Whats the best way to calculate your calorie intake?

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lucyhross
lucyhross Posts: 87 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Since when i had started losing weight ta the beginning of this year instead of losing i have gained 8lbs!!!!! i think there might be something wrong with my calorie intake but i dont know what the best way of measuring it is.

i get confused between all the different methods- what MFP has sent me, TDEE and the rest of it. But does anyone know the best way to calculate your calorie intake?

FYI i am 153.5lbs, 5Ft6 female, sedentary lifestyle and walk for an hour during the weekdays and workout for hour on both saturday and sunday. MFP set me a calorie intake of 1330 when losing 1lb a week.

please help, i really dont want to gain any more! :(
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Replies

  • ivyana25
    ivyana25 Posts: 76
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    Crazy! Im the same height as you and when i started this thing i was 153.8 right now im 142 on good days 145 on bad days... ive been at this weight for a month now.. r u drinking your 8 glasses of water? R u eating too much processed foods? When i first started i was dropping weight every week doing 1 day of soccer (cardio) and 4 to 5 days of strength training... It was working real good for me and i had like almost 0 processed foods these have alot of sodium so that makes you retain water weight... I was eating 1200 calories plus my exercise calories alot of people say that that is too low but i have a desk job and im not too active so this was actually what was recommended to me with a 20% deficit in my calories...

    This is just some of the things i did that worked for me... Good luck...
  • lucyhross
    lucyhross Posts: 87 Member
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    Thanks i know i drink quite a bit of water (usually 2 litres a day minimum) and 've just started strength training- maybe i should do more cardio? i usually run or horse ride at the weekends.

    ive just opened my food diary up- so maybe you could have a look? (maybe ive gone over my calorie intake on too many days?)
  • mfunderburgh
    mfunderburgh Posts: 47 Member
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    Do you think your calories burned is accurate? are you using a HRM?
  • Evotchka
    Evotchka Posts: 144 Member
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    I am in no way an expert but you said that MFP set you a goal calorie intake of 1330 and by looking at your diary for the last week (that's how far I've only looked) it looks like you're eating more than that. Maybe you have to restrict your eating a little bit more? I also wonder about how you log your exercise because I see that you burn something like 700 cals from exercise. I doubt that walking for an hour will burn that many calories. But like I said, I'm no expert, that's just what comes to my mind when I see this.
    Good luck :)
  • brendaj39
    brendaj39 Posts: 375 Member
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    I say lower your carb, sugar and sodium intake, up your protein, I know I gain very quick and easy if I go over on my carbs and sodium....
  • Only1Mickee
    Only1Mickee Posts: 415 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet
  • craigmandu
    craigmandu Posts: 976 Member
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    and 've just started strength training

    The starting of any exercise program that you are not already accustomed to will cause a small gain in weight. It is usually temporary (a few weeks at most, as your body gets acclimated to the new exercise).

    Have you not lost anything at all since the beginning of the year, or has your weight spiked back up a bit since you started your strength training?
  • kao708
    kao708 Posts: 813 Member
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    I am in no way an expert but you said that MFP set you a goal calorie intake of 1330 and by looking at your diary for the last week (that's how far I've only looked) it looks like you're eating more than that. Maybe you have to restrict your eating a little bit more? I also wonder about how you log your exercise because I see that you burn something like 700 cals from exercise. I doubt that walking for an hour will burn that many calories. But like I said, I'm no expert, that's just what comes to my mind when I see this.
    Good luck :)
    I agree with this...start by making sure that your calorie burn is accurate by using a heart rate monitor. Then, stop eating back all or some of your exercise calories. That's how MFP is built but that doesn't work for everyone. You aren't too far from goal so the weight will come off more slowly.
  • ivyana25
    ivyana25 Posts: 76
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    I say lower your carb, sugar and sodium intake, up your protein, I know I gain very quick and easy if I go over on my carbs and sodium....


    ^ AGREE
    Yea those are the macros you should watch... Sugar turns into fat... and Sodium makes you heavier... Protein is good because it helps you build lean muscle...
  • honeysprinkles
    honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
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    Get a digital food scale and weigh everything that you eat, don't guess on portion sizes. That will make a big difference! Also, take the time to custom enter your meals, don't just look for a substitute if you can put in every ingredient yourself. If you exercise and add in your exercise calories, buy a heart rate monitor. If you can't afford to/don't want to, I would only eat back 2/3 of your exercise calories to account for a likely overestimation from MFP or cardio machines.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    I'm guessing you overestimate your exercise calories by a lot. One hour of walking for me would be maybe 250 calories at 3.5mph, I'm older but 180lbs. Buy a heart rate monitor and make sure to adjust it to your current weight.
  • krowanvil
    krowanvil Posts: 49 Member
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    Your TDEE is around 1850 based on a sedentary lifestyle. You should be able to eat that many calories without gaining weight, even if you did not exercise. Anything less and you lose weight.

