Question about eating calories for current weight...

sarahg148

...or for GOAL weight. I calculated my BMR and TDEE if I were at goal weight (148). BMR would be 1448 and TDEE would be 2244. So if I'm at a higher weight (172 or so) right now, then eat 2244 or a bit less...shouldn't my weight start to go down and eventually hit 148??? Could I do this instead of calculating my BMR and TDEE at 172 and then subtracting whatever calories to hit 148? Did that last sentence make sense??? It's kind of what I started doing over the last week...eating about 1900-2000 cal/day total. I still workout and play sports, but don't add that into the exercise portion of the log with the actual calories burned...I'll say I did 60 min of cardio and earn "40" calories. I figured the activity in the TDEE at "moderately active." Thanks for your replies.

sarahg148

Wow...no response???? Oh well...

yarwell

The fat2fit website works on that idea - eat for your future self. If you believe some BMR formulae then a lighter you will have a lower BMR/TDEE hence going for the future you's intake will mean eating at a deficit.

Other BMR formulae have a different idea and work off lean body mass alone, which you might be wanting to maintain.

fat2fitradio.com covers its bases by saying you can take 100-300 calories a day off the number to help things along.

Awkward30

The fat2fit website works on that idea - eat for your future self. If you believe some BMR formulae then a lighter you will have a lower BMR/TDEE hence going for the future you's intake will mean eating at a deficit.

Other BMR formulae have a different idea and work off lean body mass alone, which you might be wanting to maintain.

fat2fitradio.com covers its bases by saying you can take 100-300 calories a day off the number to help things along.

This. It's not a bad idea in theory, but it will make the last few pounds obnoxious. And impossible if that tdee calculation is off.

californiagirl2012

I didn't use those formulas because I used a different calorie chart provided by the Venus Index and Anything Goes Diet (not really a diet but a way of looking at food for your lifestyle).

While there is no one size fits all I listed the things that worked for me here --> http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/740340-i-lost-60-lbs-at-age-51-anyone-can-any-workout

I think you are asking if you should be losing weight and/or should you be counting exercise calories.

Personally I did not count exercise calories and I describe why in the above link.

As for when/if you will start losing weight I found the following quotes helpful for sorting through all the myths plastered all over the place. You might need to notch your calories up or down until you find what works for you.

The taller you are the bigger your RMR will be allowing your more room to go up or down with your calorie budget and still remain in a deficit. She shorter you are the more you will be frustrated with all the "eat more" mantra. If you get confused and think you will need to eat less to lose consult your doctor, that is what I had to do, then and even now while still under a doctors care I still have to fight off all the "eat more" bullies around here. Since my doctor says I am completely healthy and my blood work and hormone levels are all good even at almost 52 years old I don't care what others say anymore. Both of my doctors opinions count more to me than all the people here who disagree. If you are tall you most likely will not have this issue.

What is the exact number of calories for you?

We’ve been trying to figure out an exact NUMBER of calories that everyone should be eating, without recognizing that everyone is slightly different. In truth, the calories aren’t the end game. Your body is. So the EXACT amount of Calories that are right for you is the EXACT amount that will allow you to maintain your ideal bodyweight no matter what some calculator or chart says.

In other words, an online calculator might tell you that you need to eat 2,500 calories
per day to maintain your ideal bodyweight. But the only way to know for sure if this is
the right amount for you is to test it out. If you gain weight or can’t lose weight eating
that much, then you know you need to eat less to lose weight no matter how many
calculators and text books say otherwise.

This doesn’t mean your metabolism is broken, it just means the estimate of your needs
was just a bit off.

-John Barban (The Body Centric Calorie Guide from the Venus Index and Adonis Index Manuals)

Oh and as I got leaner I had to taper UP my calories because once you get below 12% body fat you really do risk starvation mode. Since I am currently under 12% body fat I have to pay attention to this. Again I am still under a doctors care and both of my doctors are quite please with my health and the results that my blood work show my hormone levels at, etc.

