NOT WORKING!! Calories, science, and standard deviation

Polly758
Polly758 Posts: 623 Member
I see 2 kinds of people in this forum.

1: people that EM2WL works for. These people say “it works if you do it! Be patient!”
2: People who have done everything right, but have NOT have success on EM2WL. They are depressed and cranky and want to believe, but they are just gaining more and more weight as months go by.

I really feel bad for those second people. I can only imagine the anger and frustration you feel when this solution is just seeming to make it all worse.

It seems clear to me that “just doing the program” does not work for everyone. We can conclude, therefore, that either 1) the program is totally BS, or 2) there is something missing from the program.

We know the program is not BS because it works for many people. There must be something missing, and here’s what I propose:

If the program is not working for you, it’s because your calorie requirements are not average.

Remember what average means? Some people require more, some people require less. I like to call those people deviants. :laugh:

Now I am a librarian, and I do not have the math to calculate deviances. :blushing: Luckily, that’s what spreadsheets are for! This “calculating calories” spreadsheet (http://interzone.kicks-*kitten*.net/Calculating_calories.xls) tells me I have a small deviance week by week—it goes up and down a bit, but right now it’s at 1.2 percent. Nothing to speak of. I’m one of the lucky ones; I attribute it to the fact that I’ve never been on a VLCD.

Scooby has a calculator for calibration, but you have to download his spreadsheet, which I don’t think we need here since we all track our intake. Here’s the equation to find the number of calories to add/subtract from the standard.

((Actual Weight loss(lbs/mo) – Predicted Weight loss(lbs/mo)) x 3500 cals/lb ) / 30days/mo = Correction (cals/day)

Get your numbers for at least a month, use the equation, then put your correction number in the calculator he has here (http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/)

Alternatively, download the spreadsheet I mentioned, fill out everything for your starting weight, and fill out the weight evolution part with your past weekly weight. That will give you a percentage, but I’m not sure how to use that number to adjust calories… librarian…but I'm pretty sure you just turn the percentage into a decimal-- move the decimal 2 places to the left-- and multiply that by your original calorie intake, then take THAT number and subtract it from your original calorie intake for your NEW intake. (Whew! Message me and I can help. LOL)

For example, if a person was supposed to maintain weight on, say 2200 calories a day, but actually gained 5 pounds in one month, that’s a correction of 583 calories per day. That’s someone who will maintain at 1617 calories per day. So eating 2200 works out to a 26 percent bulk for that person—even lifting heavy, they’ll put on too much fat alongside the muscle.

I know 1617 calories seems low for the EM2WL approach. But that’s the math. EM2WL is based on science, it’s not a religion with magic numbers that work for everyone.

Do the reset, especially if you’ve been a dieter your whole life. It is very important and yes… you have to be patient. BUT THEN… calculate your deviance and adjust. Keep adjusting, month by month, until you see the results.

I'm rooting for all of you... I know you're working hard. Please don't give up yet. :flowerforyou:

[edited for clarification]
«1

Replies

  • Thanks for this! The math certainly makes sense, and probably explains the troubles the people in the second category are having. If I turn out to be one of those people, I'll definitely run the formula and see what happens.
  • rosied915
    rosied915 Posts: 799 Member
    OK, so using my Reset numbers I GAINED 14 pounds in 6 weeks~ I entered this as -14(negative 14) right?

    The number came out to be my BMR that Scooby gave me~ 1633

    Can you re-check it?

    Actual weight lost= 14 pounds GAINED/ 6 weeks

    Predicted loss= 0 (reset)

    Ate 2455 calories per day (TDEE) for 6 weeks or 45 days.

    This is really interesting. I have proposed that there is "science on paper and science in real people"~ hmmm
  • Zylayna
    Zylayna Posts: 728 Member
    I agree that the math can totally be something to work with, but I would also like to propose that sometimes and for some people, it's NOT just about the numbers. It's about factoring in the damage we've done to our bodies through years of yo-yo dieting or vlcd's as well as other methods of measuring success.

