PLEASE HELP! Confused about "In Place of a Roadmap"

FitBlackChick

In Place of a Roadmap- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

I have read this article quite a few times, and I am still confused about a few things. I know this article will be of great help once I do understand everything it contains. Can anyone who has read it and applied it please help me? Here are the things I'm confused about:

1. Which number is my TDEE? Is it the number that appears in the chart at the very end of the BMR calculation page? (i.e the calorie numbers corresponding with the activity levels)

2. If so, do I eat 20% less of the calories from the activity level I choose in order to lose weight?

3. In addition to the calories I get from subtracting 20% from my TDEE, do I need to eat back any exercise calories or just stick with this calorie number regardless of whether or not I workout?

I know this is a lot, but I really need help and it will be much appreciated!

ladyraven68

1 - yes
2 - yes
3 - no

Yes, the estimated TDEE based on your activity levels are shown against each activity level

you simply take your defict from that figure

you can ignore exercise calories as they are already taken care of in your activity factor.

So, you just eat the same calories every day.

Good Luck!

turtlefitnessdad

go here
http://thefitgirls.com/tdee-calculator.aspx

you eat 20%or so less then your correctly calculated TDEE.

His way does not need you to eat your workout calories back.

FitBlackChick

Oh I see! Thank you just one more question though, I chose the Sedentary activity level. Now I workout twice a day, six days a week for 40 minutes per workout (I do circuit training and turbo sculpt atm). I chose sedentary because when I'm not working out, I pretty much just sit down at my desk the rest of the day. I hardly ever go out unless it's to buy groceries maybe once a week. Do you think my chosen activity level is correct?

turtlefitnessdad

Oh I see! Thank you just one more question though, I chose the Sedentary activity level. Now I workout twice a day, six days a week for 40 minutes per workout (I do circuit training and turbo sculpt atm). I chose sedentary because when I'm not working out, I pretty much just sit down at my desk the rest of the day. I hardly ever go out unless it's to buy groceries maybe once a week. Do you think my chosen activity level is correct?

No, i would suggest lighly active.

mixedlollies

Bump for later.

ladyraven68

Oh I see! Thank you just one more question though, I chose the Sedentary activity level. Now I workout twice a day, six days a week for 40 minutes per workout (I do circuit training and turbo sculpt atm). I chose sedentary because when I'm not working out, I pretty much just sit down at my desk the rest of the day. I hardly ever go out unless it's to buy groceries maybe once a week. Do you think my chosen activity level is correct?

Definitely not sedentary - although you could go the sedentary route and then eat your exercise calories back.

If you are exercising for 80 minutes a day, 6 days a week, even moderatley active seems a bit low.
Why not start between very active, and Moderate and then adjust as necessary after a few weeks?

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

366to266

Can someone please also help me with this stuff? I had never even heard of BMR or TDEE until a few weeks ago, when I read the roadmap thread, and I need someone to check that I have worked it out correctly and am doing The Right Thing.

Age 54, female, 348lb and 5ft 3. Like the OP apart from when I do deliberate exercise (aquafit 60 mins 3 to 5 times a week) I am completely sedentary and rarely leave the house.

The calculations I found online gave me a BMR of 2300 and TDEE of 3000.

I want to lose weight as fast as possible and will do ANYTHING to achieve this.

I've seen lots of people say never eat below your BMR (mine 2300). Others say eat 20% below TDEE. That would be 2400.

However, Dan, who wrote that "roadmap" post, told me personally that I should be eating 1600, so why did he say that when it conflicts so wildly with the 2300-2400 others are saying?

I actually eat between 1700 and 2000. I feel bad about this and repeatedly try to keep it down to 1600, but I just get too hungry, especially on my non-workout days, when I am home (alone) for even longer and ravenous from the previous day's workout.

I DID lose weight for a few weeks, lost 13lb in a month, but that has now stopped and I am regaining it! Heeeelp!

Now I read that I ought to be eating back my exerise calories. Well, fatsecret tells me that slow swimming uses up 600 calories an hour. What I do is vigorous water aerobics, which isn't listed, so I might be using MORE than 600. Does this mean I am supposed to eat 2900 on my exercise days and 2300 on my lazy days?

