BMR Tool & Goal Setting

baisleac

It all just seems too good to be true, though! I have always been restricted to anywhere from 1200-1400 calories when trying to lose weight, and been hungry almost to the point of being weak! Although now that I think about it.....I never really lost much weight eating that little, and would always snap and eat chocolate or some other such crap.

Eat more, lose more... it seems counter-intuitive, and there ARE limits (several servings of cake are still a no-no :bigsmile: ), but most of us have been inundated with bad information from the media and need to fight that misinformation. Fuel the body!

emmaleigh47

F2F said that BMR is 1572, and 1760 cals per day based on having a desk job. But....it just seems like a LOT of calories. If I ate 1700 or so, would I not count exercise calories?
I run 3-4 days per week for at least 40 minutes, and walk other days, but always base my intake on desk job/sedentary because I do have to sit all day at work.


Hmm, the Cordianet link (based on moderate exercise, 3-5 times a week) suggested 1625 calories for weight loss.

It all just seems too good to be true, though! I have always been restricted to anywhere from 1200-1400 calories when trying to lose weight, and been hungry almost to the point of being weak! Although now that I think about it.....I never really lost much weight eating that little, and would always snap and eat chocolate or some other such crap.

I actually would put your in the lightly active category according to F2F because you do get exercise... I eat some where bewteen my level and one level below my level

(for example I should be in marathoner ... because of the amount that I work out ) but thats just waaay too many ... so I stick to about 2200-2400 which allows for consistant weight loss.

Ots not too good to be true... it is what it is ... if you wanna hear it explained out loud ... check out fat2fitradio.com and click on the audio clip

Case in point ... when I was training for my first half I was stuck at 249 and then I actually gained up to 255. I was eating about 2100 calories .... (MFP had me eating 1600 Plus exercise calories) ....

I went to Disneyworld for a few days ... ate horribly bad... and came home to find out I had lost 1 pound. WHAT! How the heck is that possible...

After that I stuck to 2400 and the weight just slowly melted off. I dont do anything drastic ... I do exercise alot... but on long run days I do generally eat back some more calories to try and balance it out (but thats because on long run days I burn like 2500 calories) ...

Anyways... I currently weigh 237.2 ... so does it work ... YEP!

RedheadHen

Wow! I have found this VERY interesting! Thanks for sharing such great sites with great tools!

sassylilmama

A lot of info here. Confusing in part simply because it goes against all I have ever been told before. But it does explain a lot as well. Still on the fence but I will consider this info. seriously.

jojogoslow

It's still a scary concept to me, but I've decided to give it a go-I live to experiment! I was thinking that I'd start off at 1600 cals per day, but not eat exercise cals (unless it's a long run day, same problem as you, Emmaleigh, i chew through the fuel then) and put more focus on protein.
It's kind of a half measure...f2f says i could go as high as 2100 or so, but that just seems a little scary to begin with, and at 1600 I'm possibly still getting a useful deficit for a slow loss. I'm around 175 at present, shooting for 150, so I'm hoping that's ballparkish.
F2F looks awesome, I'm going to download a few episodes as soon as i get home to the wifi!

psuLemon

It's still a scary concept to me, but I've decided to give it a go-I live to experiment! I was thinking that I'd start off at 1600 cals per day, but not eat exercise cals (unless it's a long run day, same problem as you, Emmaleigh, i chew through the fuel then) and put more focus on protein.
It's kind of a half measure...f2f says i could go as high as 2100 or so, but that just seems a little scary to begin with, and at 1600 I'm possibly still getting a useful deficit for a slow loss. I'm around 175 at present, shooting for 150, so I'm hoping that's ballparkish.
F2F looks awesome, I'm going to download a few episodes as soon as i get home to the wifi!

I understand it's a scary concept, but it works. I have been working with a girl for 2 or 3 months on cleaning up her diet and getting her to get past the same hurdles as you. She was doing ok too. After 30 days, she had lost several inches, however, she didnt lose weight. I found out she was only eating those calories on days she worked out. When she didn't, she was under-eating which is bad. So she has agreed over the next 30 days to stay at 1500 calories, so hopefully it will take the weight off as well as the inches and change body fat into muscle.