    Some of us are going to struggle for longer because our bodies need TIME. (I am in that category). After years of torturing my body with not enough food and too much exercise, an 8 week reset is just the START of the healing process. For many people it can take months until the metabolism is fully healed. (Kiki herself reset for many months...not just the 8 weeks). There is all kinds of tweaking that has to happen during this time if you go to cut at 8 weeks instead of resetting for several months, but the eventual goal is to get your body healthy and to the point where you are legitimately eating a 15% deficit of your tdee and seeing changes in your body.

    Also, if I was to use the method of math mentioned I would miss the fact that this isn't just about the scale. I posted in another section that if I was to rely solely on scale and measurements I would have missed the fact that I've lost fat in my face, hands and shoulders. (places I NEVER measure but my family noticed). I would do myself a disservice by worrying about the scale weight and not taking ALL things into consideration.

    The math is there to help, but there are so many other factors to consider, I hope we don't lose sight of those because of the scale.
  • TonyaBtrfly
    TonyaBtrfly Posts: 118 Member
    bump for future reference
  • rosied915
    rosied915 Posts: 799 Member
    Nicole~

    What I'm also saying is that Lucia is RIGHT and that EM2WL is a Guideline and has to be tweaked to the individual~ this girl is saying it a bit differently but I think it's the same message.

    I got something BEYOND MEASURE out of my Reset experience that has nothing to do with numbers: I believe I was able to conquer a 40 year habit/addiction of Compulsive Overeating. I know I've been a bit sidetracked on the boards lately but, believe me, I totally get the big picture.

    I'm good with EM2WL.....just wanted to check this out......
  • Polly758
    Polly758 Posts: 623 Member
    OK, so using my Reset numbers I GAINED 14 pounds in 6 weeks~ I entered this as -14(negative 14) right?

    The number came out to be my BMR that Scooby gave me~ 1633

    Can you re-check it?

    Actual weight lost= 14 pounds GAINED/ 6 weeks

    Predicted loss= 0 (reset)

    Actually, I think gaining weight on the reset is normal and expected. It's AFTER the reset, when you drop your calories to a 15 percent cut-- if you've been doing that for a month and STILL have gains.

    I'll update my OP to reflect this. [Sorry, can't edit ...?]

    Meanwhile I will be happy run your numbers if you want to PM me your staring weight, height, age
    This is really interesting. I have proposed that there is "science on paper and science in real people"~ hmmm

    It's those damn averages :wink:
  • Polly758
    Polly758 Posts: 623 Member
    I agree that the math can totally be something to work with, but I would also like to propose that sometimes and for some people, it's NOT just about the numbers. It's about factoring in the damage we've done to our bodies through years of yo-yo dieting or vlcd's as well as other methods of measuring success.

    Some of us are going to struggle for longer because our bodies need TIME. (I am in that category). After years of torturing my body with not enough food and too much exercise, an 8 week reset is just the START of the healing process. For many people it can take months until the metabolism is fully healed. (Kiki herself reset for many months...not just the 8 weeks). There is all kinds of tweaking that has to happen during this time if you go to cut at 8 weeks instead of resetting for several months, but the eventual goal is to get your body healthy and to the point where you are legitimately eating a 15% deficit of your tdee and seeing changes in your body.

    Also, if I was to use the method of math mentioned I would miss the fact that this isn't just about the scale. I posted in another section that if I was to rely solely on scale and measurements I would have missed the fact that I've lost fat in my face, hands and shoulders. (places I NEVER measure but my family noticed). I would do myself a disservice by worrying about the scale weight and not taking ALL things into consideration.

    The math is there to help, but there are so many other factors to consider, I hope we don't lose sight of those because of the scale.

    Absolutely 100 percent agree. In my life, I have ranged 15 pounds being the SAME CLOTHES SIZE. Muscle.