    Make sure you are measuring your food to ensure it is the portion size you think it is.
    Be careful no to eat too much sodium, as it will cause you to retain water.
    Drink plenty of water so that your body does not feel the need to retain water.
    Be conservative on the estimated number of calories burned during exercise.
    Take measurements of your body, you may be losing fat but gaining muscle. The scale is not the only way to measure success.

    Good luck!
  • RoseTears143
    RoseTears143 Posts: 1,121 Member
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    If you walk an hour a day and workout on weekends you do not have a sedentary lfiestyle. You should recalculate your calorie needs and go from there. Sedentary lifestyle means you don't workout....almost ever.
  • TinaBean007
    TinaBean007 Posts: 273 Member
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    My suggestions:
    - Be careful with calories burned from exercise. If it seems too high then don't eat all the calories back. (I have a HRM but still use various websites when the number doesn't seem right.)
    - Measure food whenever possible, either with measuring cups/spoons or food scaled. You might be underestimating.
    - Drink water and get sleep... simple stuff but it matters.


    Good luck!
  • honeysprinkles
    honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
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    I say lower your carb, sugar and sodium intake, up your protein, I know I gain very quick and easy if I go over on my carbs and sodium....


    ^ AGREE
    Yea those are the macros you should watch... Sugar turns into fat... and Sodium makes you heavier... Protein is good because it helps you build lean muscle...
    I've ALWAYS ignored my sugar intake, as far as I can tell it doesn't affect my weight or weight loss at all and mfp's suggested amount is crazy low anyways, tracking it will probably be more frustrating than anything!

    OP- I'm the same height as you, I started at 185 and I'm down to 127 after over a year of hard work!
  • LinFlemmer331
    LinFlemmer331 Posts: 100 Member
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    My doctor told me to cut out the sugar, even in fruit. Sugar in all forms raises insulin that stores it as fat. My advice would be more protein, less sugar and carbs. Good luck!
  • bacitracin
    bacitracin Posts: 921 Member
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    Agreed. From a cursory glance, you're eating too much over your goals too often, and what you do eat is too high in sugar and too low in protein. You can't out-run a bad diet. Get that house in order first and then you can focus more on activity.
  • lucyhross
    lucyhross Posts: 87 Member
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    thank you soo much. this advice has been really helpful.

    about the 600kcals walking in an hour- using my pedometer i walk 10,000 + steps a day, usually burning 500+ calories. thats including my 60 mins of walkign during the week day ( 20mins to work, 20 mins back, 20 walking the dogs)

    however as my exercise can vary quite a bit day to day, i put it down as sedentary then just add my exercise onto that, - so im not sure if i should add all the calories i burn from walking using my pedometer throughout the day, or just the 60 mins of walking?
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Make sure you weigh solid foods and measure liquids. If you are not doing this most likely you are under estimating how much you are eating. If you are doing this and still gaining you may want to have your thyroid checked.
  • skyblu263
    skyblu263 Posts: 91 Member
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    I highly recommend to not eat under your BMR. It is not recommended at all.
    • First, find out your BMR: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator
    Once you get this number, DO NOT EAT UNDER THIS NUMBER. BMR is strictly for you to know how many calories your body needs in order to survive if you never moved and just laid in the same spot every day.

    • Second, find out your TDEE. http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
    Your TDEE is the number of calories you can eat a day and not gain any weight at all. Be sure, in step 6, that you choose 10% or 15%.

    • Third (and still part of the second step), look on the website that gives you your TDEE (the one in the second step) and see these numbers under "Daily calories based on goal in step 6." The numbers given to you here in the number of calories to eat based on your activity level and weightloss goals.

    NOW...here's where I decide to do something different. Even though my TDEE is 2418. My "Daily calories based on goal in step 6" (or, calories to consume to lose weight) is 2055. I'm not comfortable eating that much at the moment. So, what I do is calorie cycle. I eat about 1600-1700 calories a day. This allows my weekends to be able to eat more and continue to lose weight. I currently lose 2lbs a week (when I don't go *kitten* crazy on weekends).

    I weightlift and do cardio and workout 5 days a week. I've lost 15 pounds so far and am still continuing my journey :) Just remember, eat more to lose more. And remember calories in and calories out. Takes 3500 calories to burn a pound of fat. Get a food scale and measure your food, all of it. Please don't guess what you eat. Also, if you don't eat enough, your body will hold on to everything.

    I don't know why MFP recommends 1200 calories, or so, for people. But, continue to do your research :)

    One of my favorite chicks to follow is: http://muffin-topless.com/

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