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

lisakyle_11

bump for lateeerrrr

azsuzi

bump

Patty1030

bump

samntha14

bump, good information to consider

mmapags

Although this thread has been out there awhile, I just came across it. I had just been thinking about doing this very thing over the last few days. Great idea! Thanks! About to make the adjustments.

samntha14

Interesting, using the other calculator, MFP had me eating at BMR to loose 1 lb a week. Glad I reset to .5lb a week, and the other calculator and the MFP calculator are both spot on. I currently eat at about a 300 deficit to maintain .5lb loss a week. So I think I will continue as I am. I do like the idea of setting a weekly goal instead of a daily because I zig zag anyway. Frankly the condolences from friends for going over is a bit much even though it's intended. Also, there is only a 100 cal difference between me now and me at goal (though I need the extra for weight training.) In a way this made me feel better about what I'm doing so thanks!

leahbhollifield

bump

mnichol

jenniebean1680

Bump. I'm basically already doing this based on calculations from bodyrecomposition.com (eating maintenance calories for my goal weight).

heybales

Or just use the tool here to figure it out. http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

The problem is still the very rough estimate of daily activity calories. 5 categories to choose from.

That will indeed keep your BMR safe too.

But you don't get to maximize your potential weight loss by being more exact on your daily activity.

If I selected the correct one there, I'd be eating 200 over what I really need to be safe protecting my current BMR.

It's the rare lucky one that the activity level nails their true activity on the head.

heybales

I checked it out and it has me at 2200 calories. I've never averaged that much - if this is accurate how did I ever get overweight??

Did you use the spreadsheet to make it easier?

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/477753-how-do-i-do-activity-level-and-calculator

Second post has link to online and Excel spreadsheet.

heybales

Okay, this is a little tough to wrap my head around. That site tells me that my current BMR at 266 lbs is 1922, and my total calories at goal weight of 150 would be 1942.

Currently I eat 1500-1600 per day (before you subtract exercise calories). And am going nowhere. So I need to up my calories from 1500-1600 to 1942? I feel like you're telling me to put out a fire with gasoline instead of water.

Question. Considering that I've apparently been consistently eating 300-400 calories below BMR for months and months, what's likely to happen if I suddenly up that by 300-400 calories? Am I likely to see an initial weight gain before things adjust? Because I'm thinking of trying this and I want to know what to expect so I don't get freaked out.

And it's entirely possible I'm not understanding this correctly at all.

You are understanding it - it's hard to wrap your mind around.
But that basal metabolism rate (BMR) will be slowed down if there are not enough calories constantly on avg to perform what it needs to do.
And you have indeed done that by not only eating below your current, but also giving more to exercise with even less for the body to use. If you've been eating back exercise calories, it's not as bad, but still 300-400 calories of free burn lost every day.
Huh - do you exercise 400 calories every day? That's a bunch of free burn available! Use it!

Yes, you should indeed increase by only 200 per day for a week at a time, associated with a workout, pre or post.
Hoping your body won't view it as a gift to hold on to in case the insanity continues, but rather to increase the metabolism.

I'm actually surprised that it is that low, I'd expect it to be above 1942, depending on those workouts and other daily activity.
You don't want to underestimating thinking you are helping - you won't be. Because the calculator already underestimates, plus it is dealing with future you burning those calories, not current you actually burning them.
Usually the future total calories is above your current BMR by a decent amount. Such that a big workout day would indeed undercut it by a big amount, a light day would be around it, and the non-workout day would be a spike recovery day. The avg weekly net affect would be - never under your current BMR constantly.

Use the spreadsheet to confirm - it also uses a slightly more accurate BMR calc which is sometimes 5% more accurate at goal weight.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Amt7QBR9-c6MdGZlcmNCNmhJWFhtUGl0ZEk1RFd1c0E

heybales

At 5'7" currently 252 GW 160, if I calculated it correctly, it says I should consume 1905 calories a day. I should really change my calories to that a day?? That is about 700 more than I usually take in. I put 8 hours rest and 16 hours very light, i have a desk job and don't exercise regularly right now. I can really lose weight eating that many calories?

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Amt7QBR9-c6MdGZlcmNCNmhJWFhtUGl0ZEk1RFd1c0E

That is a spreadsheet to help with the daily stuff better - you might run the numbers again for daily stuff.
Also more accurate BMR calc which is the foundation everything is built on.

And yes, that is actually the correct idea.

