So confused with my calorie crap

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mjoslin1990
mjoslin1990 Posts: 142 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So here's the dealio, I've done the math...

Using the Harris Benedict Formula:

BMR is 1797.48
TDEE is 2156.976

Stats:
H- 5' 3.5"
W-217.8
GW- 160ish
laaaazzzzzyyyy... actually more like not really working out, to busy working my desk job with 12hr days.
Female/22

I'm eating ROUGHLY 1000-1400 calories... my goal is about 1320. When I don't make goal it's usually because i'm just not hungry and don't like to eat at 8pm (when I get home).

my issue I'm having is if I eat like I have been I'm losing weight (even if slowly). BUT if I go ANYWHERE NEAR 1700 cals I gain. and I do not mean just water weight. I haven't seen 217.8 on the scale since Sunday November 18th. I've been up a few pounds all the way up to 223. I thought it was my sodium intake causing me to store water, but its not I'm UP UP.

So my question, how the heck do I fix this? Can I teach my body to NOT gain at 1700 cals? Like manipulate my metabolism? I'm not really discouraged, just having a heard time figuring this all out.

I don't mind upping my cals, I just am going to have a hard time reaching them.
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Replies

  • meredith1123
    meredith1123 Posts: 843 Member
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    Are you doing any exercising?
    I tend to continue doing my exercising four to five days a week but i do not consume the 'earned calories' the calculations tell me I can have bc it doesnt work for my body. It may work for others but it does not work for me.
    If i dont exercise and eat 1100 calories i will not lose weight.
    I have to exercise and burn minimum 400 calories that day to eat at least 1100 calories.

    its a thing you have to learn about your body and how its chemistries work. It sucks!
  • mjoslin1990
    mjoslin1990 Posts: 142 Member
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    Are you doing any exercising?
    I tend to continue doing my exercising four to five days a week but i do not consume the 'earned calories' the calculations tell me I can have bc it doesnt work for my body. It may work for others but it does not work for me.
    If i dont exercise and eat 1100 calories i will not lose weight.
    I have to exercise and burn minimum 400 calories that day to eat at least 1100 calories.

    its a thing you have to learn about your body and how its chemistries work. It sucks!

    nope not really exercising right now. I want to get to 199 then start running, then get into strength training. I honestly don't have time to work out right now. I just got off a 75 hr week and about to put in even more time at work until the new year... :/
  • ubermensch13
    ubermensch13 Posts: 824 Member
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    IF you won't exercise and are depending totally on calorie deficit to lose weight, you are going to have to come to grips with a slow, but steady, weight loss. Sorry, your metabolism is what it is until your body starts to change with building lean muscle mass.
  • cnelson1974
    cnelson1974 Posts: 235 Member
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    I literally eat small meals all day long. I'm 5'6" and 226 lbs. I take in about 1600 to 1700 calories and have taught myself to eat small meals very slowly. Try spreading out your meals so your not waiting so long. Then you can have a small snack (handful of nuts, a fruit, rice cakes, a cup of cereal, etc) without over doing it. When I'm hungry, I eat. The weight comes off without much effort other then being aware of my portion sizes.

    I drink a lot of water while I eat. If your hungry afterwards, drink some more water and chew some gum. Put off eating another snack for at least a hour.
  • xxthoroughbred
    xxthoroughbred Posts: 346 Member
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    I think it's strange that your BMR is so high. Mine is around 1470 and I'm 5'8'.

    But putting that aside, you need to be eating close to your BMR. That's the amount that your body needs if you did nothing all day.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    Are you using a food scale and measuring devices on your food and do you record everything that you consume that contains calories?
  • patrickmjett
    patrickmjett Posts: 8
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    what types of calories are you consuming? 1700 calories of coke, bread and other stuff is not nearly the same as chicken, green beans and eggs. Try going whole food also try going with MORE protein and just some basic calesthenics. Wake up and do 40 air squats and 10 pushups. Do that 3x a day MWF and see where you are at the end of the week.
  • cedarghost
    cedarghost Posts: 621 Member
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    Have you tried consistently eating at 1700 a day to see what would happen over a sustained amount of time? Say a month?
    When I upped my calories, to what I should be eating, I gained the first few weeks. Then I started losing.
    Think about it. If you increase from 1300 to 1700 that increase is only 400 per day, or 2800 per week or 12000 per month. 12000/3500= 3.42 pounds in a month IF 1700 is a surplus for you (which I doubt it is).
    While the calculators aren't accurate for absolutely everyone. I believe they are pretty close for most people. I just had my RMR tested at my doctor's office, and it was within 100 calories of almost every calculator.
    Most people naturally doubt the number of calories a calculator tells them they can eat so they eat less, however you should never eat below your RMR.
    If I were you, I would eat around 1800 for a month and see what happens. That puts you safely between your TDEE and your RMR.
    Ultimately, for this thing to work you HAVE to find your true TDEE and the only way to do that is to eat a specific number for at least a month and see what happens, then adjust up or down until you find the point where you start to maintain. Once you have that magic number, adjust your calorie intake based on that.
    I would also start exercising. "I don't have time" is not a valid excuse.....here is a link to a workout that only requires 7 minutes a day and you can do it at home: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ErRoLfWKTU
    If you can spare 15 minutes, you can do some workouts that will give you the same benefits of 45 minutes normal time spent in the gym (if you do them right).
    With your TDEE and RMR being so close to each other, you will either have to eat below RMR (not recommended) or exercise to create a greater deficit, unless you are ok with less than a pound a week loss (which is perfectly fine and what I am doing).
  • kristen6022
    kristen6022 Posts: 1,926 Member
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    According to your TDEE, if you ate around 1650cal/day and didn't work out AT ALL, you should lose 1lb/week. You might not be eating enough...eat more often during the day - smaller meals for a couple week and see if that helps...
  • mjoslin1990
    mjoslin1990 Posts: 142 Member
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    IF you won't exercise and are depending totally on calorie deficit to lose weight, you are going to have to come to grips with a slow, but steady, weight loss. Sorry, your metabolism is what it is until your body starts to change with building lean muscle mass.

