Progress so far
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Goal calories =1800
Start wt last wednesday = 171
Avg cal consumed = 1950
Avg exercise =221
Avg net this week = 1728
End wt today = 170.6
Only .4lbs but I'm happy enough! I think I need to tighten it up a little more maybe to push over the 1/2 lb/week threshold.
Excellent. Appears you are having no problem eating at higher calorie level!
True on that 150 extra avg daily, that's almost 1/3 lb week. Schedule is a killer on what to eat sometimes.
oH YEAH...I have no trouble eating more haha. Maybe if I try to eat a smidge less I might bump that number a bit lower next week. Here's hoping :ohwell:0 -
Goal calories =1800
Start wt last wednesday = 171
Avg cal consumed = 1950
Avg exercise =221
Avg net this week = 1728
End wt today = 170.6
Only .4lbs but I'm happy enough! I think I need to tighten it up a little more maybe to push over the 1/2 lb/week threshold.
Excellent. Appears you are having no problem eating at higher calorie level!
True on that 150 extra avg daily, that's almost 1/3 lb week. Schedule is a killer on what to eat sometimes.
oH YEAH...I have no trouble eating more haha. Maybe if I try to eat a smidge less I might bump that number a bit lower next week. Here's hoping :ohwell:
Don't be scared off by smaller losses just yet - take measurements as well as standing on those scales. You could be surprised.
I'd personally give it 2-3 wks at what you're eating at the moment and see if its really stopping you from losing more than what you lost this wk in wt / cms. If it is, then you can modify it a bit, but you should give your metabolism a good chance to speed up again with the extra fuel before you strip bits away.0 -
Whoo hoo! I got up this morning and a pound and a half of my gain from the last week is gone!!! I hope my body is used to this way of eating now and I will continue to lose weight/inches!!! Thanks for all your help!0
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Whoo hoo! I got up this morning and a pound and a half of my gain from the last week is gone!!! I hope my body is used to this way of eating now and I will continue to lose weight/inches!!! Thanks for all your help!
Congrats. Just a little resetting there needed hopefully.0 -
Progress Week 5
Current BMR = 1756
Goal calories = 2462
Average calorie intake per day = 2482
Average Exercise burn per day = 418
Average Net Calories = 2065
Net above BMR - 309
Weight lost this week = 0.2 lbs
And 1 inch on waist lost.
The other measurements, arm, thigh, calf, are pretty much muscle already, but at least I didn't lose any showing I kept burning muscle like last week.
I kept workouts calmed down a bit, besides adding a rest day.
Adjusting calories for fact of that other rest day now. 24300 -
Progress Week 5
Current BMR = 1756
Goal calories = 2462
Average calorie intake per day = 2482
Average Exercise burn per day = 418
Average Net Calories = 2065
Net above BMR - 309
Weight lost this week = 0.2 lbs
And 1 inch on waist lost.
The other measurements, arm, thigh, calf, are pretty much muscle already, but at least I didn't lose any showing I kept burning muscle like last week.
I kept workouts calmed down a bit, besides adding a rest day.
Adjusting calories for fact of that other rest day now. 2430
awesome stats
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Current BMR = 1452
Goal calories = 1757
Average calorie intake per day = 1742
Average Exercise burn per day = 180
Average Net Calories = 1562
Net above BMR = 110
Weight lost this week = NONE
Stayed the exact same weight. Quit sad.0 -
Stayed the exact same weight. Quit sad.
Do you do any measurements? And add those for logging on MFP Check-In area?
The ones for estimating bodyfat% are pretty decent, because they hit a couple spots to show the fat is coming off, though that may not be the first areas to lose the most. They also do a couple that can show if muscle is being burned as I discovered on my monthly measurement. I'm thinking of doing it more often though to confirm accuracy and direction, perhaps bi-weekly.
www.gymgoal.com/dtool_fat.html
calf, thigh, hip, waist, forearm, wrist
If you feel like a spot check of your weekly activity and placement in the calc, feel free to message me the details.
But those figures appear about right.
