need macros help...only 8lbs to lose

flynnfinn

hi all.

alright so i'm needing some help...and advice...and suggestions. about me:

-very active 36 year old female, 5'6", 128lbs, 21% body fat (according to that intro post on here with the military info)
-i run/hike/power walk daily, strength training 2-3x a week...according to my heart rate monitor, i burn well over 3500 calories a week. BMR = 1400, TDEE = 2100.
-HCG diet veteran...lost weight but gained it back each time within 2-3 months
-thinking i have a screwed up metabolism from years of undereating

so i'm looking to lose 8-10lbs. and i know this is going to be a slow process which i'm totally ok with. i want to develop better eating habits and make peace with food. i seem to have a problem with carbs. once i get started, i can't stop. and then it turns into a binge eating session. it's really ugly. then i won't eat anything the next day...kid you not...i can go 24 hours without putting a bite of food in my mouth.

i know i'm already within a healthy weight range and a healthy body fat percentage so for anyone who is going to tell me i'm crazy, save your energy responding to my post. plain and simple, i don't like the way my clothes fit. i don't feel comfortable in them and i need to do something about it. and no i am not going to buy new clothes. this is the easy way out and we wouldn't all be here if we always took the easy way out.

after HCG, i held on to 120 for a year and i felt good there. it was HELL maintaining 120 though because 1) i was starving and 2) i wasn't exercising regularly. so now i want to get back down there but i want to eat right and exercise. i'm sick of dieting.

also, i know weight is just a number and body composition is the bigger picture. i would gladly lose inches over pounds too. well, considering i'm fairly small already, i'll even take centimeters. most important thing to me is truly developing healthy eating habits, sticking with a long term fitness plan and fitting into my clothes comfortably.

so if anyone could give me their insight with what my daily caloric intake should be, what my macros should be and how much i should be working out in order to lose .5 to 1lb a week, i would really appreciate it. i know you will only provide suggestions and everything is based on trial and error but any advice posted here will be considered. thanks in advance!

sweetteacher123

I'm very similar to you in age, height, and weight. I'm trying to add more weights to tone up so my clothes fit properly. We'll push each other!

auntiemsgr8

I can't offer you any advice as I have been way UNhealthy my whole life and am finally in a mindset to fix it once and for all. But I may learn from those who reply to you so thanks for posting.

I just wanted to tell you youre not crazy. If you don't feel right with yourself and in your clothes then you have every right to do this. There was a post I saw yesterday (sorry I don't recall where) and there were pictures of a woman taken about 5 years apart but at the same weight. But much different body shape etc. She looked awesome adn didn't lose a pound.

Best of luck to you

flynnfinn

thanks for the support ladies!

BeantownSooner

If you used the intro post then your exercise calories should already be factored into your TDEE number and your goals. The 2100 should be your target number to consume as that post lays out you'll be eating as if you were already "120" so when you get there you just keep going to maintain. Shoot for a macro nutrient level of 40% carbs/40% Protein/20% fat or 40% carbs/30% Protein/30% fat. The more protein and good fats you consume the fuller you'll feel. When eating carbs try to focus on whole grain complex carbs. Sweet potatoes, quinoa, brown rice, whole grain breads and pastas should take the place of their white counterparts. Since they're complex they take a bit longer to digest.

flynnfinn

If you used the intro post then your exercise calories should already be factored into your TDEE number and your goals. The 2100 should be your target number to consume as that post lays out you'll be eating as if you were already "120" so when you get there you just keep going to maintain. Shoot for a macro nutrient level of 40% carbs/40% Protein/20% fat or 40% carbs/30% Protein/30% fat. The more protein and good fats you consume the fuller you'll feel. When eating carbs try to focus on whole grain complex carbs. Sweet potatoes, quinoa, brown rice, whole grain breads and pastas should take the place of their white counterparts. Since they're complex they take a bit longer to digest.

WOW! 2100 calories! oh my god! i don't think i've ever eaten that many calories even when i weighed my heaviest at 135. well...it's certainly something to consider. thanks for the reply and the advice!

BeantownSooner

Just to ensure that we're on the same page you mentioned in your original post that you looked at the "Intro Post" and followed some of the calculations. Assuming we're talking the same "Intro Post" that leads you to http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

1st step was to figure out your body fat % (which you did) then enter that info into the Calorie and BMR calculator. I entered that info and the results are below after the line. NOTE: If you follow this DO NOT eat your exercise calories back as you'll see on this board a lot. The equation below already has that factored in for you.

