Need help setting my correct calorie level

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Sunstone77
Sunstone77 Posts: 6
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi,

I started using MFP and was losing 2lbs a week .. that seemed to slow when MFP started automatically reducing my calories, when I hit certain milestones. I also found it a struggle when my calories dropped and found I cheated and binged.

I hit some rough times, gave up using MFP and tried the 5:2 diet but struggled on the fast days when I had to feed my kids.

So I have come back here and want to set my calories at the correct level to lose 2lb a week. I've seen previous some people putting formulas up on how to work it out, but for the life of me I can't get my head around it all.

Can anyone help?

I'm 5.4
Weigh 271lbs
I work from home as I have a 14 month old.
I have just got a cross trainer, but can only manage 10 minutes on it, I am going to try and increase it a minute a day.
Also started going to Zumba once a week.

I am not the most active person, but am trying. I have a nike fuel band and my daily average is about 3,826

Could really do with some help setting my calorie limit. I used to add my exercise into the app but found myself then eating the extra calories, so now when i exercise I keep it out of the app and try to stick to the 1,430 goal its currently set at. Although Fridays I do go over as thats the only day of the week I allow myself a drink and a takeaway. But Friday mornings is weigh day so they way i see it i have all week to try and burn the damage off.

Please help, feeling very very unmotivated right now and want/need to feel good about myself.

Thanks,
Marie

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    as you have a fair bit of weight to lose, i would go with setting MFP to lose 2lb per week, with an activity setting of sedentary or light active depending on how much you move around during the day, and then eat back your exercise calories when you do zumba or go on the cross trainer.

    if you find that losing 2lb is too few calories, change it to 1.5 or even 1lb per week.

    the most important thing to remember is that you need patience.... you didnt get overweight in a week, you wont lose all the weight in a week!

    make healthy choices 80% of the time, try to do some regular exercise - good for your health regardless of the weight loss - and keep going!!!
  • IbiH
    IbiH Posts: 250 Member
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    You should be eating more than 1430.... Have you checked your BMR? Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) quantifies the number of calories your body burns in its idle state. It is a stricter form of Resting Metabolic Rate, measuring calorie consumption in complete inactivity, about 12 hours after your last meal.

    From you stats you should be eating 1961 cals a day.

    There is also TDEE, Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) quantifies the number of calories you burn in a day. This measure is best estimated by scaling your Basal Metabolic Rate to your level of activity. TDEE is critical in tailoring your nutrition plan to desired fitness goals.

    I've set my calories by this and adjusted as and when I feel I need to.

    http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html
  • mazdauk
    mazdauk Posts: 1,380 Member
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    Set your MFP to 1lb a week, and eat back exercise calories. Zumba is great - maybe look at getting zumba wii2 (or similar) as you can do some short workouts with that to help you get your stamina up a bit. Plus of course the exercise calories to eat back :wink:

    You don't have to go to a gym to be active, how about nice walks with your 14 month old (you pushing the buggy!), try walking instead of driving, or walk part of the way. As the weight comes off it becomes easier to be more active.

    But you're on the right track, you know what you want to achieve and you've had the sense to ask for help and support rather than giving up.:smile:
  • Sunstone77
    Sunstone77 Posts: 6
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    My TDEE says 2353 .. would haven't a clue how to check my BMR. (in honesty all these things confuse me)

    What I don't get is if I should be eating 1961 calories a day how am I not losing weight?

    Last we MFP said I averaged 1500 but I put on a lb :(

    I know I am never going to be slim. But I want to be slimmer and fitter for my kids.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    My TDEE says 2353 .. would haven't a clue how to check my BMR. (in honesty all these things confuse me)

    What I don't get is if I should be eating 1961 calories a day how am I not losing weight?

    Last we MFP said I averaged 1500 but I put on a lb :(

    I know I am never going to be slim. But I want to be slimmer and fitter for my kids.

    do you weigh and measure everything you eat?
  • IbiH
    IbiH Posts: 250 Member
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    It's worked for me. When I first started I was eating 1700 cals and losing, it's now decreased as I don't have as much to lose.

    Kitchen scales have been my friend too, I weigh everything (apart from when I'm eating out but you have to enjoy yourself sometimes).

    Good luck.
  • pangy1958
    pangy1958 Posts: 151 Member
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    MFP has worked for me.
    I too have a lot to loose, and was around 245lb. I put in my height, weight, and sedimentry and went with their recommended 1lb a week loss. It gave me 1610 calories to start with. Then decreased it as i lost now i have 1510 calories a day. I have lost the 1lb a week which i am pleased with as i know its achieveable. Set the loss to high and you can become to stressed over it if its not coming off.
    Its going to be a slow journey but you can do it. Just trust MFP and you will get there. Good Luck xx
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    I am not the most active person, but am trying. I have a nike fuel band and my daily average is about 3,826

    People with more weight to lose burn more energy just moving around than people who are lighter. If your estimated TDEE is about 3800, then you could take a 25% cut off of that number to calculate your amount to lose weight.

