**READ THIS** Figuring out your calorie goals

sjebert

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em9371

I've tried to get to Helloitsdan via a personal message but maybe you guys can help me out. Here are my thoughts and questions.......


A little background on me......I am fairly new to all of this fitness and weight loss stuff and have only been on MFP for a few weeks. I have been dieting using the PINK Method by Cynthia Pasquela since the end of January and have lost 15 pounds so far. I am getting to these last 5-10 pounds and things have come to a halt which is why I am snooping around for what to do!

First question, at one point in the original post, Dan said to measure your waist 1" below the belly button but the Fat2 calculator states "Note: Women should measure the natural waist circumference at the point of minimal abdominal circumference, usually located about halfway between the navel and the lower end of the sternum (breast bone)." That's above the belly button at the smallest point. There is a a couple of inches difference between these two locations for me so I think it matters which one to use.

Second, I think I ran my numbers right and was hoping you could verify that for me.
Height: 5'1"
Weight: 127
Age: 42
Goal: 115-120 ---> not sure what would be best.
Work outs: Moderate 3-5days/week

I got these numbers:
Military Body Fat: 25.9% given 12" neck, 28" smallest circumference above belly button (1inch below is 30"), 35" hip
BMR via Katch McArdle: 1293 Based on Moderate exercise.....1930
TDEE = 1930 x 1.20 = 2316

With this, my calorie intake should stay between 1930 and 2316 to lose weight and I would never eat back calories from a workout unless my workouts burnt more than 437 calories (1930-1293+200). Given that, I would eat whatever I burnt over and beyond 437 calories. Example, if I burnt 600 calories via a workout, I would eat back 163 calories (600-437). Do I have all this correct?

Being so short, I have always been told I need to eat so much less than the average Jane Doe. I have been currently trying to stay around 1200 calories with a diet rich in protein and veggies along with some good carbs like CousCous or brown rice and fruits. It's been a lot of hard work and sweat to get 15 pounds off of me. Adding 700 calories to my diet is scary. Any other advice or recommendations for me in my specific situation?

One more thing.....lots of talk about macros and setting them. I have no idea how to do that. I can't even figure out how to set my calories specifically. Under Settings/Update your Diet Profile there are just options to fill in and MFP automatically sets your calorie intake based on those options. From the post, it seems like somehow you can bypass these options and tell MFP how many calories you want to consume. Any direction for setting macros and calorie intake would be greatly appreciated.

If you can help me on any of these points, I would greatly appreciate it!!!

BMR is min so always eat above 1293
TDEE is max, usually what you would eat to maintain so eat less than 2316
The number in the chart is your TDEE - 20% so you should ideally eat 1930
Im confused where you got the 437/200 from. dont eat back exercise unless your workouts take you below BMR so you can burn 637 without eating back (1930-1293)

If you are currently eating much less than this, put your calories up gradually maybe 100 a week if you dont want to see a gain, or just go the whole amount at once, dont worry about the gain and stick with it for a few weeks.

To change your macros, go to home>goals>custom goals.

hope this helps x

imnotyourpal

Love!

abouck

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mississippi_queen

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Brianabomb

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gwynb041109

Bump for later

brearune

saving!!

Smashleymae10

Thank you

getfitdiva

B-U-M-P

erickirb

This number is static and I only recommend eating back so your NET is at least 200 above BMR.

This is not only very interesting but also slightly depressing - my body fat % is more than half of my weight!! Ugh. Okay, I'm working to change that. My question has to do with the sentence I quoted above. According to my BMR I should eat 1624 calories or with the KMF BMR I should have 1352 calories. But! (Isn't there always a but?), I'm counting myself as moderately active, so that bumps my calories back up to 2179. And then I read that I should eat back to at least 200 above BMR.

So which BMR do I choose from?? I'm thinking the higher of the three numbers (which gives me 2379 calories/day) but want someone else to say that I've got this figured out correctly.

It means 200 more than BMR not TDEE your BMR is the 1352.