The other way you could do this is go in with the knowledge that I may need to eat ~2100 calories depending on my activity level but start with one of the lower calorie Levels. Work on getting the Macro Nutrient levels right first. Then if you don't move the scale after 3-4 weeks add 200 calories for a few weeks and see what that does. Still no movement add 200 more, etc. It's all trial and error as everyone is different. You could also just use a range say 1600 - 2100 and bounce it around based on how you feel that day. Always remember that the best indicator is your body, if you feel hungry eat, if you don't don't but just know that your body needs fuel (food) especially when exercising.

Last thing, don't be afraid of this amount of calories as it's pretty simple to add a couple hundred calories to almost anything. Good fats are your friend such as nuts (a handful of almonds is ~180 calories), nut butters (all natural Peanut Butter for example is ~180 calories for 2 Tbsp), avocados and oils such as olive and coconut oil. Banana's are calorie dense too (~100 calories)! You could make a protein shake with 1 cup frozen berries, 1 medium banana, a serving of 1% milk and 2 Tbsp of All Natural PB....this little fella isn't much more food (in terms of size) than if you made a protein shake with water. Difference is probably 150 calories vs. 600 plus everything in there is super good for you. Then cook your dinners/protein/veggies with some garlic, pepper and either 1 Tbsp of Olive or Coconut Oil (~180 calories) and I think you'll be surprised how easily you hit the 2100. Just pay a little attention to your fat Macro to ensure you're not going over the fat constantly. If you don't have much to spare do a 1/2 Tbsp of oil or eliminate the PB from the shake, etc. One other very easy one is 1 cup of 1% Cottage Cheese. Many people don't like the texture but I like it. It's ~180 calories, low fat, pretty low carb and 28g of Protein.

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Custom BMR Calculation

Thanks for checking your BMR here on Fat 2 Fit Radio. If you're not already subscribed to Fat 2 Fit Radio, consider doing so today. Please visit the Subscribe page to get the podcast delivered automatically to your iTunes, Juice, e-mail inbox or the podcatcher of your choice for FREE.

Entered information: 36 year old female, 66 inches tall, weighing 128 pounds.

From the information that you entered, you'd like to weigh 118 lbs.

Harris-Benedict Formula

There are a few different methods to calculating yourbasal metabolic rate (BMR). One of the most popular, developed in the early 1900's is called the Harris-Benedict formula. Based on this formula, your current BMR is 1353 calories.

Katch-McArdle Forumla

The numbers above are fairly accurate, however they don't take into account your lean body mass. A more accurate formula that does take your lean body mass into account is the Katch-McArdle formula. Since many of us have scales that will tell us our current body fat, this formula may yield more accurate results. Based on the information you provided, body fat percentage of 21%, you have a lean body mass of 101 lbs., and your BMR is 1362 calories.

How Many Calories Should I Eat?

Based on your goal weight, the following chart was generated. The chart shows the number of calories that you should eat on a daily basis to reach your goal weight. At Fat 2 Fit Radio we advocate eating like the thin, healthy person that you want to become. The calorie levels you see in the chart are not extreme, but they do create that all important caloric deficit that is required to get you to your goal weight in a safe manner. Once you reach your goal weight, you will continue eating the same number of calories for the rest of your life to maintain that weight. You'll never be on a diet again.

Based on how much activity you do on an average day, the calories in the right column will be the number of calories that you will be able to eat at your goal weight. If you start eating those calories right now (eating like the thinner you), you will eventually become that thinner person. As you get closer to your goal weight, your weight loss will start to slow down. It is OK to eat a few hundred calories less per day (200-300) to speed up your weight loss at this point.

Activity Level Daily Calories
Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job) 1571
Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk) 1800
Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) 2029
Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk) 2258
Extremely Active (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.) 2487

flynnfinn

yes. that's exactly the same info I got! but your explanation of it is much better than how I interpreted it! and for that...THANK YOU! ok so I'll try bouncing around between 1600-2100 and see how that goes. I realize that I'm also already on the slender side so moving that scale is going to be slow and tough. but i'll try upping my calorie intake. only other concern I have is what if I gain by upping my calorie intake? do i go back down? thanks again for the info. very much appreciated.

A_Shannigans

Well I was going to ask a couple of questions but it looks like the posters before me pretty much have it covered. Good luck I know how important it is to be happy with how you look.