Ongoing results

heybales

For posting the ups and downs.

Ups? What!

Yes, if you have been constantly netting under your healthy BMR for awhile, your real BMR is probably lower.
And when you eat more, your body will more than likely to be glad to hold on to anyhing while it is running slower.
It could take a few weeks for your metabolism to know it can start burning at full steam ahead again.

What to do?
If there was a big gap between current net calories and this future you goal, add 200 cal snacks each day for a week.
Next week add that many again, perhaps make a meal or two slightly bigger.
Keep doing that each week until eating at new goal calories.
Still may take a bit for metabolism to know it can safely speed up again.

korygilliam

Just posting here so I can see if anyone updates easily

wiginn

I changed to this method last week - first week results = down 1.2 pounds!! The biggest benefit for me was that I wasn't hungry like I had been following the lower limits set with mfp. Here's hoping everyone else is having success too!!

korygilliam

Woot--hope it keeps going wiginn!

carolann_22

Pros - More Energy. Definitely. I'm eating almost 1000 cals more daily than I was before, and I can feel it.
Also, the scale moved down today. Just down .8, but the same time I started this I also started Ripped in 30 and was gaining for a few days from all the water retention/muscle soreness, so I'm happy with that loss. Thanks heybales for the push in this direction!

heybales

I changed to this method last week - first week results = down 1.2 pounds!! The biggest benefit for me was that I wasn't hungry like I had been following the lower limits set with mfp. Here's hoping everyone else is having success too!!

Great to hear.

Noticed your body temp seems warmer? Side effect of metabolism going up.

heybales

Pros - More Energy. Definitely. I'm eating almost 1000 cals more daily than I was before, and I can feel it.
Also, the scale moved down today. Just down .8, but the same time I started this I also started Ripped in 30 and was gaining for a few days from all the water retention/muscle soreness, so I'm happy with that loss. Thanks heybales for the push in this direction!

Uh oh, strength training and increased calories to actually repair and build muscle.

I see inches coming off, but scale perhaps staying the same. Don't be discouraged, find those too tight jeans and try them on quick, so you can compare later.:drinker:

Just don't wash them, very unfair comparison.

paj315

I switched to this method last week after keeping at 1200-1300 cals per day and burning about 500 cal 5-6 days a week through working out. My weight loss had been 0.10 lb, then 0.2 lb and then 0.25 lb for 3 weeks. I weighed this am and I have lost 3.8 pounds since starting to eat more!!! I know some has to be some water weight because the numbers just don't add up otherwise but it is very encouraging never the less!

I REALLY hope this isn't a fluke and this continues!! Now I am not up to quite where I "should" be according to this method, mostly because I don't trust the daily activity that I entered. I tried to be conservative but I don't know.

According the the numbers I should be eating 1975 calories per day. I'm up to 1600-1700. I think I will slowly add the last 300 over the next few weeks.

Thanks so much for all the information!!!

heybales

I switched to this method last week after keeping at 1200-1300 cals per day and burning about 500 cal 5-6 days a week through working out. My weight loss had been 0.10 lb, then 0.2 lb and then 0.25 lb for 3 weeks. I weighed this am and I have lost 3.8 pounds since starting to eat more!!! I know some has to be some water weight because the numbers just don't add up otherwise but it is very encouraging never the less!

I REALLY hope this isn't a fluke and this continues!! Now I am not up to quite where I "should" be according to this method, mostly because I don't trust the daily activity that I entered. I tried to be conservative but I don't know.

According the the numbers I should be eating 1975 calories per day. I'm up to 1600-1700. I think I will slowly add the last 300 over the next few weeks.

Thanks so much for all the information!!!

Great to hear. Stay encouraged since probably right on water weight. May have had a higher sodium meal last week, smaller one this week, and that'll throw stuff off.
And next week could go the other way and appear not much is happening.

Just be aware, there is no need to be conservative with the estimates, except for leaving out really iff stuff that is just not regular.
If the workout is more effort than walking 4mph, it goes under Heavy, ect.

Because that calculator already underestimates exercise activities.
Plus it is basing that calculation on future you weight, not the higher burn you are currently getting.

If you know a workout really burns about 500 calories, based on perhaps good HRM estimate, and that is for 1 hr workout.
Take your future weight BMR / 24 x 6 = ?

That is what the Heavy line would estimate for calorie burn for 1 hour. That is it's muliplier. And it is probably well below 500, probably around 325 cal/hr for you.

But you are correct too, don't want to put too much under Very Light that belongs under Rest, or thinking you walk more each day on Moderate that really should be under Very Light or Light.