Seahawk27

Saving for home!

_kimberly

great info, thanks!

microburst20

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cressievargo

Bumping because I have been using this method and it WORKS.

I'd also like to add this - since upping my calories using this formula - I have MORE ENERGY & have been working out more and not feeling like I'm going to die halfway through the exercises!

I also am in a better mood, have better umm, well, TOM (I know, way TMI, but many ppl don't realize how many different ways too low of a calorie intake can effect your body), I am not getting as many headaches, my skin looks better.

sweetmspea

I printed this out so that look it over and really understand it. I want to make sure I am doing the right thing. Thanks for the info.

cassietn

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portlandsundevil

Bump. Thanks for the info.

StarletteS

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PrncessBre

Bump!

LiteBrite007

jeniferdawn6

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tandroes

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ldominguez1986

Ok, I get confused by all this stuff. I have been using MFP for three weeks now and so far so good. I have been using their math for losing weight. According to MFP I should eat 2010 calaries a day to loose 2lbs a week. I check my BMR and it says 2703 calories. I guess my question is where did MFP get its math from and is it right for most?

SW:321
CW:309
GW:230 or less

height:5'10"

hazymary

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aggiesrar05

This has always confused me. My BMR is 1552 so I should have this as my daily goal and work out to decrease this? So if I went for a bike ride somedays I would knock 800 off that easy. Do I have to eat the extra 800 cals...else I am going to get ill from eating way over my norm..x

Yes eat them, as you should not net below BMR. doing what you suggest would be like eating 752 (1552-800) and not exercising, which is missing the point of eating at least BMR.

If you regularly burn 800 cals say 5 days/week your average daily TDEE would be 1552*1.2 + 571 (800*5/7) = 2433. the calc is a little different but I am showing how regular acivity *1.2 and exercise would fit in.

So do lose weight you should eat between 10 and 20% below TDEE which would be 1946 (2433*.8) to 2190, but would not eat back exercise cals. So if you eat 1950 and burn 800, you would net below your BMR that day, but the average for the week you would be at your above BMR as on days you don't workout you would be eating above BMR by 400 to 540 but on workout days eating under BMR by . 250-400 cals.

Essentially your TDEE includes exercise cals and if you are active the multiplier would be 1.55 on your BMR to give you 2405, close to the 2433 I calculated above using sedentary and exercise cals.

@erickirb - I get the math and how you are calculating it. What is tripping me up is my exercise is very varied and I'm not sure how I would account for it. As of now I go to CrossFit twice a week and am training for a sprint tri with longer bike rides on the weekend. Any advice would be helpful!

From my calculations:
KM BMR - 1530
TDEE Sedentary - (1530*1.2)=1836
TDEE Active - (1530*1.55)=2372

Here is where I get confused, I am very active but varies throughout the week from a light swim (200cal or so) to 3hrs on a bike (1200+calories). Would it be better for me to use the Sedentary TDEE to make my NET calorie goal the make sure I eat enough to compensate for the activity?

I think the whole eating back the calories is completely counter-intuitive and it has been tripping me up as to how I should set my NET calorie goal without eating below my BMR.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Abri2018

Ive been reading through this and I'm quite confused.. I understand the mechanisms, but.. If were eating back the calories that we work off because we have a certain calorie count our body needs.. how are we losing weight? Is it basically saying if our BMR says to eat 1200, and we excercise 800, eat it back, get back to 1200.. we're going to lose weight?

gogojodee

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vaderandbill

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lucymarie19

Im fully baffled I've read through and it sounds great but I'm a little unsure on the calculations could someone help me out?
Im 143 pounds, 66 inches, 14 neck, 27 waist, 33 hip, f and 19, with those measurements the Military Fat says my body fat is 15.2% this can't be right :S it says i have 21.8 pounds of fat on my body. My BMR is coming up as 1498 if I want to weigh 133 pounds, or 1558 Katch-McArdle. I burn around 450 calories on average about 4-5 times a week. What should I be eating to lose weight?