    When I say "gaining weight" I assume the person is also stretching out all their clothes.
  • norcal_yogi
    norcal_yogi Posts: 675 Member
    bump for future reading...!
  • moylie
    moylie Posts: 195
    I don't think I have a damaged-beyond-repair metabolism, as what is stated by needing a reset. However, I think my reset, and 12+ weeks of eating a surplus obviously showed that the TDEE Scooby says I should have wasn't right for me, since I'm 15-20lbs. heavier after doing it. Blech. I have not found my "sweet spot" yet, and maybe looking at this equation will give me something new to try. I applaude EM2WL for all the people it has helped, but had I known that following this philosophy would set me back a whole year of hard work, I wouldn't have gone this route. It will take me the same five months I spent gaining on this program, to get the darn weight off, then I have to start over with what I had to lose last spring.... which was only another 8-10 lbs.
  • 31prvrbs
    31prvrbs Posts: 687 Member
    I think this post is a great example of how to make the program YOURS, and shows how one would adopt the things that I stated here about not saying "it's not working."
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/729544-the-bad-and-the-ugly-side-of-the-journey

    This is about finding what works for your lifestyle, and then living it. There really isn't a way to "quit" EM2WL, unless you never believed in fueling your body in the first place, and run to VLCD. If you are fueling your body properly *for you*, then you are still EM2WL (rather you want to "claim" it or not, lol):tongue: Most people that think that it "didn't work" simply mean, they ate at scooby's # and didn't see results. Those numbers are just a jumping off point to help you to know what you *should* be eating. round about. They are not written in stone. It's a guesstimate at best. I personally found my own TDEE without using a calculator at all as stated here: http://eatmore2weighless.com/finding-tdee-without-using-a-calculator/

    I say it all the time. EM2WL is YOUR program, it works if YOU work it. :wink: That means actually taking the time to learn more about your body. Yes, it's a pain sometimes when it's not "magical", but it's real. Following other methods will not lead to this same outcome, because you *still* won't know how to treat your body when/if you reach your goal. :ohwell:

    THAT is what EM2WL is all about. The journey.

    I think a lot of us are so focused on destination, that we will end up getting there and be forced to take a U-turn. :grumble:

    Take the time to learn what works best for your body. It's *your* program, and *you* are the ONLY one that it will work FOR.

    ~Kiki
  • MeDoula
    MeDoula Posts: 233 Member
    need to read
  • bradthemedic
    bradthemedic Posts: 623 Member
    It's funny that you've posted this now - I made a manual adjustment to my calories which was right around this mark. I need to drop some fat! :)
  • twinmomtwice4
    twinmomtwice4 Posts: 1,069 Member
    I totally agree that this lifestyle will work for everyone but it does have to be geared to each individual specifically. For me, I had to bite the bullet and buy a BMF so I could know exactly what my TDEE was. As soon as I began wearing my BMF, it was evident that I still wasn't eating enough calories. Scooby and all the other sites had estimated my calories way under what I should've been eating, resulting in a constant pattern of gaining/losing the same 2 pounds. Once I tweaked it and played with my numbers, I began having success.

    I have an MFP buddy on here who found that the lifestyle wasn't working well for her. She was stuck in a holding pattern, working out properly and fueling her body. She started zig-zagging her calories and now she's losing again and very happy with her results. She's not starving herself either, even on her low days.

    I think, for those who feel it's not working, they really need to look at their specific numbers and just play around with it a little bit until they find what does work for them.
  • Polly758
    Polly758 Posts: 623 Member
    As soon as I began wearing my BMF, it was evident that I still wasn't eating enough calories. Scooby and all the other sites had estimated my calories way under what I should've been eating, resulting in a constant pattern of gaining/losing the same 2 pounds. Once I tweaked it and played with my numbers, I began having success.

    Yeah... I think a BMF is the only way to know for sure what your TDEE is (I mean without taking months to readjust and observe the results) (nothing wrong with that unless you are already freaking out about how much time you're investing). Otherwise, I think plenty of people assume that if they are gaining weight, they must be eating too much-- when in fact it might be that they are eating too little.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    I did the scooby adjustment early in my MFP days... it gave me a correction of plus 373 i.e. I was supposed to lose 2 lbs doing what I was doing and I lost 8.5 lbs instead. So it said my BMR was actually 1800-something instead of 1500-something. I'm not sure that's totally accurate either.

