This opened up my eyes today . . .

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  • dragonfly74
    dragonfly74 Posts: 1,382 Member
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    Ok, I am completely confused. It told me that my RMR is 1669, and I need to consume 1842 to stay where I am. Obviously I don't want to stay where I am.
    So what am i supposed to do.....eating 1669 calories is only a 173 defecit, and that won't amount to anything as far as weight loss.

    I'm probably missing something completely obvious, so any help would be very appreciated.
    I also though if I eat 1669 a day (defecit of 173) and then burn say 400 working out, then that would be a defecit of 573 (so over 3500 a week), but then doesn't the 573 defecit put me under how many calories i need??:huh:

    This helped me quite a bit and is from the same site the real info I believe you are looking for is in the last two sentences:

    How many calories do I have to restrict to lose one pound a week?

    The rule of thumb is to create an "energy deficit" of 3500 calories in order to lose one pound. If you spread that energy deficit over an entire week, that comes to a deficit of 500 calories per day. If you subtract 500 calories from your total daily calorie goal provided by the CyberKitchen and it restricts you below your RMR, you need to back off on your restriction. That is why you need to use the Shape Up America! Metabolism Calculator to know your RMR.

    What do I do to lose one pound per week without restricting calories below my RMR?

    If you still want to aim for a deficit of 500 calories per day, you can use an exercise strategy to boost your deficit. The rule of thumb is to walk one mile to burn 100 calories. So you can create a 500-calorie deficit by restricting your food intake by 250 calories and you can walk off the other 250 calories (by walking an extra two and a half miles per day - which is about 5000 steps). The beauty of this combined approach is that the restriction is milder plus you reap the health benefits of exercise as you lose weight.
  • dragonfly74
    dragonfly74 Posts: 1,382 Member
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    I don't want to rain on your parade but be a carful optimist. Why? My RMR is 2880. That is 2 calories per minute while I sleep Times 60 minutes Times 24 hours. I eat 2200 calories. I am struggling to get past 300. Numbers are numbers but your body will determine your success. All you can do is what is supposed to be right and let your body to the rest.

    I will send you a message. I came up with a different number for your RMR.
  • dragonfly74
    dragonfly74 Posts: 1,382 Member
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    Well let me just say that I've been working out and eating less for 8 weeks and haven't lost anything. Yes, I've seen my body shape change but nothing in inches, etc. I know it takes time but having a numbers figure to work with helps me get going in the right direction when clearly I am getting to a point that something needs to change in one direction or another so my body gets going here.

    Thanks Viviakay for helping me!

    Quite the same for me. That is why I knew I needed some kind of change so I hope this helps me a bit. I won't be restricting myself nearly as much as I have been.
  • AmberMommyTo2G1B
    AmberMommyTo2G1B Posts: 44 Member
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    Ok so once again lol the rmr is what they suggest you should be eating correct? I upped my calories to that because I to am at a plataeu. I am wondering though about how to figure out the defecit. Is that the number you get from cyberkitche- the rmr. I'm really very sorry and I'm sure this is all very easy but it really is taking me a while to figure this out.

    I will add I only am able to work out at the most 3-4 times one week and 2x's at the most the other (I do walk my dog for 30 minutes most days as well). I am just not sure how all this works. Thanks for your help in advance :)
  • Laceylala
    Laceylala Posts: 3,094 Member
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    Amber - Eat your RMR number, and if you burn 200 calories (for example) working out, then eat at least half or all of them back and you got it.

    It took me ohhhh about 8 weeks to figure it out too, and I've read all the "sticky notes" over and over.
  • lwebsmfp
    lwebsmfp Posts: 297 Member
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    Thanks for posting this information. I've been doing a ton of reading on MFP as well as other sites to understand all these numbers. I started out at 1200 calories a day and no exercise. I lost 2 pounds per week this way but I didn't feel good as I was constantly hungry and getting headaches. So, I bumped up my calories to 1350 in order to lose 1 pound a week as suggested by MFP and that includes the 500 deficit. My headaches have greatly reduced although I get an occasional one. I also started exercising and I try to do this 3 days a week for 30 minutes right now. I have not lost any additional weight since starting exercise. I am eating healthy, drinking water, and sleeping enough. I do still get hunger pains at times though.

