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  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,404 MFP Moderator
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    What is a good goal for sodium intake? I am always way under MAP goal levels. What should I have that set to?

    2000 - 2500 mg per day is a good goal.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
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    Confused.

    If you're at 18% body fat, that means you have about 96.75 lbs of lean body mass.
    Dropping to 105 (without losing lean) would mean you'd have only 8.25 lbs of fat left, which would give you a body fat of about 8%.
    If you lost 50% of those lbs as lean mass (which I don't understand why you'd want to lose your muscle), you'd have a body fat of just about 14%, which is at the very bottom end of athletic normal.
  • SparklesPlenty
    SparklesPlenty Posts: 90 Member
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    Maybe my BF % has gone up. May be time to get remeasured.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,404 MFP Moderator
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    Either way to lose 10-15 lbs and have that little body fat means muscle loss. Again stop worrying about the scale and look to gain muscle.
  • ebaymommy
    ebaymommy Posts: 1,067 Member
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    There is NO WAY on this earth that your TDEE is 1470. I'm 5'3 and mine is 2400, and I don't work out! Walking is my excercise. Try running your TDEE and BMR numbers on a different site, also looked through your diary and it's my opinion too that you're not eating enough. I eat 1800-2000 each day. Good luck, I hope you get it sorted.

    That's what I was going to say. I don't see how your TDEE could be 1470. I'm 5'5" and 124lbs and my TDEE is over 2500 (I exercise quite a bit). I would need at least 1700-1800 on a rest day, though.
  • valligator
    valligator Posts: 54 Member
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    So it seems like a lot of people here are advising you to up your calories (I think you should too). My question is if you are willing to try it.
  • SparklesPlenty
    SparklesPlenty Posts: 90 Member
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    So it seems like a lot of people here are advising you to up your calories (I think you should too). My question is if you are willing to try it.

    Of course I am. Or I wouldn't have asked for help :) I am already planning meals to try and eat cleaner as well as increase my calories.
  • SparklesPlenty
    SparklesPlenty Posts: 90 Member
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    So here is a question, where can I find a good calculator to better figure out my BMR and TDEE?
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
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    So here is a question, where can I find a good calculator to better figure out my BMR and TDEE?

    Google the "Harris-Benedict Equation" to accurately calculate your BMR. It involves some math, so get a calculator and a pencil :)
  • ebaymommy
    ebaymommy Posts: 1,067 Member
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    So here is a question, where can I find a good calculator to better figure out my BMR and TDEE?

    I've used this site before:

    http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

    Inputting my stats and using "heavy exercise" it gives me 2300/day for my TDEE. According to my BodyMedia Fit the last 28 days I've averaged a burn of 2600/day, but I've been increasing my workouts because I'm in training for a marathon. If I used the highest activity setting on the fitnessfrog site (the daily exercise w/physical job) it gives me 2525/day. Pretty close!
  • ebaymommy
    ebaymommy Posts: 1,067 Member
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    I also wanted to add that I just peeked at your diary, didn't look through a lot of days or very closely, but I would say you should probably track your sodium. It seems like you're eating a lot of pre-packaged foods or lunch meats that are just jam-packed with sodium. And where's the food? Holy cow, I'd starve on that little bit of food every day. I try to eat pretty clean, at least I aim for about 80% good, wholesome foods and then 20% junk to indulge my cravings. :) My diary is open, feel free to take a look.

    And by the way, hello neighbor to the east! I saw you're in Green Bay.....I live in Stevens Point. :)
  • SparklesPlenty
    SparklesPlenty Posts: 90 Member
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    So after using 3 different calculators I came up with an average TDEE of 1968. My BMR averages at 1295. So what would be a good place to set my calories?
  • ebaymommy
    ebaymommy Posts: 1,067 Member
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    So after using 3 different calculators I came up with an average TDEE of 1968. My BMR averages at 1295. So what would be a good place to set my calories?

    Since you are already small and are not looking to lose a lot of weight, it's best to keep your deficit really, really small. 10-15% deficit would be good for someone your size. I rounded to 1950 for your TDEE just for easy math....that would put your total daily calorie intake between 1650-1750.

    I would recommend upping your calories gradually. When I started upping mine in January I increased them 100-200 calories a day for a couple weeks, then upped them again. And it doesn't have to be a lot (volume-wise or bulk) of food you eat, just get in the habit of replacing low-fat/diet foods with whole-fat, real foods. Add some nuts or peanut butter to your day and you can easily add 200 calories without feeling overly stuffed full.
  • SparklesPlenty
    SparklesPlenty Posts: 90 Member
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    Thank you!
  • ebaymommy
    ebaymommy Posts: 1,067 Member
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    One more thing....if you are eating based off your TDEE minus a deficit then you do not want to "eat back" your exercise calories. I just stopped logging my exercise on MFP because I base my eating off my daily calorie burn per my BMF. So I'm not telling you to net 1650-1750 a day, but to make that your total intake regardless of exercise. You have already calculated your average weekly exercise with your TDEE number, so you don't want to double-count it.
  • Echo17121
    Echo17121 Posts: 111 Member
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    Not sure why no one has said it but I noticed that you have at least one alcoholic beverage a day. If you really want to lose weight, it is probably best to cut that down or at least pick a lighter beer! You are losing 100-200 calories in alcohol alone. That could be good foods right there!
  • SparklesPlenty
    SparklesPlenty Posts: 90 Member
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    One more thing....if you are eating based off your TDEE minus a deficit then you do not want to "eat back" your exercise calories. I just stopped logging my exercise on MFP because I base my eating off my daily calorie burn per my BMF. So I'm not telling you to net 1650-1750 a day, but to make that your total intake regardless of exercise. You have already calculated your average weekly exercise with your TDEE number, so you don't want to double-count it.

    Thank you for pointing this out!
  • SparklesPlenty
    SparklesPlenty Posts: 90 Member
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    Not sure why no one has said it but I noticed that you have at least one alcoholic beverage a day. If you really want to lose weight, it is probably best to cut that down or at least pick a lighter beer! You are losing 100-200 calories in alcohol alone. That could be good foods right there!

    i usually drink miller 64. I just need to avoid the happy hours that offer two for one deals!
  • Bikini_Bound150
    Bikini_Bound150 Posts: 461 Member
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    Uh huh... everything that everyone else has said. You already knew this so change what you're doing and you'll see results.
  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,250 Member
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    I have opened my diary and am desperately seeking answers to why I am GAINING weight. I know you will all tell me to eat more, but if you look back several days you will see I vary my calories up and down and don't always under eat. SO take some time if you will and help me figure out this problem. Seriously I am GAINING weight. I thought it was just water but it is not going away and has been sticking around for weeks. I used to weigh 104 now I weigh 118. The only thing I have changed is I have started working out regularly since February 1. Which seems like it should be helping not hurting my weight loss efforts.

    Be gentle, I am not usually the type to open up.

    Edited to add: I weigh 118 I am 5'2" my Body fat is 18% and has not changed so I am not gaining muscle My BMR is 1174 TDEE is 1470

    I do weights at the gym MWF and do the 30 day shred daily.

    It could be anything from water retention to muscle growth.

    Out of interest, what bodyfat percentage is your aim, because 18% is very good already.

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