    I would propose, if you're going to use the calculators, that you don't use the first week after any shift in caloric intake - neither up nor down. So if you just started a reset at est. TDEE, wait until week 2 to start your 30 day tracking. If you've just gone to a cut, wait for week 2 to start your 30 day tracking etc. Doing so will ensure you are not accounting for water weight/glycogen storage and loss, which will always take place when you change things up. When you start a cut, your body will drop extra pounds of glycogen/water in the first week; when you up your calories to near TDEE, your body will begin storing extra glycogen/water to the tune of about 3-5 lbs.

    But yeah, I highly recommend tracking with the diligence required to run these calculations. It's fascinating to see how our bodies respond.
  • graysmom2005
    graysmom2005 Posts: 1,882 Member
    As soon as I began wearing my BMF, it was evident that I still wasn't eating enough calories. Scooby and all the other sites had estimated my calories way under what I should've been eating, resulting in a constant pattern of gaining/losing the same 2 pounds. Once I tweaked it and played with my numbers, I began having success.

    Yeah... I think a BMF is the only way to know for sure what your TDEE is (I mean without taking months to readjust and observe the results) (nothing wrong with that unless you are already freaking out about how much time you're investing). Otherwise, I think plenty of people assume that if they are gaining weight, they must be eating too much-- when in fact it might be that they are eating too little.
    Not necessarily. I had a BMF that I wore religiously and I think it ran high. I gained and gained on it...even at a deficit...

    That being said...I was a theater major...not a math major! I don't understand the equation, but want to put my numbers in. I need help!
  • maltipink
    maltipink Posts: 147 Member
    I had to get a BMF as well. It is one of the best purchases I have ever made. 35 years of not knowing how much I burn and now I finally have the answer (+/- 10% of course). I am now eating 2300 calories a day and losing. I can't believe I ate 1200 for so long! I am so thankful I found the EMTWL group!
  • I had to get a BMF as well. It is one of the best purchases I have ever made. 35 years of not knowing how much I burn and now I finally have the answer (+/- 10% of course). I am now eating 2300 calories a day and losing. I can't believe I ate 1200 for so long! I am so thankful I found the EMTWL group!

    I am curious.. do you use Polar HRM to measure burn and add to BMF? Because I know calories on BMF is usually low than HRM.
  • norcal_yogi
    norcal_yogi Posts: 675 Member
    As soon as I began wearing my BMF, it was evident that I still wasn't eating enough calories. Scooby and all the other sites had estimated my calories way under what I should've been eating, resulting in a constant pattern of gaining/losing the same 2 pounds. Once I tweaked it and played with my numbers, I began having success.

    Yeah... I think a BMF is the only way to know for sure what your TDEE is (I mean without taking months to readjust and observe the results) (nothing wrong with that unless you are already freaking out about how much time you're investing). Otherwise, I think plenty of people assume that if they are gaining weight, they must be eating too much-- when in fact it might be that they are eating too little.
    Not necessarily. I had a BMF that I wore religiously and I think it ran high. I gained and gained on it...even at a deficit...

    That being said...I was a theater major...not a math major! I don't understand the equation, but want to put my numbers in. I need help!

    TOTALLY gained with my ex-BMF!! sold it!
  • maltipink
    maltipink Posts: 147 Member
    Hi! The BMF takes into account all your activity throughout the day including workouts. There is no HRM in the device because many other factors are taken into consideration that are unrelated to heart rate but give you an accurate burn reading. I have worn a HRM alone and my burn for most aerobic activities are pretty close to the BMF. During spinning and elliptical, I wear it on my leg as opposed to the suggested tricep. During Strength training, it will still show an increased calorie burn but much lower than an aerobic cardio session. This is because, even though your heart rate might be high during strength, it is an anerobic activity and does not burn as many calories during the session. One of the many benefits of strength training however, is the additional calorie burn you will experience during the day after the session. Traditional cardio will for the most part, give you a burn during the session only. I should also mention that when using my BMF, I erred on the side of caution and considered my maintenance to be 200 calories less than the device said (BMF gave me a TDEE of 2750 and I chose to use 2550 as my TDEE). I wore the device for 3 straight months to get me a good average. I did an 8 week reset at 2550 and now eat 10% less than that to lose.
  • Zylayna
    Zylayna Posts: 728 Member
    I had to get a BMF as well. It is one of the best purchases I have ever made. 35 years of not knowing how much I burn and now I finally have the answer (+/- 10% of course). I am now eating 2300 calories a day and losing. I can't believe I ate 1200 for so long! I am so thankful I found the EMTWL group!

