Kinda confused?

phoenixx866

I have a really hard time with numbers (like almost failing math every year in school bad) and I'm extremely confused. I used MFP's auto-set up of my calorie intake and it put me at 1430 calories a day. But when I visit threads, I check diaries and see people eating at 1700 calories a day and then people jump on their thread saying that they're not eating enough. I see words thrown around like "TDEE -20%" and TEF. I checked the 2 threads posted:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

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

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ <- this is Greek to me

and I just got really, really confused. I don't understand anything of what they're saying. Now I'm concerned that I'm starving myself. I haven't felt hunger pains and I thought I was getting enough... Now I'm getting scared because it seems 1430 calories is all around low?

I am 5'2" and female. I weigh 268.1 lbs. I want to weigh 135 lbs. I set MFP to sedentary, with planned exercise of approximately 30 minutes a day, 6 days a week (I walk around my block, which is 1.35 miles, every night... which takes about a half hour), losing 2lbs a week. I eat 3 meals a day, about 300-400 calories each meal, and I snack on fruit and vegetables in between. MFP gave me 1430 calories.

Am I doing this completely wrong? Now I'm beginning to worry.

vorgas

Go with MFPs numbers. Try it for a month.
If you are gaining weight - reduce your intake.
If you are losing weight and feel good - keep going.
If you are losing weight but are tired, irritable, mood swings, etc - increase your intake.

Sunitagt

Congrats on your progress so far! I also have a lot to lose, but I am a numbers person, so I've played around with my own quite a bit to find the best method for me!

If you are comfortable eating 1430, I would stick with it for now. If the numbers are too confusing, that's ok. Following MFP's method is great, it works well for a lot of people. Be sure that you eat back some (most) of your exercise calories doing this method. Maybe only half if you're using MFP's calorie burns for exercise. But I would eat them all back if you use a HRM.

The TDEE method will more or less equal the MFP method, except with MFP you add in your exercise when you do it, and with the TDEE method, you average in your exercise to a total goal. So for me, if I used MFP my calorie goal would be around 1650 per day, and then the 3x days a week I go to the gym I would add in my exercise calories and get to eat more on those days. But for the TDEE method, I just eat 1800 calories every day and don't up my goal/add in exercise calories on days when I exercise. I prefer to eat a more consistent amount all the time.

As far as 1430 being low, I don't know that it is if you are genuinely sedentary. You're on the shorter side, and your BMR calculation will take into account your current weight, height and age, so all those factors create a number that you burn every day from just existing, then on top of that, you burn probably about few hundred throughout normal daily activity. If you are on your feet all day though (like if you have kids, a very active job etc) you are probably not sedentary. I know that I am lightly active including exercise, but I am between lightly active and sedentary not including exercise. I have a (mostly) desk job, and I actively make time for walking to make sure I stay there, but if I didn't I would definitely be sedentary on the couch all day

kikityme

Go with MFPs numbers. Try it for a month.
If you are gaining weight - reduce your intake.
If you are losing weight and feel good - keep going.
If you are losing weight but are tired, irritable, mood swings, etc - increase your intake.

+1

phoenixx866

Well, I work in a museum 3 days a week (temporary, soon to be unemployed as of June - but that's another worry >.>). When I work there, if I'm in the "back" I basically spend 6 hours 100% sitting. If I'm in the front, I sit about 80% of the time and stand/walk around 20% of the time - and then it's only a short walk around a desk. If it's the weekend, when the museum gets busy, it's probably opposite - standing/walking 80% of the time and sitting 20% of them (a very nice, welcome 20% of the time, lol!)

I don't have children, just a cat and a fiance. I'm a bookworm, so when I get home I either read a book or sit on my computer. Then I go for my 30 minute walk after dinner every day but Friday.

phoenixx866

Ok I think I figured out that calculator...

According to the website, my Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is 2000.

My Daily calories to maintain weight (TDEE) is 2750. :huh:

That's nuts. It says I should be eating 733 calories a meal if I eat 3 meals a day - 2199 calories! I can't imagine eating that much, holy cow!!! :noway: MFP calculates me at over 700 calories less. I have no idea what to believe anymore!!

(fixed typo - forgot to change 'male' to 'female' on calculator. Accurate totals.)

Forty6and2

Ok I think I figured out that calculator...

According to the website, my Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is 2367.

My Daily calories to maintain weight (TDEE) is 3254. :huh:

That's nuts. It says I should be eating 867 calories a meal if I eat 3 meals a day - 2601 calories! I can't imagine eating that much, holy cow!!! :noway: That's like how many calories I would eat when I wasn't watching what I was eating. MFP calculates me at over 1000 calories less. I have no idea what to believe anymore!!

Since you have quite a bit to lose, it doesn't surprise me that your TDEE is so high. However, you can stand to eat at a slightly larger deficit than somebody closer to a healthy weight. Also, make sure you estimated your activity level accurately. If nothing else, try eating at that level for a month and a half or so and see if you're losing at an appropriate rate.

Here is a little chart to help you figure out if you are losing appropriately:
If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal

This isn't absolute, you may lose more some weeks and less others just make sure it's a good average.

phoenixx866

Yeah, the first post I accidentally forgot to change male to female. :laugh: But I edited that post with the new totals, which is still high to the point where I don't know if I could eat that much. I would feel like a balloon all day.

Forty6and2

Yeah, the first post I accidentally forgot to change male to female. :laugh: But I edited that post with the new totals, which is still high to the point where I don't know if I could eat that much. I would feel like a balloon all day.

Lol, understand that. I saw the edit after I posted my reply.

MelodyandBarbells

Yeah, the first post I accidentally forgot to change male to female. :laugh: But I edited that post with the new totals, which is still high to the point where I don't know if I could eat that much. I would feel like a balloon all day.

Whoops I meant to start the post with: research more calorie dense options to add to your diet

Cook with more oil
Use more dressing
Avocados
Peanut butter
Bread
Set a tin of nuts beside you on your desk

You could always pick somewhere in between 1400 and 2000 where you're comfortable. I suspect scooby has you setup for 1 lb a week whereas MFP is your manually entered 2 lbs per week? Dunno for sure

Sunitagt

Just bear in mind that TDEE on these calculators is a very broad estimation. It took me getting an activity tracker, HRM, and making a big ole spreadsheet to be able to figure mine out. The estimations are not very close for me. So what that all means is that if you use the TDEE method, you just eat 1750 calories every day (2750 - 1000) and don't eat back/add in calories when you exercise. If you set it to sedentary and didn't put in any exercise to the calculator than the number will be different.