Major sucess with higher calories!

heybales

Entered information: 32 year old female, 65 inches tall, weighing 162 pounds.

From the information that you entered, you'd like to weigh 140 lbs.

BMR 1273
BF% 43.3%

Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) 2199

So...please tell me what this means?

MFP has me eating 1,300 cals a day. I do workout. Why does this all have to be so confusing...? :grumble:

Confusing because MFP lets you select a weight loss goal that will unwisely set a daily net goal below your BMR.
Notice, eating 1300, but your current BMR 1270. If you do ANY exercise, the body doesn't have enough energy to supply that BMR. If the estimate actually reflects where yours is.
Hoping you still feel hungry often, which means it hasn't lowered.

So that site Dan points to helps protect it.
What it does is take your future BMR and shows what that level of activity would be then.

So you can obtain the same thing on MFP now with those figures, either manually entering them, or tweaking MFP to hit the same thing.
Set activity level to Active (the 2 sites use different scales on this)
And weight goal to 1lb weekly.

This means MFP thinks your daily maintenance is 2097.
And their daily net goal should be 1597.

Which protects your current BMR of 1270.
And opposite of MFP normally works, as long as you don't work out more than 3-5 times a week (more at the 3 end hopefully), you don't need to log the workout calories, because they are included in there already.

vickystrand1

Entered information: 32 year old female, 65 inches tall, weighing 162 pounds.

From the information that you entered, you'd like to weigh 140 lbs.

BMR 1273
BF% 43.3%

Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) 2199

So...please tell me what this means?

MFP has me eating 1,300 cals a day. I do workout. Why does this all have to be so confusing...? :grumble:

Confusing because MFP lets you select a weight loss goal that will unwisely set a daily net goal below your BMR.
Notice, eating 1300, but your current BMR 1270. If you do ANY exercise, the body doesn't have enough energy to supply that BMR. If the estimate actually reflects where yours is.
Hoping you still feel hungry often, which means it hasn't lowered.

So that site Dan points to helps protect it.
What it does is take your future BMR and shows what that level of activity would be then.

So you can obtain the same thing on MFP now with those figures, either manually entering them, or tweaking MFP to hit the same thing.
Set activity level to Active (the 2 sites use different scales on this)
And weight goal to 1lb weekly.

This means MFP thinks your daily maintenance is 2097.
And their daily net goal should be 1597.

Which protects your current BMR of 1270.
And opposite of MFP normally works, as long as you don't work out more than 3-5 times a week (more at the 3 end hopefully), you don't need to log the workout calories, because they are included in there already.

I do try to aim for the 5 days a week work out...does this screw something up?

vickystrand1

This actually makes me nervous...to eat more. I'm not losing now as it is...

becka63

Bumping so I don't have to keep searching!

heybales

I do try to aim for the 5 days a week work out...does this screw something up?

On the high end, potentially.
if you make these high intensity efforts everyday, then go up another activity level.

if 3 are, but 2 are very slow pace like recovery days you should have, then this is fine.

vickystrand1

I do try to aim for the 5 days a week work out...does this screw something up?

On the high end, potentially.
if you make these high intensity efforts everyday, then go up another activity level.

if 3 are, but 2 are very slow pace like recovery days you should have, then this is fine.

Nope....really high paced for me. While on this topic...I always go w/MFP exercise cal count as opposed to my HRM watch. My HRM watch is always MUCCCCCCHHHH higher. Again-see the wonderful sense of frustration! :sad:

heybales

This actually makes me nervous...to eat more. I'm not losing now as it is...

It is actually because of your exercise that you are not losing right now. If you didn't workout for a week, and just walked gently instead, you'd drop some fat easily.

Hows that?!

Your exercise has caused your already eating right at BMR to be less.

So potential healthy BMR of 1200. And that happens to be what you are trying to eat daily, lets assume reaching it.
You do 500 cal exercise 5 days a week (insert your known HRM burn here), that's 350 avg daily (500*0.71). But you don't feed the workouts.

That is leaving your BMR 850 to work with. It has to slow down eventually. That could take 3 days, could take 3 weeks of diminishing weight loss until it settles.