Since the real deficit is totally from daily activity outside real exercise, has that been at a decent level lately or changed? Or could be improved?0 -
1 1/2 down this week ,not a full week either so really pleased ,so i just carry on now eating same cals and see how I go0
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Stayed the exact same weight. Quit sad.
Do you do any measurements? And add those for logging on MFP Check-In area?
The ones for estimating bodyfat% are pretty decent, because they hit a couple spots to show the fat is coming off, though that may not be the first areas to lose the most. They also do a couple that can show if muscle is being burned as I discovered on my monthly measurement. I'm thinking of doing it more often though to confirm accuracy and direction, perhaps bi-weekly.
www.gymgoal.com/dtool_fat.html
calf, thigh, hip, waist, forearm, wrist
If you feel like a spot check of your weekly activity and placement in the calc, feel free to message me the details.
But those figures appear about right.
Since the real deficit is totally from daily activity outside real exercise, has that been at a decent level lately or changed? Or could be improved?
No...my measurements did not change either. I've been lifting weights to try to build some muscle mass, but so far no numerical triumphs. I don't know how people are managing to lose 1+ lbs/week. My body doesn't even want to give up a fraction of a pound right now. I missed one workout last week and so adjusted the calorie intake down a bit. I think I must be doing something a bit wrong. Maybe I'll send you some info to spot check 0 -
OK heybales, would you mind checking this for me? Ultimately I get about 5 legitimate workouts per week and the rest is miscellaneous walking to/fro.
sleep 7.5 hrs/7 days
reading/tv 4hrs/day x 5 weekdays
reading/tv 6hr/day x 2 weekend days
workout routine:
spinning 1 day/week (45min)
running 2 days/week (30min/run)
vinyasa yoga (I'd say moderate hardness) 1 day/week (1 hr)
weight training 2 day/week (30min/session on same days as running)
easy running or hill walking or elliptical workout 1 day/week (30 min)
misc.
work break walk: 10min brisk walk 4 days/week
weekend shopping/errands Saturday (2 hrs or more)
weekend cooking on Sunday (3-5 hrs) and cleaning (2 hrs)
rest of the time i'm sitting on my bum kicking back or working
starting weight is a bleak 171 lbs
goal weight is a very far away 135 lbs
ht = 63in
age = 29
the body fat calculators on the website you linked gave me anywhere from 24-40%... not easy to interpret0 -
sleep 7.5 hrs/7 days
reading/tv 4hrs/day x 5 weekdays
reading/tv 6hr/day x 2 weekend days
workout routine:
spinning 1 day/week (45min)
running 2 days/week (30min/run)
vinyasa yoga (I'd say moderate hardness) 1 day/week (1 hr)
weight training 2 day/week (30min/session on same days as running)
easy running or hill walking or elliptical workout 1 day/week (30 min)
misc.
work break walk: 10min brisk walk 4 days/week
weekend shopping/errands Saturday (2 hrs or more)
weekend cooking on Sunday (3-5 hrs) and cleaning (2 hrs)
rest of the time i'm sitting on my bum kicking back or working
starting weight is a bleak 171 lbs
goal weight is a very far away 135 lbs
ht = 63in
age = 29
Ok, so you can compare to your spreadsheet, here's where I put things, probably where you did too. But that way if the routine, especially workouts, change, you can adjust easily.
Rest
- 7.5 hrs x 7 days - sleep
- 4 x 5 - reading/TV
- 6 x 2 - TV/reading
Heavy
- 0.75 x 1 - spin
- 0.5 x 2 - running
- 0.5 x 1 - run/hill/elliptical
Moderate
- 0.17 x 4 - walk
- 0.5 x 2 - weights
Light
1 x 1 - yoga
8 x 1 - shopping/cooking/cleaning
Very Light
- got 10.08
Current BMR - 1470
Future maintenance - 1843
Avg daily net without exercise - 373
So pretty close to the 1800 you went for. If your are reliably hitting it. I agree if you miss a workout, skip a snack that day.
So from those workouts at Mod and Heavy, if you have decent estimates of workout calories, and added them up for the week / 7, would hopefully not be more than 373, but shy about 100.
