Am I eating too little?

dcc1216
dcc1216 Posts: 6
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, here's the deal. I used to have abs but I got lazy and I want them back :D haha. Currently I am 170lbs, 5' 8", and I'm 25 years old. I want to lose my belly fat. I have been running 2 miles in the morning and doing insanity after work. I work a desk job. I put my activity as sedentary but should I have it as active? MFP is telling me to take in 1,660 calories a day for 1 pound a week or 1,200 for 2 and I know two is stretching it but I figured I'd do all I could. My problem is that seems way too low when my BMR is 1,730. Exactly how many calories should I be taking in and how should they be spread out because I find it hard to eat a big heavy breakfast. Also I have a polar ft7 and have been tracking about 800 cals burned a day between running and insanity.

Replies

  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    A desk job puts you as sedentary but you can add your exercise calories to eat back if you want.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    MFP expects you to log your exercise and eat those calories too, so with 1 lb a week, you would be eating over 2000. Keep in mind that a HRM is meant for steady state cardio and tends to overestimate interval training like insanity.
  • csheltra26
    csheltra26 Posts: 272 Member
    What mokey41 said. You should eat back at least half your exercise calories. MFP included a deficit when they set you at 1660.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    The activity level settings on MFP do not include exercise. Even if you selected active, it wouldn't account for your exercise. That is why you log it separately.
  • chantels1
    chantels1 Posts: 391 Member
    Sedentary is correct, but are you eating back at least 50% of your exercise calories? I wasn't losing as well as I hoped, until I started eating the calories MFP told me to. I try to eat back about 50-75% of my exercise calories now and I am really seeing a difference. Also be sure to cut out carbonated drinks. They really bloat the tummy!!!

    My ticker doesn't show it cuz I am not entering my weigh in until the 4th!
  • dcc1216
    dcc1216 Posts: 6
    But if my BMR is 1,730 I would think I would need to at least eat that..... Right? Or would that be to maintain and 1,660 is a deficit which in turn is 1 lbs a week?
  • emmacriswell
    emmacriswell Posts: 35
    I fell into the 1200 trap and a month later haven't lost a thing. I've just learned that though I also work at a desk job, I work out 3-5x a week and should calculate at the lightly active or moderate level. Also, if you're not obese, subtract 20% from your BMR for what you should be consuming a day. I've just done all this and hoping it helps me!
  • Nancymcgregor
    Nancymcgregor Posts: 150 Member
    I would say ignore what fitness pal says and work out your TDEE as a active person then - 20% that's what I did and I'm getting a steady weight loss. As for abs, It's pretty much diet based and clean eating really helps. Not that I would know from experience because I've never seen my abs but I know plenty of super fit people who constantly tell me abs are made in the kitchen.

    I used Fit to fat radio to work out my tdee. Here's the link. http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/
  • chantels1
    chantels1 Posts: 391 Member
    But if my BMR is 1,730 I would think I would need to at least eat that..... Right? Or would that be to maintain and 1,660 is a deficit which in turn is 1 lbs a week?

    BMR is just what you burn to breath. Eat that plus your exercise calories.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    But if my BMR is 1,730 I would think I would need to at least eat that..... Right? Or would that be to maintain and 1,660 is a deficit which in turn is 1 lbs a week?

    It is suggested that you eat over your BMR. Once in a while isn't going to hurt you. If you exercise most days, most days you will be eating over your BMR.

    BMR is not to maintain. BMR is what your body needs just to run itself, like organ function, etc. Maintenance is TDEE - total daily energy expenditure. THis includes your BMR, daily life like job and just everyday moving around, plus exercise. That number is where you would neither gain or lose. MFP does not calculate TDEE as it only accounts for BMR and daily life, then expects you to log exercise and eat those calories too. IF done correctly, both methods end up in pretty much the same place.
  • ecw3780
    ecw3780 Posts: 608 Member
    You just need to eat back your exercise calories. Then you will be right on target. I eat 1200 per day + exercise, which puts me exactly in the sweet spot between my BMR and TDE.
  • sanndandi
    sanndandi Posts: 300 Member
    Also, if you're not obese, subtract 20% from your BMR for what you should be consuming a day.

    You do not take the 20% from BMR you take it from your TDEE.
  • dcc1216
    dcc1216 Posts: 6
    So wait if I need to eat my BMR plus what my workout burns how can MFP tell me to eat 1,660 without working? Also, so am I gonna end up with a deficit of what MFP says then? Like say I eat 1600 cals and MFP tells me to eat 1200 but I workout 600 cals putting me at 1,000 and a deficit of 200 from what MFP says I need.... Is that ok or should I eat more? I don't wanna starve myself but I'm not hungry and I feel like my body will let me know to eat....
  • bvw665
    bvw665 Posts: 7
    The online calorie maintenance calculators are usually inaccurate as they usually provide calorie maintenance for a comatose person. Try finding a formula and working it out.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    So wait if I need to eat my BMR plus what my workout burns how can MFP tell me to eat 1,660 without working? Also, so am I gonna end up with a deficit of what MFP says then? Like say I eat 1600 cals and MFP tells me to eat 1200 but I workout 600 cals putting me at 1,000 and a deficit of 200 from what MFP says I need.... Is that ok or should I eat more? I don't wanna starve myself but I'm not hungry and I feel like my body will let me know to eat....

    Because you chose sedentary and 1 lb a week to get the 1660. MFP is just a calculator. Sedentary - 20% will always put you below BMR.

    MFP already has you at a deficit.
    at 1660, for 1 lb a week, you are at a 500 calorie deficit. If you exercise and burn 400 calories, that gives you a 900 calorie deficit, which is why MFP tells you to eat back those 400 calories to maintain the 500 calorie deficit.

    You should not be choosing more than 1 lb a week, everything else is too high of a goal for you with the amount of weight you want to lose. Forget the 1200.

    Hunger is not always a reliable indicator of whether or not you need to eat. A lot of things affect it. Chronic undereating will suppress hunger signals. There are anorexics who are never hungry and they are literally starving, there are obese people who feel constant hunger, yet don't need extra food.

    Try MFP, go with the 1660, log your exercise and eat some of those calories back. Try it for 4 weeks and see how it goes.
  • dcc1216
    dcc1216 Posts: 6
    Thanks for the suggestions everybody.
  • dcc1216
    dcc1216 Posts: 6
    By the way, I've been keeping up with my calories burned with a polar ft7. I know it's not exact but it gives me a close idea of what I'm burning. I'm not eating all of those back since I know it's prolly overstated but I'm eating 1/2-3/4 back.

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