    I eat some of my exercise calories but am still confused as to whether I'm supposed to be eating all of them, some of them, or none of them. So many people do it differently. Eating them back works for some while not eating them back works for others.

    I checked the CyberKitchen to find out my RMR and it said mine is 1476. It said in order to lose 1 pound a week with a 500 calorie deficit, my suggested daily calorie goal is 1418. This number is a little less than my RMR. So, does that mean I need to eat my RMR or would eating the 1418 be okay? Also, on the days that I exercise do I eat back those exercise calories to make sure that my net calories remain at 1418/1476 or do I not eat them back? I haven't been exercising very long so for 30 minutes of exercise I usually burn anywhere between 150 to 250 calories.
  • Laceylala
    Laceylala Posts: 3,094 Member
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    Iweb..I just started eating back at least 50% of my exercise cals and I think I FINALLY after 8 weeks of working my butt off lost some weight this week. The difference between what MFP suggests and the RMR on the kitchen suggests is only like 60 cals. That isn't going to break the bank one way or another..
    I would eat the 1450ish a day (averaging them) and then eat at the very least half of your exercise cals back for a couple weeks and see how you do. If you see a change for the better, awesome. If you don't, then you can consider not eating them back at all or eating them all back and seeing how that goes.
  • lwebsmfp
    lwebsmfp Posts: 297 Member
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    Laceylala... Thanks for that advice. I think I'll give that a try and see how it goes. One thing is for sure... I'm not giving up! :)

    Dragonfly74... Thanks so much for posting that information. it's a good read and I found it easy to understand.
  • AmberMommyTo2G1B
    AmberMommyTo2G1B Posts: 44 Member
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    Ok thank you :) About the whole defecit thing what does that mean exactly? I have a defecit of 441 calories. I guess that is the one thing I can't quite figure out. Like I said earlier this whole thing is so confusing. I wish there was something that could say hey this is what will work for you now do it and you will lose all the weight :)
  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
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    Ok thank you :) About the whole defecit thing what does that mean exactly? I have a defecit of 441 calories. I guess that is the one thing I can't quite figure out. Like I said earlier this whole thing is so confusing. I wish there was something that could say hey this is what will work for you now do it and you will lose all the weight :)

    "Deficit" is the difference between your maintenance calories (not your BMR, your maintenance calories) and your calories that MFP gives you.

    And hey, pretty much what MFP does is say "hey this is what will work for you." Seriously. Pretty much everyone who follows MFP's recs loses weight. (barring metabolic dysfunction of some sort).

    Have faith in MFP! :flowerforyou:
  • dragonfly74
    dragonfly74 Posts: 1,382 Member
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    Laceylala... Thanks for that advice. I think I'll give that a try and see how it goes. One thing is for sure... I'm not giving up! :)

    Dragonfly74... Thanks so much for posting that information. it's a good read and I found it easy to understand.

    You are so welcome. It still is finding out what works for us as individuals. I know what used to work for me isn't any longer so I knew I needed to "mix things up."

    We should all keep posting and see how we do over the next several weeks! :smile:
  • Laceylala
    Laceylala Posts: 3,094 Member
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    Got on the scale last night at the gym....I am pretty dern sure I finally lost some weight! I will check again tonigth when I go. This is like week two of eating back some or most of my work out calories.

    I changed *edit FOUR* things two weeks ago:
    1. I both logged and watched what I ate last weekend.
    2. ate back at least 1/2 my exercise cals
    3. Increased my protein by like 25+ grams
    4. changed my workout routine. I started adding in some running/walking on the treadmill and changed my weights routine completely

    Next week my goal is to start cutting sugars out more. I don' t want to do the Southbeach diet, but I do want to cut out more sugar and see if that helps. I've done the first two weeks of that diet before and I lost back fat and stomach fat like crazy..so trying to find something similar that I can live with more easily.