If the model tells you to eat 1800 calories to lose weight, you truely do need to aim for 1800. The model is setup to have a deficit built into it so if you eat under your goal, then you defeat the purpose of the tool. Also with these tools, you have to make sure you set your lifestyle right. if you workout 3 days a week, you can not set a sedentary lifestyle because you will throw off the TDEE mutliplier. I would really recommend make sure you have it set right, and go with whatever it says.


Seriously what is the worst that can happen? You lose weight faster? Maybe you gain a lb or two. But guess what, do this for a month, and if it isn't working, then we can adjust. I know we all strive for consistant lose, but it isn't realistic, especially the lower you go. Heck, I gained 5 lbs within the last few weeks so what did I do? I increased my calories again (for the third time). After that, I immediately lost .5 lbs. You just have to understand, over the time you spend doing this, a lb here or there isn't going to make a difference. At some point in our workout and lifestyle, we eventually have to stop worrying about weight and worry about changing body composition.

Also, if you use this approach of BMR and TDEE, you do NOT have to eat your exercise calories. It is already built into the equation.


Just some thoughts.

rat70

Bump

marianne_s

I just ran my stats on http://www.cordianet.com/calculator.htm, and it recommended the following.
Is this suggesting what my weight should be?

I'm not sure I can go with this, as itis based on BMI recommended weight for height - which we all know is slightly flawed.
Plus, I personally do no want to go lower than 160... probably, not even that low....


********************
Calculations based on Height and Age:
Female
Select your height: 5 feet 7 inches
Input your age: 41
How Active are You? moderate exercise 3-5 days/wk

---

Individual Weights:

Hamwi Based Calculations: 121 pounds for a small frame, 135 pounds for a medium frame, and 148 pounds for a large frame.
Robinson Based Calculation: 134 pounds.
Miller Based Calculation: 138 pounds.
BMI Based Calculation: 146 pounds.

---

Average Weights:

AVERAGE OF ALL CALCULATIONS ABOVE: 137 POUNDS.
NORMAL RANGE BASED ON THE AVERAGE: 123 - 151 POUNDS.
RANGE BASED STRICTLY ON BMI: 118 - 158 POUNDS.

---

Caloric Need:

Estimated Base BMR: 1367 Calories.
Estimated TDEE: 2119 Calories.
Estimated Daily Caloric Need For Weight Loss: 1619 Calories.

marianne_s

Also, if you use this approach of BMR and TDEE, you do NOT have to eat your exercise calories. It is already built into the equation.

Just some thoughts.

Emma, I know I've asked you this question before.... but I can't remember what you told me.... do I need to eat my exercise calories back?

I know based on my numbers below and that I usually work 3 or 4 times a week, I should eat between Lightly active & active.... so

Activity Level Daily Calories
Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job) 1763
Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk) 2020
Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) 2277
Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk) 2534
Extremely Active (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.) 2791

emmaleigh47

Also, if you use this approach of BMR and TDEE, you do NOT have to eat your exercise calories. It is already built into the equation.

Just some thoughts.

Emma, I know I've asked you this question before.... but I can't remember what you told me.... do I need to eat my exercise calories back?

I know based on my numbers below and that I usually work 3 or 4 times a week, I should eat between Lightly active & active.... so

Activity Level Daily Calories
Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job) 1763
Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk) 2020
Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) 2277
Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk) 2534
Extremely Active (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.) 2791

I would eat 2000 calories per day (some slightly lower days and some slightly higher days) ... do not eat your exercise calories back!

psuLemon

If you follow the TDEE approach, you do not have to eat back your exercise calories as it's built into the formula.

baisleac

If you follow the TDEE approach, you do not have to eat back your exercise calories as it's built into the formula.

Not so. Only if you use a TDEE choice that includes your exercise. If you use a TDEE choice that does not include intended exercise, such as I have a sedentary job so I set myself at sedentary; then I will need to refuel (eat back exercise calories) after I work out each day of the week.

psuLemon

If you follow the TDEE approach, you do not have to eat back your exercise calories as it's built into the formula.

Not so. Only if you use a TDEE choice that includes your exercise. If you use a TDEE choice that does not include intended exercise, such as I have a sedentary job so I set myself at sedentary; then I will need to refuel (eat back exercise calories) after I work out each day of the week.

