Seeking Insight - Cal vs Exercise vs LBS Lost

foraubs

Hi everyone!
I hope I've put this in the right place to get some help from someone who is perhaps quite a bit more knowledgeable than myself.

I'm currently 181lbs. My goal is 150lbs-ish.
My settings on MFP that I am following dictate for 1200 cal/day intake and 610 calories burned/wk with exercise with a goal of, obviously, dropping some weight.

I'm not. I feel like I should be seeing a bit more movement on the scales (which I could also be wrong about) because of the following:

I've averaged out the last 7 days, which are typical to my intake/output behaviours.
On average, I take in 1381 cal / day.
On average, I am burning 1870 cal / wk. (and the week previously was about 4150 cal burned)
My main source of exercise is walking.

And now I am at a loss.

I recognize that there are days where I am eating slightly more, and there are days where I get myself moving slightly more.

I am looking for some advice as far as modifications with intake/output/diet to potentially see some greater results. I feel like I am going wrong somewhere and I am hoping someone has an eye for it and can possibly suggest to me where.

I appreciate your time .... thanks!

foraubs

Another cause of confusion:

I use MapMyWALK to track my walking/bicycling distances/speeds more accurately to utilize on this site.
Based on the same information I've input there, it is advising that my daily caloric intake should be 2415????

SexyMidnight

you definetly need to do your bmr and tdee!! google search these calculators and figure it up then set it manually in your settings for mfp! you are eating to few calories for sure!

foraubs

There are a ton of factors that aren't considered. Metabolic issues, insulin resistance, suppressed metabolism, Things of that sort.

Inaccuracies, how accurate are you tracking your exercise burn, if you use a HRM how accurate is it?, how closely are you measuring the food. Just because a food says it's a 100 calories, it might be 200... you really don't know.

how accurate is the calorie limit MFP set for you???

To much for errors in everything regarding weight loss...

I measure as accurately as possible.
RE: exercise (walking/biking) I use the app I mentioned that maps my distance, time and average speed. I use that to base calories burned.

I only log activities that are above and beyond what I would normally do in a day.

RE: food
I use a food scale to measure to the best of my ability and I ensure every item I log is accurate, either by checking a pre-populated entry with the packaging, or by entering it myself. I'm not sure how much more accurate to get than that?

As for the accuracy of the MFP calorie limit .. I don't know. That's one of the reasons I've posted this for assistance because I have no idea how accurate it is.

psyhunter

First of all, I think you should figure out your BMI, which equals to the weight(in kg)/the square of your height(in metre). If your BMI rounds 25 or more, then you probably should stick to your walking exercise plan, which should at least last an hour per day, otherwise more aerobics and some other fast-paced exercises should be added it since walking merely is not enough for you. I personally lost amost 25 pounds for a month and a half and I am keeping losing it!!! My BMI was 28 since then but now it's only 23.6. But you should really look out your daily intake-boiled and steamed food is your first choice and DO QUITE soft drinks!!!

You've already had a good start and you should have more faith cuz it's always slow at the beginning but will accelarate later on as long as you do give up.

P.S. How long do you walk everyday, and how fast? It's said that only 5km/hour or more helps losing weight but I usually go with 4km/hour.

wild_wild_life

I agree you are probably not eating enough. You are only netting about 1100 on average. Are you eating all the calories MFP recommends based on you goal weight loss per week? If so, and it's still only 1100 net, you may have chosen an unrealistic goal (ie would do better at 1lb per week vs 2).

Knowing your BMR and TDEE would be helpful.

foraubs

you definetly need to do your bmr and tdee!! google search these calculators and figure it up then set it manually in your settings for mfp! you are eating to few calories for sure!

According to www.bmi-calculator.net, my BMR is 1620.95.
According to www.fitnessfrog.com, my TDEE is 2221.

Now that I've got these numbers, I'm not entirely sure where to go from here ...

chrystinebailey

One thing I have found is that my body becomes use to the workouts that I am doing, try high insensitive work out
It tricks your body so it doesn't get use to one thing and really helps shed the weight

foraubs

First of all, I think you should figure out your BMI

According to www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi my BMI is 30.1

you should really look out your daily intake-boiled and steamed food is your first choice and DO QUITE soft drinks!!!

I drink, on average, 10-12 glasses of water/day and only the occasional juice or alcoholic beverage.

P.S. How long do you walk everyday, and how fast? It's said that only 5km/hour or more helps losing weight but I usually go with 4km/hour.

