So confused -TDEE, BMR and why I am I not losing!!?

AnneU93 · April 2013

Right, I've looked at your food diary and you eat a ridiculous amount of fat.
Sort your macro's out...
Hit your protein target of 100g/day..
Don't eat so much fat, 0.35g/lb of LBM. Which probably works out to be less than 50g/day!

That is not great advice. The majority of her fat comes from peanut butter and avocado, both healthy and filling fats.

Bull****.

She's eating 100g/fat a day. Healthy fats don't give you a license to eat whatever you want.
The macronutrient split is important.

Eating fat does not make you fat. Eating at a calorie surplus makes you fat.

Agreed.... but

The macronutrient split is important.
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If you think about it since you are a male it very likely that you would not react as well to be overeating on fat.

Since the beginning of days it has been important for men to be able to absorb fast energy well for when they we hunting and sprinting, which you get from the use of glycogen and women had to spend a stable amount of energy when carrying a child therefore being better at absorbing energy from fat.

The women on both sides of my family has it very difficult with carbs, their bodies just don't like them, but non of them has any reaction to excessive fat consumption -actually when I think about, all the women in my family has very wide hip bones -> good for having children.

Therefore I don't really think about my fat consumpstions, but I tend to eat 50-100grams below the MFP carb allowance.

Also I am neither trying to cut, bulk or attain muscle, I am one of those that actually like the more skinny-fat look -> no clearly visible muscles, but skinny and is it no less than 2 years ago that I was exactly that and I looked perfectly healthy -well I was physically

lizziebeth1028 · April 2013

So I have read about every single post that is ever possible to find to figure out why I am not losing -including doing the in place of a road map a million times and also the metabolic reset.

I am 20 years old, female. 75 kg, 174 cm (166lbs 5'9") I am danish so if you look at my diary you will see plenty of danish words, but I ensure you that there are not a lot of processed foods in it (I like to cook myself) and that there are plenty of vegetables.

I have already gone to the doctor and the doctor said that nothing was wrong with my metabolism.

I only ever drink water -I eliminated everything else as being something you could possibly drink back in August of 2012.

I use my scale religiously to track even the littlest food that go into my mouth.

Now the thing is -I have done what I am supposed to do -> calculated my BMR wit fat2fit: as prescribed by in place of a road map 3.0

Entered information: 20 year old female, 68.5 inches tall, weighing 166 pounds, BMI of 24.9 (Normal weight).

From the information that you entered, you'd like to weigh 166 lbs.

Harris-Benedict Formula
There are a few different methods to calculating yourbasal metabolic rate (BMR). One of the most popular, developed in the early 1900's is called the Harris-Benedict formula. Based on this formula, your current BMR is 1605 calories.

Katch-McArdle Forumla
The numbers above are fairly accurate, however they don't take into account your lean body mass. A more accurate formula that does take your lean body mass into account is the Katch-McArdle formula. Since many of us have scales that will tell us our current body fat, this formula may yield more accurate results. Based on the information you provided, body fat percentage of 28.8%, you have a lean body mass of 118 lbs., and your BMR is 1529 calories.

Which makes my BMR between 1500-1600 calories.

Now how much should I eat:

Activity Level Daily Calories
Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job) 1926
Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk) 2207
Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) 2488
Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk) 2769
Extremely Active (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.) 3050

I am a student and in Denmark that means sitting down in the same classroom, not moving all day and then when I come home I sit down at the computer /because I am addicted to MFP as others are to Facebook). I do exercise, but I use the Polar ft40 HRM to calculate my exercise calories and I eat those back. Therefore I would make med sedentary.

Now that gives me 1926 calories to maintain on days that I don't exercise. And to lose 1lb a week I need a deficit of 500 calories -> 1926 - 500 = 1426 -but wait this is way less than my BMR and everybody is saying that you can't eat less than your BMR, but then the math just doesn't add up.

Changing my activity level to lightly active won't make a difference cause that just means that my exercise has already been added and I would still have to net my BMR and therefore still only making my deficit 200-300 calories.

All in all the math isn't working. I haven't lost any weight (except water fluctuations) in 3 months.

Would someone just please tell me what is up and down and what to do?

Much Appreciated
Anne

P.S. has also been posted under general weight loss help, but most of the people who is having success with weight loss don't roam in that forum.

