Calculating my cals - Help me with my math!!

Shayztar

I am currently weaning my 12 month old and I'm worried about stalling my loss. I am currently eating an extra 300 calories a day because of breastfeeding, but that might be a bit much. I am down to 3 or 4 feeds a day, mostly for naps and morning noms. But I'm not sure how to calculate my new calories based on no breastfeeding. Here's my current data.

I'm 5'7 and currently 184 lbs.
My BMR is approx 1600 calories.
I was eating 1700 including breastfeeding. I was also eating back most of my exercise calories. This might be a little low. I'm not sure. All I know is that I was very unhappy when I first started and I only ate 1200 calories. That was an epic fail. Hence reading up about BMR and TDEE.

Here's my major concern. I am very comfortable with my calories and food intake the way it is right now. I am losing pretty consistantly. The weeks I am not losing weight I am still losing inches. But 300 calories is pretty significant. That's 2100 calories a week. Like more than half pound a week.

Now I am one of those people who doesn't buy into the 1200 calories a day deal anymore. I want to properly calculate my TDEE and eat at a weekly deficit of 3500 to 5250 calories per week under my TDEE. But, am I sedentary or lightly active??

I Zumba 3 days a week. I log all calories burned while wearing my HRM. On off days I either take the kids for a walk in their wagon, or I do light lifting routine with 5 lbs weights, and log those calories burned according to HRM. I also log my bad-*kitten* once a week cleaning where I wash floors and tubs and move furniture around - also all according to my HRM. I take a rest day once a week. But that leaves my daily activities. I am a Stay-at-Home-Mom to two very active toddlers. I am very often on my feet, lifting babies around the house, cooking for them, and picking up toys, laundry every day! I am certainly more active than when I worked a desk job. And when reading the definition of sedentary vs. lightly active, I feel I am probably more like lightly active. But for some reason the definition seems to involve light exercise?? That part confuses me, because does that mean I shouldn't log my exercises if I am going to eat calories according to TDEE?

Sedentary = 1920 TDEE to maintain (seems very low?)
13440 per week - 3500 = 9940 a week = 1420 a day

Lightly active = 2200 TDEE to maintain (isn't that the average caloric intake for the average person?)
15400 per week - 3500 = 11900 a week = 1700 a day

This post is getting long. If you are still with me, thank you! Can someone please help me calculate my calorie intake to keep losing? I have about another 30 lbs to go. But I don't care how long it takes. I am happy with losing inches while gaining muscle and losing fat. I just don't want to gain or stop all together. I also don't agree with eating 1200 calories, or from what I've read, eating less than your BMR is bad too. How badly is weaning my baby going to effect my calories??

Thank you for your help!

p.s. If you look at my diary, please don't judge my food choices. I'm happy with my style of eating.

treetop57

Even the most exact application of the formulas is only going to be an estimate. My recommendation would be to try a number you're comfortable with and shift up or down depending on the results. My guess is that with only 25 pounds to go, one pound a week is already pretty aggressive and more may be too much.

Your ticker proves you know how to do this!

Shayztar

1 lbs a week is too aggressive? I thought it was conservative! Since I am happy with inches, that's something to consider for sure. Since 1700 is a happy place for me with BF maybe it will be a good place after stopping too? It would slow my weight loss a bit, but by how much is hard to gauge now.

Mommyof3texans

I'd argue you are at more likely moderately active - if you use those TDEE numbers minus your deficit, you wouldn't eat back exercise calories unless you would net below BMR which you don't want to do.

treetop57

1 lbs a week is too aggressive? I thought it was conservative!

Just my guess for someone with only 25 pounds to go. Your mileage may vary!

Spanaval

As you near your goal weight, your weight loss could slow down, and that's okay. IME, weaning tends to go slow enough that you should be able to make adjustments to your calorie goals if you find something not working out. Your TDEE is above 1700, so you should lose weight regardless.

Mindmovesbody

No judgement here lady! Lol! I just joined the group Eat more to Weigh Less. I am going to strongly urge you to do the same. There is a ton of helpful info on there from the OP of this group! That being said. I figured out my BMR and TDEE based on what formula was given in that group and instead of adding breast feeding to my diary, I just bumped up my activity level to moderately active. My suggestion based on your height, weight and level of activity is for you to do the same. Only eat back your exercise calories if you are going to be under your BMR for the day. Hope this helps. I can direct you to the link when where all the info is if you would like when I am on a regular computer!

Shayztar

As you near your goal weight, your weight loss could slow down, and that's okay. IME, weaning tends to go slow enough that you should be able to make adjustments to your calorie goals if you find something not working out. Your TDEE is above 1700, so you should lose weight regardless.

Oh duh me! How could I mislook that? LOL That's so true. I knew that posting it in the forums would help! Cause the typical Virgo in me complicated things by numbers. Birds eye view, right?

Shayztar

No judgement here lady! Lol! I just joined the group Eat more to Weigh Less. I am going to strongly urge you to do the same. There is a ton of helpful info on there from the OP of this group! That being said. I figured out my BMR and TDEE based on what formula was given in that group and instead of adding breast feeding to my diary, I just bumped up my activity level to moderately active. My suggestion based on your height, weight and level of activity is for you to do the same. Only eat back your exercise calories if you are going to be under your BMR for the day. Hope this helps. I can direct you to the link when where all the info is if you would like when I am on a regular computer!

Thanks! I will look them up. Sounds like a great group. I never could support 1200 calories. I was eating less than my toddler. It was embarassing.