need advice on calorie intake please?

shakybabe

Hi

I'm female, 42ys. I have mild disability and after using wheelchair several years my weight has gone up to 12st 2 (170lbs i think).

Online sources state an healthy weight for my height would be between 8 and half and 10 and a half stone. I'm quite erm... 'well built' around the chest area so I can't see me getting lower than 10st anyway! so I have set that as my goal but would be happy anywhere between 10 and 10 and a half stone.

Your site only states 1,200 calories for me. I have Ataxia which means along with balance difficulties, I have quite jerky movements and regular tasks take me more energy than it may do an average person of my height and weight. I wondered if I should add a few more to allow that. I'm wondering if maybe it would be equal to constantly fidgeting? (calorie burn wise per hour)

I am able to do a 30-45min routine of yoga and muscle exercises on wii fit and I have a passive trainer bike (motor helps me pedal) which burns roughly 160 calories per 15 mins.

I always do my exercise first thing, (30 mins wii fit, 30mins bike)before my muscles start to stiffen (before eating.. or I've stiffened up too much by the time I'd had breakfast). The rest of the day I have to use a wheelchair to get about but my muscles twitch alot causing more or less constant movement.

If I allow extra 30 cals (per hour) for fidgeting... how would I work out what my new total calorie intake should be please?

Thanks very much.

Leigh
aka 'shaky babe'

mrscampbe11

Hi Leigh,
I'm from a physio background so I know you'll need extra calories to help you with the walking/ fidgeting etc, but it might be worth tracking your calories for a couple of weeks and seeing if you can get your GP to refer you to a dietitian? You don't want to eat not enough/ not the right things and make life more difficult. I used to show my food diary to a dietitian friend in Australia and she helped immensely with suggestions and would tell me off if I didn't eat enough or regularly enough.
Feel free to add me as a friend if you want some support, and good luck with it.
Amanda

annehdavis

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ant_man

involuntary movements and body functions do relate to calorie burning too.. walking, sleeping, fidgeting relates to 15% of calories burnt in a daily function. if your moving more and fidgeting then maybe you might need more..calories? 1200 calories is such a small daily intake would u have to take meal replacements full of nutrients to make the 1200 calories

lilwashee

ok hmmm so NEAT nonexcercise activity thermogenesis ok so im no expert,im in the process of being a nutrtion specialist.
there was a test with 16 volunteers after accounting for the NEAT and the energy that was expanded in a day between 16 people it was like 800 calories so conside yourself 1 of the 16 and divide i would assume...so if im right i would only safely give yourself 50 calories additional for the day .but this is just an opinion based on what i read .i hope this helps .

kaimi2011

Hi, my friend has the same disorder: Ataxia

I bumped mine to 1400 per day w/o exercising too see how it goes. i have never done calorie counting on my own other than w/ jenny craig and they gave me 1200 per day. Plus, I was working out w/ a trainer 2x's a week for 1 hour so I KNOW that I needed more than 1200 calories per day.

Feel free to add me as a friend.

shakybabe

Hi everyone

Thanks for your replies. Sorry for delay in reply had unexpected trip into hospital for a few nights!

I had been managing 800-1,000 calories a day in exercise on a passive trainer bike I have which moves your legs for you. However I'm having to rest this week so trying not to eat as many calories. Hopefully I will be able to continue 60-90mins a day by next week.

I'm not sure whether sedentary means like laid in bed or on sofa all day or includes daily moving about ie if you worked to work and back but not an hour at gym etc. So not sure whether to go by sedentary calories and add on exercise seperately or to choose lightly active to include passive trainer bike and the 'fidgeting' from involuntary movements?

I can ask to see a dietician but things don't happen quick with NHS. When I applied for powerchair I had to wait 3 months before they answered my first letter with an appointment, so if I do ask when I go don to see GP I still might not get to see one before xmas... in meantime I could do with working it out before that as its still 4 months off xmas!

I have ordered some Ensure plus off ebay just to try some flavours so next time I go down to doctors for my blood test I will know if I like them and what flavours so can see if I can get them on prescription if I might need 2,000 cals a day or more?

When I'm having good day I will be exercising 60-90 mins so the calories burned from that on top of involuntary movements from waking up to going to sleep.. was just looking for some rough numbers to start with?

Leigh

mrscampbe11

Hello Leigh,
From that further info, I would set you activity level to lightly active, then add in your exercise calories when you're better and back on the bike. See how that goes, and if you're not losing maybe drop the activity levels back to sedentary, which will decrease the calorie allowance. I'd try at a higher level first rather than starting with sedentary.
Bless the NHS and their waiting times. :grumble:

SRH7

Hi Leigh. I wouldn't give up on the idea of asking your GP for a dietician referral. There are different waiting times for different services, so the three months will not apply to all of them - and the sooner you ask, the sooner you will get seen. If you are fobbed off by your GP or told there is a long wait, then contact your NHS primary care trust - they 'buy' the services that GPs refer you to and often have more say on whether your case is urgent, particularly if you have other health problems. Google for your local primary care trust and phone their customer care line (sometimes called 'PALS'). If you need any help with this please do message me (I work for the NHS and know how confusing the system can seem!).

shakybabe

Thanks.

How do I change my level? I've got a bar that says 1200 at the minute?


Leigh

SRH7

Hi Leigh,

Go to 'My Home' - then 'Goals' - then 'Change goals' and then 'custom.

This will allow you to set your own daily calorie intake and other things as well.