Am I doing this right?

woahitsangie

Can someone take a look at my diary from the last few days and see if I am on the right track? Today was kind of a bad day in the snack department, but any advice would be appreciated. Thank you!

SNYPorter

I think it looks a little low calorie wise and difficult to sustain. Try for 1200 calories or you will loose muscle mass. Also Up your fresh veggies and fruit. Good luck we are all in this together!!

geekyjock76

Simple answer, no.

Monday:
Calories eaten: 975
Exercise calories: 488
Net calories: 487
Daily goal: 1688
Difference: 1201 calories under goal (72% below goal)

Tuesday:
Calories eaten: 877
Exercise calories: 456
Net calories: 421
Daily goal: 1656
Difference: 1235 calories under goal (75% below goal)

Wednesday:
Calories eaten: 842
Exercise calories: 365
Net calories: 477
Daily goal: 1565
Difference: 1088 calories under goal (70% below goal)

You seriously need to up the calories you eat because you are creating a massive deficit with the combination of 350+ calories from exercise when deducted from your predicted TDEE.

Also, eat more filling meals and do not rely on snacks. You aren't getting much nutrition by eating so little.

What rate of weight loss did you choose? 1 lb per week, 1.5 lbs per week, 2 lbs per week?

woahitsangie

2lbs per week is what I am aiming for.

geekyjock76

Did you just recently create such a deficit? What I mean is, were you eating enough to maintain current weight according to present level of activity prior to beginning MFP?

Give me your stats if you know them, please.
Height, weight, body fat %, age and how many days a week you exercise.

woahitsangie

I just started about 2 weeks ago now, my goal is get to around 135 in 9 months.
I am 5'4, 186lbs, BMI is 31%, I am 22, and I workout everyday.

studyinstead

You need to eat a little more.

katiejarr

You are not eating enough!!!!! You need to eat AT LEAST 1200 calories a day! You need to UP your fruits, veggies and protein. Your exercise is fine but you will put your body in starvation mode and you will NOT lose weight. Up your calories to at least 1200 and you will start losing weight, plus you will have more energy.

Take a look at my diary, Ive been on 1200 calories a day for 10 months and Ive lost 40 pounds...it will give you some ideas for 1200 calories.

geekyjock76

If you knew your body fat percentage I could get a better estimate, but here you go...Beware, lots of math....

Resting Metabolic Rate: 1661 (number of calories needed for basic physiological function while awake at rest
+ 10% to cover thermic effect of food: 1827

Thus, without considering exercise, you need to consume about 1827 calories to maintain weight if you sat around all day on the couch. Today, for example, you engaged in 365 calories of exercise. So if you wanted to hypothetically maintain weight, you would need to eat a total of 1827 + 365 = 2192 calories. Think of this as your TDEE, or Total Daily Energy Expenditure (total energy needed in calories to maintain present weight if you did this every single day)

Now, if your goal is to lose 2 lbs of body weight per week, then you need to create a deficit of 1000 calories per day (1000 x 7 = 7000; 7000/3500 = 2 lbs of weight in calories). You will see that 2 lbs per week plan at the end...First, let's look at a 1 lb per week goal...

Take today's hypothetical TDEE of 2192. Reduce it by 25% to get your net, or goal calories. 2192 x .75 = 1644. Twenty five % is typically the high end of what is considered a moderate deficit. A moderate deficit of this magnitude is ideal for sustained weight loss for those who need to lose 75 lbs to 10 or so lbs, which would be you, to maximize fat utilization while minimizing depression of Resting Metabolic Rate (lower this goes, the slower the rate at which you metabolize fat).

Compare the 1644 to your daily goal of 1565 (Monday), 1656 (Tuesday) and 1688 (Monday). Not far off. Your daily goal is the net calories you are aiming for. Net = Total calories eaten - deficit from eating less and exercise. So, again, 2192 - 1644 = 548 calorie deficit, or deduction below TDEE. A 548 daily deficit would lead to a loss of just over 1.2 lbs per week, which would be a lot more realistic and sustainable.

You are already doing 365 calories of exercise. So 548 - 365 = 183 calorie reduction of food intake below 2192. You have two options here. You can eat 2009 calories a day and burn 365 calories from exercise to create that 548 deficit which nets you at 1644 calories. Or, you can do 183 calories worth of total exercise and reduce daily calories by 365. In this latter scenario, you could eat 1827 calories and engage in 183 calories of total exercise to lose 1.2 lbs per week.

Now, if you tried to lose 2 lbs per week, this is what it would look like....(Remember, 1000 x 7 = 7000 calories or 2 lbs)

2192 - 1000 = 1192 net calories
2192 - 365 exercise calories = 1827
1827 - 1192 net = 635 calories less eaten below 2192

So in this scenario, of trying to lose 2 lbs per week, you would eat 1557 calories per day and engage in 365 calories in exercise to establish the desired 1000 daily deficit.

woahitsangie

wow, i appreciate you taking the time to help me out and figure all this out for me. thank you.
basically, i need to eat more calories (healthy calories) and maintain my exercise status in order to reach my goal.

trevpimp

If you knew your body fat percentage I could get a better estimate, but here you go...Beware, lots of math....

