How did everyone choose their calorie goal

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MrsAFR
MrsAFR Posts: 103 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ive tried it the MFP way and the EM2WL way but I keep swapping and changing because I'm in two minds in what to do. There is so much conflicting information out there and I just want to do something that is going to make me LOSE WEIGHT! I want the scale to go down! LOL. I just need to settle on one way and stick with it until i get this horrible fat off and reveal my inner goddess! LOL

So what have you got your diaries set to and how did you arrive at the decision. Do you eat exercise calories back? I have about 40lbs (i'm 199.8 want to be 161) to lose i'm 28 and 5ft 7 with a BF of around 38.9%.
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Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    stick to one and keep to it...!!! i use MFP, and it works for me.
  • Cjadie03
    Cjadie03 Posts: 7
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    Hi :)

    I had exactly the same problem, for being 5ft, 21 years old and 205lbs MFP recommended 1200 per day when I was doing light activity, that being said although my job is within a gym some days I'm not exercsising with members but am on my feet most of the day, I used a Daily Energy Expenditure calculator to tell me what my body needs just to function in general and then made a defecit of about 400-450 cal either by reducing my food intake of making sure I'm doing a workout equivilent,

    I change mine regularly because sometimes I do need more if say im putting 1-3 members through workouts, trial and error.

    Sorry if this isnt much help but all else fails use a Daily Energy Expenditure calculator.

    C xXx
  • brevislux
    brevislux Posts: 1,093 Member
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    MFP suggested 1200. But later I fixed it by doing my TDEE - 20%.
  • Ph4lanx
    Ph4lanx Posts: 213 Member
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    I use the Katch-McArdle formula for my BMR. Needs a pretty accurate reading of bodyfat though (I used the 8-point method for that).

    BMR = 370 + (21.6 x LBM)Where LBM = [total weight (kg) x (100 - bodyfat %)]/100

    From there I work my TDEE in, then remove a percentage for weight loss. Then I split those calories into Protein/Fat/Carbs for the macros. I do this customised, because the template ones like 40/30/30 and 40/40/20 are, in fact, rubbish most of the time.
  • katevarner
    katevarner Posts: 884 Member
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    I ate 500 calories under TDEE and lost 20 lbs. in just under 6 months, but everyone is different. I'd say stick to one plan for at least a couple of weeks to see how it works. If you get your desired results, keep it up, if not, shake it up. And exercise as much as you can without overdoing. For the first 3 months, I was mostly walking, the last 3 I was going to the gym 6 days a week, cardio 5 of those days and weights 3.
  • Spartan_Maker
    Spartan_Maker Posts: 683 Member
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    I've done a lot of self-experimentation over the last 9 months. For me, setting my Calorie goal to BMR and eating back all of my exercise calories has far and away produced the best results.

    For instance, I'm 6'0", 206 lbs., and my BMR is 1,850. I burn about 500 calories a day through exercise. I'm otherwise sedentary, sitting behind a desk. Therefore, I aim for 2,350 calories a day. If I use that formula, I melt.

    I've lost 102 lbs. and 25% body fat in 9 months.
  • stuffinmuffin
    stuffinmuffin Posts: 985 Member
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    I think I did it more on a day to day basis though would roughly stick to 1400 a day, but zig-zag....e.g.

    Monday 1200
    Tuesday 1300
    Wednesday 1600
    Thursday 1200
    Friday 1800
    Saturday 1300
    Sunday 1400

    etc, but no particular format. I did eat exercise calories back but not necessarily on the days I burned them. So long as by the end of the week I had eaten my weekly goal and exercise calorie total that was it and it really allowed for flexibility and being able to eat when hungry, not eat when not hungry etc...
  • NextChapter60
    NextChapter60 Posts: 78 Member
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    I looked at different options for the maintenance calories OF MY GOAL WEIGHT, and I aim for that range. I'm less focused on losing than I am on just learning to eat for a healthy weight for the rest of my life.
  • SyStEmPhReAk
    SyStEmPhReAk Posts: 330 Member
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    I use the Katch-McArdle formula for my BMR. Needs a pretty accurate reading of bodyfat though (I used the 8-point method for that).

    BMR = 370 + (21.6 x LBM)Where LBM = [total weight (kg) x (100 - bodyfat %)]/100

    From there I work my TDEE in, then remove a percentage for weight loss. Then I split those calories into Protein/Fat/Carbs for the macros. I do this customised, because the template ones like 40/30/30 and 40/40/20 are, in fact, rubbish most of the time.

