Eat More 2 Weigh Less

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starting again. In need of some support

kiku76
kiku76 Posts: 352 Member
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Hi everyone.
I have read everything, and *think* I have a good grasp on it. I was doing well before, didn't see changes, but I wasn't starving so I was happy.
I fell off the diet wagon, gained a few pounds. This month I'm bad to running and lifting. I had my calories set at 1400 but OMG I'm so hungry.
I calculated my BMR and TDEE-20% and got 1407 and 1745. I reset my calories and I'm ready to eat more.

One question, I am nursing my son, but he's 2 now (yes, I know he needs to wean-I'm waiting for summer when I don't have to get up early and he can cry it out all night if he wants) He only nurses a few times a day, but should I add in extra calories because of it?

I'm looking for some support to keep my on track if my weight starts to go back up and I freak out.
Thanks for reading.

Replies

  • Labouffecestbon
    Labouffecestbon Posts: 182 Member
    ...One question, I am nursing my son, but he's 2 now (yes, I know he needs to wean-I'm waiting for summer when I don't have to get up early and he can cry it out all night if he wants) He only nurses a few times a day, but should I add in extra calories because of it?...
    I'm curious about this one too as I'm nursing my 8-month old a few times a day. I haven't taken that into account; maybe I should.

    Good luck on your journey! :)
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Yes, add in when needed. MFP even has several estimates out there nursing mom's use.

    And it's added on to the day like a workout, not added to the TDEE and then deficit taken.
    Baby don't need a deficit.
  • kiku76
    kiku76 Posts: 352 Member
    Yes, add in when needed. MFP even has several estimates out there nursing mom's use.

    And it's added on to the day like a workout, not added to the TDEE and then deficit taken.
    Baby don't need a deficit.

    huh? I am confused now. sorry.

    So I add something like 200 calories (I still have to check) to which number? my TDEE is 2181 and with a deficit it's 1745. So I should be eating 1945 calories a day?
    Does that go for days I don't work out too?
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Your TDEE is based on exact daily exercise, or you entered in your weekly routine and got a daily avg?

    So what is your eating level based on, exact daily routine, or weekly routine averaged out daily?

    Gotta understand the concept to have success with this, or you won't understand eating correctly for your level of activity.

    Reread what I said, pretty simple concept for the feeding baby aspect, which has nothing to do with workouts.

    The reference to workouts is the fact it'll increase your daily goal by that amount. I'm assuming you've seen what happens to your daily goal when you add a workout.
  • Labouffecestbon
    Labouffecestbon Posts: 182 Member
    Yes, add in when needed. MFP even has several estimates out there nursing mom's use.

    And it's added on to the day like a workout, not added to the TDEE and then deficit taken.
    Baby don't need a deficit.
    I didn't know MFP had those estimates.

    Thanks!
  • kiku76
    kiku76 Posts: 352 Member
    Your TDEE is based on exact daily exercise, or you entered in your weekly routine and got a daily avg?

    So what is your eating level based on, exact daily routine, or weekly routine averaged out daily?

    Gotta understand the concept to have success with this, or you won't understand eating correctly for your level of activity.

    Reread what I said, pretty simple concept for the feeding baby aspect, which has nothing to do with workouts.

    The reference to workouts is the fact it'll increase your daily goal by that amount. I'm assuming you've seen what happens to your daily goal when you add a workout.

    I got my TDEE for the calculators :( I think it's an average right?

    I went and reread the stickies on BMR and TDEE. As I understand it, but I could be compltely wrong, your TDEE should be your BMR plus what you burn off when you exercise? So my BMR is 1407. I burned off about 400 x5 a week. So shouldn't my TDEE be closer to 1800 (without a deficit)
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    I got my TDEE for the calculators :( I think it's an average right?

    I went and reread the stickies on BMR and TDEE. As I understand it, but I could be compltely wrong, your TDEE should be your BMR plus what you burn off when you exercise? So my BMR is 1407. I burned off about 400 x5 a week. So shouldn't my TDEE be closer to 1800 (without a deficit)

    Correct, avg of the weekly exercise spread out (hrs or days per week, right?). Which means it's the same for the eating level too.