    Hey, slow and steady is what wins the race :)

    I think it's strange that your BMR is so high. Mine is around 1470 and I'm 5'8'.

    But putting that aside, you need to be eating close to your BMR. That's the amount that your body needs if you did nothing all day.


    I used one of the websites that everyone seems to recommend on here....

    Are you using a food scale and measuring devices on your food and do you record everything that you consume that contains calories?

    measuring everything yes, and if it touches my mouth its recorded, well EXCEPT UNsweetened tea, but I usually stick with water and tea has no calories.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
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    So here's the dealio, I've done the math...

    Using the Harris Benedict Formula:

    BMR is 1797.48
    TDEE is 2156.976

    Stats:
    H- 5' 3.5"
    W-217.8
    GW- 160ish
    laaaazzzzzyyyy... actually more like not really working out, to busy working my desk job with 12hr days.
    Female/22

    I'm eating ROUGHLY 1000-1400 calories... my goal is about 1320. When I don't make goal it's usually because i'm just not hungry and don't like to eat at 8pm (when I get home).

    my issue I'm having is if I eat like I have been I'm losing weight (even if slowly). BUT if I go ANYWHERE NEAR 1700 cals I gain. and I do not mean just water weight. I haven't seen 217.8 on the scale since Sunday November 18th. I've been up a few pounds all the way up to 223. I thought it was my sodium intake causing me to store water, but its not I'm UP UP.

    So my question, how the heck do I fix this? Can I teach my body to NOT gain at 1700 cals? Like manipulate my metabolism? I'm not really discouraged, just having a heard time figuring this all out.

    I don't mind upping my cals, I just am going to have a hard time reaching them.

    TDEE looks low compared to BMR.
    Whats your routine?
    Whats your occupation?
    Do you try for 10k steps a day?
  • bekdavis
    bekdavis Posts: 290 Member
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    I'm curious to see what type of foods you are eating.
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
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    I also have a desk job and, in my mind, I start the day in the negative as far as activity goes since I'm on my *kitten* most of the day. So I really feel the need to fit in that walk, even if it's a short one, or ride my bike a bit, or just move my body. When you're sitting all day, every bit helps, even if it's just fitting in a walk break, making a point to do 10 minutes of body weight exercises and jumping jacks in the morning, or what have you.

    When I was eating at 1200/1300 calories, I was losing weight, but if I went over on the weekends (which I typically did), I would gain back anything I had lost through the week. I spent about six months gaining and losing the same 5lbs and it was insanely frustrating. When I upped my calories by 100 every week until I was at 1500, then 1600, I managed to lose and keep off the weight. I believe I was in too much of a deficit so my body would hold on to the extra calories when it got them. Perhaps this is what is happening with you?
  • RoosMommy01
    RoosMommy01 Posts: 88
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    I stay FAR AWAY from BMR and TDEE numbers! I tried it for almost 2 months and all I did was gain, gain, gain. I finally went back to relying only on MFP's numbers and I have been losing ever since. It gave me the goal of netting 1600 calories and as long as I do that on a daily basis, the weight is melting away.