Resting Metabolic Rate: 1661 (number of calories needed for basic physiological function while awake at rest
+ 10% to cover thermic effect of food: 1827

Thus, without considering exercise, you need to consume about 1827 calories to maintain weight if you sat around all day on the couch. Today, for example, you engaged in 365 calories of exercise. So if you wanted to hypothetically maintain weight, you would need to eat a total of 1827 + 365 = 2192 calories. Think of this as your TDEE, or Total Daily Energy Expenditure (total energy needed in calories to maintain present weight if you did this every single day)

Now, if your goal is to lose 2 lbs of body weight per week, then you need to create a deficit of 1000 calories per day (1000 x 7 = 7000; 7000/3500 = 2 lbs of weight in calories). You will see that 2 lbs per week plan at the end...First, let's look at a 1 lb per week goal...

Take today's hypothetical TDEE of 2192. Reduce it by 25% to get your net, or goal calories. 2192 x .75 = 1644. Twenty five % is typically the high end of what is considered a moderate deficit. A moderate deficit of this magnitude is ideal for sustained weight loss for those who need to lose 75 lbs to 10 or so lbs, which would be you, to maximize fat utilization while minimizing depression of Resting Metabolic Rate (lower this goes, the slower the rate at which you metabolize fat).

Compare the 1644 to your daily goal of 1565 (Monday), 1656 (Tuesday) and 1688 (Monday). Not far off. Your daily goal is the net calories you are aiming for. Net = Total calories eaten - deficit from eating less and exercise. So, again, 2192 - 1644 = 548 calorie deficit, or deduction below TDEE. A 548 daily deficit would lead to a loss of just over 1.2 lbs per week, which would be a lot more realistic and sustainable.

You are already doing 365 calories of exercise. So 548 - 365 = 183 calorie reduction of food intake below 2192. You have two options here. You can eat 2009 calories a day and burn 365 calories from exercise to create that 548 deficit which nets you at 1644 calories. Or, you can do 183 calories worth of total exercise and reduce daily calories by 365. In this latter scenario, you could eat 1827 calories and engage in 183 calories of total exercise to lose 1.2 lbs per week.

Now, if you tried to lose 2 lbs per week, this is what it would look like....(Remember, 1000 x 7 = 7000 calories or 2 lbs)

2192 - 1000 = 1192 net calories
2192 - 365 exercise calories = 1827
1827 - 1192 net = 635 calories less eaten below 2192

So in this scenario, of trying to lose 2 lbs per week, you would eat 1557 calories per day and engage in 365 calories in exercise to establish the desired 1000 daily deficit.

Thumbs up for you. I learned something today haha

geekyjock76

You're welcome. Just keep in mind that any formula - and there are numerous BMR, RMR, and TDEE formulas - are simply predictions. If you just recently reduced calories and began exercising, you could eat what you normally did prior and log them in just to see how many calories you were eating to maintain current weight. That way you could know more precisely what your actual TDEE range is rather than relying on a prediction. After that, then you can make a more reasonable deduction, or deficit, to reach your goals.

But for right now, you certainly need to up calories back up to how you normally eat just to get numbers. Then, compare that actual TDEE to the 2192 calories in the prediction. If its pretty much identical, then you can simply choose one of the two plans I estimated. If your present TDEE is deemed lower, let's say 2000 calories, then you'd simply eat 200 or so calories less than in both examples.

Edit: Another suggestion is up your protein intake and start strength training. If you take adequate amounts of protein (generally 0.8g to 1g x lean body mass), and strength train, you will experience nearly no loss in lean body mass (namely muscle) yet a maximal amount of fat. Otherwise, if you do not, you will run the risk of losing a substantial amount of weight due to loss of muscle mass, which you do not want because a lower lean body mass equals a lower Resting Metabolic Rate.

JulieDerda

Eat more Try to make this a lifestyle change. Make it sustainable. I know i wouldnt be happy eating just 895calories a day or even 1200..I would go crazy and most likely fail. I dont know about you so maybe 1200 is enough for you, but I have read that your body needs @ the least 1200 calories to function << might be wrong b/c bariatric surgery patient do eat very small portions.. but granted they have their stomach resected or wrapped off (and also go through psychiatric evaluations).

And w/ that being said .. I started off very low too when I started my journey.. first couple months.. 1100-1200 calories. It was okay i needed the disciplin and I ddint feel like i was "starving" But i wasnt exercisng either... I WAS losing.. HOwever, as have been going on w/ this weight loss adventure:: I upped my calories to almost 1500 every day (excluding 2500cal cheat day saturdays and 1800 calorie sundays.)) Every day w/ exercise.. I Have continued to lose weight .... (total 57lbs since January) Im still experimenting..

im not a trainer or expert BUT from personal experience try to make it sustainable and something you can live w/. Up your calories and continue to work out... It aint a race The weight should eventually come off(if you are consistant and exercise) NOT every week will be a weight loss. So dont give up:flowerforyou:

Experiment w/ your calories BUT What i say is to def eat more . :drinker:

moonmistmm

I know everyone has already told you this, but I guess I'll have my say anyway. First of all, aren't you hungry? Second of all, focus on whole foods more. I looked at a couple days of your calendar, and if you're eating say, 300 calories of junk, and only eating 900 calories, doesn't there seem to be a little issue there?

Plus, I don't see this being sustainable in the long run. I understand that you have a goal time you'd like to lose this weight by, but you might just be making the next 9 months suck for yourself. Not to mention that it's not maintainable long term the way you're eating.

Good on the exercise though! Just eat some real food too! Eggs, lean meats, whole grains, salad, fruit, etc. All that stuff!

Feel free to message me if you have any questions!