So estimating in case you don't have HRM estimates - http://www.am-i-fat.com/calorie_calculator.html
Spin between mod and vig - 539 (make it 646 if you really push it like most spin classes can)
Run 5mph - 328 x 3 (make it whatever your speed really is)
Walk 4mph - 62 x 4 (whatever speed is)
Weights between gen and vig - 185 x 2 (make 246 if vigorous)
2141 / 7 = 305
So you should not be netting below your BMR on avg, with just barely a safety margin of 68. Which I'm going to say the yoga is using up.
So what of the daily activity is creating a deficit then? If you move all that workout time (3.93) from Heavy/Moderate into Rest, the total at current you is your non-exercise daily activity burn that is creating that deficit. And this is still underestimated, but closer.
427 and more daily activity not being fed.
If you had been under-eating for a little while while doing that workout, your body is probably making very good use of new found nutrients and repairing/rebuild muscle now, aerobic training is allowing it to store more glucose/water stores in the muscles - all good needed things since you are exercising to improve the body.
I will suggest, once you get to the point of eating at that 1843 level reliably for a couple weeks and feel perhaps just barely twinges of being hungry at certain brief times, and if you have been doing this workout routine steady for couple months, your body needs a reset and recovery.
No workouts for the week, gentle walks 3mph or slower only during that same time you would have worked out.
Eat at your BMR level only, 1500 daily. Leave the goal on 1843, just visually confirm daily is 1500.
This has great effect of letting body recover from active routines, and gives more daily activity you don't feed, to burn fat stores.
Usually on return, you'll find yourself stronger and faster, and lighter!
Just a suggestion that I saw somewhere and applied during a heavy workout routine, and seen many more comment on benefits of it. Depending if I had something busy take away my workouts already, I'll do this every 6 wks. So far this winter I seem to get sick often enough it's taken care of already, ugh.0 -
Here is a weekly spot-check for me using the spreadsheet.
Start BMR 1397
Food Exercise Net
Monday, March 05 1665 312 1353
Tuesday, March 06 1863 776 1087
Wed, March 07 1616 420 1196
Thursday, March 08 1886 456 1430
Friday, March 09 1611 0 1611
Saturday, March 10 1857 481 1376
Sunday, March 11 1647 233 1414
Weekly totals 12145 2678 9467
Daily average 1735 383 1352
End Weight DOWN .2 pounds
End BMR 1396
Net above BMR -43
If I understand this method correctly, then my NET calories should be below my current BMR (1396), right? So overall for this week, my daily average did accomplish that goal....but this week I had 3 days where that wasn't true - maybe I should be eating a little bit less?
Some additional information about me, I have been trying to follow this method since the beginning of February and have been losing about a pound a week (this particular week was my smallest weight loss, but I'm not complaining!)....I am about 30 pounds from my goal weight. Mifflin goal weight activity calories = 552 and total calories = 1809
I welcome any feedback!0 -
Ok heybales! Thanks so much for the in-depth analysis!!
I think I will try a week "off" and of eating 1500 calories. We'll see if maybe it helps out. Back when I started my weight-loss journey in 2009 I would reliably lose 1-2 lbs/week until I got to about 160 lbs and then it really slowed. The lowest I ever got was 151 and I was injured so I couldn't even run! Maybe there is some truth to the idea that the "break" from working out is what got me through that plateau last time.
The yoga I listed is pretty strenuous yoga. I actually don't know how much it burns. I have a heart rate monitor but I haven't set it up to calculate calories burned yet. I suppose that's something that could be very helpful!!0 -
If I understand this method correctly, then my NET calories should be below my current BMR (1396), right? So overall for this week, my daily average did accomplish that goal....but this week I had 3 days where that wasn't true - maybe I should be eating a little bit less?
Some additional information about me, I have been trying to follow this method since the beginning of February and have been losing about a pound a week (this particular week was my smallest weight loss, but I'm not complaining!)....I am about 30 pounds from my goal weight. Mifflin goal weight activity calories = 552 and total calories = 1809
I welcome any feedback!