Good clarification. I should have noted that. I assumed people should use the TDEE approach correctly by adding in theri estimated workouts.

baisleac

If you follow the TDEE approach, you do not have to eat back your exercise calories as it's built into the formula.

Not so. Only if you use a TDEE choice that includes your exercise. If you use a TDEE choice that does not include intended exercise, such as I have a sedentary job so I set myself at sedentary; then I will need to refuel (eat back exercise calories) after I work out each day of the week.

Good clarification. I should have noted that. I assumed people should use the TDEE approach correctly by adding in theri estimated workouts.

Except that is not the way MFP works. I like having a consistent deficit whether I exercise or not, which means a baseline TDEE (for no exercise) and adding exercise calories back in.

sh0ck

My problem with all of this is that originally I had MFP programmed based on my living a sedentary lifestyl (because I work a desk job) and I would add in and eat back exercise calories as I went along. The problem with this is that my recommended daily calorie intake was actually less than my calculated BMR (for a sedentary lifestyle) which I am assuming isn't that great.

I just spent some time looking on 8-10 different websites each to get my BMR (for a moderately active lifestyle) and to get my recommended daily caloric intake to stay the same weight (for a moderately active lifestyle) and then I calculated in my own deficit. MFP was originally having me eat 1750 calories a day (plus however many exercise calories I get which was usually around 300-500). Based on my calculations I should be eating around 2250 - 2500 cals a day to lose 1-1.5 lbs a week (not factoring in exercise explicitly).

I feel more comfortable about this because I was able to get my hands dirty with all of the calculations and see exactly how everything should work out.

ebelliss

this is a great thread and the websites and calculations are super helpful! just realized that the reason i haven't lost in 4 weeks is because my body is HUNGRY! and trust me, i will be HAPPY to give it more food...thanks all!

jkuhn71

My question is - how do you determine if you're Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) vs. Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk)? What constitutes "hard" exercise/sports?

emmaleigh47

My question is - how do you determine if you're Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) vs. Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk)? What constitutes "hard" exercise/sports?

I always err on the lower end side ... like technically I could be in the very active because it says marathon training... but I eat at moderately active and have one day that is higher.

psuLemon

My problem with all of this is that originally I had MFP programmed based on my living a sedentary lifestyl (because I work a desk job) and I would add in and eat back exercise calories as I went along. The problem with this is that my recommended daily calorie intake was actually less than my calculated BMR (for a sedentary lifestyle) which I am assuming isn't that great.

I just spent some time looking on 8-10 different websites each to get my BMR (for a moderately active lifestyle) and to get my recommended daily caloric intake to stay the same weight (for a moderately active lifestyle) and then I calculated in my own deficit. MFP was originally having me eat 1750 calories a day (plus however many exercise calories I get which was usually around 300-500). Based on my calculations I should be eating around 2250 - 2500 cals a day to lose 1-1.5 lbs a week (not factoring in exercise explicitly).

I feel more comfortable about this because I was able to get my hands dirty with all of the calculations and see exactly how everything should work out.

Be careful with factoring in a 1.5lb per week loss unless you have a lot of weight to lose; like I am talking 50+ lbs. If you are within 20 lbs then it should be .5 lbs per week. From 20-50 then 1 lb per week. Too much of a deficit and you risk the chance of losing muscle instead of fat.

My question is - how do you determine if you're Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) vs. Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk)? What constitutes "hard" exercise/sports?

There is NO easy way to answer this question. The biggest advice is be honest with yourself. If you don't, you will risk slowing your progress. Now what I generally suggest is start at the moderate and do that for a month. If you aren't really losing weight too much, then increase your calories by 200 calories and do that for a month. Most of the time, people under eat. This is especially true with most women I have dealt with for the fear of gaining. It truely depends on what workout and how long of a workout you do. If you workout 5-6 days a week and it's over an hour, the you are more than likely very active. This is especially true with marathon runners as many burn 1000+ calories in a day.

