Need advice

brettrex
brettrex Posts: 6
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all, looking for advice on current logging.

34 year old male. 5'11".
Work from home, desk job.
Exercising 5 mornings a week, fasted cardio / treadmill for 50mins-1 hour inc. 20-30 minutes of jogging / running. On top of that I have been working with a personal trainer doing a weights circuit 2 x a week (sometimes 1 session is in the park, bootcamp style exercises.) This has been ongoing for 9 weeks (5x a week treadmill for the last 6 weeks). 500-750 exercise calories per day.

My starting weight was 90kg's, I am now at 81.4kg's (10 weeks). My goal is 74kg's in which I hope to do less cardio and increase weights (I purchased a home gym with free weights etc. and will be doing a weights program designed by my trainer 3 x a week as he is moving interstate).

I have been logging food in MFP for 10-11 days trying to achieve a calorie deficit of 1000 calories. I end up everyday with 400-900 calories to go based on 1200 calories total for the day inc. exercise. My fitbit tells me I'm burning 2900ish calories a day (24 hrs). In MFP I net 300-600-700 a day, avg. 500 calories. I have been reading calories to go as the deficit.

I am supplementing with Orange Triad multivitamins, fish oil and drinking 3 litres of water a day. I feel great overall.

MFP warns me with every log that I could run into starvation mode. Reading the horror stories on here regarding this, I am asking for advice with remaining weight loss of 7 kg's - which at the rate i'm logging I will achieve in 4-5 weeks.

My trainer is all about 6 small meals a day - carbs before weights (oats), protein powder (vegan - rice and pea) smoothie with banana and almond milk every morning, sometimes again in the afternoon. I alternate chicken or beef bolognese mince (home made - no pasta) / grilled chicken with lemon - always inc. vege's for lunch, nuts and seeds for snacks, big salads for dinner. Treat, a few pieces of 80% dark choc now and then for dessert. Sunday is cheat day, I can eat whatever. Always 3 litres of water a day. I was on liteneasy 1200 calories a day for 6 weeks (no exercise) and gained 2 kg's - hence my shift to a personal trainer and clean eating.

Am I safe to keep going? What should I change? I fear hitting my goal, then increasing my food intake for weight training and putting on weight instead of putting on muscle.

Advice appreciated. Cheers.

Replies

  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    First point of concern is the 1200 calories daily limit which is entirely too low for someone who is doing as much exercise as you. Secondly, with only 14 lbs. left to lose, it is advisable to aim for a weekly weight loss rate of 1 lb. per week.

    As a rule of thumb, the following weekly targets would give a balance between minimizing negative side effects and seeing a reasonable weekly weight loss:

    More than 75 lbs: 2 lbs/week
    40-75 lbs: 1.5 lbs/week
    10-40 lbs: 1 lb/week
    Less than 10 lbs: 0.5 lb/week

    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
  • brettrex
    brettrex Posts: 6
    Thanks for the reply, my BMR is 1847 / exercise 847 / total 2694. Working with a 500 calorie deficit - do I subtract that off the 1847? Meaning I should eat 1347 calories a day?
  • missylectro
    missylectro Posts: 448 Member
    Thanks for the reply, my BMR is 1847 / exercise 847 / total 2694. Working with a 500 calorie deficit - do I subtract that off the 1847? Meaning I should eat 1347 calories a day?
    Base Metabolic Rate is how many calories your body would use up at rest (no exercise)
    You should eat at least that in a day!
  • brettrex
    brettrex Posts: 6
    So what do you subtract from to create a deficit?
  • missylectro
    missylectro Posts: 448 Member
    So what do you subtract from to create a deficit?
    I'm not sure if I'm doing it right personally but I picked my minimum (close to my BMR) and then I just add exercise and don't eat it the extra calories back. That would result in a deficit.

    I'm not an expert though so wait for more people to post. I'm curious as well.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    Thanks for the reply, my BMR is 1847 / exercise 847 / total 2694. Working with a 500 calorie deficit - do I subtract that off the 1847? Meaning I should eat 1347 calories a day?

    No, not from your BMR of 1847.