Look forward to progress.

carolann_22

So, I lost .8 Wednesday, Thursday, AND Friday. 2.4 total. That's my biggest loss in a month. I am hooked

korygilliam

Today is my one week mark (having issues getting my calorie intake up as much as I need to. So increasing my breakfast intake.

Last Friday-162.0
Today-160.8

concealedpearl

I have actually gained 2lbs since starting this? Is that normal?

heybales

I have actually gained 2lbs since starting this? Is that normal?

Many possible reasons why.

1. Last weigh-in was proceeded by low sodium day, this weigh in by high sodium day. Water retention difference.

2. You have been eating below healthy level and exercising, that your glucose stores have always been low, and the last week have been topped off. Each gram of glucose now stored holds 2.7 g of water. Water weight in the muscles. You can hold around 2000 cal of glucose, so if running at 500 (easy to accomplish), then 1500 cal is 375 g carbs + 1012 g water = 1387 g = 3 lb. Energy and water weight.

3. You have had enough calories for body to take care of extra maintenance now, that muscle is getting repaired finally and the above is happening and muscles gowing and getting better at holding more glucose, side effect of being more aerobically fit. Muscle has 600 calories/pound, so an overage doesn't take much to allow repair. Muscle and water weight.

4. Without knowing your previous eating/exercise details, most likely, you have been under BMR long enough on constant basis that anything extra you give your body for a bit will be held on to as a gift, not used to increase metabolism. Still hoarding mode. Real weight for now.

5. The activity calculator was given bad info and overestimated by way too much, and eating more at maintenance level for current self or even more. Real weight for now.

So the only ones that are a real negative is the last two.
1 is just fluctuations based on weighing and eating time a healthier body.
2 & 3 will help metabolism in long run, because the body has to manage all that extra fluid in the cells and storage, so metabolism will go up. Just a side effect of having healthy body that is exercising.

4 - depending on the level you have been eating at, and the recommended level, I mentioned in several places a gap of 300 or more should be done by just increasing the calories each day by 200 for a week, and then 200 next week, ect, until reaching the higher level. This has a better chance of letting your body see it can increase metabolism and not just hoard what has become extra. It still could do that for awhile anyway, but at least with just 200 extra, but still below the best level, it shouldn't be bad.

5 - You can go to the topic on using the activity calculator and confirm you got it right, and put a post there with your details for a outside confirmation. No need for all details there, just the daily routine, you can do the final calcs yourself to confirm.

And of course, very real possibility you had several of these hit together. So some expected, some not desired.

Oh, and the best - you had the positive stuff happen, but actually lost fat! And the clothes fit looser.

That example under the BMR topic, during the lady's 6 wk recovery time while her RMR went up 300 calories - she lost 5lb bodyfat. They didn't mention any weight loss or gain at all, just measured bodyfat loss.

korygilliam

I have actually gained 2lbs since starting this? Is that normal?

Also, one other chance...I gain 2 pounds on the day I start my period. I didn't realize that until about 4 months ago (after doing this for a year).

I weigh myself daily to monitor for trends...I can fluctuate 5 pounds in a week, so I don't fret. I keep my eye open for my new 'low weight' and make sure that my high weights keep moving down as well.

Edit to add: also, if you just started exercising or started doing strength training, you gain weight there as well (temporary weight due to fluid retention). For me to see my 'actual weight', I have to take 2 days off of exercising to see what I am at, then the day after I exercise again it is back on...so don't get scared off due to basic body fluctuations.

wiginn

I changed to this method last week - first week results = down 1.2 pounds!! The biggest benefit for me was that I wasn't hungry like I had been following the lower limits set with mfp. Here's hoping everyone else is having success too!!

Great to hear.

Noticed your body temp seems warmer? Side effect of metabolism going up.

Week 2 results = another 1.4 pounds gone!

I have noticed I stay warmer longer after working out, but other than that - I haven't noticed being warmer (but it is cold right now in Wisconsin!!) :-)

Thank you heybalers for explaining this method - it really makes sense to me and I hope it keeps on working!

Have a great week everyone!!

heybales

I'd sure like the folks that already did this manually to try this if possible, and give me some feedback.

I made a spreadsheet that includes the ExRx BMR and activity calculator.

It does both the current weight and goal weight together, plus conversion from metric.
It uses a more recent and estimated about 5% more accurate BMR estimate for your goal weight.
It also uses it for current weight, or allows using the bodyfat% stat for Katch-McArdle estimate.
It splits the activity calculator up much easier to enter separate workout days and such to get weekly total and daily average.
It shows the goal weight and current weight total calories.
It shows exactly what to change in MFP to see the most encouragement and manual goal change.
It gives a week of food and exercise calories to see what happens through the whole week.
It gives a day for confirming what happens on heavy, or light, or no workout days.

http://home.everestkc.net/mbales/

Only link there is the Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet.

