Another question about calories

ItsTerriC

My net calories, like many here, is set at 1200. I have a relatively small amount to lose, so it doesn't matter if I set my profile to lose .5 lbs a week or 2 lbs, 1200 is my net.

My goal weight is 115. If I adjusted my calories to the maintenance level for 115, my calorie intake would go up to 1370 a day. I don't need the extra calories. As long as I do my workouts I have trouble getting them all in most days. I just wonder if someone can explain what would happen if I started eating at my goal weight maintenance. I am losing very slowly, only 8 lbs in 3 1/2 months and I don't want to slow things down any further. This is mostly a question of curiosity and wanting to learn how all of this actually works.

susanswan

And I think I would start to gain, not stay the same! Good question!

susanswan

And I think I would start to gain, not stay the same! Good question!

psuLemon

I keep quoting myself because it's the same question. This is my approach and my opinion on eating back your workout calories. The closer you are to your goal, the hard it will be, the more you have to perfect your diet and exercise routine. What is your exercise routine as it is? Do you know your BMR? Do you know body fat% or what is your height? I can tell your age and current weight but I don't know how many calories you burn during your workout which is important. If you can fill in those blanks, I can start calculating for you.

Here is my perception on the matter. I actually use this site just to track my calories. I use a different method to determine how many calories I should be eating and suggest it to many. According to this website, if you use their calculations, if you workout and burn 300 calories, than you should eat an extra 300 calories that day because the site has already built in a deficit for you. The more you have to lose the bigger an acceptable deficit is but the closer your goal is, the smaller your deficit should be. This is because the more muscle you have, the lower the body fat, the more fuel you body needs to sustains it's functions. Also, a deficit is should never been more than 1000 calories a day (which would allow for 2 lbs per week loss) but it more acceptable to do 1 lb a week or 500 calorie deficit. Additionally, a woman should eat not less than 1200 net calories. This is the amount of calories after you workout. So if you burn 500 calories, you need at least 1700 calories; men should be no less than 1500-1700 after workout calories from my research. Also, a large part of these calories should be driven by protein based sources. The ammino acids in the protein is what stimulates muscle growth. The more muscle your body has, the more calories you burn at rest.

My approach looks at Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR); BMR is the amount of calories you would burn if you slept 24 hours, for me, my BMR is 2000 calories. I then mutliply it by my Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE); how many calories I should eat to make up for daily activities (walking, working out, etc) to get a total number of calories. Because I do a program like p90x, I multiply my 2000 calories by 1.725 which equals 3400 calories. This amount of calories is the amount I need to eat to maintain weight. I back off 500 caloires as my deficit and eat 3000 calories in a day. This is the website I use.


http://www.cordianet.com/calculator.htm

I then go into a custom setup under my goals and set my daily intake for 3000 calories (well I will starting sunday, right now it's 2800 because I haven't officially started p90x until sunday). Additionally, to follow the p90x food guide, I set up custom ratio's. I do 45% of carbs, 35% of protein and 20% for fats. As I progress, I will lower protein and increase carbs. This method has worked for me and others I have worked with on the site. MFP just makes it simple for anyone to come on and lose weight. I take more of a scientific approach to weight loss. When I started I was 210 & 18% body fat. Now I am 189 and 12% body fat and hoping to break single digits within 3 months.

Cliff notes: if you go by the sites calculations, you absolutely should eat back your workout calories as they preload the deficit. If you go by the more scientific method, you don't have to worry about it, it's already figured in your number.

Good luck everyone.

momof2sb

hi there, tomorrow will be one week i've been on mfp, anyway i have been very precise on calculating calories and tonight i ate something from a pizza chain, which i'm sure some of you have heard of called planet pizza. I had the brushcetta which was a thin small square piece of dough with olive oil, herbs, tomatoes, onions and tomatoes. I went crazy looking for the calories on this and couldn't find it so i finally just gave in and let my fitness pal calculate pizzeria brushcetta or something similar to that so it came up 400 calories. i had plenty of calories left anyway but it drove me nuts not knowing the exact amount any one else get in this situation and felt ocd about it.? lol

ItsTerriC

I keep quoting myself because it's the same question. This is my approach and my opinion on eating back your workout calories. The closer you are to your goal, the hard it will be, the more you have to perfect your diet and exercise routine. What is your exercise routine as it is? Do you know your BMR? Do you know body fat% or what is your height? I can tell your age and current weight but I don't know how many calories you burn during your workout which is important. If you can fill in those blanks, I can start calculating for you.

