Consistent Calories?
iluvhorses1983
Posts: 86 Member
I have been using a fitbit linked to my fitness pal for the last month. I have not lost any weight, even though I have been eating under my TDEE. Should I be eating the same calorie amount regardless of my activity? I have been going on what my fitbit gives me which is anywhere between 1500-2000 calories depending on my activity (lose 1/2 pound a week). I had a baby 5 months ago (not nursing), so I have been eating at least my TDEE for a year so I am not coming from VLCD. I have not lost any weight at all since my intital drop and actually gained back 8 pounds. I'm hoping at this point I am gaining some muscle while loosing fat since there is no reason my weight to not go down. Here are my stats from Scooby:
5'4
165 lbs (134lbs pre-pregnancy)
30 yrs old
Lightly Active (30 day shred 2 times a week, plus some walking around/gardening; desk job)
TDEE 2100
15% cut 1780
I started out eating at least 1700, but recently reduced to 1600 since I was not seeing any loss (no inches lost either). Should I eat say 1700 calories every day regardless or eat more on the days I am more active?
Any advice please???
5'4
165 lbs (134lbs pre-pregnancy)
30 yrs old
Lightly Active (30 day shred 2 times a week, plus some walking around/gardening; desk job)
TDEE 2100
15% cut 1780
I started out eating at least 1700, but recently reduced to 1600 since I was not seeing any loss (no inches lost either). Should I eat say 1700 calories every day regardless or eat more on the days I am more active?
Any advice please???
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Replies
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TDEE could still be too low. I would jump your activity level to moderately active and recalculate and see what it gives you. Dont short change yourself on activity. Most people are automatically "lightly active" and since you have formal exercise on top of that, I would say you are moderately active.
Go with that new TDEE and give it a few weeks and see. And as a good rule of thumb, always INCREASE your cals before you even decrease them..
Some people like calorie cycling.. eating more on exercise days over rest days. Some people like to eat the same amount daily. No one way is right or wrong, so you have to find what works for you. Just remember to eat when hungry:)0 -
Thank you for your reply! I have upped my calories to 2100 for a diet break for a couple weeks and will try 1800-1900 as my cut.
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I eat according to my fitbit daily. When I compare it to scooby it is much higher. I have my mfp set as active and go from there. Depending on what activity level you have mfp set to will change your fitbit cals too. So make sure it is not sedentary.
I don't want to confuse you though as tdee and fitbit are two different things. Tdee already takes in exercise into account and fitbit will do it when it happens. Linking the fitbit is not for everyone but I like it.
Good luck0 -
Since you have a TDEE device, you might have to question whether it's decent estimates for your and your activity.
First, it bases all non-moving time, sleeping or awake, on your calculated BMR, they use something close to Mifflin that MFP uses.
But if your best estimate BMR based on Katch is much lower, or higher maybe, then your non-moving time could be throwing off the day by 200-400 calories.
Then your moving time is based on weight and stride length, and unless you did the stride measurement and manually input a best figure, they use a default that could be off for you, meaning moving time could be way off too.
Then include the device being in the right place for accurate measurement, and what your workouts are for calorie burn estimates too. Normal daily is likely pretty good for moving (if stride length is correct), but depending on your exercise, could be way off for that time.
If you find a block of time where you did not move, like sleeping, and can see a calorie count for a known amount of time, you can figure the calories per minute, then x 1440 for BMR it must be using.
Compare that to Katch BMR based on a bodyfat %.
Because I agree, why estimate a TDEE level from 5 choices, and you likely did choose wrong with lightly active with a new baby, when you have a device that can be much more accurate?0 -
I did the calculations and it is not far off of my BMR with my bodyfat %. I think I was underestimating how active I was, that my Fitbit wasnt registering (lifting weights, carrying baby, household stuff, gardening). I also think I was changing too many things at once. I am eating at my percieved maintence for a few weeks and then try a cut once I am stable at that calorie level (2100).0
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Lifting weights will be underestimated.
For that, you should log that on MFP, giving the start and duration time, and use MFP's estimate of calorie burn. It may seem low compared to cardio, but that is exactly right, it is low.
Carrying baby will be off too. Because all step based activities is based on weight, and you just increased your weight and it doesn't know that.
So underestimate there too, but since probably moving slowly, don't worry about that one.
Just so you can eat at maintenance correctly for full benefit and max improvements from the lifting.0