    I am curious.. do you use Polar HRM to measure burn and add to BMF? Because I know calories on BMF is usually low than HRM.

    I'm not sure what the other poster will say, but here's my experience with the BMF.

    I use the numbers off of it, and ONLY it because I'm not so worried about the exact number for my workouts, I'm more concerned about the number at the end of the day and the weekly average. If I start using multiple devices, I end up with too many inputs with different ways of measuring and I could be adding in too many cals or not enough. If I stick to only the BMF, at the end of the day I will end up with a consistent daily average because it is all measured with the same device.

    I have found that even on a high burn exercise day, I will often naturally compensate throughout the rest of my NORMAL day and end up with a burn similar to a day that I exercise less. If I use numbers from another device it won't necessarily be accurate for the total daily burn once I'm done adjusting for that. I monitor the daily average burn and my daily average deficit by running reports using the last 7 days, the last 14 days and the last month. If the daily average deficit on that report is too big or too small, I adjust my daily intake of calories a little.

    Basically what I'm saying is this. In my opinion, pick one device and stick to it. It gets too complicated and there are too many variables if you start using a different device for every little thing you do. Tweak from a single device (or calculation method if you don't have a device) until you find the 'magic number' that works for you! :smile:
  • dzinergrl18
    dzinergrl18 Posts: 105 Member
    Bump for later...dont have time to read it all right now!
  • 31prvrbs
    31prvrbs Posts: 687 Member


    Basically what I'm saying is this. In my opinion, pick one device and stick to it. It gets too complicated and there are too many variables if you start using a different device for every little thing you do. Tweak from a single device (or calculation method if you don't have a device) until you find the 'magic number' that works for you! :smile:

    This is golden! So many people hop from one thing to another, that it's hard to see what "works" - then they just toss it all and say that *none* of it worked, when it's really too hard to even *kitten*. Just too many variables....
  • twinmomtwice4
    twinmomtwice4 Posts: 1,069 Member

    Basically what I'm saying is this. In my opinion, pick one device and stick to it. It gets too complicated and there are too many variables if you start using a different device for every little thing you do. Tweak from a single device (or calculation method if you don't have a device) until you find the 'magic number' that works for you! :smile:

    I totally agree! And I run the same reports....a 7-day, a 14-day and then a 28-day....if all the averages are similar, I take my 20% cut from that. I stopped using my HRM a long time ago b/c using too many devices was getting confusing.
  • thats cool. I have fitbit.. It will do. I'm just trying not to worry too much about it. so I usually eat under my calories burnt per day. I'm trying so hard to let scale go. so far I'm doing well. it is all about mentality and i'm working on it :)
  • wfte
    wfte Posts: 195 Member
    I really like the idea of personalising your own TDEE. I adjusted mine as I felt I was at the lower end of light (1 - 1.5 hrs a week, need to up that maybe) so made the split between sedentary and light active. Everyone's body is going to be slightly different and one major factor the calculators never seem to take into account is bf%. Always being told higher muscle % means higher burn outside of workouts but then never used to work out BMR. Surely this will have a big effect.