As I am gaining weight on an average of 1850 calories a day, what will happen if I increase this to my BMR of 2300 and 2900 on pool days?


If someone could PLEASE help/explain/advise I would be very grateful!

Helena

366to266

bump in the hope that someone will answer my query

FitBlackChick

go here
http://thefitgirls.com/tdee-calculator.aspx

you eat 20%or so less then your correctly calculated TDEE.

His way does not need you to eat your workout calories back.

I went to the website and my TDEE is 2068. So I eat 20% less of this everyday, both on exercise days and rest days? And also, I shouldn't log any exercise into MFP?

366to266

bump in the hope that someone will answer my query

turtlefitnessdad

go here
http://thefitgirls.com/tdee-calculator.aspx

you eat 20%or so less then your correctly calculated TDEE.

His way does not need you to eat your workout calories back.

I went to the website and my TDEE is 2068. So I eat 20% less of this everyday, both on exercise days and rest days? And also, I shouldn't log any exercise into MFP?

You are correct.

If you want to log your excercise then go ahead just don't need to eat your excercise calories back. Many people will just log what they do but put in 1 calorie.

trudijoy

that thread confused me too, as did everything. In the end I narrowed it down to:

1) work out BMR. eat that.

2) work out TDEE.

3) work out difference. for me that's 700 ish so i aim for 300 cal excercise a day average. adds up to 1000 cal deficit = 2 lb a week weight loss.

4) don't eat back excercise cals. your goal is your goal

turtlefitnessdad

Can someone please also help me with this stuff? I had never even heard of BMR or TDEE until a few weeks ago, when I read the roadmap thread, and I need someone to check that I have worked it out correctly and am doing The Right Thing.

Age 54, female, 348lb and 5ft 3. Like the OP apart from when I do deliberate exercise (aquafit 60 mins 3 to 5 times a week) I am completely sedentary and rarely leave the house.

The calculations I found online gave me a BMR of 2300 and TDEE of 3000.

I want to lose weight as fast as possible and will do ANYTHING to achieve this.

I've seen lots of people say never eat below your BMR (mine 2300). Others say eat 20% below TDEE. That would be 2400.

However, Dan, who wrote that "roadmap" post, told me personally that I should be eating 1600, so why did he say that when it conflicts so wildly with the 2300-2400 others are saying?

I actually eat between 1700 and 2000. I feel bad about this and repeatedly try to keep it down to 1600, but I just get too hungry, especially on my non-workout days, when I am home (alone) for even longer and ravenous from the previous day's workout.

I DID lose weight for a few weeks, lost 13lb in a month, but that has now stopped and I am regaining it! Heeeelp!

Now I read that I ought to be eating back my exerise calories. Well, fatsecret tells me that slow swimming uses up 600 calories an hour. What I do is vigorous water aerobics, which isn't listed, so I might be using MORE than 600. Does this mean I am supposed to eat 2900 on my exercise days and 2300 on my lazy days?

As I am gaining weight on an average of 1850 calories a day, what will happen if I increase this to my BMR of 2300 and 2900 on pool days?


If someone could PLEASE help/explain/advise I would be very grateful!

Helena

Dan is the one to ask. If he said 1600 then there is a reason. According to my understanding that is too far below you calculated BMR. (i got a BMR of 2208 and TDEE of 3036)

If you are eating as you say you are then you should be trying to eat your excercise calories back. But if you are eating at 20% below your TDEE then that is not likely neccesary.

In terms of calculating how much to eat back i would suggest using a conservative estimete for what you burn. Don't eat back everything as your estimete is likely to high. That is the safe route to take. But eating more and staying around 2400 would be better for you i believe.

One more time though, Perhaps you should ask Dan again. He is the man.

366to266

Dan is the one to ask. If he said 1600 then there is a reason. According to my understanding that is too far below you calculated BMR. (i got a BMR of 2208 and TDEE of 3036)

If you are eating as you say you are then you should be trying to eat your excercise calories back. But if you are eating at 20% below your TDEE then that is not likely neccesary.

In terms of calculating how much to eat back i would suggest using a conservative estimete for what you burn. Don't eat back everything as your estimete is likely to high. That is the safe route to take. But eating more and staying around 2400 would be better for you i believe.