The nice thing is, current you actually burns an underestimated 500 calories more doing that same activity. Wow - 500 is 1 lb week. And when I mean underestimated, you actually burn more than that.
And the great thing is, even if you can't workout much right now - doesn't matter, it's your daily activity that actually creates the deficit for weight loss. Exercise must be fed for your body to get stronger and not sabotage you in the long run.
So park farther away, take stairs, walk when others take smoke break, walk 15 min during lunch, ect. Those little things increase the 500 to 750 easy.
You should update the activity levels then if you add in some numbers on regular basis, or if your routine changes majorly.

Since you don't exercise regularly enough to include it in the calc, just eat an extra 200 cal snack that day and next. And this is exactly what you will be doing at maintenance weight. Learning to eat a tad more if you work out more, back off if doing less, ect.

But you start learning now, on your journey down in weight.

Sagetheplace

bump

heybales

I'm with you. I think I'm not grasping the concept. If I change the weight in the calculator to my current weight there is only ~200 calorie difference in the total calories. At that rate a 1 lb loss would take 17.5 days? What is the danger of underestimating your activity level? (which I have probably done). I definitely need a change as I have had no loss in months. I am slowly getting a little bit smaller so that kind of keeps me motivated, but that # on the scale is maddening!

The calculator underestimates all activity except Rest, which is at BMR level.

So the gap is actually bigger.

Also, current weight calc's are based on BMR formula's based on studies of healthy weight people. BMR is higher than estimated when overweight with fat, or very muscular actually.
Gap is bigger for that reason too.

So don't cheat your BMR by underestimating to try to boost the amount.
This will give you the max possible to protect your BMR and your daily activity, and fuel your body for workouts.

You might try the spreadsheet though, which does use a 5% more accurate BMR calc (still for goal weight sadly, and still off for overweight).

check out the group I was asked to start - better explanation and spreadsheet link in main topic.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3088-eating-for-future-you

heybales

Interesting, using the other calculator, MFP had me eating at BMR to loose 1 lb a week. Glad I reset to .5lb a week, and the other calculator and the MFP calculator are both spot on. I currently eat at about a 300 deficit to maintain .5lb loss a week. So I think I will continue as I am. I do like the idea of setting a weekly goal instead of a daily because I zig zag anyway. Frankly the condolences from friends for going over is a bit much even though it's intended. Also, there is only a 100 cal difference between me now and me at goal (though I need the extra for weight training.) In a way this made me feel better about what I'm doing so thanks!

This method is to help those having issues with eating back exercise calories mainly.
Don't have accurate estimates, don't do it, don't like high and low days, don't like feeling they have to eat it back in the evening, ect.

And major goal - to protect the BMR.

And great side benefit - you learn to eat like you are going to eventually.

You purposely or accidentally are doing that - great for you.

I'll mention too, a spike day, or 2 or 3, is automatic for any non-workout day. Bigger your workouts, bigger that is.
And zig-zag method is built in too if you workouts vary by true calorie burn, because some days you'll net more, some days less.

I will mention though, that calorie difference between current and goal is actually bigger because the calculator underestimates all non-Rest activity, so it may be closer to 250.
So this just allows you to approach goal weight with full burning metabolism, and having maintenance calories already.

You've accomplished that already by smart choices.

peacefulsong

Hmm, after redoing it, it did come out a little different. My current BMR is still coming out about the same, 1932 this time instead of 1922, but the goal weight total calories came out at 2223. Not sure what I messed up last time, definitely not deliberately underestimating anything.

I will gradually start bumping up my calories and see what happens.

Thanks for the response.

heybales

Hmm, after redoing it, it did come out a little different. My current BMR is still coming out about the same, 1932 this time instead of 1922, but the goal weight total calories came out at 2223. Not sure what I messed up last time, definitely not deliberately underestimating anything.

I will gradually start bumping up my calories and see what happens.

Thanks for the response.

You have an excellent workout routine, that's what I can tell.
So only 291 calories difference between current BMR and daily calorie goal.

When exercise is logged, you input 1 cal. Check out my diary for how I keep track of info in Food Notes section.

So I'll bet your workout days would have more calorie burn than that, so you would undercut BMR by decent amount. But your rest days or lighter workout days would protect it from constantly being under eaten.

So the weekly spot check, you can put in a week of real exercise calories if you have decent estimate, and that daily goal amount, and see what would have happened to weekly net on avg. Should be above.

blueeyedcristi

bump

Anomalia

So many pages.