AM I EATING ENOUGH

katcod1522

minimum you should eat is bodyweight * 10

I dont think a 224lbs person should eat 2260 cals a day to lose when they are only 5' 4.....More like TDEE minus 20% and minus a few hundred more at the beginning...my opinion only after reading and learning lots.

Sabine_Stroehm

minimum you should eat is bodyweight * 10

So if I were a 400 pound woman I should eat 4000 calories to lose weight? Some how I don't think so.

Not sure about that math but if you use me as an example with a 2399 BMR and burning about 500 cals a day in workouts I shoot for 3000 cal a day. I'm losing weight and gaining muscle.

But you're a fit canuck! Excellent user name btw.

mmapags

minimum you should eat is bodyweight * 10

So if I were a 400 pound woman I should eat 4000 calories to lose weight? Some how I don't think so.

Well a deficit shouldn't be larger than 20% for most people, people who are more severely obese can get away with a bigger deficit. And this formula has a deficit built in, thanks for your time.

Yeah, I still don't buy it. If I weigh 100 I should eat 1000? Soon I'll be 90....
I think it works for SOME people. I think it's a some what dangerous generalization.

You are taking the 10X as an absolute. It is not. And let me say that I generally agree with Pu's approach. You are taking extremes and trying to apply the logic. 2 things. It doesn't apply in the extremes and what he said was 10X is the absolote minimum. When you look at the 100 lb person that is way too low. You are comparing an extreme.

When you look at the 400 lb person, they can handle a higher deficit because of their extreme obesity. For awhile, until they reach that middle zone that most of us live in. Then the rule of thumb is 15x to maintian, 12x for a reasonable deficit, 10 x as a minimum. Pu has said once in this thread and multiple times in other threads that the jump off point is 12x. See how it goes. If losing too much increase to, say, 13 x. If not losing drop to 11x.

This will work and is comparable to other formulas including MFP and fat2fitradio.com. Like any system, there are exceptions in the extremes. All you've compared to are 2 extremes. Try a comparison to a more moderate example like someone who is 180 lbs and 30 lbs overweight and see what you get

Sabine_Stroehm

minimum you should eat is bodyweight * 10

So if I were a 400 pound woman I should eat 4000 calories to lose weight? Some how I don't think so.

Well a deficit shouldn't be larger than 20% for most people, people who are more severely obese can get away with a bigger deficit. And this formula has a deficit built in, thanks for your time.

Yeah, I still don't buy it. If I weigh 100 I should eat 1000? Soon I'll be 90....
I think it works for SOME people. I think it's a some what dangerous generalization.

You are taking the 10X as an absolute. It is not. And let me say that I generally agree with Pu's approach. You are taking extremes and trying to apply the logic. 2 things. It doesn't apply in the extremes and what he said was 10X is the absolote minimum. When you look at the 100 lb person that is way too low. You are comparing an extreme.

When you look at the 400 lb person, they can handle a higher deficit because of their extreme obesity. For awhile, until they reach that middle zone that most of us live in. Then the rule of thumb is 15x to maintian, 12x for a reasonable deficit, 10 x as a minimum. Pu has said once in this thread and multiple times in other threads that the jump off point is 12x. See how it goes. If losing too much increase to, say, 13 x. If not losing drop to 11x.

This will work and is comparable to other formulas including MFP and fat2fitradio.com. Like any system, there are exceptions in the extremes. All you've compared to are 2 extremes. Try a comparison to a more moderate example like someone who is 180 lbs and 30 lbs overweight and see what you get

I just think it's an over simplification. Thus, my extremes. Why not suggest folks figure out their BMR, their activity level, factor in their age, gender... all of which will factor in to weight loss.

mfpcopine

minimum you should eat is bodyweight * 10

So if I were a 400 pound woman I should eat 4000 calories to lose weight? Some how I don't think so.

Very good point. There must an assumption at work there, for example, maybe they're talking about people in a certain weight range. I think these guidelines are probably less helpful for people at either end of the spectrum, people with a lot to lose and people with little.

brneydgrlie

MFP automatically calculates a deficit in the amount of calories you should eat, based on what you want to lose. So when you exercise, you are encouraged to "eat back" your exercise calories. Are you consuming 1200 calories, and then burning 600 calories in exercise? That would mean the calories your body actually has available to use for energy, functioning, etc, is really only 600 (this is the concept of NET calories). That is not enough to sustain muscle mass during weight loss. This is most likely why you have been told to eat more. Calculating NET calories is something that is debated here in the boards. Some people "eat back" all their exercise calories, some only eat some, and other people eat back none. I have seen several posts of people being stuck at plateaus for a long time, and weight finally came off again once they decided to try eating back their exercise calories.