One more time though, Perhaps you should ask Dan again. He is the man.

I asked him why his advice conflicted with what others said, (ie not to eat below 2230) and he declined to reply, saying merely that i should eat 30-30-40 and 1600. His replies are very curt and make me feel averse to asking the same question again. Isn't there someone more friendly and forthcoming to a newbie?

i track daily and am eating between 1700 and 2000, and have gained 5lb now on this despite i hr water aerobics (680 calories) average 4 x weekly.

turtlefitnessdad

Dan is the one to ask. If he said 1600 then there is a reason. According to my understanding that is too far below you calculated BMR. (i got a BMR of 2208 and TDEE of 3036)

If you are eating as you say you are then you should be trying to eat your excercise calories back. But if you are eating at 20% below your TDEE then that is not likely neccesary.

In terms of calculating how much to eat back i would suggest using a conservative estimete for what you burn. Don't eat back everything as your estimete is likely to high. That is the safe route to take. But eating more and staying around 2400 would be better for you i believe.

One more time though, Perhaps you should ask Dan again. He is the man.

I asked him why his advice conflicted with what others said, (ie not to eat below 2230) and he declined to reply, saying merely that i should eat 30-30-40 and 1600. His replies are very curt and make me feel averse to asking the same question again. Isn't there someone more friendly and forthcoming to a newbie?

i track daily and am eating between 1700 and 2000, and have gained 5lb now on this despite i hr water aerobics (680 calories) average 4 x weekly.

Personally, as i stated above, i think you should be eating around 2400 calories a day and not eating back your excercise calories. Whatever reason Dan had to say that i have no idea. He is a good guy and very helpful but you have to do what works for you. You know when you are hungry and when you are not, no one else can feel what you feel. Listen to your body but make sure you are doing what you know is the healthy choice.

366to266

you should be eating around 2400 calories a day and not eating back your excercise calories. Whatever reason Dan had to say that i have no idea. He is a good guy and very helpful but you have to do what works for you. You know when you are hungry and when you are not, no one else can feel what you feel. Listen to your body but make sure you are doing what you know is the healthy choice.

So you mean I am gaining because i am not eating enough? Sounds weird.

I'm eating according to hunger, it fluctuates daily. Some days I only eat about 1700 and other days I am nibble nibble nibble all the way up to 2000 and yesterday right up to 2600 which I felt terrible about, I might add, I counted it as a cheat day, felt very guilty and vowed to do better. And yet some would say I should be eating 2600 daily. some ladies who were once my size have messaged privately to say they have lost 100lb and more on 1400 and even 1200.


I just cannot get my head round this. I am floundering about not knowing what on earth to eat...

FitBlackChick

go here
http://thefitgirls.com/tdee-calculator.aspx

you eat 20%or so less then your correctly calculated TDEE.

His way does not need you to eat your workout calories back.

I went to the website and my TDEE is 2068. So I eat 20% less of this everyday, both on exercise days and rest days? And also, I shouldn't log any exercise into MFP?

You are correct.

If you want to log your excercise then go ahead just don't need to eat your excercise calories back. Many people will just log what they do but put in 1 calorie.

Ohh okay i understand now .Thank you

Um I also discovered that my BMR is around 1400. For the first several weeks of my weightloss journey I was eating about 1300 cals, and I wasnt eating back my exercise calories at all. I lost 5 pounds in the first 4 weeks then gained it back steadily over the next 4 weeks. since then i have been fluctuating between a weight gain/loss of around 1-1.5 lbs. I posted this on MFP in someone else's thread and some replied saying that the reason i wasnt losing weight was because 1400 is actually my TDEE! Is this possible?? I thought the reason I wasn't losing weight was because my metabolism slowed down in order for my body to survive on such a small amount of calories

aalpass

Oh I see! Thank you just one more question though, I chose the Sedentary activity level. Now I workout twice a day, six days a week for 40 minutes per workout (I do circuit training and turbo sculpt atm). I chose sedentary because when I'm not working out, I pretty much just sit down at my desk the rest of the day. I hardly ever go out unless it's to buy groceries maybe once a week. Do you think my chosen activity level is correct?