    No number is 100% correct..you are going to have to play around with the numbers and see what works best for you.
  • cedarghost
    cedarghost Posts: 621 Member
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    I'm curious to see what type of foods you are eating.
    Doesn't matter. If she is at a deficit, she will lose. The problem is, she doesn't really know what a deficit is for her. She has calculator numbers, but has never proven them. So many people live in fear of gaining a pound or two that they neglect to take the time to find out what their TDEE is. And the only way to do that is to do what they fear most.....EATING. For at least a month. Eating more than they want to out of fear of losing.
    I know. I have been there, done that. But eventually I figured out, this is something I am doing for the rest of my life and it wasn't going to be an overnight process, and I would reach my goal when I reached my goal. Then I took the time to find MY TDEE. And actually the calculators were fairly close for me, but I had taken out all room for doubt. I now OWN my RMR and TDEE and will never have to ask anyone else for help. I put in the time and work to figure it out.
    There is so much information available about nutrition and exercise that it confuses people. Add to that, the fact that a lot if it is conflicting information and it gets even worse. But know how many calories to eat to lose weight? THAT is simple. But it takes time and commitment because every person has to find their own magic number and everyone wants to know RIGHT NOW so they can lose RIGHT NOW. Sorry. That's not how it works and this simple thing of finding your TDEE ends up overcomplicated by questions like "What type of foods should I be eating" or "when should I eat" or "how many times a day should I eat" or "Does tea count as water" or "should I avoid carbs".......
  • cedarghost
    cedarghost Posts: 621 Member
    Options
    I stay FAR AWAY from BMR and TDEE numbers! I tried it for almost 2 months and all I did was gain, gain, gain. I finally went back to relying only on MFP's numbers and I have been losing ever since. It gave me the goal of netting 1600 calories and as long as I do that on a daily basis, the weight is melting away.

    No number is 100% correct..you are going to have to play around with the numbers and see what works best for you.
    What MFP has given you is based on your TDEE and BMR, so I assume you are saying you stay away from the numbers given to you by calculators? Those are only a starting point.
    One number is 100% correct and it is different for every person. And the only way to find it is to record everything you eat for at least a month and see what happens, then adjust and do it again. It may take months to find that magic number, but believe me it is worth it.
  • mjoslin1990
    mjoslin1990 Posts: 142 Member
    Options
    TDEE looks low compared to BMR.
    Whats your routine?
    Whats your occupation?
    Do you try for 10k steps a day?

    routine:
    5:45 wake up
    6 walk out door
    645-7pm work
    7:45 cook, give son a bath
    8:30ish put 2yr old to bed, straighten up house.
    9pm pass the heck out.

    I'm a 911 operator.
    I have no idea where I'd get in 10k steps! would LOVE to try to though. That can be a new goal

    so far the past 2 months i've had a TOTAL of about 7 days off. The other shift is short people.
  • mjoslin1990
    mjoslin1990 Posts: 142 Member
    Options
    Have you tried consistently eating at 1700 a day to see what would happen over a sustained amount of time? Say a month?
    When I upped my calories, to what I should be eating, I gained the first few weeks. Then I started losing.

    Ill guess I can slowly up my calorie intake and see what happens.
  • sunshinesquared
    sunshinesquared Posts: 2,733 Member
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    Bump for later reading.
  • heygina
    heygina Posts: 78
    Options
    Have you tried consistently eating at 1700 a day to see what would happen over a sustained amount of time? Say a month?
    When I upped my calories, to what I should be eating, I gained the first few weeks. Then I started losing.
    Think about it. If you increase from 1300 to 1700 that increase is only 400 per day, or 2800 per week or 12000 per month. 12000/3500= 3.42 pounds in a month IF 1700 is a surplus for you (which I doubt it is).
    While the calculators aren't accurate for absolutely everyone. I believe they are pretty close for most people. I just had my RMR tested at my doctor's office, and it was within 100 calories of almost every calculator.
    Most people naturally doubt the number of calories a calculator tells them they can eat so they eat less, however you should never eat below your RMR.
    If I were you, I would eat around 1800 for a month and see what happens. That puts you safely between your TDEE and your RMR.
    Ultimately, for this thing to work you HAVE to find your true TDEE and the only way to do that is to eat a specific number for at least a month and see what happens, then adjust up or down until you find the point where you start to maintain. Once you have that magic number, adjust your calorie intake based on that.
    I would also start exercising. "I don't have time" is not a valid excuse.....here is a link to a workout that only requires 7 minutes a day and you can do it at home: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ErRoLfWKTU
    If you can spare 15 minutes, you can do some workouts that will give you the same benefits of 45 minutes normal time spent in the gym (if you do them right).
    With your TDEE and RMR being so close to each other, you will either have to eat below RMR (not recommended) or exercise to create a greater deficit, unless you are ok with less than a pound a week loss (which is perfectly fine and what I am doing).

    I'm also having trouble, and think I may be eating at too big a deficit. I have a lot of confusion. Are you saying here that I should eat my RMR number as NET calories or TOTAL calories?

    Right now, Total calories, I get like 1500, net of exercise is more like 1100 or 1000.

    Per calculator: BMR 2,041 RMR 1,899 (at lightly active, I work out 3-4 times a week circuit training) Sedentary RMR 1,657

    should I have 1899 a day net? 1657 a day net? or 1899 or 1657 TOTAL?

    Math says eat less + exercise more= lose weight. My body says eat less + exercise = stable weight.

    Like I said, I think I'm undereating, been stalled for a few weeks even on a new exercise program. Would love to get straightened out for me the difference between eating net and eating total calories and which will produce weight loss at the numbers I've put up

    or am I totally off base?

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