Again, averaging ... I'd say 30-40 minutes of walking / day at an average speed of 3.5mph.

foraubs

I agree you are probably not eating enough. You are only netting about 1100 on average. Are you eating all the calories MFP recommends based on you goal weight loss per week? If so, and it's still only 1100 net, you may have chosen an unrealistic goal (ie would do better at 1lb per week vs 2).

Knowing your BMR and TDEE would be helpful.

I am usually eating all of the calories recommended by MFP.
Right now, this application has me set to lose 1.8lb/wk with 2,100 calories burned / day from normal daily activity.
On the advice of another reply, I've found out my BMR and TDEE and have posted it.

Thanks for the replies thus far.

Drastiic

According to www.bmi-calculator.net, my BMR is 1620.95.
According to www.fitnessfrog.com, my TDEE is 2221.

Whichever number you pick, just remember that those numbers are ESTIMATIONS. In order to find what works for you, you have to get results. In order to get results, you should try to be as consistent as possible and eat the same number of calories per day, keeping your activity fairly consistent. Record your weight change weekly for 3-4 weeks. Average out the numbers and if you're losing 1-2/lbs per week keep doing what you're doing. If you're gaining or staying at the same weight, adjust your calories down and/or increase activity. If you're losing more than 2 lbs per week and noticing a performance decrease, adjust your calories up and/or decrease activity.

The first 3-4 weeks are kind of like a big experiment to see what happens. Based off your results, you'll have a better idea of what your intake should be.

wild_wild_life

you definetly need to do your bmr and tdee!! google search these calculators and figure it up then set it manually in your settings for mfp! you are eating to few calories for sure!

According to www.bmi-calculator.net, my BMR is 1620.95.
According to www.fitnessfrog.com, my TDEE is 2221.

Now that I've got these numbers, I'm not entirely sure where to go from here ...

So let's say around 2200 is what you need to maintain your current weight at your current activity level (including exercise). To lose, it's recommended to cut it by 10-20%, so that would be by 220-440 calls in your case, so you would shoot for 1760 to 1980 calls per day. These would be net calories, because you don't eat more for exercise with this method because it is already factored in.

You can see now you are eating way below that, which can be stressful for your body and slow your metabolism over time.

It's also generally recommended to eat at least your BMR. If you are really resistant to eating 1760, you could try 1620 but I would not go below that.

mcarter99

How long have you been trying? If it's been one week, that's not long enough to see results clearly. You could've lost a pound of fat and gained muscle, be retaining water, all kinds of things. Give it a month. I don't use this site's tools to tell me what to eat but if you're truly eating less than 1400 calories a day you will lose weight at I expect around 1 lb/week. I put in my data in that TDEE calculator and it's about 10% higher than my Fitbit says, and I know the Fitbit is roughly accurate based on past weight loss rates I've experienced with it. With your BMR, I imagine you're like me and you burn 1800-2000 most days, unless you really up the activity. So at 1400 cals, that's about 500/day deficit = 1 lb/week loss. Hang in there! Keep counting carefully! Some packages round down the servings. Use the weight of the food if you eat a lot of packaged food.

fit4me27

I have a lot to learn also but i think you should use a tape measure. Sometimes it takes a little bit for things to show up on the scale. Keep your head up and good luck!

foraubs

So let's say around 2200 is what you need to maintain your current weight at your current activity level (including exercise). To lose, it's recommended to cut it by 10-20%, so that would be by 220-440 calls in your case, so you would shoot for 1760 to 1980 calls per day. These would be net calories, because you don't eat more for exercise with this method because it is already factored in.

You can see now you are eating way below that, which can be stressful for your body and slow your metabolism over time.

It's also generally recommended to eat at least your BMR. If you are really resistant to eating 1760, you could try 1620 but I would not go below that.

Thank you for all of your input.
To clarify and condense...
You would recommend upping my caloric intake to 1620 cal/day with my *current* activity level, not eating back exercise calories?

foraubs

How long have you been trying? If it's been one week, that's not long enough to see results clearly. You could've lost a pound of fat and gained muscle, be retaining water, all kinds of things. Give it a month. I don't use this site's tools to tell me what to eat but if you're truly eating less than 1400 calories a day you will lose weight at I expect around 1 lb/week. I put in my data in that TDEE calculator and it's about 10% higher than my Fitbit says, and I know the Fitbit is roughly accurate based on past weight loss rates I've experienced with it. With your BMR, I imagine you're like me and you burn 1800-2000 most days, unless you really up the activity. So at 1400 cals, that's about 500/day deficit = 1 lb/week loss. Hang in there! Keep counting carefully! Some packages round down the servings. Use the weight of the food if you eat a lot of packaged food.