    ^^ This
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    MFP chose it for me. It's always worked great and I've been on maintenance (also chosen by MFP) for over a year now. I figure I'm on the site, why not use it? :flowerforyou:

    I went to some other sites out of curiosity and they all gave me numbers that were very similar to MFP anyway. The latest one I went by took all my measurements, body fat%, etc. into account when calculating my calories and it came up with a number that was 10 calories lower than MFP. Close enough for me. :wink:

    ETA: Yes, I do my best to eat my exercise calories back.
  • MrsAFR
    MrsAFR Posts: 103 Member
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    I suppose if you were doing weight watchers or something you would do what they tell you to do. So I think for now MFP settings are the way to go. I've set it to 1.5lbs a week and I'll eat back some exercise calories.
  • MrsAFR
    MrsAFR Posts: 103 Member
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    Bumping for some more responses.

    I also feel like when i eat my exercise calories back i'm not dieting.
  • birdieaz
    birdieaz Posts: 448 Member
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    1200 cal didn't work for me. I used the road map thread to figure my TDEE. Now I have my intake set to my full TDEE of 2000 and aim to eat 10-15% under that. Exercise is already accounted for so no I don't eat that back. Usually I only log it for my own purposes in the notes section.

    edit: For macros I aim for .8-1g of protein per LBM pound and then work my fat and carbs around that.
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
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    I've done a lot of self-experimentation over the last 9 months. For me, setting my Calorie goal to BMR and eating back all of my exercise calories has far and away produced the best results.

    For instance, I'm 6'0", 206 lbs., and my BMR is 1,850. I burn about 500 calories a day through exercise. I'm otherwise sedentary, sitting behind a desk. Therefore, I aim for 2,350 calories a day. If I use that formula, I melt.

    I've lost 102 lbs. and 25% body fat in 9 months.

    This is very much what I do. BMR is 1637, I eat 1700 and eat back any 'extra' exercise I happen to do. I'm down 25lbs in about 3 1/2 months.
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
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    I do it the way any engineer would.

    1) Weigh myself every day. Calculate a weighted moving average of that weight so I know what I actually weigh, not subject to all the quirky day to day fluctuations.
    2) Sum up the calories I ate in the last two weeks, sum up the calories I spent in exercise in the last two weeks, and calculate my 2 week average net daily intake.
    3) Calculate exactly what my metabolism was over the last 2 weeks by subtracting average daily weight change * 3500 to my average net daily intake.
    4) Armed with the knowledge of precisely what my average metabolism was over the last 2 weeks, I can add or subtract calories as needed (500 cal/day = 1 lb) to create goals that can be achieved with precision.
    5) Win
    6) Profit

    I use a spreadsheet and keep a continuous live calculation of this number. It is quite easy to do. Its intersting to watch how your metabolism changes over time. I'm not sure why more people don't do this, the math isn't hard at all, and unlike the formulas people use, it is not an estimate, it is a real number, and the way it is calculated cancels all the systemmic calorie counting errors you have. It allows for precision and easy troubleshooting, if you want to lose 24.6 pounds in the next 4 months, using this method will enable you to lose exactly 24.6 pounds in the next 4 months. Plus it pretty much eliminates the potential for plateaus, the only plateau you have to be wary of is the one that occurs when your deficit is too big.
  • MrsAFR
    MrsAFR Posts: 103 Member
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    Wow that is regimented. Its funny how everyone does it different!
  • MrsAFR
    MrsAFR Posts: 103 Member
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    Don't you find that you can eat loads though when you eat back exercise calories. Doesn't really feel like a diet. For example I'm going swimming tonight and even the lowest estimate of calories burned for an hour is like 600. thats on top on a walk with the dog @ 150cals plus my daily MFP total of 1350.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    I used the calculations Dan sets forth in his excellent post here:

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

    Doing it that way, you don't eat exercise calories back. Dan also explains the how and why of setting up your macros (carbs, fat, protein) and a lot of other good information.
  • julieh391
    julieh391 Posts: 683 Member
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    ...So I think for now MFP settings are the way to go. I've set it to 1.5lbs a week and I'll eat back some exercise calories.

    That's what I do. I put zero thought into it and just eat how much it tells me to. I'm down 43lbs in 5 months. Works for me.
  • lljksilk
    lljksilk Posts: 16
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    For people with active lifestyles who exercise regularly: (Weight in lbs * 12) - deficit you are looking for. 500 calories to lose 1 lb per week, 250 calories to lose a half lb, etc.

    For people who exercise periodically and have a job which keeps them on their feet or moving around. (Weight in lbs * 10) - deficit you are looking for.

    For people with desk jobs or mostly sedentary lifestyles: (Weight in lbs * 8) - deficit you are looking for.

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