An easier way to setup goal calories - eating for who you wi

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  • digitalmayhap
    digitalmayhap Posts: 141 Member
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    okay so from what I've gathered

    BMR at goal weight + activity = 2188
    BMR now now is 2157

    Change goal calories a day to 2188.

    Seems simple enough to me.
  • granolagrl85
    granolagrl85 Posts: 135
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    If I had to drop to maitnance calories for the weight I want to be...I'd eat less than 1200.
  • becjerami
    becjerami Posts: 80
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    If I had to drop to maitnance calories for the weight I want to be...I'd eat less than 1200.

    I find that hard to believe. I think maybe you should check your calculations :smile:
  • qkidney
    qkidney Posts: 258
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    bump
  • nicintime
    nicintime Posts: 381 Member
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    Bump
  • thesarahsundae
    thesarahsundae Posts: 240 Member
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    I was probably half asleep when I wrote this last night. I will look again and do it over. But I do sit at a desk all day. Thank you so much. I've been stuck at the same weight for the past few months and I want to reach my goal. At some point. I work out 4-5 days a week now but plan to bump it to 5-6 starting this weekend. I enjoy a good workout. Thanks again for your help.
  • becjerami
    becjerami Posts: 80
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    I was probably half asleep when I wrote this last night. I will look again and do it over. But I do sit at a desk all day. Thank you so much. I've been stuck at the same weight for the past few months and I want to reach my goal. At some point. I work out 4-5 days a week now but plan to bump it to 5-6 starting this weekend. I enjoy a good workout. Thanks again for your help.

    I sit at a desk all day too, but according to this method I should be eating at least 2,000 per day considering I also work out moderately 4-5 times per week. I had a quick go at putting your details into this site that Heybales recommended:

    http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/CalRequire.html

    I had to guess your height (I put 164cm). If height is correct your BMR at your goal weight (140lbs?) is 1392 so you should at the very least be netting this amount of calories now. You exercise quite a bit so you need to eat more than that to compensate. Best not to aim for more than 1lb weight loss each week.

    I'm a similar weight to you (161lbs) with a similar goal (136lbs) so feel free to friend me if you like.

    Best of luck
  • korygilliam
    korygilliam Posts: 594 Member
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    If you are doing a group to test out results, I am in

    Determining my calories now. I have noticed I started losing weight again this last month now that I have increase my calories.

    I am also one that the more I eat, the hungrier I seem to be.
  • toffee322
    toffee322 Posts: 186 Member
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    Ok, so I'm only on my third day of following this method and I've lost 0.4lbs. That may not sound like much but it's on track for the 1lb a week that I'm aiming for, and I've been hovering around the same weight for a while now. Fingers crossed this continues, slow and steady! I can't believe I can eat over 2000 calories a day and still lose weight, I feel like I'm literally stuffing my face!

    If this really does work, Heybales, you're my hero!

    thanks for sharing the progress.. can i look at your diary?? thanks!
  • sabrinalg
    sabrinalg Posts: 242 Member
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    Bump to read later.
  • toffee322
    toffee322 Posts: 186 Member
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    Not to throw a curve ball at you, but since you are so close to goal weight, you might benefit from either taking your bodyfat% if you know it and using the same site, but change height to bodyfat% and get more accurate BMR and maintenance calories using the Katch formula.

    For getting decent BF%, you can use this site - http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/cbbf/

    If you don't want to do that, the BMR calc MFP uses is about 5% more accurate within the healthy range, where you are now.
    So you may take MFP's BMR calc and add the activity cal's in for total.

    May end up being a meaningless amount less, but figured while you are setting it up and so close already, might as well.

    thanks.. i never check my BF% i will check it out tonight and see what it gives me.. i am not too heavy or overweight to begin with, i'm fairly small but it's just that i have gained that 10 ish lbs in the past 2-3 years.. which i want to get rid off, or at least few lbs.. and seems like a lot of the weight go to the belly and hip.. my arms/shoulders are still fairly good shape.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Me again! Right, so I think I worry about not adding exercise cals because for example I was ill on Wednesday so didn't run so that's probably 800 cal burn that is still in my figures for the week but I didn't actually do. That doesn't happen very often but I'm worried about not tracking. So, if I go back to the working out website and put same details but put resting at 10 and very light at 14, it gives me 1766 at my goal weight.
    Am I right in thinking that's what the goal me should eat every day with no exercise, so if I use that number in MFP and add exercise when I do it, it should still work? Mind you, that's only giving me 185 cals per day less than when I worked it out including running, and yet I probably burn 330ish per day with running so I will end up eating more..... should I reduce my new me cals from my original calculation (including heavy of half an hour per day) of 1951 per day to 1650 maybe and then add exercise as I do it? I just don't feel happy including exercise in my daily calories when I haven't actually done it! What do you think? I really just want you to tell me how many to eat so that I lose 1lb per week without putting it down to 1410 per day which is what MFP gives me at lightly active setting.