Here is my perception on the matter. I actually use this site just to track my calories. I use a different method to determine how many calories I should be eating and suggest it to many. According to this website, if you use their calculations, if you workout and burn 300 calories, than you should eat an extra 300 calories that day because the site has already built in a deficit for you. The more you have to lose the bigger an acceptable deficit is but the closer your goal is, the smaller your deficit should be. This is because the more muscle you have, the lower the body fat, the more fuel you body needs to sustains it's functions. Also, a deficit is should never been more than 1000 calories a day (which would allow for 2 lbs per week loss) but it more acceptable to do 1 lb a week or 500 calorie deficit. Additionally, a woman should eat not less than 1200 net calories. This is the amount of calories after you workout. So if you burn 500 calories, you need at least 1700 calories; men should be no less than 1500-1700 after workout calories from my research. Also, a large part of these calories should be driven by protein based sources. The ammino acids in the protein is what stimulates muscle growth. The more muscle your body has, the more calories you burn at rest.

My approach looks at Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR); BMR is the amount of calories you would burn if you slept 24 hours, for me, my BMR is 2000 calories. I then mutliply it by my Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE); how many calories I should eat to make up for daily activities (walking, working out, etc) to get a total number of calories. Because I do a program like p90x, I multiply my 2000 calories by 1.725 which equals 3400 calories. This amount of calories is the amount I need to eat to maintain weight. I back off 500 caloires as my deficit and eat 3000 calories in a day. This is the website I use.


http://www.cordianet.com/calculator.htm

I then go into a custom setup under my goals and set my daily intake for 3000 calories (well I will starting sunday, right now it's 2800 because I haven't officially started p90x until sunday). Additionally, to follow the p90x food guide, I set up custom ratio's. I do 45% of carbs, 35% of protein and 20% for fats. As I progress, I will lower protein and increase carbs. This method has worked for me and others I have worked with on the site. MFP just makes it simple for anyone to come on and lose weight. I take more of a scientific approach to weight loss. When I started I was 210 & 18% body fat. Now I am 189 and 12% body fat and hoping to break single digits within 3 months.

Cliff notes: if you go by the sites calculations, you absolutely should eat back your workout calories as they preload the deficit. If you go by the more scientific method, you don't have to worry about it, it's already figured in your number.

Good luck everyone.

This is exactly the kind of response I was hoping for. I'm 5'2". My bathroom scale shows my body fat to be around 32% - I know, that's horrible, who wants to be 1/3 fat?! -. According to MFP my BMR is 1194.
My workouts are a bit scattered because I never know what the evening will bring - I have 2 grandsons who I keep at least one night per week and more if I'm needed. I do Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30 5 - 6 mornings a week along with Gold's Gym Tank Top Arms. My HRM shows I burn around 500 calories with the two workouts, but today I started subtracting 100 calories to make up for what I would have burned anyway if I was just sitting on the couch. I go to the gym and walk on the treadmill at least 4 days a week and burn about 450 calories there. My goal each day is to never burn less than 500, and I'd say I meet that goal at least 6 days a week. I tried wearing my HRM for 24 hours a couple of days, resetting my heart rate every 1/2 hour through the day, just to see what it showed me burning. Without my workouts, it showed 2400 calories in a day. I find that a bit high for a woman of my age and fitness level. I don't really trust that number, but I used it to figure my subtraction because I'd rather show fewer calories burned than to take credit for burning more than I do. I tend to take a conservative approach most of the time, overestimating calories in and under claiming calories burned. I'm a fanatic about logging my intake and include everything, even the stuff I shouldn't have. I have my diary opened if you want to take a look. I know where my problems are there - too many carbs and alcohol and not enough veggies. I'm a work in progress, so please be kind. I welcome any help you can offer. I really do want to be fit and fabulous at 50.