Honesty you look great! You are in a healthy weight range and those last few pounds are killer to lose!! What types of workout are you doing? You probably need to focus more on body composition at this point which means - less cardio and more heavy lifting. Weights that challenge you, if you can do 12 reps it's too light. If you haven't done so already, check out the 'new rules of lifting for women'. Good program, easy to follow.

I know you've done your math over and over again - at this point just step back. It doesn't need to be so overwhelming and complicated. Pick a number - say 1500 calories - stay consistent with, eat back most of your exercise calories, and hit those weights hard.

AnneU93 · April 2013

You are at a normal, healthy weight for your height, so it's going to be a lot more difficult for you to lose than someone that is overweight. I'm not sure what your goal weight is, but at your size a 20% deficit is too high. Take 10% off your TDEE and aim for a 0.5lb a week weight loss, and give it some time. Patience is the most important thing.

Also, is it your body or your weight that you want to change? Personally I think you would be better off ditching the scales and try picking up some weights instead. You won't lose lbs, but you will lose inches.

Edited to add: a friend of mine on here uses this method:

Day 1: Eat at your TDEE
Day 2: Eat at 20% below your TDEE

And alternate. This will give you your 10% deficit.

He said this broke him out of a year long plateau. Something to do with the body being under pressure when it's constantly at a deficit, so the days where you hit your TDEE help. But to be honest, I don't know too much about the science of it, but you could message him and ask. He's Pu_239.

I find your added element very much doable and logical and I have bookmark this as a thing that I will try after I have tried just one other thing -because this will very likely make me gain at first and the summer is too close so it is better to just be plateauing than gaining until June then I will try this.

I actually posted this topic in general weight los help also and PU_239 has posted there, but he didn't mention trying this, so thank you! :flowerforyou:

Textmessage · April 2013

I skimmed through all the posts so far and haven't seen any comment on this yet:

You mention using IPOARM and TDEE-20% and also consuming back exercise cals. Anybody feel free to correct me, but aren't you supposed to NOT eat exercise cals following this method as they're already calculated into your TDEE? Maybe this is the issue you're experiencing.

lizziebeth1028 · April 2013

I skimmed through all the posts so far and haven't seen any comment on this yet:

You mention using IPOARM and TDEE-20% and also consuming back exercise cals. Anybody feel free to correct me, but aren't you supposed to NOT eat exercise cals following this method as they're already calculated into your TDEE? Maybe this is the issue you're experiencing.

Yep...you're correct, you're not supposed to eat back the exercise calories. I just noticed this in her diary too. Some days netting almost 2000 calories. Probably not a big enough calorie deficit.

And in reference to the large amount of fat consumed everyday - true, fat does not make you fat, but there comes a point when a macro is just too much over the daily recommendation it's overall not healthy. Plus that fat consumption along with the excess calories maybe the reason for stalled progress.

GuybrushThreepw00d · April 2013

If you think about it since you are a male it very likely that you would not react as well to be overeating on fat.

Since the beginning of days it has been important for men to be able to absorb fast energy well for when they we hunting and sprinting, which you get from the use of glycogen and women had to spend a stable amount of energy when carrying a child therefore being better at absorbing energy from fat.

.....

You asked the question.... I'm taking your response to be that you don't like my answer. :grumble:
Sure, i'm not a dietitian... but i think you should have a serious look at your macro's even if you have a desire to weigh less and still be doughy.

Purely eating walnuts, peanut butter and chocolate caramels is not a good diet.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/AnneU93?date=2013-04-03

I'd also recommend reading this article.
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/you-are-not-different.html

TakinSexyBack · April 2013

I skimmed through all the posts so far and haven't seen any comment on this yet:

You mention using IPOARM and TDEE-20% and also consuming back exercise cals. Anybody feel free to correct me, but aren't you supposed to NOT eat exercise cals following this method as they're already calculated into your TDEE? Maybe this is the issue you're experiencing.