Sabine_Stroehm

minimum you should eat is bodyweight * 10

So if I were a 400 pound woman I should eat 4000 calories to lose weight? Some how I don't think so.

Very good point. There must an assumption at work there, for example, maybe they're talking about people in a certain weight range. I think these guidelines are probably less helpful for people at either end of the spectrum, people with a lot to lose and people with little.

And I worry, on a weight loss site that slightly over fat folks will see the X10 and think: "I must eat exactly that" which often leads to "I'll do even better if I eat less than that!".... and then things can get dicey...

southernsweetie1978

I'm wonder this too. I'm 5'4" and 226 pounds and I was also recommended 1200 calories. But then I used this calculator; http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm and it suggests 1800 calories for extreme fat loss. So what's up? I am losing weight steadily but 1200 a day is hard.

Hmm..I just tried that calculator link you gave and it gave me the following when exercising 3 days a week.

Maintenance 1818
CALORIES/DAY

Fat Loss 1454
CALORIES/DAY

Extreme Fat Loss 1168
CALORIES/DAY

I am shocked that it would list 1168 because that would be considered starvation mode according to MFP when you go below 1200 the thing gives you in big letters, "that's not enough"..lol

lillebanon

Today I wrote a blog about my successes eating MORE, and how you can do it too.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/lillebanon/view/my-take-on-eating-more-to-weigh-less-254554

And I mention this in the blog, but for sure, check out the group on here Eat More to Weigh Less

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/3834-eat-more-to-weigh-less

BlowYourMind

I eat my exercise calories back though...

crash_clu

Why are you trying to lose more weight? At 5'4 & 128, you're nicely placed in the recommended weight range for height. If you do light strength/weight training to tone up, you may in fact put on a little more weight as you build and tone muscle, but you're still going to be at a healthy weight.

If you've plateaud, it may be that your body is telling you that it is happy where it is. Find a daily calorie intake that works for you for maintaining your body weight with your regular exercise and let your body tell you when it is happy.

Fit_Canuck

minimum you should eat is bodyweight * 10

So if I were a 400 pound woman I should eat 4000 calories to lose weight? Some how I don't think so.

Not sure about that math but if you use me as an example with a 2399 BMR and burning about 500 cals a day in workouts I shoot for 3000 cal a day. I'm losing weight and gaining muscle.

So you're not "eating the "MINIMUM" recommended?

God no, I was getting so sick on eating the MFP minimum, starving all the time, getting colds it just wasn't enough calories

BlowYourMind

I've confused people, but I meant to tone up, since the majority of people doing 30 DS are typically more toned than losing weight..

jules0516

As a newer person thats trying to understand how the whole calorie thing work..if I wasn't confused BEFORE reading this thread-I am now!!

tigersword

I've confused people, but I meant to tone up, since the majority of people doing 30 DS are typically more toned than losing weight..

If you're not trying to lose weight, why are you eating so little? And why are you worrying about a plateau?:huh:

Drastiic

As a newer person thats trying to understand how the whole calorie thing work..if I wasn't confused BEFORE reading this thread-I am now!!

Just read this and you won't be confused anymore:
http://body-improvements.com/resources/eat/

Prudiddy

I know exactly how you feel. I don't have the answers because I need help too just began the program.
Good luck

brneydgrlie

If you are not trying to lose weight, and instead you are trying to tone and gain muscle, then most of the exercise calories you eat back should be high in protein.

malins2

Today I wrote a blog about my successes eating MORE, and how you can do it too.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/lillebanon/view/my-take-on-eating-more-to-weigh-less-254554

And I mention this in the blog, but for sure, check out the group on here Eat More to Weigh Less

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/3834-eat-more-to-weigh-less

Interesting, I followed your instructions in your blog to see how much I should eat and it turns out that if I would eat back all my exercise calories I would be eating too much... How I eat and exercise now I'm at a projected weightloss of about 0.5lbs a week according to Katch-McArdle, and according to MFP if I would eat even more I would lose 1 lbs/week...If I would eat like MFP says when I exercise I would actually gain weight according to Katch-McArdle. It's good to know when I get comments that I should eat all my exercise calories back! Because i think the Katch-McArdle is more correct than MFP.

MsMargie1116

I KNOW! I've been doing 1,200 + excercise cals for as long as I could remember, but I'm at a plateau and have been feeling helpless!

if you're talking to me, i said "that's the minimum" a good place to start is bodyweight * 12... see how that goes for a month.

No not you... But okay, so the minimum is like the 1,200 that MFP recommends?

128 * 12 = 1536

That's where you should start off at

I don't know that is a correct calculation... I am at 281 and if i multiply that by 12, that's over 3,000 calories... that's how I gained... I think starting at the calculation MFP recommends plus eating all your exercise calories is good... or if you don't trust MFP's calculations, I would call my doctor or a nutritionist...