Seems I have been doing it wrong

jasonchampion · July 2013

Ok so I only just started back proper on this a few weeks back when I noticed I'm slowly gaing weight again. I've been eating 1200 cals a day and doing 30 mins on bike one day and an hour the next for six days a week people are telling me to eat more cals and to also stick on top what cals I'm burning on the bike. I'm 37 male 5.11 and 212 pounds I've looked at some calculators for this and according to them I need to be eating in the 2000 cal area now if I include having to eat my cal burn also that could be 2600:/ is that right sounds a hell of a lot to eat when I'm trying to lose lol.

herblackwings39 · July 2013

Ok so I only just started back proper on this a few weeks back when I noticed I'm slowly gaing weight again. I've been eating 1200 cals a day and doing 30 mins on bike one day and an hour the next for six days a week people are telling me to eat more cals and to also stick on top what cals I'm burning on the bike. I'm 37 male 5.11 and 212 pounds I've looked at some calculators for this and according to them I need to be eating in the 2000 cal area now if I include having to eat my cal burn also that could be 2600:/ is that right sounds a hell of a lot to eat when I'm trying to lose lol.

If you got the 2000 calorie number by inputting your exercise level you don't eat those calories back. MFP only takes into account your daily job activity when it figures your deficit. I found, when I calculated my TDEE at lightly active, that the number it gives me is almost the same as MFP + exercise calories.

Lyadeia · July 2013

That's definitely not a lot of food. 2000 calories is only slightly more than what I eat daily (around 1800), yet I am a 5'5" female.

As a man eating only 1200 calories, I don't understand how you have even the energy to type this post! Yes, definitely eat more.

jamiek917 · July 2013

That's definitely not a lot of food. 2000 calories is only slightly more than what I eat daily (around 1800), yet I am a 5'5" female.

As a man eating only 1200 calories, I don't understand how you have even the energy to type this post! Yes, definitely eat more.

yep. id be a miserable *kitten* at 1200.

chances are you were eating well more than 2000 when you werent tracking in the past. 2000 can actually add up quickly when you arent conscious of your dietary habits. id try your TDEE-15-20%, or if you use what MFP gives you, def eat back your exercise cals!!!

track accurately and honestly and work out. the weight will come off without having to starve at 1200.

TheRealParisLove · July 2013

I noticed that you use weight watchers products and that you didn't log any fruits or veggies over the last several days. Something that WW adherents have done on this site in the past is skip logging fruit and veggies because that program gives you an "all-you-can-eat" pass on fruit and veggies. But MFP doesn't work that way, and you need to log your produce here, as well as the rest of your food in order to get good results.

jasonchampion · July 2013

I noticed that you use weight watchers products and that you didn't log any fruits or veggies over the last several days. Something that WW adherents have done on this site in the past is skip logging fruit and veggies because that program gives you an "all-you-can-eat" pass on fruit and veggies. But MFP doesn't work that way, and you need to log your produce here, as well as the rest of your food in order to get good results.

The reason is everything you see is true I havnt been eating them that's why they aren't on there

Hendrix7 · July 2013

As a 200lb + male you should not be eating 1200 calories.

You might gain a little in the short term but it will be worth it in the long term to improve your metabolic capacity.

Would you rather be able to maintain your weight on 2500 calories or 1000?

lauren3101 · July 2013

I'm female, an inch shorter than you, and I eat 2250 cals a day to lose 1.5lb a week. 1200 cals for a guy is crazy.

I've just looked up your stats, your BMR alone is 2037 cals.

TDEE results:
Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job) 2444
Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk) 2801
Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) 3157
Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk) 3514
Extremely Active (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.) 3870

From the exercise you've given, I'd say you are lightly to moderately active, so yes, you should be looking at around the 2300 calorie mark, IN TOTAL, so including exercise.

You say you have started to gain weight again, I take it this means you were on a 1200 calorie diet before this? If so, the fact that you have gained after starting to eat again is completely normal. That's the problem with VLC diets, I'm afraid.