    Incorrect, your TDEE is not ONLY BMR plus exercise calories. Whole lot more than that.
  • katevarner
    katevarner Posts: 884 Member
    TDEE includes not just exercise but what you burn just during your daily activities. BMR is what you'd burn if you stayed in bed all day.
  • kiku76
    kiku76 Posts: 352 Member
    thanks. im embarrassed to say i'm still a little confused.

    i understand bmr and tdee, but the deficit things loses me a little. i shouldnt go below 1407 (bmr) right? so if i burn about 400 a day, i shoukd really be eating about 1800? so what about the days i dont work out?
  • ninababie2
    ninababie2 Posts: 44 Member
    Confusing isn't it? I'm not sure what you know and don't know so I'll break it down a bit:

    If you work out three times a week and burn 700 calories a week...then your TDEE isn't your BMR plus 100 calories a day [Example]. Meaning your TDEE isn't your BMR plus exercise. When you put in your activity level [sedentary, moderate ect.] there is a lot that goes into the formula. If you work out five times a week your level is probably moderate. You figure this out from a TDEE calculator; they're all pretty similar. With this TDEE number you don't need to add or subtract in your exercise because it's all factored into the lifestyle that you chose.

    In answer to your first question yes you need to eat more if you're nursing. I would put a little research into how many calories go into producing breastmilk. This would raise your TDEE and then you can do cuts from there.

    In answer to your last post, correct. I'm not sure of your stats or what your TDEE cut is but at a minimum you should be eating your BMR calories net [which means that you eat back exercise calories]. [This is not Eat more 2 Weigh Less strategy]

    I'm only responding to you from the Eat More to Weigh Less point of view. What I mean for a TDEE cut is that EM2WL says that you should cut between 10-20percent of your TDEE to lose weight and no lower. So if your TDEE is 2200 calories a day then a 10% cut [if you have 5-20lbs to lose] would be 1980 calories a day and a 20 percent cut [for more to lose] would be 1760 calories a day.
  • kiku76
    kiku76 Posts: 352 Member
    Confusing isn't it? I'm not sure what you know and don't know so I'll break it down a bit:

    If you work out three times a week and burn 700 calories a week...then your TDEE isn't your BMR plus 100 calories a day [Example]. Meaning your TDEE isn't your BMR plus exercise. When you put in your activity level [sedentary, moderate ect.] there is a lot that goes into the formula. If you work out five times a week your level is probably moderate. You figure this out from a TDEE calculator; they're all pretty similar. With this TDEE number you don't need to add or subtract in your exercise because it's all factored into the lifestyle that you chose.

    In answer to your first question yes you need to eat more if you're nursing. I would put a little research into how many calories go into producing breastmilk. This would raise your TDEE and then you can do cuts from there.

    In answer to your last post, correct. I'm not sure of your stats or what your TDEE cut is but at a minimum you should be eating your BMR calories net [which means that you eat back exercise calories]. [This is not Eat more 2 Weigh Less strategy]

    I'm only responding to you from the Eat More to Weigh Less point of view. What I mean for a TDEE cut is that EM2WL says that you should cut between 10-20percent of your TDEE to lose weight and no lower. So if your TDEE is 2200 calories a day then a 10% cut [if you have 5-20lbs to lose] would be 1980 calories a day and a 20 percent cut [for more to lose] would be 1760 calories a day.

    thanks for breaking it down for me.
    Are you supposed to eat less on the days that you don't work out, or is it still the same (about 1700 calories)?
  • ninababie2
    ninababie2 Posts: 44 Member
    Same every day. May I ask where you're getting the 1700 from? Did you use a TDEE calculator?
  • kiku76
    kiku76 Posts: 352 Member
    Same every day. May I ask where you're getting the 1700 from? Did you use a TDEE calculator?