The Theory of Fat Availability:
•There is a set amount of fat that can be released from a fat cell.
•The more fat you have, the more fat can be used as a fuel when dieting.
•The less fat you have, the less fat can be used as a fuel when dieting.
•Towards the end of a transformation, when body fat is extremely low you
may not have enough fat to handle a large caloric deficit anymore.

At the extreme low end, when your body fat cannot ‘keep up’ with the energy deficit
you've imposed on your body, the energy MUST come from SOMEWHERE. This is
when you are at risk of losing lean body mass during dieting (commonly referred to
as ‘starvation mode’). This happens at extremely low levels of body fat, under 6% in
men and 12% in women [Friedl K.E. J Appl Phsiol, 1994].

-Brad Pilon and John Barban (from The Reverse Taper Diet in The Adonis Index and Venus Index manuals)

_stephanie0

The fat2fit website works on that idea - eat for your future self. If you believe some BMR formulae then a lighter you will have a lower BMR/TDEE hence going for the future you's intake will mean eating at a deficit.

Other BMR formulae have a different idea and work off lean body mass alone, which you might be wanting to maintain.

fat2fitradio.com covers its bases by saying you can take 100-300 calories a day off the number to help things along.

This. It's not a bad idea in theory, but it will make the last few pounds obnoxious. And impossible if that tdee calculation is off.

THIS!!

not this *post above mine*

LorinaLynn

I didn't intentionally eat that way, but that's the way it ended up being anyway.

My TDEE at my current weight is about 2300. I lost my weight eating a total of about 1800-2200 calories - which falls in line with fit2fatradio's suggestion of knocking off a couple hundred to get started - but I got there by using MFP numbers + exercise calories. It doesn't matter HOW you get to the numbers, they usually end up being pretty much the same anyway. It's just adding up different bits to get to the same numbers.

In the past few weeks, I've switched to eating just below my TDEE (starting at 2000, then upping to 2100) because even though I'm not really looking to lose, I don't log my food on weekends and wanted to give myself a little wiggle room for goodies and alcohol. :happy: But I'm still losing, so I'm going to have to keep upping the calories. Yay. :happy:

norcal_yogi

...or for GOAL weight. I calculated my BMR and TDEE if I were at goal weight (148). BMR would be 1448 and TDEE would be 2244. So if I'm at a higher weight (172 or so) right now, then eat 2244 or a bit less...shouldn't my weight start to go down and eventually hit 148??? Could I do this instead of calculating my BMR and TDEE at 172 and then subtracting whatever calories to hit 148? Did that last sentence make sense??? It's kind of what I started doing over the last week...eating about 1900-2000 cal/day total. I still workout and play sports, but don't add that into the exercise portion of the log with the actual calories burned...I'll say I did 60 min of cardio and earn "40" calories. I figured the activity in the TDEE at "moderately active." Thanks for your replies.

yes, i believe so.... i am operating off that same concept right now. it may be a slower road, but most likely a healthy/successful one.

joybedford

I have about 5 lbs left to lose i lost 23lbs by eating back my exercise calories. however just lately I have been working out more, i have been training for a marathon and earning about 2000 cals for exercise somedays. this is a ridiculous amount of calories to eat back and i found i just wasn,t losing weight anymore. I worked out my TDEE to 2371 using fattofit and for the past 2 weeks have been eating around 2000-2100 calories everyday even on non workout days (non workout days don,t happen very often) the first week i lost 1lb and the next 1.6. i will keep doing this for now hopefully it will continue to work. My main goal at the moment is dropping BF% anyway and losing the flab on my abs.

sarahg148

Thank you thank you thank you for all of your repsonsed! I really appreciate it. I think I'm going to just stick to about 2000 cal/day. Hopefully I will continue to go down. I think in the past, I tried to eat only 1500-1800 cal/day and then only eat back exercise calories I earned on that day. Problem was I didn't know IF I'd get in the activity and then I figured I'd screwed up my day because I'd eaten all I was "allowed" to in order to stay within my calories so I'd "start over" tomorrow. THIS way, eating 2000 cal/day, I KNOW how to plan my meals and then I figure being active will only enhance my losses. Thanks again everybody!!!! Have a great week!!!

sarahg148

...reponses...I really need to proof read...