    3800 x 25% = 950 calories ...... 3800 - 950 = 2850
    (and with this method you would not eat extra exercise calories)
    Even 2500 calories a day would be better than what you have been doing.

    As your weight goes down, you will need to make that % cut smaller. (eventually you will need to drop it to 20% then 15% then 10% as you get close to your goal).

    I'm not sure what the accuracy of the Fuel Band is, you might want to research that some, but I'm certain that you should eat more than 1400 to lose weight. You may need to experiment a little with your calories to dial it in.
  • Sunstone77
    Sunstone77 Posts: 6
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    yup, i do weigh and measure everything i eat :)
  • Sunstone77
    Sunstone77 Posts: 6
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    thanks everyone for your advice.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    yup, i do weigh and measure everything i eat :)

    if you are accurately logging everything then the weight gain was probably due to water weight from too much sodium, sore muscles, TOM or something like that!

    dotn worry too much, just keep going!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    It's normal to slow down, honestly. As long as you're still losing, I wouldn't worry about it. If it slows down below 6 lbs a month, I'd eat a bit more.
  • angserino
    angserino Posts: 59
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    Bump to save
  • Sunstone77
    Sunstone77 Posts: 6
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    Just had a look at that link and someone also very kindly pointed me in the direction of the same thing.

    Based on the but doing 30% instead of 20% as i am considered morbidly obese (as suggested in another link i was sent).

    I should be eating 1891 calories a day instead of the 1430 I am currently eating.

    Logic in my head ... screams that if i'm struggling to lose weight on 1430 calories a day how will i eating more calories a day?

    I also admit i am exceptionally bad at drinking water .... I have large cups (like the ones you can buy in whittards) and tend to have 3 sometimes 4 large cups of coffee and a can of diet coke in the evening ..

    Can that have an effect on the weight loss...

    Sorry for all the questions .. i want to be able to make the right changes
  • LassoOfTruth
    LassoOfTruth Posts: 735 Member
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    Hi, we have similar stats. I am 5'4" and 268. I have a fitbit so the only calorie burns I input are elliptical and wii exercises when I take the fitbit off. (I'm assuming the fitbit is similar to your nike band).

    I am eating anywhere from 1500-2000 a day. My job is weird, some days I just sit at a desk and other days I'm moving 40+boxes around all day, for hours. So, the days where I do more, I eat more. I don't suggest going too low on calories (anything below 1500) just because once you get smaller and smaller you are going to have to eat less and less to keep losing the same. I used to eat 1200 and it KILLED me. I naturally love to eat, who doesn't? Lolz. So, depending on how much exercise you really plan to do a day, you can figure out the calories. If you'll burn 1000+ calories a day, eat 2000 calories. If you're going to burn under 500 calories a day, eat 1500-1800. You'll still be at a deficit.

    I have no idea if I helped, but you can add me if you like.... since we're so similar in stats. :) Good luck!
  • Sunstone77
    Sunstone77 Posts: 6
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    Thanks I will ..

    Do many of you have helped.

    I'm sceptical because i guess i'm scared to increase my calories .. but i've done it ... gone from 1430 to 1891 ... lets see what happens over the next few weeks .. going to work hard to make myself active also .. its the lazybones in me .. doesn't come naturally.

    Thank you all :)
  • claudiakendall98
    claudiakendall98 Posts: 242 Member
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    Good Luck
  • mfclingan
    mfclingan Posts: 158 Member
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    This truly is a time where you have to figure out what works for your body. I personally can't eat many of my exercise calories that I earn. If I eat all of them, I don't lose. I have a friend that has to eat every bite of her exercise calories in order to lose. Our bodies are totally different.

    When I'm eating in my calorie range and not losing, the first thing I do is look at the carbohydrates. Specifically I look at breads, pastas, potatoes. (I don't worry about carbs gleaned from fruit). I find that if I'm eating bread or pasta more than once a day I don't lose as well as I do if I limit my carb intake! It's just how my body works. It's a trial and error until you figure out what works. If you have records of your eating...go back to weeks where you lost and see what was different! You will figure it out!
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Options
    Just had a look at that link and someone also very kindly pointed me in the direction of the same thing.

    Based on the but doing 30% instead of 20% as i am considered morbidly obese (as suggested in another link i was sent).

    I should be eating 1891 calories a day instead of the 1430 I am currently eating.

    Logic in my head ... screams that if i'm struggling to lose weight on 1430 calories a day how will i eating more calories a day?

    I also admit i am exceptionally bad at drinking water .... I have large cups (like the ones you can buy in whittards) and tend to have 3 sometimes 4 large cups of coffee and a can of diet coke in the evening ..

    Can that have an effect on the weight loss...

    Sorry for all the questions .. i want to be able to make the right changes

    The logic in our head doesn't take into account the processes in our body that fight against weight loss. There are hormones and other things that don't work right when we don't give our bodies enough food.

    If you increase your water intake, this will help you get rid of excess water weight. Caffeine substances are dehydrating.

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