Newbie.... trying to make sure I've got the facts straight!

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jorobert1
jorobert1 Posts: 4
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone.... I'm brand new to MFP. When I started a week ago, I didn't check the message boards etc... I just went with what the app told me... 1200 cals a day.

So, after trying this for a few days I was feeling somewhat headachey tired etc... and looked at the message boards and discovered the whole BMR TDEE story...

So, I am female, 40 yo SAHM.... 1.67m (65inches).... 93kg (205lbs)... wanting to get to 75kg (165lbs).

I followed the roadmap... and it seems that my BMR is 1668.... which makes my TDEE 2049 with light active activity....

So... that means that I should be eating 1639 cals per day.... ~(TDEE less 20%)....

I am aiming for exercise 4 x week... 30min a time.... walking / cycling etc....

Have I got it right? 1639.... just log food on MFP.... don't log exercise.... and I lose weight, yet stay healthy?

Replies

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,020 Member
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    The road map says don't log exercise?
  • BurtHuttz
    BurtHuttz Posts: 3,653 Member
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    Fantastic grasp of the facts and figures.
    The only fine-tuning that I would recommend is as follows:
    1. Up your caloric intake to equal your BMR at a minimum. Because your BMR is the energy your body uses to circulate blood, respire, process toxins, etc, you don't want to restrict that.
    2. Do log your exercise, and eat those exercise calories back. You want your body to have plenty of energy and feel good!

    In this fashion, and with what you've already learned, you will lose weight at a sustainable steady pace and feel good while you do so. No pain, no pervasive hunger. Next thing you know you'll be at target.

    Take good before pictures please because we all want to see your fantastic before and after - I can tell you're going to be a success story.
  • Bambalina30
    Bambalina30 Posts: 8
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    hey I am still trying to grasp this :D

    When I used the fit2fat tdee calculator it asked what my goal weight is then it gave me figures. My query is it said eat at this level and you will eventually get to goal and you will be eating these amount of calories forever however when i posted a question to see if this is correct I was told when using fit to fat put my goal weight as the weight I am now and then deduct 20% from lightly active number, I am CONFUSED!! Please could someone clarify in the most simplest terms :) xx
  • jorobert1
    jorobert1 Posts: 4
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    Fantastic grasp of the facts and figures.
    The only fine-tuning that I would recommend is as follows:
    1. Up your caloric intake to equal your BMR at a minimum. Because your BMR is the energy your body uses to circulate blood, respire, process toxins, etc, you don't want to restrict that.
    2. Do log your exercise, and eat those exercise calories back. You want your body to have plenty of energy and feel good!

    In this fashion, and with what you've already learned, you will lose weight at a sustainable steady pace and feel good while you do so. No pain, no pervasive hunger. Next thing you know you'll be at target.

    Take good before pictures please because we all want to see your fantastic before and after - I can tell you're going to be a success story.

    Aw... thanks so much! Very encouraging and supportive... I was a little bit confused with the exercise part and the eating those calories back.... but now you've set me straight.... :)
  • BurtHuttz
    BurtHuttz Posts: 3,653 Member
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    @bambalina
    Definition: Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the energy you use in a day. Growing hair and walking up stairs. It goes up a little if you walk around the block and hadn't planned on it.

    When you eat less 'energy' than that, your body burns fat for energy.

    So when you are trying to lose weight, 15 - 20% less than TDEE is a good healthy target.

    Once you reach your goal weight, you will eat equal to your TDEE at your new body weight and activity level. Energy in = energy out = no weight change. But that doesn't matter right now unless you're curious how many calories you'll be eating once you're finished.

    @jorobert
    My pleasure - you've obviously already done the research and are motivated; not looking for a quick fix and understand this is a process. People who start off like that - - versus crash dieting - - seem to be very successful on average :-)
  • Bambalina30
    Bambalina30 Posts: 8
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    Thank you Emany!!!
  • Danni1585
    Danni1585 Posts: 250 Member
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    There are lots of thoughts on this, for me it is simple, I log everything, food (even on bad days), exercise - just everything. Read the threads and educate yourself and get inspired (there are some great stories on here). Do it slow, do it right, no tricks just get a big bunch of friends around you and make lots of good choices every day. If you dont log exercise, and go low you will starve your body and your weight loss will stall. In a few weeks you will be disheartened. Good luck - add me if you want x
  • sandradev1
    sandradev1 Posts: 786 Member
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    The only thing I would add, as someone who also follows the Roadmap is:

    If you calculated the exercise that you are planning to do within the data you used to get your TDEE then you do not need to eat back the calories you burn doing exercise. If however you only calculated your TDEE on normal daily activity without exercise, then you should eat back your calories burned doing the additional exercise. - It is just not clear whether your exercise was initially calculated.

    I would agree that you should eat - *at least* your BMR figure.

    In relation to eat now what you would eat in the future - as we lose body fat & inches our BMR & TDEE numbers change and the amount of calories needed reduces. Some people choose to eat the end result figures all the way through. Either way works and gives healthy weight loss. - On this point, remember to re check your figures after every 5 lb lost as they will change slightly.
  • AmandaW01
    AmandaW01 Posts: 138
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    Hi, sorry to hijack the thread but I wondered if I too have understood this correctly? I'm having enormous problems losing weight, I've lost some this last week sticking to 1200 cals but I've found over the last year that everything I try (and I've tried all the big diets) I lose the first week or so then it stops and sometimes I get gains! This Roadmap seems to make so much sense - particularly as I'm training and running and wanting to get fit as well as lose the 40lb of fat I'm carrying!