    I'm going to Ontario for at least a week for work in May and I would LOVE to weigh quite a bit less than I do now. It always helps with the customers to look good, sad to say.
  • h3ktlk
    h3ktlk Posts: 38 Member
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    So i guess my big question is.. mfp tells me to consume 1550 cals plus my exercise to loose at a 2lb rate and my From Normal Daily Activity is 2550 cals per day.. the shape up site says Your resting metabolic rate is 2034 Calories per day is 1550 the right amount?

    so thats what confused me on this post...


    lol

    idk if i made sense sorry if i didnt
  • Laceylala
    Laceylala Posts: 3,094 Member
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    So i guess my big question is.. mfp tells me to consume 1550 cals plus my exercise to loose at a 2lb rate and my From Normal Daily Activity is 2550 cals per day.. the shape up site says Your resting metabolic rate is 2034 Calories per day is 1550 the right amount?

    so thats what confused me on this post...


    lol

    idk if i made sense sorry if i didnt

    Think of it this way, If you eat 1550 a day, then burn 500 at the gym and eat them back, you'd be at 2050 total cals that day of food eaten right? So you'd hit that RMR number anyways.
    So to simplify things, go with what the MFP number gives you and eat at least 50% of your exercise calories back on top of that and I think you will be just fine.
  • h3ktlk
    h3ktlk Posts: 38 Member
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    Thank you
  • lvfunandfit
    lvfunandfit Posts: 654 Member
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    dragonfly74 --- I was in your boat for months! Stuck and unable to move the scale. When I paid attention to my BMR and calories and started eating back most, if not all of my exercise calories I have lost .8-1.2 lbs a week! I'm FINALLY back into my pre preggo clothes (size 4/6!!!!) and 3 lbs shy of my pre pregnancy weight. I set my new goal to be 5lbs lighter and I am not focusing so much on the scale now. I'm going to have my body fat tested once a month and go with that number. I know you'll reach your goal! It takes so long, but it is attainable! Those last 15 pounds are super frustrating!!! Especially when you are working hard to get them off! Sounds like you have a good plan and that you are totally motivated!!! You go!!
  • dragonfly74
    dragonfly74 Posts: 1,382 Member
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    dragonfly74 --- I was in your boat for months! Stuck and unable to move the scale. When I paid attention to my BMR and calories and started eating back most, if not all of my exercise calories I have lost .8-1.2 lbs a week! I'm FINALLY back into my pre preggo clothes (size 4/6!!!!) and 3 lbs shy of my pre pregnancy weight. I set my new goal to be 5lbs lighter and I am not focusing so much on the scale now. I'm going to have my body fat tested once a month and go with that number. I know you'll reach your goal! It takes so long, but it is attainable! Those last 15 pounds are super frustrating!!! Especially when you are working hard to get them off! Sounds like you have a good plan and that you are totally motivated!!! You go!!

    Oh thanks so much! I am so frustrated! I am currently 140 and would love to get to 125 and I know I can because I got there after my second child was born. My youngest is 17 months and I am 6 lbs less than my pre-pregnancy weight but was too heavy to begin with when I got pregnant with him :blushing: .

    Thanks for your encouraging words and great job on your weight loss.
  • lvfunandfit
    lvfunandfit Posts: 654 Member
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    dragonfly74 --- I was in your boat for months! Stuck and unable to move the scale. When I paid attention to my BMR and calories and started eating back most, if not all of my exercise calories I have lost .8-1.2 lbs a week! I'm FINALLY back into my pre preggo clothes (size 4/6!!!!) and 3 lbs shy of my pre pregnancy weight. I set my new goal to be 5lbs lighter and I am not focusing so much on the scale now. I'm going to have my body fat tested once a month and go with that number. I know you'll reach your goal! It takes so long, but it is attainable! Those last 15 pounds are super frustrating!!! Especially when you are working hard to get them off! Sounds like you have a good plan and that you are totally motivated!!! You go!!

    Oh thanks so much! I am so frustrated! I am currently 140 and would love to get to 125 and I know I can because I got there after my second child was born. My youngest is 17 months and I am 6 lbs less than my pre-pregnancy weight but was too heavy to begin with when I got pregnant with him :blushing: .

    Thanks for your encouraging words and great job on your weight loss.

    You are welcome. Just to give you an idea of how long it took me... I weighed 149 in May of 2009 and FINALLY, last week I was 128. My pre preggo weight was 125 (with 18% body fat). I'm at 128 and about 21% body fat (according to my scale-not totally accurate). It took a LONG time. Like it was explained by a previous poster, those last 10-15 lbs do take a long time. When I started eating more and pushing myself harder during workouts, I finally began to see a difference. Pregnancy does a number on our bodies.... Take it one day at a time! =)

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