calculators smalculators..

pnut80

ok so i am a complete dummy when it comes to figuring out all these different weight loss calculators and stuff! i wondered if anybody could give me some advice about what im doing and what i should be doing and i thank you a million times in advance :happy:

so heres the scoop...i started out at 148.6 lbs in january. i am 5'0" and 31 yrs old (since most of these things ask how old and all) i started out on weight watchers but discovered MFP and took up calorie counting instead of WW. since january i have lost 17 lbs! (wooo hoo!!) my goal weight is 125..ish, at least 125...maybe a lb or 2 more would be ok but not under 120.

i recently starting slowing WAY down with my weight loss...i am stuck in the 131/132 range. what i have been doing as far as diet and exercise is this. im eating around 1200 cals(never less than) everyday except workout days, and on those days i may eat 1400-1500 depends on how many calories i burn. i workout 4-5 times a week and usually burn at least 400 on those days. so i sometimes have 100-300 cals leftover for the day.

my question is this, am i eating too few calories? should i be eating all the calories that i burn as well? i know it gets harder the closer you get to your GW but im starting to wonder if im starving myself or somethin! i just dont know what to do to get the weight drop goin again..and im getting a little frustrated :mad: ! i guess im at a plateau or something, but i just want to make sure its not something that im doing to myself by not eating enough.

and as far as all the calculators out there like the TDEE and BMI...its confusing as all get out to me! well mainly the TDEE...i just dont understand how to apply that to my weight loss :frown:

and if any of you have actually taken time to read this book i just posted i do appreciate it lol! and any help is GREATLY appreciated!! :happy:

yarwell

the TDEE is how much you use in a day - calories. If you have a deficit from that - perhaps 15% or 500 calories - then the deficit is supplied by using up your fat reserves.

So if the TDEE is truly the Total daily energy expenditure you would subtract a percentage or a fixed amount of calories to decide how much to eat.

MFP works using TDEE excluding exercise, then increase the goal as you exercise, anticipating you will eat the calories you burn exercising. So the deficit is built into the goal and stays constant by changing the goal in response to exercise.

pnut80

so if i am going solely by MFP, and not looking at TDEE, then i need to be eating back the calories? im sorry...im really dumb about this stuff lol

yarwell

so if i am going solely by MFP, and not looking at TDEE, then i need to be eating back the calories?

Exactly. MFP sets its goals without exercise, then expects you to eat back your exercise to preserve the original deficit.

You might want to limit yourself to 50 - 70% of exercise calories in case they are overestimated.

pnut80

ahhhh! ok i usually try to leave some calories and ive felt bad for even eating any of them back. but i just kind of feel like maybe i need to be eating more or something. i will give this a try and see how it goes...thanks! :-)

JessLLoser

Yes if you go by MFP you should be eating back all your exercise calories.

You could find your BMR and set it as your MFP goal.

Then eat back all your exercise calories.

Remember you burn calories while standing and sitting so if you hear the burns are too high don`t worry about it.

Just eating a little more will probably pull you out of your plateau. Your body is telling you it needs a break.

You could eat a maintenance for two weeks, or start eating back your exercise cals.

Congrats on your weight loss.

pnut80

thanks so much! and i will definitely give that a try as well...im willing to do whatever to nudge my bod back in gear