Actually, the avg daily net should be above your BMR, slightly or big gap, depending on how much workouts you have. Now, since this method has net calories moving all over the place each day, I doubt -43 is that bad, but if you have more muscle now than BMR calc would be expecting, then it actually could be higher.
If you really reached that 1809 you estimated, that would NET you over your current BMR better. Should be eating just a tad more actually I think.
You have been one of the steadiest losers.
The idea of this method is to still eat back exercise calories in essence, but you just spread them over the whole week for balance and include them in daily goal. This then causes the deficit to be ALL other daily activity. The kind of activity that draws mainly from fat stores and doesn't need to be fed.
For a decent view of what that daily activity is that is creating your real deficit, do the following.
Save the spreadsheet of course.
Move the collective hours of Heavy and Moderate levels to Rest level. Meaning, take the column Hrs / wk for Heavy and Moderate and add them together, and enter that total under Rest as say 4.5 hr x 1 day.
On the lines under Heavy and Moderate, just delete the Days / Wk figure is enough.
Now, under the column for Current weight, there is your non-exercise daily activity calories still slightly underestimated. That is what you are not feeding.
Is that value greater by a little bit than the avg 383 you burn on avg daily from exercise? And in reality, that daily stuff is more, because the activity calculator still probably doesn't have ALL the time you spend doing non-rest stuff.
There have been a few studies lately showing how the daily activity has a greater bearing on weight loss. Not fitness, but weight loss. Because it doesn't stress the body out that much, doesn't require repair/rebuild level of calories to be eaten, ect.
So this system is meant to cover your exercise calories, and maximize deficit on daily activity calories, and protect the BMR, and teach us to eat like we are going to anyway.0 -
For a decent view of what that daily activity is that is creating your real deficit, do the following.
Save the spreadsheet of course.
Move the collective hours of Heavy and Moderate levels to Rest level. Meaning, take the column Hrs / wk for Heavy and Moderate and add them together, and enter that total under Rest as say 4.5 hr x 1 day.
On the lines under Heavy and Moderate, just delete the Days / Wk figure is enough.
Now, under the column for Current weight, there is your non-exercise daily activity calories still slightly underestimated. That is what you are not feeding.
Is that value greater by a little bit than the avg 383 you burn on avg daily from exercise? And in reality, that daily stuff is more, because the activity calculator still probably doesn't have ALL the time you spend doing non-rest stuff.
Before updating the spreadsheet, "current weight BMR-Mifflin" is 2011. Updated the spreadsheet as you suggested and "current weight BMR - Mifflin" is 1520, which is 168 more than my daily average NET calories, but 491 less than my current weight BMR. I'm not sure which number I'm supposed to be comparing to.....if to the current weight BMR, then yes, it's higher than my 383 average burn by just over 100 calories. Should I try upping my daily calories by about 100/day or 700/week?
Thanks again for your insight & help!!!0 -
Before updating the spreadsheet, "current weight BMR-Mifflin" is 2011. Updated the spreadsheet as you suggested and "current weight BMR - Mifflin" is 1520, which is 168 more than my daily average NET calories, but 491 less than my current weight BMR. I'm not sure which number I'm supposed to be comparing to.....if to the current weight BMR, then yes, it's higher than my 383 average burn by just over 100 calories. Should I try upping my daily calories by about 100/day or 700/week?
Thanks again for your insight & help!!!
It is in that column with the 3 lines under Current weight BMR- Mifflin that you are reading.
But it is the line for Activity Calories is the main one.
But you said Current Total with the revision is 1520, and current weight BMR is 1396, so that means daily activity calories is about 124 underestimated slightly.
I find that hard to believe, 124 calories for ALL your non-sleeping non-exercise activity. So I think you may have other daily activity you are not counting. That may mean you included a bunch more under Rest that doesn't really belong (leave exercise hours there for now), or some Light stuff that should show up.
Once you review that type of activity, now see what the Activity Calories say for Current weight.
Then put the workouts back where they belong under Heavy and Moderate and take that time out of Rest for them.
So there is your Goal Weight Total Calories to use now for daily goal.