    My stats - female, 43, 66" tall, currently weighing 180 lb Bodyfat is showing 38.7% (omg....), the site in Dan's thread shows my BMR should be 1450, and my TDEE 2126 (not sure if I've got that right - is that the figure that's next to Light/Sedentary etc?) I work out that 20% off of that would be 1701 cals - is that what I should be aiming to eat? (plus anything I earn from my runs?) It seems so much its quite scary - I really want to get this weight off - I'm running around with the equivalent of my daughter strapped to me and wondering why my knees keep giving me grief! I need to do this in a healthy way, not starving myself. I'm fine with managing on 1200 cals - I don't feel hungry, it I'm worrying that I'm just not eating enough to fuel my body and build the muscle I need.
  • BurtHuttz
    BurtHuttz Posts: 3,653 Member
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    work out that 20% off of that would be 1701 cals - is that what I should be aiming to eat? (plus anything I earn from my runs?)

    Precisely, you have it figured out.

    I understand being afraid. I have a friend who was a cancer researcher, biology professor, and has become a personal trainer. She is a brilliant scientist and just three weeks ago figured this out. She wrote and excellent piece on it that might help you: http://nbsfit.com/nutrition/weight-loss-isnt-always-about-eating-less-and-exercising-more/
  • Bambalina30
    Bambalina30 Posts: 8
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    The only thing I would add, as someone who also follows the Roadmap is:

    If you calculated the exercise that you are planning to do within the data you used to get your TDEE then you do not need to eat back the calories you burn doing exercise. If however you only calculated your TDEE on normal daily activity without exercise, then you should eat back your calories burned doing the additional exercise. - It is just not clear whether your exercise was initially calculated.

    I would agree that you should eat - *at least* your BMR figure.

    In relation to eat now what you would eat in the future - as we lose body fat & inches our BMR & TDEE numbers change and the amount of calories needed reduces. Some people choose to eat the end result figures all the way through. Either way works and gives healthy weight loss. - On this point, remember to re check your figures after every 5 lb lost as they will change slightly.

    Thats what I'm talking about :D I basically got a tdee of 2036 cals for light activity @ my goal weight, I was going to deduct 15-20% off goal tdee and the closer I got to goal change the deficit To 10% at 1 stone to go 5% at the last 7lbs I basically need to lose 1st 10lbs I don't mind if it takes me until sept/oct 2013 I just want to be healthier and happier!! Thanks for the clarification!!
  • thatjulesgirl
    thatjulesgirl Posts: 200 Member
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    Always NET your BMR - that's rule number 1. Nooo excuses!

    Don't freak out if your TDEE numbers seem high - use a few of the calculators, average the result and try it for a few weeks. That's a FEW weeks - you might gain for two or three or even four; don't let that put you off. When you've been at 1200 calories for ages it takes your body a minute to reset and realise it's being fed properly. Persist. It works.

    Add weight lifting if you can. It will help huuuugely with toning and strength (obviously) and will stop further water / muscle loss from insufficient calories. Remember: the goal is to lose fat not weight. It's no good losing 20lbs if you're still squidgy and would you really care if you didn't lose a single pound but dropped three dress sizes and had an *kitten* you could crack walnuts off? Didn't think so.

    Keep your proteins high, your body hydrated and *just keep going* and eventually you'll see results :)
  • Bambalina30
    Bambalina30 Posts: 8
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    ThatJulesGirl, loved your explanation!!! I really do want a bum that's able to crack nuts :D
  • thatjulesgirl
    thatjulesgirl Posts: 200 Member
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    I really do want a bum that's able to crack nuts :D

    You and me both!!

    287456388687646379_YdWkvIVJ_c.jpg
  • KristyHumphrey
    KristyHumphrey Posts: 248 Member
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    bump!
  • sarahbethrn18
    sarahbethrn18 Posts: 127 Member
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    I am currently in metabolism reset mode after months of eating around 1200 calories/day. I am here to tell you that I feel so much better giving my body the calories it needs! I look forward to workouts now, my body can do so much more, and I actually feel great! This is definitely the right way!
  • AmandaW01
    AmandaW01 Posts: 138
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    work out that 20% off of that would be 1701 cals - is that what I should be aiming to eat? (plus anything I earn from my runs?)

    Precisely, you have it figured out.

    I understand being afraid. I have a friend who was a cancer researcher, biology professor, and has become a personal trainer. She is a brilliant scientist and just three weeks ago figured this out. She wrote and excellent piece on it that might help you: http://nbsfit.com/nutrition/weight-loss-isnt-always-about-eating-less-and-exercising-more/


    Thanks for that :-) I'll give it a go. I've altered my goal and the 'lose 0.3lb a week' bit is worrying me, but what the hell, its worth a go and this makes a lot of sense. I'll ensure that I eat AT LEAST my BMR every day and try and give it a month and see what happens - theoretically I certainly shouldn't get any bigger and might even get a sustainable loss going! I'm going to go get some new scales which measure body fat and use that rather than the lbs figure as my focus. I do need to shift the weight, I'm carrying too much for my joints, but reading all this convinces me it will happen.

    Thatjulesgirl - lol, I so hear you!!! I've done that before, got down to a lovely weight, ideal for my height but was still all squidgy and flabby - wasn't good and my bum certainly wouldn't crack nuts - now THAT should be my goal :-D
  • jorobert1
    jorobert1 Posts: 4
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    Thanks to everyone for your input.... I had worked my TDEE out calculating the exercise that I do currently.... ie... aiming for 4 times a week.... 30min a day. So, based on that, my daily cals will be 1668. This I can do.... :happy:

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