    If you are using MFP, then set your exercise level to accurately match your activity level. Next, set your weekly weight loss goal to 1lb. a week. Now, the calorie number MFP calculates (Your Daily Goal Calories) will already have a 500 calorie deficiency calculated into it. When you exercise, you will create a larger calorie deficiency which could cause problems such as not allowing you to meet your body's nutritional needs. You want to eat back at least half of the exercise calories because exercise machines and gadgets tend to overestimate calories burned. Once you are done, you could look at your profile by going to MY HOME > Goals and see the way MFP has you set-up.
  • Keyeno
    Keyeno Posts: 6
    I used this - http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
    and manually inputted my calorie needs to lose weight for MFP.

    Subtracting 20% from my TDEE.
    So far it's working for me at least. :)

    Change Goals - Custom
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals

    Using custom also allows you to set the amount of protein you want to eat and stuff like that.
    I had to custom set sugars/salts because I have a metabolism problem and have to consume an unusually higher amount.
  • brettrex
    brettrex Posts: 6
    This is the bugger with MFP - when entering my details I chose 'sedentary' as I have a 'desk job', maybe they should tweak these choices to show exercise levels. Based on my exercise levels and not my job - I probably fall more into active, or at least, lightly active.
  • brettrex
    brettrex Posts: 6
    I used this - http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
    and manually inputted my calorie needs to lose weight for MFP.

    Subtracting 20% from my TDEE.
    So far it's working for me at least. :)

    Change Goals - Custom
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals

    Thanks for the link. My TDEE is 2576 less 20% - approx. 2060 calories. So I should eat 2000 calories a day to lose 1lb a week?
  • missylectro
    missylectro Posts: 448 Member
    This is the bugger with MFP - when entering my details I chose 'sedentary' as I have a 'desk job', maybe they should tweak these choices to show exercise levels. Based on my exercise levels and not my job - I probably fall more into active, or at least, lightly active.
    No because you'd add the exercise every day and generate an even greater deficit if you don't eat the extra calories back...
  • Ulwaz
    Ulwaz Posts: 380 Member
    you need too boost your calories, probably too about 2000, you may be damaging your metabolism especially with the rate you are exercising as well :)
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    You can change those settings. I usually just let Fitbit up my daily allowance. Your deficit is built into the daily amount, so that is your goal. Aim for that amount, not below.
  • Keyeno
    Keyeno Posts: 6
    I used this - http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
    and manually inputted my calorie needs to lose weight for MFP.

    Subtracting 20% from my TDEE.
    So far it's working for me at least. :)

    Change Goals - Custom
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals

    Thanks for the link. My TDEE is 2576 less 20% - approx. 2060 calories. So I should eat 2000 calories a day to lose 1lb a week?

    Sounds about right, but I would suggest only experimenting over 2 weeks to see if it's an applicable idea. Since all people are different.

    (Such as the sugar/salt bit I edited into my last post.)
  • Keyeno
    Keyeno Posts: 6
    I did several trial and errors before officially knowing what I needed to get on the path that's best for myself.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    I used this - http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
    and manually inputted my calorie needs to lose weight for MFP.

    Subtracting 20% from my TDEE.
    So far it's working for me at least. :)

    Change Goals - Custom
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals

    Thanks for the link. My TDEE is 2576 less 20% - approx. 2060 calories. So I should eat 2000 calories a day to lose 1lb a week?

    Yes, if you want to use the TDEE method then adjust your goals in MFP to account for exercises:

    My Home > Goals > Change Goals > Custom, then enter your TDEE info.


    When you enter your exercise, just add 1 for the calories burned because the system will not accept 0.
  • LexiMelo
    LexiMelo Posts: 203 Member
    I sync my fitbit to my account too and just use those numbers, with the number set to sedentary. On days that I go into the city I get like 200 extra calories from all the walking around, if I'm just working at home I get no extra calories unless it's a workout day. Today I ran 5 miles and did weightlifting and a bunch of errands and it gave me 800+ extra calories to eat.

    I agree that 1200 is way too low for you. I usually eat 1800-2000 calories/day and I'm a smaller woman.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    When you enter your exercise, just add 1 for the calories burned because the system will not accept 0.
    Or you can enter it as .1 - and since the system doesn't accept the decimal, it logs it as 0. :bigsmile:
  • brettrex
    brettrex Posts: 6
    Appreciate your replies, I will update my settings :) Cheers.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    When you enter your exercise, just add 1 for the calories burned because the system will not accept 0.
    Or you can enter it as .1 - and since the system doesn't accept the decimal, it logs it as 0. :bigsmile:

    You rock! :drinker:

    I log my exercise calories and eat back half but that is great to know.

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