    Not really catching everything you are asking questions about, and if it is about this future method, or about MFP's current method?

    I'll comment that when you are sick, it is not a bad idea to skip the deficit, especially if that deficit pushed you below BMR all the time. Body needs nutrients, sometimes extra energy (gotta produce extra heat if flu) while you are sick.
    So the fact a surprise no exercise day means you have less deficit than normal, no big deal.
    And in fact, since this future method spreads stuff out through week, missing one day isn't bad either. Make another day extra long, or several days 15 min longer. Add in a different day. The next week with normal routine, add a walk. It'll balance out close enough.

    You appeared to comment that current MFP method worked fine for you, you didn't mind adding in accurate exercise calories and eating them back. In which case I thought you just wanted to fine tune the non-exercise daily activity calorie burn.
    In which case, as you say, current BMR plus ExRx daily activity calories (not-including exercise, if you don't make it 24 hrs, it still shows estimate for hours input) as your maintenance, but then probably using slightly above BMR for goal net calories, and eating back exercise.

    If you are trying to use the future method, just nail your normal routine, and don't sweat a day where you either add or lose a workout, shorten or increase - just mentally keep in mind if missing a bunch days (vacation), eat under the goal by the number calories you know would normally be burned, like 800. But don't eat under your BMR.

    If the schedule really changes, and new routine (changed workout, longer, shorter, extra, less) then adjustment time.
  • joclougherty
    joclougherty Posts: 59 Member
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    Me again! Right, so I think I worry about not adding exercise cals because for example I was ill on Wednesday so didn't run so that's probably 800 cal burn that is still in my figures for the week but I didn't actually do. That doesn't happen very often but I'm worried about not tracking. So, if I go back to the working out website and put same details but put resting at 10 and very light at 14, it gives me 1766 at my goal weight.
    Am I right in thinking that's what the goal me should eat every day with no exercise, so if I use that number in MFP and add exercise when I do it, it should still work? Mind you, that's only giving me 185 cals per day less than when I worked it out including running, and yet I probably burn 330ish per day with running so I will end up eating more..... should I reduce my new me cals from my original calculation (including heavy of half an hour per day) of 1951 per day to 1650 maybe and then add exercise as I do it? I just don't feel happy including exercise in my daily calories when I haven't actually done it! What do you think? I really just want you to tell me how many to eat so that I lose 1lb per week without putting it down to 1410 per day which is what MFP gives me at lightly active setting.

    Not really catching everything you are asking questions about, and if it is about this future method, or about MFP's current method?

    I'll comment that when you are sick, it is not a bad idea to skip the deficit, especially if that deficit pushed you below BMR all the time. Body needs nutrients, sometimes extra energy (gotta produce extra heat if flu) while you are sick.
    So the fact a surprise no exercise day means you have less deficit than normal, no big deal.
    And in fact, since this future method spreads stuff out through week, missing one day isn't bad either. Make another day extra long, or several days 15 min longer. Add in a different day. The next week with normal routine, add a walk. It'll balance out close enough.

    You appeared to comment that current MFP method worked fine for you, you didn't mind adding in accurate exercise calories and eating them back. In which case I thought you just wanted to fine tune the non-exercise daily activity calorie burn.
    In which case, as you say, current BMR plus ExRx daily activity calories (not-including exercise, if you don't make it 24 hrs, it still shows estimate for hours input) as your maintenance, but then probably using slightly above BMR for goal net calories, and eating back exercise.

    If you are trying to use the future method, just nail your normal routine, and don't sweat a day where you either add or lose a workout, shorten or increase - just mentally keep in mind if missing a bunch days (vacation), eat under the goal by the number calories you know would normally be burned, like 800. But don't eat under your BMR.

    If the schedule really changes, and new routine (changed workout, longer, shorter, extra, less) then adjustment time.

    Thanks Heybales, sorry for confusion, I'm confusing myself! What I really want to know is what do you think I should net every day whether I excercise or not? MFP was giving me 1410 on lightly active but I'm always hungry but scared to go up too much. I think I need to have the flexibility of eating more if I exercise but there are so many different BMR calculations I'm not sure what is my bottom line cals to net with just normal activity not including my runs...... For example, if I set MFP to 1650 then add exercise, will I still lost? Head is muddled....I'm just thinking if the other site says me at 140lbs should net 1951 with my runs included then if I make MFP 1650, then if I don't run I'm not going over my daily allowance. Thanks for taking the time, I've joined the group.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Group is finally done.

    And yes, the badge is stupid, I can't draw, and no time to look for free clip art.

    Please give me something better.