Yep, thats how I understand it!! (Pu verified it for me yesterday as a matter of fact)!

briannadunn · April 2013

I am not a fan of the road map stuff, I use Weight Watchers and eat between 1200 and 1400 calories and for those skeptics about me losing muscle, I walk 4 to 5 miles 5 times a week and I sometimes eat back my exercise calories but not always and I lose 1 to2 pounds a week. Since August I have gained 10 pounds of lean muscle. Therefore it doesn't work for everyone. I have confirmed what I am losing and eating if it is right with facts and doctor based diets and nutritionest and for my metabolism and weight and goal I am right there..Roadmap had me at over 2600 calories a day, another site had me at 1750 as 20% below tdee..I think honestly you need to exercise more and throw the scale out the window and go by body comp. I weigh 221, 5"4.75in and 156 pounds of lean body mass according to fat2fitradio.com with 28.5% body fat

skinnyeascolady · April 2013

JUst a thought but have you had your thyroid checked. Your TSH , T4 and T3. Also your sugars. I went months not loosing an once I did everything right and I do mean everything. If I had a nibble and wrote it down. I worked out no less than 30-60 minutes a day and nothing. finally someone suggested this to me. I went to my doctor got the test done and I was found to be Low thyroid.

I then got my medication straightened out and I started to lose but it came off very slowly. Once I cut down on some of my carbs not all or a drastic amount just some. I began to lose the 1-2 pounds a week.

Not saying this is your problem but it could be. Google low thyroid or insulin resistance and see if you can relate.

FromHereOnOut · April 2013

I am one of those that actually like the more skinny-fat look

Skinny-fat is much harder to maintain than fit. You must be absolutely dead-on with your eating/calories always and forever, or else "skinny fat" will become "fat". Whereas, with "fit", the metabolism is much more forgiving because muscles consume energy, not store it. And muscles are not always bulging and visible. You can be soft and feminine looking, with significant muscle composition for creating that higher, more forgiving metabolism.

teenasbody · April 2013

Just a suggestion, and do with it what you want, as I'm no expert by any means, I just know what works for me...eat your daily calories, but don't eat back workout calories...since what you are saying is that your calorie intake is pretty nutrient rich calories, I'd say that you should be ok not to eat back your workout calories...at least while you're tryin. To lose...start eating back workout calories, once you attain your goal so that you maintain...also MORE EXERCISE!!! I know it's not always easy, but the thing is, muscle burns calories even when it's not "working" hard (like when you're Hangin out browsing MFP or something) so logically, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn even at a rest...don't believe me? Look at athletes (I'll use one that has been noted for his diet) like Michael phelps...he consumes over 12,000 calories a day, and there's not an ounce of fat on that guy...so those would be my suggestions...WORK, and a little less intake for a bit.

DO THIS...

sbryan300 · May 2014

September 2012 I weighed 320! From now till then I've lost so much but at times stopped doing right and gained so much. Here I am now sitting at 233 :-) my BMR is 2207.92 and other than cheat days once a week I probably don't take in no more than 1,500-1,700 calories per day. I burn 1000 calories about 3-4 days a week at the gym. The days I don't lift weight my so called bet calories at times will be 25-30 and was told non stop I was hurting myself by not eating. Most of my carbs are fruit, and whey protein along with lean meats for dinner with a apple and carrot sticks or what not. I have more energy now than I've ever have in my life! All though the weight unless during plateaus is falling off but my arms, legs, and cheat are toning up. I'd say 1,400 calories a day with clean foods and moderate exercise 3-4 days a week and throw in a couple weight lift sessions and your *kitten* will fall off! In a good way :-)

negator5543 · May 2014

So in looking through your diary you are either not logging everything you eat or you are SEVERLY under eating.

As far as your BMR and TDEE when you do the fat to fit calculations you're supposed to put your current weight and then your goal weight.(you entered a goal weight thus the cal numbers you got were the number you should eat to become 160lbs). They've already done the calculations for weight loss in their algorithm, the 1900 cals suggested is what they want you to eat to maintain your current weight.)

The table it gives you with suggested calories is how many calories you should eat to become that lighter weight person.

I entered your info into the Fat2Fit calculator and this is what it said:

21 yr old female, 69inches, current weight 151, goal weight 130(I just picked a random number).

BMR: 1437-1537

AMOUNT OF CALORIES TO EAT TO BECOME 130lbs:
Sedentary: Eat 1735
Lightly Active: 1988
Moderately Active: 2241
Very Active: 2495
Extremely Active: 2748

Unless you are a pro athlete my personal opinion is to follow sedentary at all times and then track your actual physical activity, this way even if your calculation over estimates how many calories you burned you won't be eating an extra 1,000 calories just because you think you have been "very active".

Try sticking to tracking everything accurately and give it a few weeks, if you don't see a difference the calculations might be over estimating your needs, cut another 200 calories and see how that works for two weeks.