I have been actively and quite meticulously counting since February 2012. Almost 4 months. In that time I have lost 17lbs and approximately 22 inches. I feel like I have just come to a bit of a standstill and if there is something I can do within my power to make some adjustments to move forward I'm willing to play around a bit.

foraubs

I have a lot to learn also but i think you should use a tape measure. Sometimes it takes a little bit for things to show up on the scale. Keep your head up and good luck!

I think that is great advice and I have done so. I've lost about 22 inches in the last 4 months (and it's been about a month since I've measured.) I am more concerned with the inches coming off, the way clothing fits and the way I feel rather than the numbers on the scale. HOWEVER, I can't help but to think that they should be dropping, too .. and that something I am (not)doing is to blame.

mcarter99

I know you're not asking me but I would not up my calorie intake.

So you've lost about a pound a week (aha, like I thought!) Sometimes we do everything right and just plateau. Usually I find when you finally break the plateau, it's wonderfully-- like I'll plateau for months and then BAM drop 5 lbs. quickly.

wild_wild_life

So let's say around 2200 is what you need to maintain your current weight at your current activity level (including exercise). To lose, it's recommended to cut it by 10-20%, so that would be by 220-440 calls in your case, so you would shoot for 1760 to 1980 calls per day. These would be net calories, because you don't eat more for exercise with this method because it is already factored in.

You can see now you are eating way below that, which can be stressful for your body and slow your metabolism over time.

It's also generally recommended to eat at least your BMR. If you are really resistant to eating 1760, you could try 1620 but I would not go below that.

Thank you for all of your input.
To clarify and condense...
You would recommend upping my caloric intake to 1620 cal/day with my *current* activity level, not eating back exercise calories?

Yeah, sorry that wasnt clear. People have different opinions on whether you should gross or net your BMR (meaning just eat that amount or eat that amount plus exercise cals). Technically, BMR is what your body needs for basic organ function, so it makes sense to me to eat a little over it especially if you are active. You could try eating back the calories, eating back half the calories, and/or not eating any and see how it goes. You may start losing again at 1620 gross (or 1400 as another poster said if your TDEE is closer to 2000) and then plateau again and need to increase it a bit more.

wild_wild_life

At the risk of making it more confusing, if you want to work within the guidelines of MFP, you should get roughly the same numbers by changing your weight loss goal to 1lb per week and then eating your exercise calories. MFP will give you a TDEE that's your baseline TDEE without exercise factored in (so can't be compared with other TDEE calculations), takes a deficit from that, and then expects you to eat the additional calories from exercise so your deficit isn't too big. It may be that aiming to lose 1.8 lbs per week is too fast. People with less to lose can't lose that fast.

Obviously you will get different opinions on this but this is my take on it. You may just have to try different things and see what works.

foraubs

At the risk of making it more confusing, if you want to work within the guidelines of MFP, you should get roughly the same numbers by changing your weight loss goal to 1lb per week and then eating your exercise calories. MFP will give you a TDEE that's your baseline TDEE without exercise factored in (so can't be compared with other TDEE calculations), takes a deficit from that, and then expects you to eat the additional calories from exercise so your deficit isn't too big. It may be that aiming to lose 1.8 lbs per week is too fast. People with less to lose can't lose that fast.

Obviously you will get different opinions on this but this is my take on it. You may just have to try different things and see what works.

I wasn't confused. You were quite clear and I thank you for that. I just wanted to make sure I was understanding you properly before I made some changes.

That being said, I went to change my goals, and at a goal of 1lb/wk with the same activity level, it has increased my caloric intake from 1200/day to 1600/day.

I suppose I will keep at it and work within the new parameters for a few weeks and see where it leads me.

I am very thankful for your time and effort in helping me understand more, as well as everyone else who has posted a reply.
You guys are awesome.

wild_wild_life

So let's say around 2200 is what you need to maintain your current weight at your current activity level (including exercise). To lose, it's recommended to cut it by 10-20%, so that would be by 220-440 calls in your case, so you would shoot for 1760 to 1980 calls per day. These would be net calories, because you don't eat more for exercise with this method because it is already factored in.

Sorry, I misspoke -- I meant to say 1760 to 1980 TOTAL calories, not net. When you use any TDEE calculation except MFP's for your maintenance cals, you are dealing in total calories consumed without adjusting for exercise. This works well if your exercise habits are pretty consistent.

wild_wild_life

At the risk of making it more confusing, if you want to work within the guidelines of MFP, you should get roughly the same numbers by changing your weight loss goal to 1lb per week and then eating your exercise calories. MFP will give you a TDEE that's your baseline TDEE without exercise factored in (so can't be compared with other TDEE calculations), takes a deficit from that, and then expects you to eat the additional calories from exercise so your deficit isn't too big. It may be that aiming to lose 1.8 lbs per week is too fast. People with less to lose can't lose that fast.