Also, that 491 difference between totals before and after exercise is taken out, means the greatly underestimated exercise calories was 491, which is likely a whole lot more in reality. Which means you were for sure still undereating by a decent amount.
You got a very good workout routine for exercise that means - wow.
Edit: The online spreadsheet has now been updated with a section at the bottom that shows the expected deficit.0 -
Hey Everyone!
So I have been stuck on a plateau for 1.5 months (actually gained 3 pounds, not sure from where to be honest) after a steady loss. I workout 6 days a week and burn an average of 2000+ cals a week, doing a combination of compound weight training and HIIT cardio. I eat relatively well, as in no fast food, but my biggest food sin is probably garnola bars (Luna, Fibre 1 ect.) as a student they are just convenient. So when I ran into these posts, I was intrigued.. Did the calculations. Decided, you know what? Why not? I have been getting so frustrated!
So here are my stats:)
Current weight 158
Goal Weight 130
Height 5'3
Body Fat 31.2% (from fat2fab)
From the Fabulous spreadsheet
For Miffin
BMR Calories 1299
Activity Calories 642
Total Calories 1940
For Harris
Goal Weight - Harris
BMR Calories1393
Activity Calories688
Total Calories 2082
I think I will start to eat up at 1940 and see how it goes. Reporting back next week to tell ya'll how it went.
Over and out
oh and HeyBales, you quite simply rock:)
Rim0 -
So I have been stuck on a plateau for 1.5 months (actually gained 3 pounds, not sure from where to be honest) after a steady loss. I workout 6 days a week and burn an average of 2000+ cals a week, doing a combination of compound weight training and HIIT cardio. I eat relatively well, as in no fast food, but my biggest food sin is probably garnola bars (Luna, Fibre 1 ect.) as a student they are just convenient. So when I ran into these posts, I was intrigued.. Did the calculations. Decided, you know what? Why not? I have been getting so frustrated!
So here are my stats:)
Current weight 158
Goal Weight 130
Height 5'3
Body Fat 31.2% (from fat2fab)
From the Fabulous spreadsheet
For Miffin
BMR Calories 1299
Activity Calories 642
Total Calories 1940
I think I will start to eat up at 1940 and see how it goes. Reporting back next week to tell ya'll how it went.
Welcome, thank you.
I will say with that kind of a good routine, get ready for your body to have a chance to recover if you have been eating really low for a while. Glucose/water storage especially after a lot of HIIT training, which really drains those stores. Muscle rebuilt better, ect.
Several very valid beneficial reasons I could see weight going up.
And to make sure it's good reasons, if you have been netting more than 400 below 1940, like eating at 1500 or below and NOT eating back exercise, I'd recommend going up slowly on cals.
Eat just 200 more each day for a week, then week after another 200, ect. Don't want body viewing this as gift to hold on to, but to increase metabolism.
And actually another recommendation if there is a big gap between current eating level and 1940, that has worked for those that tried, the week you'll be eating at your current BMR level, don't do any real workouts. Just walk no faster than 3mph during that time allocated for exercise. That's mostly fat burning easy work. Your routine could easily be screaming for a recovery week.
Just some thoughts so first couple weeks are as successful as they can be. Definitely keep the measurements going, since that will likely be the main thing seen dropping.0 -
Heybales,
I had upped my calories up the past couple of weeks, and I have no problems eating my calories back
. I was actually considering dropping them back down before I saw all your posts:) I do athletic conditioning, so I can't stop working out for a week, but since I have been eating about 1500+ cals for the past couple of weeks I don't think 1940 will wreck havoc. I am just glad that I now have some kind of idea/guideline that makes sense to try out. Put me in a gym and I am in my zone, with eating I have been just floundering and it has been adding unneeded stress. :P But NOW, I have a plan. I like plans:) This makes sense, I am always worried I will be losing muscle mass with too little cals, so if I can eat 1900 maintain/ build em up and lose weight...I might just send you a fruit basket along with a couple of Scientific Journals:P
I will keep on measuring and cleaning up my calories. I am excited for trying it out consistently! 0