I like http://iifym.com/
Its calculator for TDEE allows you to break down your day. I'm similar to you - I workout over an hour 6days a week but pretty much am on my *kitten* the rest of the day. This allowed me to incorporate all of that.

turtlefitnessdad

you should be eating around 2400 calories a day and not eating back your excercise calories. Whatever reason Dan had to say that i have no idea. He is a good guy and very helpful but you have to do what works for you. You know when you are hungry and when you are not, no one else can feel what you feel. Listen to your body but make sure you are doing what you know is the healthy choice.

So you mean I am gaining because i am not eating enough? Sounds weird.

I'm eating according to hunger, it fluctuates daily. Some days I only eat about 1700 and other days I am nibble nibble nibble all the way up to 2000 and yesterday right up to 2600 which I felt terrible about, I might add, I counted it as a cheat day, felt very guilty and vowed to do better. And yet some would say I should be eating 2600 daily. some ladies who were once my size have messaged privately to say they have lost 100lb and more on 1400 and even 1200.


I just cannot get my head round this. I am floundering about not knowing what on earth to eat...

The humen body must have energy in order to survive. Your BMR is the amount of energy you would be given if you were in a coma just to keep your organs working correctly. If you eat below your BMR for to long then your body will start to "believe" that it needs to find it's own way to get the energy it needs. Your body will hold on to it's energy reserves(fat). If you want to loose weight the right way then you need to make your body believe it will get enough energy resources from the food you eat and that it is OK for it (your body) to not hold on to the fat.

Every humen body is designed to be exactly what it needs to be. This is why a lot of heavy lifting results in bigger stronger body's. The body starts to believe it needs to be a certain way to maintain what it does on a reguler basis. If you eat enough you will loose more from your exercise because your body will know that is OK to do.

This means eating enough, not going crazy. Commen sense must be adheard to.

turtlefitnessdad

go here
http://thefitgirls.com/tdee-calculator.aspx

you eat 20%or so less then your correctly calculated TDEE.

His way does not need you to eat your workout calories back.

I went to the website and my TDEE is 2068. So I eat 20% less of this everyday, both on exercise days and rest days? And also, I shouldn't log any exercise into MFP?

You are correct.

If you want to log your excercise then go ahead just don't need to eat your excercise calories back. Many people will just log what they do but put in 1 calorie.

Ohh okay i understand now .Thank you

Um I also discovered that my BMR is around 1400. For the first several weeks of my weightloss journey I was eating about 1300 cals, and I wasnt eating back my exercise calories at all. I lost 5 pounds in the first 4 weeks then gained it back steadily over the next 4 weeks. since then i have been fluctuating between a weight gain/loss of around 1-1.5 lbs. I posted this on MFP in someone else's thread and some replied saying that the reason i wasnt losing weight was because 1400 is actually my TDEE! Is this possible?? I thought the reason I wasn't losing weight was because my metabolism slowed down in order for my body to survive on such a small amount of calories

My wife is 4' 10'' and 140 pounds. She is a very petite person. Her BMR is 1408. There are many variables of course but i absolutly do not believe your BMR could possibly be 1400. That is just not the case.

And more then likely no. The reason you were not loosing weight is likely because your body "stalled". (i don't like that term) Meaning it did not want to cut it's energy reserves because it is affraid it won't get proper energy from what you were eating.

rosiereally2

I asked him why his advice conflicted with what others said, (ie not to eat below 2230) and he declined to reply, saying merely that i should eat 30-30-40 and 1600. His replies are very curt and make me feel averse to asking the same question again. Isn't there someone more friendly and forthcoming to a newbie?

i track daily and am eating between 1700 and 2000, and have gained 5lb now on this despite i hr water aerobics (680 calories) average 4 x weekly.

So then eat 1600 for a week or two and see how you make out. A lot of this is trial and error, with emphasis on the "trial". You must apply the principals to see what result you'll get, and then adjust accordingly.

FitBlackChick

go here
http://thefitgirls.com/tdee-calculator.aspx

you eat 20%or so less then your correctly calculated TDEE.

His way does not need you to eat your workout calories back.

I went to the website and my TDEE is 2068. So I eat 20% less of this everyday, both on exercise days and rest days? And also, I shouldn't log any exercise into MFP?

You are correct.

If you want to log your excercise then go ahead just don't need to eat your excercise calories back. Many people will just log what they do but put in 1 calorie.