    I used the one linked in the stickies. and I just found Heybales spreadsheet and got about the same thing.
    One gave me 1745 and the other 1780
  • ninababie2
    ninababie2 Posts: 44 Member
    Is that with or without a cut?
  • kiku76
    kiku76 Posts: 352 Member
    with.
  • ninababie2
    ninababie2 Posts: 44 Member
    Okay that makes more sense. Good luck! Try 1760 :]
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Same every day. May I ask where you're getting the 1700 from? Did you use a TDEE calculator?

    I used the one linked in the stickies. and I just found Heybales spreadsheet and got about the same thing.
    One gave me 1745 and the other 1780

    Good, so the spreadsheet instructions under Your Results spell out exactly what to change where. And visually seeing it there should help understand what is happening. Change your workout schedule and see what happens to the TDEE and TDEG.

    The only addition for you is the food item called "Breast Feeding - Exclusively Nursing" which is negative calories, so when you add that to the day, you get 500 more calories to eat.
    You could also create your own food item with less negative calories if you are told a different value, or a per hr value, ect.
    Just create a food items for yourself with negative calories, no nutritional info though.
  • kiku76
    kiku76 Posts: 352 Member
    Okay that makes more sense. Good luck! Try 1760 :]
    oh sorry! I should have been more specific. My actual TDEE is around 2181.
    I ate well today and I still have about 600 calories left for dinner. I can see how it can be hard to make that many calories when you eat healthy. However, I could make that no problem eating nothing but crap. but that's not the way to go I guess.... :)
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    thanks. im embarrassed to say i'm still a little confused.

    i understand bmr and tdee, but the deficit things loses me a little. i shouldnt go below 1407 (bmr) right? so if i burn about 400 a day, i shoukd really be eating about 1800? so what about the days i dont work out?

    Don't complicate things.

    Day 1 - Eat 1780 - burn 400 - net 1380
    Day 2 - Eat 1780 - rest day - net 1780
    avg net - 1580
    Over your BMR.

    No problem.

    Big assumption too you are really burning 400. So that isn't even that big a deficit.
  • kiku76
    kiku76 Posts: 352 Member
    Same every day. May I ask where you're getting the 1700 from? Did you use a TDEE calculator?

    I used the one linked in the stickies. and I just found Heybales spreadsheet and got about the same thing.
    One gave me 1745 and the other 1780

    Good, so the spreadsheet instructions under Your Results spell out exactly what to change where. And visually seeing it there should help understand what is happening. Change your workout schedule and see what happens to the TDEE and TDEG.

    The only addition for you is the food item called "Breast Feeding - Exclusively Nursing" which is negative calories, so when you add that to the day, you get 500 more calories to eat.
    You could also create your own food item with less negative calories if you are told a different value, or a per hr value, ect.
    Just create a food items for yourself with negative calories, no nutritional info though.
    thanks! that spreadsheet is immensely helpful
  • kiku76
    kiku76 Posts: 352 Member
    thanks. im embarrassed to say i'm still a little confused.

    i understand bmr and tdee, but the deficit things loses me a little. i shouldnt go below 1407 (bmr) right? so if i burn about 400 a day, i shoukd really be eating about 1800? so what about the days i dont work out?

    Don't complicate things.

    Day 1 - Eat 1780 - burn 400 - net 1380
    Day 2 - Eat 1780 - rest day - net 1780
    avg net - 1580
    Over your BMR.

    No problem.

    Big assumption too you are really burning 400. So that isn't even that big a deficit.

    got it!
    I use a HRM. I don't burn 400 everyday though.2x a week I run for about 50 minutes and burn that or more. 3x a week I do cardio for only 15-30 minutes and do strength, though my program is very simple, akin to Stronglifts so I dont lift for an hour or something like other people. So on those days, no I'm not burning 400
  • annemama
    annemama Posts: 245 Member
    Hi there. I just want to restate what someone else has said: Research how many calories go into producing breast milk. The 500 calories per day applies to women who are breastfeeding exclusively. So if your 2-year-old is eating normal meals, and is nursing occasionally, this will not be equal to someone whose baby is ONLY nursing, not taking any other foods. Women should also keep in mind that reducing calories too much will decrease milk production... maybe that's what HeyBales was saying when he said the baby doesn't need a deficit! So I just want to encourage you that you are doing this the right way!

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