I would up your cals to 2300 gradually, say an extra 100 - 200 a day per week, and expect a gain. Once your body has got used to the food intake, you will start to lose again.

jetlag · July 2013

Jason,

Please read this (particularly the "results" section):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota_Starvation_Experiment

Basically, Ancel Keys performed a study in the 1940s on the effects of starvation in men. They chose 36 men of ideal (or near ideal) weight and put them on a "semi starvation" diet for 24 weeks, with the aim of reducing their body weight by 25%. The results were weight loss, of course, but also depression, hypochondria, body issues, SELF MUTILATION, excess fluid in the extremeties and many more.

They were on 1550 calories a day.

jasonchampion · July 2013

Ok thank you all I have now adjusted according to mfp the y recommend for. 2pound a week loss I should consume 1390 cals a day plus what cals I burn so total for today will be 1690 with 30 mins on bike and tommoz will be 1990 does that sond closer to the mark

Thanks again

Graelwyn75 · July 2013

Ok thank you all I have now adjusted according to mfp the y recommend for. 2pound a week loss I should consume 1390 cals a day plus what cals I burn so total for today will be 1690 with 30 mins on bike and tommoz will be 1990 does that sond closer to the mark

Thanks again

No, that is still not enough.
Do you want to lose all your muscle mass as well as fat as that is what happens when you consistently undereat. Unless you have a lot to lose, which you do not at your height and weight, you should be aiming for .5-1Ib loss a week, and eating back your exercise calories, or even better, eating at your TDEE - 20% on a daily basis, which would give you around 1900 daily. You can change your food goal to reflect this. Also, make sure you are eating more than the protein mfp recommends as it is renowned for being too low, and protein helps retain more muscle as you lose weight. You need your muscle to continue firing your metabolism.

jetlag · July 2013

Where did you get that 1390 number from?? You're a 6ft tall bloke!

lauren3101 · July 2013

Ok thank you all I have now adjusted according to mfp the y recommend for. 2pound a week loss I should consume 1390 cals a day plus what cals I burn so total for today will be 1690 with 30 mins on bike and tommoz will be 1990 does that sond closer to the mark

Thanks again

Change MFP to lose 1lb a week, and eat back your exercise calories, and you will have it spot on.

Your trouble is you are wanting it all to happen yesterday. 1lb a week is a perfectly acceptable and normal weight loss.

jasonchampion · July 2013

Ok thank you all I have now adjusted according to mfp the y recommend for. 2pound a week loss I should consume 1390 cals a day plus what cals I burn so total for today will be 1690 with 30 mins on bike and tommoz will be 1990 does that sond closer to the mark

Thanks again

Change MFP to lose 1lb a week, and eat back your exercise calories, and you will have it spot on.

Your trouble is you are wanting it all to happen yesterday. 1lb a week is a perfectly acceptable and normal weight loss.

I thank you again for all the advice I would like to point out however I realy don't expect it to all happen at once I know this is a long haul and am fully prepaid to go with it I'm just not very smart when it comes to numbers so taking every ones advice I have now adjusted again mfp to 1pound a week and doing the bike and its now hitting 2270 so I will leave it at that and hope that it works ofc it will go up eating my cal burns so I guess including that ill be eating 2570 is that correct I'm sorry for keep asking dumb questions

Thanks to every one again.

lauren3101 · July 2013

Ok thank you all I have now adjusted according to mfp the y recommend for. 2pound a week loss I should consume 1390 cals a day plus what cals I burn so total for today will be 1690 with 30 mins on bike and tommoz will be 1990 does that sond closer to the mark

Thanks again

Change MFP to lose 1lb a week, and eat back your exercise calories, and you will have it spot on.

Your trouble is you are wanting it all to happen yesterday. 1lb a week is a perfectly acceptable and normal weight loss.

I thank you again for all the advice I would like to point out however I realy don't expect it to all happen at once I know this is a long haul and am fully prepaid to go with it I'm just not very smart when it comes to numbers so taking every ones advice I have now adjusted again mfp to 1pound a week and doing the bike and its now hitting 2270 so I will leave it at that and hope that it works ofc it will go up eating my cal burns so I guess including that ill be eating 2570 is that correct I'm sorry for keep asking dumb questions

Thanks to every one again.

It's not a dumb question, we all started somewhere. Yes, that's much better. Like I said, don't be alarmed if you gain in the beginning. It's quite normal after too large a deficit and it will come off in it's own time.

Seems I have been doing it wrong

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