Ohh okay i understand now .Thank you

Um I also discovered that my BMR is around 1400. For the first several weeks of my weightloss journey I was eating about 1300 cals, and I wasnt eating back my exercise calories at all. I lost 5 pounds in the first 4 weeks then gained it back steadily over the next 4 weeks. since then i have been fluctuating between a weight gain/loss of around 1-1.5 lbs. I posted this on MFP in someone else's thread and some replied saying that the reason i wasnt losing weight was because 1400 is actually my TDEE! Is this possible?? I thought the reason I wasn't losing weight was because my metabolism slowed down in order for my body to survive on such a small amount of calories

My wife is 4' 10'' and 140 pounds. She is a very petite person. Her BMR is 1408. There are many variables of course but i absolutly do not believe your BMR could possibly be 1400. That is just not the case.

And more then likely no. The reason you were not loosing weight is likely because your body "stalled". (i don't like that term) Meaning it did not want to cut it's energy reserves because it is affraid it won't get proper energy from what you were eating.

That's what I think too. I'm just hoping my metabolism hasnt been damaged beyond repair. Apparently I have been starving my body for over 4 months

Qskim

you should be eating around 2400 calories a day and not eating back your excercise calories. Whatever reason Dan had to say that i have no idea. He is a good guy and very helpful but you have to do what works for you. You know when you are hungry and when you are not, no one else can feel what you feel. Listen to your body but make sure you are doing what you know is the healthy choice.

So you mean I am gaining because i am not eating enough? Sounds weird.

I'm eating according to hunger, it fluctuates daily. Some days I only eat about 1700 and other days I am nibble nibble nibble all the way up to 2000 and yesterday right up to 2600 which I felt terrible about, I might add, I counted it as a cheat day, felt very guilty and vowed to do better. And yet some would say I should be eating 2600 daily. some ladies who were once my size have messaged privately to say they have lost 100lb and more on 1400 and even 1200.


I just cannot get my head round this. I am floundering about not knowing what on earth to eat...

At your current weight there needs to be a big emphasis on WHAT you eat as well..you can eat 1600 or at a cut below tdee and not lose if you are eating the wrong foods..age is a factor as well (hormones) as well as weight and I think the key to what you have said is that you are ravenous. You may have insulin/leptin resistance/sensitivity where carbs/sugars can trigger unreasonable, or what seems illogical hunger. In the beginning I focused very much on whole foods, low GI to help cravings and kept sugar and processed carb to absolute minimum. Now that I'm in overweight category I can eat those things within reason but it took me months to balance it. Even now I notice that one portion can lead to a complete blowout. Takes me days to right it but I've developed structure to help me pull up that I knew I needed to learn in the beginning which is why, initially, I completely abstained. I wasn't counting cals then but lost weight from just eating better which fundamentally meant I ate less cals. I estimate though that I was eating at around 1600 - 1800 with moderate walking 5/wk. Eat at the 1600-1800 but really focus on food types..lean proteins, pulses, lots of vegetables, wholegrains.

fresh_start59

I think our low BMR is related to our high body fat percentage. I'm guessing that is because us big gals have enough fat in our cells to keep our body from starving. Hopefully someone with more experience can jump in and say whether this is correct or not.

I used heybales spreadsheet on the In Place of a Roadmap group:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/717858-spreadsheet-bmr-tdee-and-deficit-calcs-macros-hrm

I plugged in my measurements and weight and it gave me two huge percentage of body fat numbers (two different calculations) and an average of the two. (50% body fat) Sadly, I think the average is fairly accurate as my body mass is quite soft.

I used the sedentary figure, plus I added in my daily walking and limited resistance band minutes. The spreadsheet gave me the following calculations:
BMR: 1531
TDEE: 2036
TDEG (Total Daily Eating Goal): 1531 (NOTE: This is the same as my BMR)

I set my calorie goal to 1,600 (approx 20% cut from my TDEE), but allowed myself to have some days under and some days over. During a three week period, I averaged 1,620 daily calories and lost 5 pounds. The loss was higher than expected, so it probably included water weight.