To let you know how difficult it is, I have been playing with my diet for 6 months. Each time I plateau, I increase my calories. Now I eat between 2600-3000 calories in a day. I don't lose much weight but I am working to turn fat into muscle. On average I burn about 1% body fat off a month. I started at 18% and now I am at 12%, with a goal of 8% by december.

rat70

So, I've had a good look around (and listened to a number of the Fat2Fit podcasts) and it makes a great deal of sense to me. I am not in this for quick returns. I am committed for the long haul of losing weight slowly and sensibly. I want to make this the last time I lose this weight and I am determined to keep it off. I am very conscious of avoiding a 'famine reaction' and to fuelling my body properly. So Fat2Fit fits well with me. I am exercising 5 times/week - 3 runs of about 30-40 minutes each (I'm a novice), and 2 days working out at the gym with a weights program and lighter cardio.

My question is - How do you manage this (the Fat2Fit) approach with MFP?

I joined MFP a little over a month ago and I have found counting calories to be very beneficial (having spent a lifetime avoiding it!) I don't want to be too restrictive - in either amount or types of food eaten. My focus is on eating a wide variety of high quality foods but without ruling out anything completley. My problem in the past has been I didn't know really how much I was eating (with serving sizes that were too large and eating too many treats) so I love having a really good guideline with MFP. Now, I realise that you can override the calorie limit that MFP sets but do you set that as the recommendation for a sedentary person and then add exercise and eat back those cals?

I am nervous about making too many changes to what I am doing when I have finally hit upon something that I really feel I can manage. That said, I don't think that I have been eating enough (and in the last week and a half I haven't lost much at all despite my exercise regime and not going over my calorie allowance of 1390). I have been eating back my exercise calories but not completely due to fearing an overestimation by MFP (I don't have an HRM) and I feel into the trap of thinking my weight wasn't moving because I had overestimated my activity level (as lightly active rather than sedentary) because my job is 'mother' and that doesn't make it easy to estimate a usual day! So I reduced my activity level to sedentary.

Ahhh! It is very confusing - I am a complete newbie with this calorie caper! I do accept, however, that there will be quite a lot of trial and error to work out what is the right combination for me.

Anyone able to help?

emmaleigh47

I overrode MFP and changed my calorie goal to 2100 ... I dont eat the same amount every day ... I aim to average around 2400 calories per day ... but I dont always get 2400 ... some days less and some days more!

That said... I overrode it to say 2100 calories. I put in my exercise calories just so I can track them ... and sometimes MFP says I am over ... and sometimes I am not.

I count here ... I love it here because of the tools and the people, but I dont agree with their tracker... so I just over ride it!

jkuhn71

I always err on the lower end side ... like technically I could be in the very active because it says marathon training... but I eat at moderately active and have one day that is higher.

There is NO easy way to answer this question. The biggest advice is be honest with yourself. If you don't, you will risk slowing your progress. Now what I generally suggest is start at the moderate and do that for a month. If you aren't really losing weight too much, then increase your calories by 200 calories and do that for a month. Most of the time, people under eat. This is especially true with most women I have dealt with for the fear of gaining. It truely depends on what workout and how long of a workout you do. If you workout 5-6 days a week and it's over an hour, the you are more than likely very active. This is especially true with marathon runners as many burn 1000+ calories in a day.

To let you know how difficult it is, I have been playing with my diet for 6 months. Each time I plateau, I increase my calories. Now I eat between 2600-3000 calories in a day. I don't lose much weight but I am working to turn fat into muscle. On average I burn about 1% body fat off a month. I started at 18% and now I am at 12%, with a goal of 8% by december.

Thanks emmaleigh and psulemon! I'm basically at my goal - weighed in at 143.6 this morning and my goal is 143. Like you, psulemon, I'm working to reduce my body fat (goal is 22% - currently sitting at about 23.5%) and I really don't care about the number on the scale anymore. Like emmaleigh, I tend to err on the lower end. But I do hit the gym 6 days per week for 60-90 minutes doing cardio all 6 days and weight training on 3 of those days. I guess I could start with 'moderately active' and see how that works for me. If it doesn't work, I could bump to 'very active' and give that a try.

psuLemon

So, I've had a good look around (and listened to a number of the Fat2Fit podcasts) and it makes a great deal of sense to me. I am not in this for quick returns. I am committed for the long haul of losing weight slowly and sensibly. I want to make this the last time I lose this weight and I am determined to keep it off. I am very conscious of avoiding a 'famine reaction' and to fuelling my body properly. So Fat2Fit fits well with me. I am exercising 5 times/week - 3 runs of about 30-40 minutes each (I'm a novice), and 2 days working out at the gym with a weights program and lighter cardio.

