Better to overestimate or underestimate?

evanescent_jasmine
evanescent_jasmine Posts: 11 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I know it's impossible to accurately measure food without a scale, but since my family already think I'm being too obsessive about my weight-loss there's no way I can get one without them staging an intervention - seriously, when I began to cut down on carbs they gave me an hour-long lecture about it and made sure I ate a plate full of rice right after. Note that I didn't cut them out entirely, I still have rice and pasta and bread and even cake and fairly often too, but in smaller portions than they're used to. In lieu of a scale, I've been trying to roughly estimate what I eat based on internet consensus (3oz of meat=a deck of cards, for instance) but I know that's probably inaccurate so I tend to overestimate when I log.

I'm 19, 5'4 and 68 kilos/about 150 pounds. My calorie goal is 1600 a day, sometimes I go over and sometimes under but I aim to average it out over the week. My BMR is 1500 and my TDEE is 2340 since I'm doing P90X. TDEE-20% brings me to about 1870 calories but I don't want to aim for 1800 when I might be eating that much already and not know. My weight loss has been pretty steady thus far, though I rarely weigh myself but I shrink out of my clothes really fast. The thing is, P90X is kicking my *kitten* and I'm concerned I might not be giving my body enough fuel to recuperate.

I think I'm overestimating what I log, but I might not be and without a scale I guess I'll never know. Question is, should I try upping my calories and hope for the best, or stay where I am?

Replies

  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    At your height and weight, you really don't have too much to lose in the first place. TDEE-10% would be more appropriate in your case.

    In other words, yes - increase your Calorie intake. Especially since you're doing a program as intense as P90X.
  • kikicooks
    kikicooks Posts: 1,079 Member
    I also think with your stats and TDEE that upping to the 1800 range would be a good idea. Just try it out for a few weeks and see how you feel. Just continue to do your best with estimating portions, it sounds like you are doing fine with that.
  • JoanB5
    JoanB5 Posts: 610 Member
    Step 4 of this News Story helped me. I know you can't always do it, but most people who are not showing your discipline in an area with argue with it to keep from feeling guilty themselves. http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/04/22/weight.loss.anita.mills/index.html
  • evanescent_jasmine
    evanescent_jasmine Posts: 11 Member
    Step 4 of this News Story helped me. I know you can't always do it, but most people who are not showing your discipline in an area with argue with it to keep from feeling guilty themselves. http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/04/22/weight.loss.anita.mills/index.html

    4. Do not tell anyone what you're doing.

    I've taken that route with my friends, until they noticed on their own, but I stay with my family in the weekend and on vacations so it would be kind of hard for them not to notice me buying a food scale and weighing everything.

    Thank you for linking me to that, though. That woman's transformation is just plain amazing.
  • evanescent_jasmine
    evanescent_jasmine Posts: 11 Member
    Bump. I'd like some more input, please.
  • Microfiber
    Microfiber Posts: 956 Member

    4. Do not tell anyone what you're doing.


    A couple of people at my work are doing Insanity. They talk about it daily. I started the same time as them but they don't know :laugh:
  • evanescent_jasmine
    evanescent_jasmine Posts: 11 Member
    A couple of people at my work are doing Insanity. They talk about it daily. I started the same time as them but they don't know :laugh:

    Can't blame them, really. It feels like the least I deserve is to get to brag about getting my *kitten* kicked daily out of my own free will. :laugh:
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,224 Member
    Underestimating is a given in the real world and with the error in labeling it's just gets compounded. Best to just monitor your progress and make adjustments to your consumption going forward.

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