Help please

smspencer

Could someone please help me work out my calories?

I don't know if I should add my exercise into the calculator and eat those same calories each day? Or whether I should use sedentary for the calculator and then add my exercise in manually?

Which is best?

TadaGanIarracht

Do you have a heart rate monitor? Without one chances are the exercise calories you add are over exaggerated.

psuLemon

Could someone please help me work out my calories?

I don't know if I should add my exercise into the calculator and eat those same calories each day? Or whether I should use sedentary for the calculator and then add my exercise in manually?

Which is best?

I have found that including exercise into your base calculation works best as you are not chasing calories. Also, it's important to refeed your body on non workout days so your muscle can repair. If you want to post your height, age, weight and your exercise routine, I can help figure out your calorie goal.

smspencer

Ah yes, that makes sense. I will do that then, thank you :-)

Erm, I'm 5ft 4, weigh 11 stone 1 and I'm 39. I exercise 5 or 6 days out of 7 - it varies though, sometimes I do a Body Combat or Body Pump class, sometimes I walk hills on the treadmill, sometimes I do a workout round the gym doing a little on all the machines. I always work hard and sweat loads though, and I always do about an hour.

smspencer

Forgot to say - my goal is to get down to 10 stone - at the moment the weight is just not budging. Would like to tone up as well.

chachita7

I have it set to sedentary - that way on the days I don't work out I don't have to worry about whether I am over eating or not -- the lil number makes me want to eat more, lol

La364q

Get a Fitbit @ fitbit.com sync it with MFP and everything will be done.

chelsifina

I have since this question asked many times before and I've concluded that it's one of those things that is different for everyone. I've tried both, and I prefer to have my settings on moderate to account for the normal activities in my daily life, and then add in exercise that I do. Right now I am experimenting with eating gluten free and not logging food, but logging exercise to keep me active. I have changed my approach at least 5 times in the last year and half to adapt to how my needs change and what I learn about myself.
Having an HR monitor definitely helps if you choose to add in your exercise separately, but if you aren't consistent in your workouts (in terms of weekly calorie burn) then including workout in your activity level might work against you. If you are consistent, then there's one less thing you have to worry about. If the scale isn't moving right now, tweak your settings. If it still isn't moving in a month (it takes my body three weeks to adjust to new diets/exercise routines) then tweak again. Just don't give up. Your aim here is not to do what's right, but find out what works best for you. That's a more complex journey, and its hard to figure out sometimes, but we'll all be here to be your sounding board and cheer you on when you need it!

smspencer

Thank you :-)

I am just feeling really despondent about it all - I've been trying for 4 years to get to 10 stone and I only started at 11 stone 9!! I just yoyo all the time. I upped my exercise 5 weeks ago and since then there has been no change on the scales or on the tape measure :-( And I've been watching what I eat. I just need to know how many calories to eat :-/

psuLemon

Ah yes, that makes sense. I will do that then, thank you :-)

Erm, I'm 5ft 4, weigh 11 stone 1 and I'm 39. I exercise 5 or 6 days out of 7 - it varies though, sometimes I do a Body Combat or Body Pump class, sometimes I walk hills on the treadmill, sometimes I do a workout round the gym doing a little on all the machines. I always work hard and sweat loads though, and I always do about an hour.

Based on the stats, you should be around 1750-1800 calories daily. This assume about a 1400 calories BMR, you are moderately active and we can aim for a 20% deficit

CN = 1400 * 1.55 *.8 = 1736


If you want, you can put 1 lb per week in MFP and make it moderately active or you can take my calculations and do a custom setup. I generally do 35% carb, 40% protein and 25% fat.

Also, can you open your diary to see what you are eating.

smspencer

Have opened it. Still can't get my figures right though. If I put in sedentary it comes up with 1200, if I put in active it comes up with 1470. If I put in your figures, it says I'm only on a 270 deficit - that should be higher though, right? . Am I being thick?

Also, 1700 a day seems like loads - will I really lose on that?

smspencer

posted in error

amandab1669

I looked at your diary and even though you are set at 1700 calories you are not reaching that at all. I think you should eat at least 1500 calories a day and drink water. I don't see any water logged in your diary and that will really help. Depending on your weight and height determines wether your calories are too much. I suggest going online to a few different sites to see how many calories you really should be eating to loose weight. That is what I did and I am at 1500 calories and that works for me. It looks like you are under eating which will make your body hold onto the fat. Hope this helps

smspencer

Thanks Amanda. I do drink lots of water - I just don't log it. Maybe I'm undereating then - it just goes against what I've always been led to believe - that to lose weight you eat less. It's so confusing. Also I have only just set it to 1700 - it was on 1500 and then 1200. I will go for 1700 for a while then but I think I will gain on that :-/