My question is - How do you manage this (the Fat2Fit) approach with MFP?

I joined MFP a little over a month ago and I have found counting calories to be very beneficial (having spent a lifetime avoiding it!) I don't want to be too restrictive - in either amount or types of food eaten. My focus is on eating a wide variety of high quality foods but without ruling out anything completley. My problem in the past has been I didn't know really how much I was eating (with serving sizes that were too large and eating too many treats) so I love having a really good guideline with MFP. Now, I realise that you can override the calorie limit that MFP sets but do you set that as the recommendation for a sedentary person and then add exercise and eat back those cals?

I am nervous about making too many changes to what I am doing when I have finally hit upon something that I really feel I can manage. That said, I don't think that I have been eating enough (and in the last week and a half I haven't lost much at all despite my exercise regime and not going over my calorie allowance of 1390). I have been eating back my exercise calories but not completely due to fearing an overestimation by MFP (I don't have an HRM) and I feel into the trap of thinking my weight wasn't moving because I had overestimated my activity level (as lightly active rather than sedentary) because my job is 'mother' and that doesn't make it easy to estimate a usual day! So I reduced my activity level to sedentary.

Ahhh! It is very confusing - I am a complete newbie with this calorie caper! I do accept, however, that there will be quite a lot of trial and error to work out what is the right combination for me.

Anyone able to help?

If you go to home --> goals--> custom setup then you can put in the calories that F2F is telling you. If you think you are moderately active and it suggest 1800 calories, that is the number you put in. Using this method, you can log your exercise calories but you do not eat them. The TDEE approach already has that number built in, pending you factor in your exercise into the multiplier.

This is the approach I take. I only use MFP to track calories. I don't even bother with my exercise cals.


jkuhn71,

Another approach to consider is do the difference between moderate and very active. It appears you workout a out a lot. Since I workout about an hour a day, six days a week, I try to aim between the two numbers. But like you said, you can start at moderate, but after two weeks I would bump it up. Trying to lose body fat, it is even more crucial that you eat enough.

mocha76

This is great info!! Thanks!

jkuhn71

jkuhn71,

Another approach to consider is do the difference between moderate and very active. It appears you workout a out a lot. Since I workout about an hour a day, six days a week, I try to aim between the two numbers. But like you said, you can start at moderate, but after two weeks I would bump it up. Trying to lose body fat, it is even more crucial that you eat enough.

psulemon - That's a great idea to split the calorie difference between moderate and very active! Thanks! And thanks for pointing out that it's even more crucial that I eat enough while concentrating on decreasing my body fat percentage. I still have those little moments where the idea of eating more seems wrong, even though I KNOW it's right! It's always good to hear it a few more times from someone else!

psuLemon

jkuhn71,

Another approach to consider is do the difference between moderate and very active. It appears you workout a out a lot. Since I workout about an hour a day, six days a week, I try to aim between the two numbers. But like you said, you can start at moderate, but after two weeks I would bump it up. Trying to lose body fat, it is even more crucial that you eat enough.

psulemon - That's a great idea to split the calorie difference between moderate and very active! Thanks! And thanks for pointing out that it's even more crucial that I eat enough while concentrating on decreasing my body fat percentage. I still have those little moments where the idea of eating more seems wrong, even though I KNOW it's right! It's always good to hear it a few more times from someone else!