    I guess this link is enough to get there. It's open, unless folks that have dealt with groups recommend differently. I haven't been in any here yet.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3088-eating-for-future-you
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Thanks Heybales, sorry for confusion, I'm confusing myself! What I really want to know is what do you think I should net every day whether I excercise or not? MFP was giving me 1410 on lightly active but I'm always hungry but scared to go up too much. I think I need to have the flexibility of eating more if I exercise but there are so many different BMR calculations I'm not sure what is my bottom line cals to net with just normal activity not including my runs...... For example, if I set MFP to 1650 then add exercise, will I still lost? Head is muddled....I'm just thinking if the other site says me at 140lbs should net 1951 with my runs included then if I make MFP 1650, then if I don't run I'm not going over my daily allowance. Thanks for taking the time, I've joined the group.


    Your current BMR was 1453, so on avg you'll probably net 1500 to be on safe side. Some days will be more, some less, using this method. You had a lot of non-exercise activity calories that will burn stuff up.
    As to what you set your actual net calorie goal to - that depends on what you honestly came up with for future maintenance calories.
    Last was that 1951 you mention above.
    And your workout days easily hit over 500 cal burn just for the exercise, and other activity would push you under BMR. But on avg, that should allow you to be just about netting current BMR, so you should not be slowing it down. Nothing constant is being done to it. Just keeping it guessing.
  • bnice2every1
    bnice2every1 Posts: 24
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    Bump
  • Razia20
    Razia20 Posts: 1
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    I have a question. i am at my goal weight so i would like to maintain my weight. i am 19 years old and 5'3. According to MFP I should be consuming 1700 calories a day. Is this ok. I am very sedentary !
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    I have a question. i am at my goal weight so i would like to maintain my weight. i am 19 years old and 5'3. According to MFP I should be consuming 1700 calories a day. Is this ok. I am very sedentary !

    Depends if you trust the standard activity selection that has 4 broad levels?

    If you nail the calories and nothing bad starts happening one way or another, probably right.

    If you would like to feel assured that perhaps the suggested maintenance calories really matches up against what you do all week long, visit these instructions
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/477753-how-do-i-do-activity-level-and-calculator

    If the values seem off by 200 or more, then it may be beneficial to change your daily net goal to manual and just enter your own.

    BTW, those instructions are for doing a different method that you may or may not be interested in doing.
    If you do eat back your few exercise calories and plan to use MFP to log those outside your net goal, then do NOT enter any exercise time into that calculator, only normal daily activity.
  • joclougherty
    joclougherty Posts: 59 Member
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    Thanks Heybales, sorry for confusion, I'm confusing myself! What I really want to know is what do you think I should net every day whether I excercise or not? MFP was giving me 1410 on lightly active but I'm always hungry but scared to go up too much. I think I need to have the flexibility of eating more if I exercise but there are so many different BMR calculations I'm not sure what is my bottom line cals to net with just normal activity not including my runs...... For example, if I set MFP to 1650 then add exercise, will I still lost? Head is muddled....I'm just thinking if the other site says me at 140lbs should net 1951 with my runs included then if I make MFP 1650, then if I don't run I'm not going over my daily allowance. Thanks for taking the time, I've joined the group.


    Your current BMR was 1453, so on avg you'll probably net 1500 to be on safe side. Some days will be more, some less, using this method. You had a lot of non-exercise activity calories that will burn stuff up.
    As to what you set your actual net calorie goal to - that depends on what you honestly came up with for future maintenance calories.
    Last was that 1951 you mention above.
    And your workout days easily hit over 500 cal burn just for the exercise, and other activity would push you under BMR. But on avg, that should allow you to be just about netting current BMR, so you should not be slowing it down. Nothing constant is being done to it. Just keeping it guessing.

    Sooooo, what should I set MFP to if I want to use your method but add exercise and eat back? At the moment it's on lightly active, lose 1/2lb per week and gives me 1660 cals per day at my current weight.
  • becjerami
    becjerami Posts: 80
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    Ok, so I'm only on my third day of following this method and I've lost 0.4lbs. That may not sound like much but it's on track for the 1lb a week that I'm aiming for, and I've been hovering around the same weight for a while now. Fingers crossed this continues, slow and steady! I can't believe I can eat over 2000 calories a day and still lose weight, I feel like I'm literally stuffing my face!

    If this really does work, Heybales, you're my hero!

    Just thought I'd provide an update on progress. I have been eating on average just over 2000 calories per day since Wednesday (up from around 1350-1750 per day). I should be eating slightly more according to this method but only by about 100 calories, and 2000 is all I can manage at the moment.

    I weighed in this morning to find I have lost a further 1.2lbs! And that was weighing in after breakfast (I have always done this before breakfast in the past). That's a total of 1.6lbs so far, which probably means I should be eating a bit more but also doesn't include my rest day (that's tomorrow) so I think I'm doing ok as far as the calculations go.

    Other things I've noticed which may or may not be related (but I suspect they are):

    I feel warmer (I have always had bad circulation but am now finding that when others complain about the current cold weather, I realise I actually feel just fine! I went jogging this morning in -4 degrees and didn't bat an eyelid)
    I have more energy
    I have a more positive mood
    I fall asleep much faster and sleep more soundly
    My body feels more 'solid'
    I am starting to regard my body as my ally rather than my enemy

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