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

1_Slick_Chick

:huh: can't speed read it now...need to bump for later :laugh:

snowbab

I'm 19, Female, 5"8 and have an aim of 122. I calculated I'd have to eat 1851 calories a day with 10 hours rest (even though i get 8 usually) and 14 very light. I also walk most days but didn't bother putting that in either.

I was all for this idea until MFP said I would lose 0.0 pounds a week doing this :S

Is that normal? Should I do it anyway or stick with the 1540 I was eating already? (I have about 12 pounds left to lose)

heybales

To make sure that I understand this correctly, this formula tells me that in order to maintain a weight of 150lbs I need to eat 2516 calories with my current activity level? If I wanted to maintain my unhealthy weight of 180lbs I would need to eat 2739 calories per day? I am having a mental block thinking that a 223 calorie defecit isn't going to be enough to loose the weight.

My BMR at 180lbs is 1584, activity is 1155
My BMR at 150lbs is 1455, activity is 1061

When I entered the new calorie goal of 2516, MFP calculated my weight loss to be 0.5lbs per week??????? :noway: :frown:

This method is precisely to get over the situation many put themselves in when they eat below their current BMR, which just causes it to lower anyway, and you plateau.
Made doubly-worse by not eating back any exercise calories.

Remember on above - future activity calories are based on that weight, you'll burn more now because you weigh more.
Also be aware that the activity level estimates are usually half what you would get anyway, looking at calorie burn even from more accurate HRM.

And MFP's math on weight loss would no longer apply because they are looking at their BMR/maintenance calculation on current body with NO exercise, minus a future body BMR/maintenance including exercise.
So must leave their math out of it.

Just confirm activity levels. Sleep is easy, everyday.

Are you really going to do a Hard 1 hr everyday, or was that 3 days / week. With 3 days weight lifting at Medium and only 45 each.

All of that must be avg back out to 7 days / week. Just in case that was missed.

celticmuse

I have been stuck on a plateau for 3 mos. and recently switched to Olivia's method. It seems that there are way too many BMR calculators out there, and they all seem to give a different result. The Katch method gives me a BMR of 1340, whereas the one you recommended, it is 1274 for my current weight, and 1243 for my goal weight. So are you saying I should set my calorie goal at 1274 and stop logging my exercise calories? Couldn't I achieve the same result by logging my exercise calories, but eating them back?
Or should I set it at 1274 or somewhere between, maybe 1300?

Thanks for your post.

heatheralia

bump

heybales

I'm 19, Female, 5"8 and have an aim of 122. I calculated I'd have to eat 1851 calories a day with 10 hours rest (even though i get 8 usually) and 14 very light. I also walk most days but didn't bother putting that in either.

I was all for this idea until MFP said I would lose 0.0 pounds a week doing this :S

Is that normal? Should I do it anyway or stick with the 1540 I was eating already? (I have about 12 pounds left to lose)

Last part in my OP, MFP calc's will now be off, because they have different BMR and maintenance values they are doing math on. So it will appear incorrect.

Then again, as you get closer, their BMR calc is the same as this other site, and more accurate for those in the healthy range already.

And you are already eating at a healthy level to keep your BMR up normal. Unless that walking amounts to 3 hrs at 5mph!

So the only thing this method would help with this close, is confirm where that BMR really is. If weight loss stopped before goal, your BMR is really lower than estimate. If kept going past goal, then actually higher.

If you know your bodyfat %, can also try that calc instead of height, to see the difference with a more accurate calc.

heybales

I have been stuck on a plateau for 3 mos. and recently switched to Olivia's method. It seems that there are way too many BMR calculators out there, and they all seem to give a different result. The Katch method gives me a BMR of 1340, whereas the one you recommended, it is 1274 for my current weight, and 1243 for my goal weight. So are you saying I should set my calorie goal at 1274 and stop logging my exercise calories? Couldn't I achieve the same result by logging my exercise calories, but eating them back?
Or should I set it at 1274 or somewhere between, maybe 1300?

Thanks for your post.

Please reread my OP, you might have the wrong idea about BMR and its importance in weight loss.

But if you know BF%, by all means use what you want it to be along with goal weight. Usually people don't know where a safe range is, so better to skip it.
This calc uses the exact same Harris calc MFP and most sites use.

Also the wrong idea of what daily calorie goal should be.

funkycamper

When I entered the new calorie goal of 2516, MFP calculated my weight loss to be 0.5lbs per week??????? :noway: :frown:

Actually, if you read in the stickies, many on here who are more expert than I am suggest that you decrease your weekly weight loss goal as you get closer to maintenance. You are in the range where you should not try to lose more than 1# per week and getting very close to a recommended 1/2# week weight loss which, IIRC, starts at 20# over goal weight.

So, yeah, that sounds very reasonable and is in line with MFP recommendations.

heybales

The Katch method gives me a BMR of 1340, whereas the one you recommended, it is 1274 for my current weight, and 1243 for my goal weight. So are you saying I should set my calorie goal at 1274 and stop logging my exercise calories? Couldn't I achieve the same result by logging my exercise calories, but eating them back?
Or should I set it at 1274 or somewhere between, maybe 1300?

So just to clarify, that site uses the Harris-Benedict calc (which MFP uses) when you enter height.
It uses the Katch calc when you enter bodyfat %.

So either method is probably real close when talking about healthy final weight.
NOT where you currently are.

You set goal calories to future maintenance (with accurate estimates of current exercise levels), and forget exercise calories.

Should re-read original post for clarity as to why that works.

Pkiddy

bump - so i can come back and read when i have time

heybales

I've gotten several replies asking how to confirm that the ExRx site won't overestimate calories burned by just putting in hours at different activity levels.

You can confirm what it is using for an hour of exercise by 2 methods.

Easy:
While the info for you future self is in there, put 23 hrs on resting, and 1 hr on another level, 1 at a time.
The activity calories now show you what it is estimating for your future self to do 1 hr at that level.
Does that hr of burn compare to your actual exercise calories by HRM, or more likely it is below?
If it is above, then definitely select the next level down for your estimates.

Not-so-easy:
Take your future or current BMR / 24 (to get a 1 hr figure).
Take that value times the multiplier the calculator uses to see the hour burn.
sleep is BMR x 1
very light is BMR x 1.5
light is BMR x 2.5
moderate is BMR x 5
heavy is BMR x 7

For instance, my summer bike rides are high intensity, around 800 cal by HRM. This estimates 539 when I select Heavy.
So some built in protection by the fact extra calories are eaten all week long to compensate for exercise.
And when Spring comes and I do 2-3 hrs, I'll need to change my activity levels correctly.

Either way should help confirm you are selecting the correct level for your type of exercise. Or at least the level below.

Biggest thing is to remember to take a weeks worth of exercise and divide by 7 for avg daily.

Also, sitting watching TV like a bump on a log is resting. Almost may as well be sleeping. Be honest!

christina571

Bump !

ingfit

Bump

Minnie_Moo

bump

KareninCanada

Good post, thanks for sharing

thesarahsundae

I finally had the time to sit down and read this and I LOVE it. I am going to give a try and see what happens. I've been stuck at the same weight for the past 4 months, so it can't hurt, right??

Juliette320

BUMP love this (:

Juliette320

Would you calculate it for me?? Bc I don't get how to do this.. But I want to try

afym

Bump

Fit2Fifty

I did this and the numbers I got at ExRx were only 3 off from the ones from here.