No problem. I am actually sorta dealing witht he situation myself. I always reevaluate my diet every few weeks to a month. For example, currently I am at 2600 calories to help get me back on track after my two week break from exercise; I just finished 90 days of chalean extreme and it's suggested to rest for a few weeks. But over the past week, I noticed that I am still hungry. I think I am pushing it that much harder this round that I might have to increase my calories another 200 to see if that cures any of the hunger. Who knows, lol. It's all a waiting and trial/error game.

jojogoslow

Just to update- I've been eating the f2f way for two weeks now. So far the advantages are many. I have enough energy to run, I don't have to panic if I eat the wrong thing, and I don't have the horrible crankies that I get from not eating enough.
BUT, I'm not sure that I'm eating enough. I'm eating 1800cals a day. I run 5-6k (3-3.5 mi) twice a week, 4k (2.5mi)once a week, another long run of between 10-20k(6-13 mi) (it varies). I also walk my dog for 40-50 minutes on other days, and In August I've set a goal to burn 500cal a day, or 8ks, whichever comes first.
I do become hungry between meals, and am thinking of increasing my calories to 2000- 2100 per day, which is in between f2f's lightly active and moderately active categories. I would call my running moderate, as I am more of the slow and steady type.
I have lost only a small amount of weight so far eating this way (maybe 2 pounds/1 kilogram) but am not worried by that, as I feel it will take my body time to adapt to the changes and to begin to burn the fuel I give it.
When I hit the right number of calories for my body, will it become obvious? IE, reduced hunger, or a more predictable weight loss, etc? How long do/did you all stick with a certain number of calories before deciding you needed more or less?
Sorry for all the questions

psuLemon

Just to update- I've been eating the f2f way for two weeks now. So far the advantages are many. I have enough energy to run, I don't have to panic if I eat the wrong thing, and I don't have the horrible crankies that I get from not eating enough.
BUT, I'm not sure that I'm eating enough. I'm eating 1800cals a day. I run 5-6k (3-3.5 mi) twice a week, 4k (2.5mi)once a week, another long run of between 10-20k(6-13 mi) (it varies). I also walk my dog for 40-50 minutes on other days, and In August I've set a goal to burn 500cal a day, or 8ks, whichever comes first.
I do become hungry between meals, and am thinking of increasing my calories to 2000- 2100 per day, which is in between f2f's lightly active and moderately active categories. I would call my running moderate, as I am more of the slow and steady type.
I have lost only a small amount of weight so far eating this way (maybe 2 pounds/1 kilogram) but am not worried by that, as I feel it will take my body time to adapt to the changes and to begin to burn the fuel I give it.
When I hit the right number of calories for my body, will it become obvious? IE, reduced hunger, or a more predictable weight loss, etc? How long do/did you all stick with a certain number of calories before deciding you needed more or less?
Sorry for all the questions

If you are running that much, you are more moderately to very active (closer to very active in my opinion). If you are still hungry, it means you need to eat more like you think. Unfortunately, even when you are eating enough, it won't just pop out. For example, I eat at 6am (usually 600 ish calories) but by the time I get to work @ 7:30, I am starving again, lol. I just have an active metabolism. In fact, I just bumped up my calories again last night because I find myself being hungry throghout the day, like you are. Currently, I am look at somewhere between moderately active and very active based on me working out 6 days a week. Since all you do is run it's going to be hard to create muscle which means you will lose some muscle mass over time. This will actually slow your metabolism a little because you will have a lower LBM to weight ratio. Now, you will still lose weight, but it won't neccessarily be fat.


I have been at 2600 calories for about 2 weeks but I have been hungry a lot, so I bumped it up. I generally try to go a month before changing my calories unless I feel hungry often.

jojogoslow

Mm, I think i'll stick the week out at 1800, then give 2000 a whirl for a month and see how it goes. I'm still tweaking what kinds of food I eat for that amount, and when I need the most energy or to feel the most sated.
I may lose a little muscle...I do some basic body weight exercises (push ups, crunches, squats) as part of my stretching routine but don't really hit the weights.
This is such an interesting experiment for me...like a whole new world.

psuLemon

Mm, I think i'll stick the week out at 1800, then give 2000 a whirl for a month and see how it goes. I'm still tweaking what kinds of food I eat for that amount, and when I need the most energy or to feel the most sated.
I may lose a little muscle...I do some basic body weight exercises (push ups, crunches, squats) as part of my stretching routine but don't really hit the weights.
This is such an interesting experiment for me...like a whole new world.

Well that is awesome. I feel the same way. Heck, it's about an hour before I go to bed, I consumed 2700 calories and seriously debting upping my calories again. But yes, in reality, this is on big experiement but never the less, a fun one.