Also bear in mind if you've been severely under eating and have lost significant amounts of muscle, your BMR has gone down and you body fat % has gone up. If you start with 50lbs of fat and 110 lbm and lose 9lbs muscle you go from 31%body fat to 33% body fat, less muscle means less calories burned daily.

So I have read about every single post that is ever possible to find to figure out why I am not losing -including doing the in place of a road map a million times and also the metabolic reset.

I am 20 years old, female. 75 kg, 174 cm (166lbs 5'9") I am danish so if you look at my diary you will see plenty of danish words, but I ensure you that there are not a lot of processed foods in it (I like to cook myself) and that there are plenty of vegetables.

I have already gone to the doctor and the doctor said that nothing was wrong with my metabolism.

I only ever drink water -I eliminated everything else as being something you could possibly drink back in August of 2012.

I use my scale religiously to track even the littlest food that go into my mouth.

Now the thing is -I have done what I am supposed to do -> calculated my BMR wit fat2fit: as prescribed by in place of a road map 3.0

Entered information: 20 year old female, 68.5 inches tall, weighing 166 pounds, BMI of 24.9 (Normal weight).

From the information that you entered, you'd like to weigh 166 lbs.

Harris-Benedict Formula
There are a few different methods to calculating yourbasal metabolic rate (BMR). One of the most popular, developed in the early 1900's is called the Harris-Benedict formula. Based on this formula, your current BMR is 1605 calories.

Katch-McArdle Forumla
The numbers above are fairly accurate, however they don't take into account your lean body mass. A more accurate formula that does take your lean body mass into account is the Katch-McArdle formula. Since many of us have scales that will tell us our current body fat, this formula may yield more accurate results. Based on the information you provided, body fat percentage of 28.8%, you have a lean body mass of 118 lbs., and your BMR is 1529 calories.

Which makes my BMR between 1500-1600 calories.

Now how much should I eat:

Activity Level Daily Calories
Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job) 1926
Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk) 2207
Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) 2488
Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk) 2769
Extremely Active (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.) 3050

I am a student and in Denmark that means sitting down in the same classroom, not moving all day and then when I come home I sit down at the computer /because I am addicted to MFP as others are to Facebook). I do exercise, but I use the Polar ft40 HRM to calculate my exercise calories and I eat those back. Therefore I would make med sedentary.

Now that gives me 1926 calories to maintain on days that I don't exercise. And to lose 1lb a week I need a deficit of 500 calories -> 1926 - 500 = 1426 -but wait this is way less than my BMR and everybody is saying that you can't eat less than your BMR, but then the math just doesn't add up.

Changing my activity level to lightly active won't make a difference cause that just means that my exercise has already been added and I would still have to net my BMR and therefore still only making my deficit 200-300 calories.

All in all the math isn't working. I haven't lost any weight (except water fluctuations) in 3 months.

Would someone just please tell me what is up and down and what to do?

Much Appreciated
Anne

P.S. has also been posted under general weight loss help, but most of the people who is having success with weight loss don't roam in that forum.

debobrien1 · May 2014

Bump!

a_stronger_me13 · May 2014

Just because you aren't losing weight doesn't mean that your body isn't improving.

Eat what seems right to you and switch up your exercise routine. Try and keep track of your measurements and take photos instead of what you see on the scale.

You might be losing fat while gaining muscle.

As I have written, I have a very expensive scale that measures body fat%, muscle mass, water balance and bone density and nothing is moving except water is going up and down a little everyday changing from the one to the other so therefore just water fluctuations.

BIA scales are a joke. The error in their readouts is insanely inaccurate and can fluctuate due to way too many variables.

You're simply eating too much. Whether that means your calorie goal in general is too high or that you aren't accurately tracking what you are eating and are unintentionally overeating is what you need to figure out.

ETA: When you use your TDEE that accounts for your exercise so stop eating back your exercise calories. The numbers that the calculators spit out are estimates at best. They provide a starting point. So guess what, if you aren't losing, the number you picked was too high and you need to lower it. TDEE is something that has to be constantly adjusted until you find what works.

Oh, and not weighing ALL your solids and not measuring ALL your liquids and not logging ALL your food EVERYDAY isn't helping you out either. Track accurately and stay at a deficit and come back in 4 weeks.

So confused -TDEE, BMR and why I am I not losing!!?

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