I don't get the most accurate entry for what I'm looking for.0 -
Locking this for administrative/clean-up purposes. PM me or Sara when it's time to follow up.0
This discussion has been closed.