So with slower metabolism, all your daily activity and exercise actually burn less calories now, so lets say recovery up to 900.
So lets assume the sedentary for non-exercise daily activity was correct.
That means 1200 * 1.25 = 1500 daily maintenance level. You had a deficit of 300 daily then eating at 1200, or 0.6 lbs/week.

But now, over some days or weeks, your BMR is now 900, because after exercise takes calories from 1200, that's all that is left.
900 * 1.25 = 1125

So now, your eating 1200 is now maintenance, or more. And this is exactly why if you eat too low, and don't feed your workouts, you can stall out.
Sadly, at this level of food and workout routine, you can easily not be supplying enough carbs, and muscle will get broken down to keep blood sugar up. Less muscle, even easier for slow metabolism.

iamfranniefierce

been at a plateau for several months. Recently i started eating back my excersise calories but not upped my daily intake yet. But stories like yours and others make me feel better about doing it! Ive lost 95 lbs on low fat low cal small portions. So to up that scares the crap outta me! But i just the last few months started excersising and think i do need to up it all. I know i have about 10 pound s or more of extra skin that will never go away. And would prefer to be in my 130's...but with that said the 140's would be like the 130's if that makes sense! I cant seem to push these last 10 lbs! Its frustating! So needless to say im going to keep eating bk my excersise cals. See if that does anything and if not up my daily allowence too! Woohoo im so happy for ya! :happy:

95lbs lost?!? You go, Girl! Looking fab...

heybales

Nope....really high paced for me. While on this topic...I always go w/MFP exercise cal count as opposed to my HRM watch. My HRM watch is always MUCCCCCCHHHH higher. Again-see the wonderful sense of frustration! :sad:

Then you should go by your HRM, as it will be more accurate than MFP, since you are tearing it up!

So set the activity level even 1 higher. Or make 2 of those days low key recovery days. Otherwise, you really aren't getting the max out of your workouts. If the purpose is for the exercise. If the purpose is for weight loss only, then....

Keep in mind a clear distinction.

Diet is for weight loss.
Exercise is for body shaping and heart health. It can enhance or ruin what the diet is doing though.

Do the exercise wrong, and you can actually tear up more muscle than just dieting properly would cause.

iamfranniefierce

Bump!

AnitraSoto

Bump for reference

lilsassymom

I am 30 years old. I am 5'1 and currently weigh 121 lbs. I am aiming to lose about 7 more lbs. I am a stay at home mom to 3 kids ages 4 and under---so I would say I am lightly active. I am on my feet quite a bit doing housework and taking care of my kids. I also workout about 5-6 days a week between 30-60 minutes. I usually burn between 200-400 calories.
I put all this into the Fat 2 Fit radio.com website and it is telling me that my BMR is 1322, I have 20% body fat and that for lightly active I need 1783 calories a day. Can someone tell me is that NET calories? Because if I ate 1783 calories + 200 exercise calories (or 400 depending on my workout) that is A LOT of food. I was currently netting between 1350-1550 calories---but my weight loss has been stalled so I guess I will try it. The scale isn't moving anyways .

That estimate includes all activity, unlike the MFP method that includes no exercise, and you add that back when accomplished.

So if Lightly Active is correct assessment of your daily routine including exercise (notice the descriptions), that is daily goal, not net. But Lightly Active sounds correct for just the kids aspect, but you are exercising, you are much higher, and there is a description for 5-6 days a week exercise, so that is the correct one.

Thank you sooo much for taking time to help us:flowerforyou: . I really really appreciate it.
I was just using "lightly active" because of my kid aspect. So since I also exercise 5-6 days I should at least use "moderately active" instead (moderate exercise 3-5 days a week) which says it is 2010 calories? Today I customized my MFP goal to 2010---and right now it looks like this for example:
Goal 2010
Food 1994
Exercise -377
=Net 1617.
So since I am NOT going for a NET calorie of 2010---then technically I only have 16 calories left correct?

oh, and 1 more question---what about the days I don't workout? Should I lower my calories by about 200-300 and stick to around 1710-1810 calories?

heybales

I was just using "lightly active" because of my kid aspect. So since I also exercise 5-6 days I should at least use "moderately active" instead (moderate exercise 3-5 days a week) which says it is 2010 calories? Today I customized my MFP goal to 2010---and right now it looks like this for example:
Goal 2010
Food 1994
Exercise -377
=Net 1617.
So since I am NOT going for a NET calorie of 2010---then technically I only have 16 calories left correct?