Since my weight changed by 5 pounds, I decided it was time to remeasure and update my spreadsheet. My hips and abdomen measurements changed a tiny bit but the rest of my measurements stayed pretty much the same. Even so, the small decrease in weight and measurements shifted my numbers.

It shifted them in a very surprising manner.

Average body fat dropped from an estimated 50% to an estimated 48.2%
New BMR: 1547, up 15 calories (I had expected a drop, not an increase!)
New TDEE: 2083, up 47 calories (again, I expected a drop instead of the increase!)
New TDEG: 1547, up 15 calories (note: the new total daily eating goal is again my BMR)

I will continue to keep my calorie range at about 1,600 calories through the rest of this week (week 4). Then, I will increase my eating to TDEE for about a week (week 5), just to keep my body guessing. Then then (week 6) I'll go back down to 1,600 for another four weeks.

FlaxMilk

So you mean I am gaining because i am not eating enough? Sounds weird.

I'm eating according to hunger, it fluctuates daily. Some days I only eat about 1700 and other days I am nibble nibble nibble all the way up to 2000 and yesterday right up to 2600 which I felt terrible about, I might add, I counted it as a cheat day, felt very guilty and vowed to do better. And yet some would say I should be eating 2600 daily. some ladies who were once my size have messaged privately to say they have lost 100lb and more on 1400 and even 1200.


I just cannot get my head round this. I am floundering about not knowing what on earth to eat...

I really doubt that you are gaining because you are not eating enough. You sound frustrated and confused. My advice is to keep it simple. Use MFP's settings and follow the program of the website you are on. I suggest finding your numbers for anywhere between 2 lb a week loss and .5 lb a week loss and eating anywhere in between those on a day to day basis based on hunger and energy. Eat your exercise calories, just be careful about overestimating them. (For instance, if MFP says 1500 + exercise calories for 2 lbs a week, and 2000 + exercise calories for .5 lbs a week, you should lose weight if you stick in that range, as long as you are logging both food and exercise properly.)

366to266

Thanks for all the responses.


@Skim I don't eat grains, oats, pulses, beans or legumes, they simply don't agree with me. They give me heartburn, indigestion, and wind. I suffer from hypoglycaemia and am hyperinsulinaemic, which simply means that my body produces too much insulin and causes BG crashes if I am not careful.

@Flax - I certainly am frustrated and confused. It was all going so well! I was losing 2.6 lbs a week (average) for 6 weeks then BANG, gained 3lb in 3 days and now I am gaining a pound every time I weigh. WTF? MFP's settings automatically put people on a high carb low fat diet and I have literally just spent one whole hour going round in circles on this site trying to change it. I find the site very difficult and that is why I track on mysecret instead.

I still don't really know how many calories to eat <sigh>.

FitBlackChick

Thanks for all the responses.


@Skim I don't eat grains, oats, pulses, beans or legumes, they simply don't agree with me. They give me heartburn, indigestion, and wind. I suffer from hypoglycaemia and am hyperinsulinaemic, which simply means that my body produces too much insulin and causes BG crashes if I am not careful.

@Flax - I certainly am frustrated and confused. It was all going so well! I was losing 2.6 lbs a week (average) for 6 weeks then BANG, gained 3lb in 3 days and now I am gaining a pound every time I weigh. WTF? MFP's settings automatically put people on a high carb low fat diet and I have literally just spent one whole hour going round in circles on this site trying to change it. I find the site very difficult and that is why I track on mysecret instead.

I still don't really know how many calories to eat <sigh>.

I totally understand your frustrations. I personally have been getting no where for almost 3 months, but I won't give up. I think it's all about trial and error. I asked Dan about his suggestion to people who have been eating way too little for a long time about resetting their metabolisms. He suggests I eat at my TDEE for a few weeks and then cut back by 20%. That would mean upping my calories by about 600 a day for the next few weeks! I am utterly terrified to do this, but after getting no where for such a long time I think I don't think it would hurt to give it a try. Don't give up! There are some general rules we must follow to lose weight, but everyone has specific things that work for them. Stick to it and you will find yours, I'm sure of it

FlaxMilk

Thanks for all the responses.


@Skim I don't eat grains, oats, pulses, beans or legumes, they simply don't agree with me. They give me heartburn, indigestion, and wind. I suffer from hypoglycaemia and am hyperinsulinaemic, which simply means that my body produces too much insulin and causes BG crashes if I am not careful.

