Help with numbers!

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Laurieann137
Laurieann137 Posts: 95 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi Everyone,

I need some help figuring out numbers. My TDEE is 1939, my BMR is 1416 accordig to Harris-Benedict Formula and 1273 according to Katch-McArdle. MFP has me at 1240.

Here is my problem. I have lost 33lbs by eating around the 1200 calorie mark but according to this I should eat more. I am hungry a lot, but that's probaby because I don't always pick the best foods to eat even though I stay in my calorie range. When I have tried upping my calories I gain and it never stops! So do I up my calories??

Then second...if 1240 is my calorie mark, is that my net number after I exercise or just what I eat (meaning I would be below that after exercise?

Thanks for your help! I know others have posted like this but when I read them I feel like I get more confused! lol!

Replies

  • Ravenesque_
    Ravenesque_ Posts: 257 Member
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    in the same boat, i just posted a thread like it!

    profiled so if you get an answer, I can read it!
  • Awkward30
    Awkward30 Posts: 1,927 Member
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    At what pace are you losing weight. If it is faster than 1-2 pounds/week, raise your calories. If you are, as you said, hungry, you should raise your calories (or raise the quality of your calories). Being hungry is not a requirement of weight loss. I spend most of most days pretty full. I actually tried to go up to maintenance yesterday but fell short because after my 40g protein shake I couldnt choke down my planned dinner. In fact, that's a trick I recently learned. As difficult as I find it, breaking 100g of protein really does, in addition to helping me maintain lean mass, keep me full. http://www.dashingdish.com/ has a lot of protein shake recipes that are delicious!
  • Laurieann137
    Laurieann137 Posts: 95 Member
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    Sounds good! All these numbers confuse me!!! UGH!! Let me know if you find anything on your end. Add me as a friend if you would like!
  • dlyeates
    dlyeates Posts: 875 Member
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    I'm in the same boat. My TDEE is around 2300 with my BMR around 1500ish. I lost the first 30ish lbs on 1200 also but when I went back over the first 6 months at that calorie count and looked at my weigh ins I also had 3 of those months total as plateaus with no weight loss.

    I upped my calories to 1430 (because I couldn't bring myself to up it to my BMR--which I've heard you shouldn't eat under anyways) for lent and with watching what I ate carefully and exercising I only lost 1.2 lbs.

    The research I've done for myself is that I should be around 1800 calories so I upped mine to 1750 (I'm still a wuss) which is 500 calories off of your TDEE to lose 1 lb per week. Since you have less weight to lose you should probably focus on losing less per week.

    Based on my research and what I'm doing I think you should be around 1500 ish. You should ALWAYS eat back your exercise calories!!! This calorie number already works in a deficit (as does the number MFP gives you) and so you should NET the minimum amount. Good luck. I can't tell if upping the calories a week ago is working because I just started strength training at the gym and TOM is visiting so I'm on a scale hiatus!!!

    Good luck....it's not easy!!!
  • LovingLisa2012
    LovingLisa2012 Posts: 802 Member
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    to answer

    "Then second...if 1240 is my calorie mark, is that my net number after I exercise or just what I eat (meaning I would be below that after exercise?"

    net is calories consumed (food) - calories burned .. you basically want to eat your workout calories

    if you have a net of say 2000 ( using the help section math) one way to get there is

    eat 2500 and burn 500 ( 2500 - 500 = 2,000 net)

    or in your case 1240 net .. if your hungry eat some of your workout cals back
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    I am hungry a lot, but that's probaby because I don't always pick the best foods to eat even though I stay in my calorie range.

    I think the idea that people are never hungry is incorrect. If you're creating a calorie deficit you may be hungry at times. Try drinking some water or a warm liquid.

    I would be very careful about adding additional calories. If you do, do it gradually and see if you actually lose weight. If you're wrong you'll be in a worse position.

    All I can say is that all the people I know who've more or less maintained their weight over the years did not do it by adjusting their calories upward. When they saw their numbers going up, they ate less and tried to be more active.
  • Awkward30
    Awkward30 Posts: 1,927 Member
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    I am hungry a lot, but that's probaby because I don't always pick the best foods to eat even though I stay in my calorie range.

    I think the idea that people are never hungry is incorrect. If you're creating a calorie deficit you may be hungry at times. Try drinking some water or a warm liquid.

    I would be very careful about adding additional calories. If you do, do it gradually and see if you actually lose weight. If you're wrong you'll be in a worse position.

    All I can say is that all the people I know who've more or less maintained their weight over the years did not do it by adjusting their calories upward. When they saw their numbers going up, they ate less and tried to be more active.

    Not true, I'm only hungry when I make questionable choices. And the better the choices I make, the less able I am to eat up to even my allowed goal. I was like 300 cal under my 500 cal deficit the day that I wanted to see if I could polish off a pound of baby carrots. There was also a large TMI problem after that episode lol...
  • ladyace2078
    ladyace2078 Posts: 460 Member
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    I posted this on a couple other posts but since a couple people liked the explanation, maybe it will help you as well. Here is how I think of weight loss and how many calories to eat:

    I want to lose 12 lbs, which at 3500 calories/lb I have 42,000 calories in storage that I want my body to use up and get rid of.

    I use 1600 calories a day just pumping blood, breathing, organ function (BMR) and another 1000 calories a day in exercise (weight training, HIIT) and moving around (walking to my car, cooking dinner, etc), so I burn a total of 2600 calories (TDEE).

    If I want my body to use some of the calories from my storage of 42,000, I have to feed it less calories than I burn in a day. So when I eat about 2200 calories a day, my body will use 400 calories a day from my storage of 42,000 calories to cover all of my activity of 2600 calories. That means my 'storage' or extra 12 lbs is being whittled away at 400 calories a day.
  • Mustangsally33
    Mustangsally33 Posts: 63
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    Hi Everyone,

    I need some help figuring out numbers. My TDEE is 1939, my BMR is 1416 accordig to Harris-Benedict Formula and 1273 according to Katch-McArdle. MFP has me at 1240.

    Here is my problem. I have lost 33lbs by eating around the 1200 calorie mark but according to this I should eat more. I am hungry a lot, but that's probaby because I don't always pick the best foods to eat even though I stay in my calorie range. When I have tried upping my calories I gain and it never stops! So do I up my calories??

    Then second...if 1240 is my calorie mark, is that my net number after I exercise or just what I eat (meaning I would be below that after exercise?

    Thanks for your help! I know others have posted like this but when I read them I feel like I get more confused! lol!

    Go To http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/ go and read http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/538381-in-place-of-a-road-map
    This should help with your question, they did for me :)

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