That is correct dead on.
So nice easy goal to keep in mind.

Now you might record in Check-in those other measurements that got you to this goal figure.
That way 10 lb down the road, or drain, you go back and get new values to confirm still at good goal level.

You may have noticed the paragraph above the table values mentions they are doing all this at goal weight, so it really won't change.

twinmomtwice4

bump (definitely want to keep track of this thread)!!

geecee77

Thanks - this is a very interesting thread - bumping for future reference

phoebe2488

Bump for reference!

Adshill

Bump! I am thinking of trying this as I haven't been losing much lately.

RepsnSets

Ive bumped up my calories and feel as if Im eating like a wilderbeast lol but what if your not hungry and you have something like 400-600 cals to go at the end of your day?

Do you just force it down?

christine9157

My girlfriend at the gym was having the same issue so I told her to add about 400 calories in high protein food. She had been dieting at working out for 3 months and only lost 4 lbs. One week eating the extra 400 calories in protein and she dropped 5 lbs in the one week. 3 pounds the next and she hasn't stopped. She came in to hug me and thanks me cuz "I am finally seeing results and my husband doesn't hide from by the evening because I am no longer turning into a bear!"

christine9157

It has me at 1600 a day and although I cheat form time to time (cant pass up on pizza....) I've leaned that just being active is good enough for me.

My question is?? Do we really need to watch our protein? It has it set so low that I blow past it every day... Don't know if it is hurtful

austepants

bump

heybales

Ive bumped up my calories and feel as if Im eating like a wilderbeast lol but what if your not hungry and you have something like 400-600 cals to go at the end of your day?

Do you just force it down?

Calorie dense foods, and fill in the day with more snacks or slightly bigger meals so you don't reach the end so high.

You might also just increase 200 a day for the first week, 200 the next, ect.
if body was used to eating lower, you don't want it viewing this extra food as gifts to hold onto, but to increase metabolism.

Almonds are great for energy, peanut butter. guacamole, ect.

heybales

It has me at 1600 a day and although I cheat form time to time (cant pass up on pizza....) I've leaned that just being active is good enough for me.

My question is?? Do we really need to watch our protein? It has it set so low that I blow past it every day... Don't know if it is hurtful

Protein is good to watch, actually watch it be higher than suggested.

At calorie deficit diet it's good to have extra protein, especially if exercising. Now, higher cals makes it not so bad, but still useful.

Helloitsdan

For a good fat burning diet you woukd want to set protein and fat at 30% each.
It sets the stage fir fat loss.

gatorpdx

This is eye-opening. I'm glad I read this thread.
I've been targeting 1800 cals when my BMR/TDEE is 2400/3750. I've been losing weight for the past month but been a little mad at the scale lately due to stagnant weight loss while keeping the calorie count low... Gonna increase by 200 for each of the next 3 weeks and see how that goes. Thanks!

nickyrobinson

Ive bumped up my calories and feel as if Im eating like a wilderbeast lol but what if your not hungry and you have something like 400-600 cals to go at the end of your day?

Do you just force it down?

What some people do is eat those calories (or at least some of them) the next day.

ThaRealNicki

:drinker: Woohoo! :drinker:

Welcome to the dark side, where we really do have cookies, and have enough calories to eat them.

THIS!!

imcountingcalories

Bump

ThaRealNicki

so if my goal is 1400 cals but i usually burn a thousand in the gym how much would I eat? i need help! Im new to all this net calorie stuff and eating back calories and what not someone please help me !

mexy04

If you reset your goals to 1/2 a pound a week rather than 2 it'll put you at 1530. I've definitely noticed a difference in just a couple days. I noticed with the 1200 cal restriction I'm a tiny push away from gorging, its like walking around holding my breath. A HRM has helped me more accurately count burned cals as well.