It imports into Google Spreadsheet fine, but the view is all messed up, though the math is fine.

It is filled with sample data so you can see what it is doing.

Please let me know what you think and improvements.

korygilliam

Like the calculator, very cool! Thanks for spending the time to make it. Here are my totals. (have gained a couple of pounds, but did some fighting over the weekend, and my muscles hurt...plus TOM should be here any day now...so hoping is a mix)

Open for suggestions
Weekly spot check and confirmation

Start Weight date 2/12/2012
Start Weight 161.8
Start BMR 1503
Food Exercise Net
Sunday, February 12 1789 484 1305

Monday, February 13 1924 705 1219

Tuesday, February 14 2159 0 2159

Wednesday, February 15 1618 619 999

Thursday, February 16 1657 669 988

Friday, February 17 2707 774 1933

Saturday, February 18 2127 500 1627

Weekly totals 13981 3751 10230

Daily average 1997 536 1461

End Weight 162.8
End BMR 1508
Net above BMR -46

carolann_22

Down 1.4 this week. Definitely working better than what I was doing. I am playing around with doing some lower days and some higher days as I still seem to lose best right after a spike.

heybales

Down 1.4 this week. Definitely working better than what I was doing. I am playing around with doing some lower days and some higher days as I still seem to lose best right after a spike.

Great to hear. And enjoying eating more?

Remember, every rest day is a mini-spike day, because you have more calories than that day requires, but it balances out the workout days. Plus being on a rest day, truly lets the body recover with needed nutrition at same time.

But at least seeing green 200 and red 200 makes it easier to do that rebalancing.

wiginn

I'd sure like the folks that already did this manually to try this if possible, and give me some feedback.

I made a spreadsheet that includes the ExRx BMR and activity calculator.

It does both the current weight and goal weight together, plus conversion from metric.
It uses a more recent and estimated about 5% more accurate BMR estimate for your goal weight.
It also uses it for current weight, or allows using the bodyfat% stat for Katch-McArdle estimate.
It splits the activity calculator up much easier to enter separate workout days and such to get weekly total and daily average.
It shows the goal weight and current weight total calories.
It shows exactly what to change in MFP to see the most encouragement and manual goal change.
It gives a week of food and exercise calories to see what happens through the whole week.
It gives a day for confirming what happens on heavy, or light, or no workout days.

http://home.everestkc.net/mbales/

Only link there is the Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet.

It imports into Google Spreadsheet fine, but the view is all messed up, though the math is fine.

It is filled with sample data so you can see what it is doing.

Please let me know what you think and improvements.

Finally got a chance to download the spreadsheet - thank you for sharing that with us. Maybe it's late and I'm tired, but can you confirm I have this right...I log my exercise MINUTES in myfitnesspal diary with 1 calorie burned. In the spreadsheet, I should input actual CALORIES burned as per my HRM, correct? And then add calories consumed and the net will calculate...do I have it right?

I'm going to have to go back and check my original calculations because the spreadsheet is coming up with about 100 calories less per day for me than what I have currently set. Not a big deal because I'm still averaging about 200 less each day.

Thanks again!

heybales

Finally got a chance to download the spreadsheet - thank you for sharing that with us. Maybe it's late and I'm tired, but can you confirm I have this right...I log my exercise MINUTES in myfitnesspal diary with 1 calorie burned. In the spreadsheet, I should input actual CALORIES burned as per my HRM, correct? And then add calories consumed and the net will calculate...do I have it right?

I'm going to have to go back and check my original calculations because the spreadsheet is coming up with about 100 calories less per day for me than what I have currently set. Not a big deal because I'm still averaging about 200 less each day.

The spreadsheet uses a more current Mifflin BMR formula found to be about 5% more accurate at healthy weight than the Harris formula. The ExRx site uses Harris, MFP uses Mifflin, the majority of sites use Harris.

Yes to the exercise. 1 Cal in MFP so you can even log it.
The spreadsheet section for confirming a week gets the best calorie burn data you can provide for what is really happening, like the HRM.
Just lets you confirm that you are not netting under your current BMR constantly, perhaps missing out on a full burn. Should end up above.

So you can take a typical week of food and exercise, and make sure it came out right. Or for those checking it out, can input past data and see what happens.
If netting way under while doing goal calories, then usually the activity levels aren't quite right, or you have about 100 to lose. 100 and above is where it starts to undercut easily without much activity, but that is the only situation where that is found to be safe. Mostly because the BMR calculations way outside the range of healthy weight, are very overstated.

I uploaded an enhanced Excel spreadsheet, based on tweaks I've made to the Google version online. But you might check that out too.

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