    I like the idea of using something like BMF to work out your TDEE and may look into it more when I can afford to and if I feel I need to make adjustments. I have 1 query though. I see how you use it to get a TDEE but what do you do about BMR? Obviously you can't put yourself into a coma to measure your calorie burn( well you could but seems a bit drastic!!). Do you just use the formula numbers for BMR, for knowing at what point you eat back exercise calories?
  • harlanJEN
    harlanJEN Posts: 1,089 Member
    Of course "it" works . IT is individual . ! It's not "one size fits all" . once you learn more about your body and how much food you actually need ..you start to hit your stride. I won't repeat the great advice you've gotten in terms of finding your TDEE and cutting from their. I will share what I did , and it was pretty much a combo. Then ...I stopped obsessing over the numbers. I had the data so I needed to try it, go with it. Calculators. Scoobysworkshop , fit2fatradio, California Longevity institute formula. Devices. HRM, BodyBugg, FitBit. All that data gave me essentially same numbers.2100-2400 TDEE. BodyBugg (BFM) consistently gave me 2100-2300 based on activity. I then started experimenting . I wanted to really know by doing. I ate 2100 for 2 weeks. I maintained. I ate 2200 for 2 weeks. I maintained. I ate 2300 for 2 weeks. Gained 6 on the scale. Course, not FAT. Went back to 2200 for 2 weeks. 6 lbs gone. Then I cut from 2200. I eat 1700-1900ish and lose. I have freed myself from worrying about daily burns, freed myself from devices (kept FitBit but not for tracking g burns). My exercise is consistent so I simply cut from 2200 every day. I eat based on hunger so that is where the 1700idh to 1900ish comes in. Once in a while ..about every 8-12 weeks - I will eat at 2200 for a week. If my exercise significantly changed ..I'd tweak. I'd wear my HRM to see how my body responds to that exercise.

    Hope this helps. And yes .... Can take time. But ,why not? What's the rush? The benefits far outweigh "gotta do it NOW" because NOW comes and goes and usually no further ahead spinning your wheels ...cause usually have to do the work anyway to stop the spinning wheels.


    And ..I've said it before and will say it again : progress isn't measured simply by the scale. Oh, it gets me riled up sometimes too , but gotta step back, breathe , and focus on all the GOOD. I wouldn't give up my energy, my lack of food obsession, my badass muscles and my unheard of size 8s to be 25 lbs lighter, yet wearing at least one size bigger. WAIT. Did you read that right? Yep.

    I'm 48 (49 in a couple weeks) and have never worn single digit clothing in my adult life. Smallest was a 10. Last time I wore a 10 ..I was 25 lbs lighter on the scale than I am now with, I'm sure, a higher BF%. So why in the WORLD would I want to eat less food, obsess over exercise, not feel strong, energetic, happy and yes LEAN and sexy ..only to see a lower number on the scale???? THAT just doesn't compute. In fact, THAT would just be plain , well ... You know ... Nonsensical : )

    Oh ..... Size 6 jeans in my closet waiting for me. In a few months. And I will prob still weigh MORE than When I last squeezed into those size 10s

    Keep on GETTING WITH IT y'all !!!!

    Jen
  • I will respectfully disagree. An individual who has drastically slowed down their metabolism can in fact gain weight on what SHOULD be maintenance and even COULD be maintenance with a bit of patience. People OFTEN maintain on 1300, 1400, 1500, 1700 calories but then increase their calories...gain AT FIRST and then lose some weight. Eventually they maintain on more than that previous number. That is what the reset is all about. You cannot take your reset gain--a result of extended calorie deficits--and use that to assess your maintenance level...you'd be doing yourself absolutely no good.

    That's just my opinion though and you're welcome to disagree with it. Thanks for your post though--and I agree that for someone with NO REASON to believe they've impaired their metabolism that this is how they would find their maintenance. Similarly, if a person feels that their metabolism is beyond repair (either because of a hormonal condition or something that cannot be reversed) then they would also benefit.
  • norcal_yogi
    norcal_yogi Posts: 675 Member
    [/quote]Otherwise, I think plenty of people assume that if they are gaining weight, they must be eating too much-- when in fact it might be that they are eating too little.
    [/quote]Not necessarily. I had a BMF that I wore religiously and I think it ran high. I gained and gained on it...even at a deficit...

    That being said...I was a theater major...not a math major! I don't understand the equation, but want to put my numbers in. I need help!
    [/quote]

    ....def relate regarding the BMF comment^.... and tend to disagree with regard to possibly eating too little yet gaining. i know it's not a popular opinion, but in most cases it would seem that if someone is eating a good amount of food (and by that i mean a decent amount 1500+ -- and female), it just seems so unlikely (to me) that a gain would be because of too little food. unless they are exercising very intensely.... ?
  • Oishii
    Oishii Posts: 2,675 Member
    I wish I'd known about that calculator when I found myself losing more than predicted whilst on 1200kcal. I've lost when I've kept to my fitbit before, so if that happens again I'll try the calculator. Thanks :flowerforyou: