Big scary numbers - increasing calories to meet TDEE

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hwchwc01
hwchwc01 Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi guys, I've been reading about BMR, TDEE and the 15% cut to lose weight in a healthy fashion.

I'm a tall guy, 6 foot, five inches, weigh 108 kgs, I do moderate exercise, and the Skooby calculator says my maintenance caloric intake is 3538 calories per day - with the 15% cut, it says I need 3000 calories per day for healthy weight loss.

Now since the start of the year, I'be been averaging around 1100 calories per day after exercise, or about 1500 per day before exercise. So basically doubling my calories sounds a bit scary.

Just wanted to double check if the above Skooby info is indeed right, and 3000 is where I should be? And if so, that's a before exercise number right? So if I exercise and burn calories, I need to eat those calories back to reach my 3000 calorie a day goal?

Thanks!

Replies

  • glynfreeman
    glynfreeman Posts: 8 Member
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    Seems way high, i'm 6ft 2" and was 105kg 4 months ago and it was 2200, i find 1500-1800 a sensible nett daily intake at current 94kg, i would guess 2k for your daily recommended intake should give the right defecit.
  • rickyll
    rickyll Posts: 188 Member
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    Good question.

    It really depends on your body. For example, When I first started, that calculator told me I needed to eat 2800 calories a day to gain weight. After weeks of not gaining weight I had to up my intake by 100 calories, then 200, etc. and now I eat around 3300 calories a day to gain 1 pound a week. So it was off by quite a bit.

    The point is, start out at 3000 calories a day and see how much you weigh a week/two weeks from now. You may end up losing weight too fast or not at all or even gain it. Whatever the result, you adjust your intake. It takes time, and you have to be patient. It's a lifestyle, not a race.
    (weigh yourself first thing in the morning as your weight fluctuates a bunch during a 24 hour period. Also take measurements as your weight can sometimes be misleading but measurements can really tell you if you're getting thinner and where)

    Now with the 1100 calories per day were you losing weight or too much weight? If you were losing weight and continue to do so at about 1 pound a week than there is no reason to change to 3000. These calorie calculators are generic and aren't always accurate.

    If you weren't losing any weight with 1100 calories than you probably hit a plateau. In that case it's good to up your intake for a while but most importantly do different sorts of training. Weight training for example (do one week light weights but many reps, then the next week heavy weights but lower reps) . Do low intensity cardio for extended periods of time one week (walking for an hour or light jogs) then the next week do sprints (which are great for your abs!) Just keep your body guessing and your muscles confused as to what the hell you're gonna do next!

    Personally, I don't count my exercises on MFP. I do weight training for an hour 4 times a week and soccer for an hour and half twice a week . I eat the same ~3,300 calories a day whether I work out or not and I'm consistently gaining 0.5 - 1 lbs a week so I don't feel the need to eat back my calories. (eating over 3000 calories is already enough of chore!)
    But whether you do or not is up to you!

    I tried to cover as many different things as possible. It's all about trial and error. No one knows your body better than yourself and you get to know your body better by trying new (safe) things out and seeing how it reacts and then adjusting your strategy accordingly.

    Hope this helps even a little bit!
  • hwchwc01
    hwchwc01 Posts: 3 Member
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    Thanks guys! Well I've run my numbers through a bunch of websites and they all say much the same thing.

    I'm male
    6"5
    108 kgs
    35 years old
    I exercise moderately (about 5 times a week)

    According to the calculators my caloric intake after a 15% cut down from my TDEE is 3,000 calories a day. I guess my size bumps the numbers up which is why they don't reflect the kind of intake numbers I've been seeing other people describe around the site, haha.

    I've not been losing weight on 1100 calories a day, I'm pretty sure my body's going into starvation mode, so perhaps I'll up the calories but err on the side of caution and shoot for about 2600 a day for a few weeks and see how the body takes that, I can always inch toward the big 3,000 later if I feel I have to.
  • Energizer06
    Energizer06 Posts: 311 Member
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    Your BMR based on your stats is 2127 cal/day your burning 2127 not doing anything + your exercising moderately which is approx 400-600 cal 5 times a week which is throwing it up to somewhere around 2500-2600 cal/day on your workout days. Then you burn calories depending on what you do everyday...type of work activities. Thats why your somewhere around 3000 cal/day. If your intake was at 1100 cal/day your body was very unhappy and I bet you feel it. I'm 5'9 and bring in 2400 - 2600 cal/day and still lose 2 lbs a week. Customize your goal F/P/C % and eat your calories....I wear a fitbit zip to tell me how much I burn and its links into MFP adding back calories burnt. Good nutrition and good exercise
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
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    Ya at your height, you need to eat more.. that has a big thing to do with calculations, height and weight.. Slowly raise your calories up to 2500 and see how that works, if your still not moving, then slowly move to 3000.. If your not losing anything now, don't worry about starvation mode etc, but your body is clearly telling you your not eating enough and thats why its not showing any results... and any weight you shed eating that low will probably be more muscle.. so up your calories.
  • hwchwc01
    hwchwc01 Posts: 3 Member
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    Thanks again guys!

    Energizer06, just wondering, where did you get that 2127 BMR number from? Because when I input my data into the Skooby calculator, it gives me a base number of 2282. Just want to be sure I'm not making a mistake somewhere and giving myself too many calories ;)

    Next project is to teach myself how to get that many calories from "good foods". These numbers would be easier if I could just smash a large pizza every night haha.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    Try running your stats through the calculators Dan recommends in this thread:

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

    One thing I'm absolutely, positively 100% sure of - 1100 calories is definitely way too little for a guy your size - no two ways about it. Stepping up your calorie intake is easy once your metabolism starts to normalize from the torture you've put it through - eat more calorie-dense foods. Nuts, avocados, cheese, peanut butter, full-fat dairy (milk, yogurt, cottage cheese), etc. I'm at 2400 a day (very close to you in size - an inch taller, 5 kg lighter and 15 years older) and don't have any problem hitting my goal....I have more of a problem staying under it!

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