@Flax - I certainly am frustrated and confused. It was all going so well! I was losing 2.6 lbs a week (average) for 6 weeks then BANG, gained 3lb in 3 days and now I am gaining a pound every time I weigh. WTF? MFP's settings automatically put people on a high carb low fat diet and I have literally just spent one whole hour going round in circles on this site trying to change it. I find the site very difficult and that is why I track on mysecret instead.

I still don't really know how many calories to eat <sigh>.

Go to the "My Home" tab, and then go to "Goals." You can change your percentages there, many do. Good luck!

wswilliams67

Can someone please also help me with this stuff? I had never even heard of BMR or TDEE until a few weeks ago, when I read the roadmap thread, and I need someone to check that I have worked it out correctly and am doing The Right Thing.

Age 54, female, 348lb and 5ft 3. Like the OP apart from when I do deliberate exercise (aquafit 60 mins 3 to 5 times a week) I am completely sedentary and rarely leave the house.

The calculations I found online gave me a BMR of 2300 and TDEE of 3000.

I want to lose weight as fast as possible and will do ANYTHING to achieve this.

I've seen lots of people say never eat below your BMR (mine 2300). Others say eat 20% below TDEE. That would be 2400.

However, Dan, who wrote that "roadmap" post, told me personally that I should be eating 1600, so why did he say that when it conflicts so wildly with the 2300-2400 others are saying?

I actually eat between 1700 and 2000. I feel bad about this and repeatedly try to keep it down to 1600, but I just get too hungry, especially on my non-workout days, when I am home (alone) for even longer and ravenous from the previous day's workout.

I DID lose weight for a few weeks, lost 13lb in a month, but that has now stopped and I am regaining it! Heeeelp!

Now I read that I ought to be eating back my exerise calories. Well, fatsecret tells me that slow swimming uses up 600 calories an hour. What I do is vigorous water aerobics, which isn't listed, so I might be using MORE than 600. Does this mean I am supposed to eat 2900 on my exercise days and 2300 on my lazy days?

As I am gaining weight on an average of 1850 calories a day, what will happen if I increase this to my BMR of 2300 and 2900 on pool days?


If someone could PLEASE help/explain/advise I would be very grateful!

Helena

Most likely he told you 1600 because of your current weight. People with a significant amount of weight to lose can easily shed using low calorie intake levels. However, as you lose weight and begin to exercise more that intake level will need to increase to sustain your body's new needs.

Remember your TDEE is NOT just your exercise, it is all the calories you burn in a single day doing whatever activities you do. For example on my workout days I easily hit my 3500 calorie TDEE. But on my rest days I fall short, so I adjust my food intake to compensate.

You also need to make sure you are eating good, clean foods. Anything in a bag or a box is so packed with sodium you will put on a lot of water weight.

Lastly, the scale lies... it ALWAYS lies. All it tells you is how much force gravity is using to keep you attached to the Earth. It's just one tool that should be in your weight loss arsenal. Your clothes, the mirror, tape measure, Omron meter, etc should all be used to gauge your body composition not just your weight. I can gain 3-5 pounds overnight just from water weight.

wswilliams67

Thanks for all the responses.


@Skim I don't eat grains, oats, pulses, beans or legumes, they simply don't agree with me. They give me heartburn, indigestion, and wind. I suffer from hypoglycaemia and am hyperinsulinaemic, which simply means that my body produces too much insulin and causes BG crashes if I am not careful.

@Flax - I certainly am frustrated and confused. It was all going so well! I was losing 2.6 lbs a week (average) for 6 weeks then BANG, gained 3lb in 3 days and now I am gaining a pound every time I weigh. WTF? MFP's settings automatically put people on a high carb low fat diet and I have literally just spent one whole hour going round in circles on this site trying to change it. I find the site very difficult and that is why I track on mysecret instead.

I still don't really know how many calories to eat <sigh>.

If you have the means... get a Bodymedia FIT armband. Wear it religiously (except when in the water). It will tell you exactly (within 90+% accuracy) how many calories you burn each day. Just eat 1000 calories less than what it says your estimated burn will be. it can't get simpler than that. It even syncs with MFP.