Obviously you will get different opinions on this but this is my take on it. You may just have to try different things and see what works.

I wasn't confused. You were quite clear and I thank you for that. I just wanted to make sure I was understanding you properly before I made some changes.

That being said, I went to change my goals, and at a goal of 1lb/wk with the same activity level, it has increased my caloric intake from 1200/day to 1600/day.

I suppose I will keep at it and work within the new parameters for a few weeks and see where it leads me.

I am very thankful for your time and effort in helping me understand more, as well as everyone else who has posted a reply.
You guys are awesome.

No problem -- best of luck!

foraubs

Sorry, I misspoke -- I meant to say 1760 to 1980 TOTAL calories, not net. When you use any TDEE calculation except MFP's for your maintenance cals, you are dealing in total calories consumed without adjusting for exercise. This works well if your exercise habits are pretty consistent.

So, at 1600/day (according to MFP) now should I carry on as usual and if I happen to be slightly over here and there not hang myself for it?

wild_wild_life

Sorry, I misspoke -- I meant to say 1760 to 1980 TOTAL calories, not net. When you use any TDEE calculation except MFP's for your maintenance cals, you are dealing in total calories consumed without adjusting for exercise. This works well if your exercise habits are pretty consistent.

So, at 1600/day (according to MFP) now should I carry on as usual and if I happen to be slightly over here and there not hang myself for it?

Personally I would try to stick to the amount MFP recommends, so eat more than this if you exercise. 1600 is already a deficit of 500 per day. If you burn 300 calories, then your deficit is 800 which may be too large for your weight. I would try to keep a 500 cal deficit personally. Of course it is all an estimate so you may have to play around with it. People argue that the calories burned according to MFP are too high, etc, so you could try eating 1/2 back as a compromise. You might do fine on 1600 total. I think it's also ok to look at your weekly instead of daily totals so you can be under some days and over some days. Definitely don't hang yourself!

foraubs

There are a ton of factors that aren't considered. Metabolic issues, insulin resistance, suppressed metabolism, Things of that sort.

Inaccuracies, how accurate are you tracking your exercise burn, if you use a HRM how accurate is it?, how closely are you measuring the food. Just because a food says it's a 100 calories, it might be 200... you really don't know.

how accurate is the calorie limit MFP set for you???

To much for errors in everything regarding weight loss...

I measure as accurately as possible.
RE: exercise (walking/biking) I use the app I mentioned that maps my distance, time and average speed. I use that to base calories burned.

I only log activities that are above and beyond what I would normally do in a day.

RE: food
I use a food scale to measure to the best of my ability and I ensure every item I log is accurate, either by checking a pre-populated entry with the packaging, or by entering it myself. I'm not sure how much more accurate to get than that?

As for the accuracy of the MFP calorie limit .. I don't know. That's one of the reasons I've posted this for assistance because I have no idea how accurate it is.

I think you're misunderstanding. I am saying everything is inaccurate. For example your exercise, lets say 3.0mph for 20mins.
You think you burn the same number of calories as someone who runs that speed who weighs twice as much as you do? What about a person who weighs just as much as you do but is 2x more fit than you are?

Food: The package isn't always correct either. I have 2 containers of oatmeal different brands. They nutrition info is the same, but one say 0.5 cups is 75g another says 80g. Have you ever seen a food that isn't a multiple of 5? For example a food that is 133calories? or 173 calories? They always round down. To make you think you're consuming less calories. Sometimes in pork they fill it up with water, they literally inject water in to it to make it weigh more. I don't know if you eat pork or not, that's not the point. My point is food companies lie and try to trick you.

I'm very well aware of the misleading packaging and the 'requirements' that aren't as stringent as they should be.
I thought, however, that you were asking me how accurate *I* was being based on the information we are all provided with.

I get that it's all a guessing game. I'm just looking for my guestimations to be as accurate as possible.

unknownat34

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/512956-tdee-what-is-it-and-why-you-should-not-eat-below-your-bmr

unknownat34

Sorry I linked this to the wrong post.....sorry bout that.

sullymanjohn

My best guess would be that you need to start lifting weights. Heavy weights. Just for a little bit to put some fresh muscle on to eat up some more body fat over time. Take some time to gain the muscle and ignore the whole not losing weight thing for a few weeks. it'll be a good way to shake things up a bit and kick that nasty plateau