Help, I'm just not getting this calorie thing!

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haley98110
haley98110 Posts: 65 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok I've been using MFP for a few years on and off. I was doing Insanity a few months ago and barely lost any weight but lost inches. I was eating 1200 calories a day.

I am now doing T-25 and was aiming for 1800 calories a day but just recently moved it down to 1600. I figured with insanity I was not eating enough and maybe my body was going into starvation mode. I am also running 2 miles every other day and going to the gym as well as T-25 on days I have extra energy. My first week of T-25 I lost 4lbs, but now I am back up to exactly the weight I started and I am on week 3.

Am I eating too little or too much? Do I need to burn more calories each day then the amount I eat? So if I'm eating 1600 I need to burn 1600?

I have a feeling I'm just doing this all wrong. I'm worried that I have metabolic damage from years of just basically starving myself on fad diets and now my body is just confused.

Here are my stats I am 22 y/o female
I started at 205lbs and am now 201.1
during insanity I got down to 190 but gained it back
I am 5'9"

please, give any educated advice if you can
Thank you!

Replies

  • shelliemacs
    shelliemacs Posts: 42 Member
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    Im not much for advice but rather sitting in the seat on the bus next to you. I did Insanity, P90X, The Asylum, Les Mill Combat, les Mills Pump and now doing turbofire.

    No weight loss AT ALL. Put wt on as a matter of fact but did loose inches. I think those at home workout infomercials truly are all BS. Many people who honestly post about doing a beachbody workout are posting they are not having great weight loss but rather inches. Personally I want to see the scale move. but got a big ol smack in the face there of "NOT GONNA HAPPEN" . I literally do 60 plus minutes of a combo of beachbody dvd's daily, 6 days a week and I loose NOTHING.

    so you yell out your window on your side of the bus and I will do the same on my side of the bus and maybe someone can enlighten us.
  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
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    According to your stats you:

    Maintain your current weight at 2093 calories per day. This is what you burn just existing doing normal activities with zero exercise.

    As you can see, you burn calories already, you don't even have to exercise to lose weight, you only need to maintain a caloric deficit of 500 per day to lose 1lb per week.

    2090-500 = 1590 calories to eat every day + what you burn during exercise. <----Yes you need to eat more if you exercise.

    There is no way for any of us to know the extent of damage you've done to your body by doing fad/starvation diets.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    So if I'm eating 1600 I need to burn 1600?

    Ummm...no. You do realize that your body burns calories just being alive correct? In fact, most of your daily calorie burn is from just being alive...your heart pumping and all of your other organs doing their job. This is known as your BMR...Basal Metabolic Rate...it is the rate at which you burn calories if you did nothing but sleep.

    After your BMR you have your NEAT and TEF...Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis and Thermal Effect of Food (yes...eating food actually burns some calories)...then finally you have your EAT (Exercise Activity Thermogenesis). When you add all of those together (BMR + NEAT + TEF + EAT = TDEE) you get your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure).

    For the average person, BMR represents roughly 60-70% of your total daily burn...just being alive, you're burning 60-70% of your maintenance calorie needs. TEF is generally pretty marginal but your NEAT + TEF is going to be, on average, the second largest component of the average persons calorie burn...then, finally, your exercise. Obviously it depends on how much you're working out and what you're doing, but you can estimate only roughly 10%-20% of your daily burn is actually coming from exercise.

    If it's "not working" then you are underestimating your intake and/or overestimating burn. If you do not weigh and measure your foods, you may be eating 20% - 30% more than you think you are if you're just eyeballing and estimating portions. There's a whole thread today with a member who was logging a "handful" of nuts and putting 60 calories (which would be a very small handful and about 1/2 an actual serving...so maybe 15 grams of nuts)...the individual finally started weighing the portions and found out that while 60 calories was logged, actual consumption was in excess of 400 calories. This is generally the issue when people say they're "doing everything right" but not losing. Baring that, you would want to pay a visit to your doctor to determine if you have something going on that is interfering with your metobolism and making it slower than the average person of the same stats.

    Also, stop with all of the incesent exercising...it can be counterproductive to your goals. Use your diet for weight control and exercise for fitness.
  • haley98110
    haley98110 Posts: 65 Member
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    So if I'm eating 1600 I need to burn 1600?

    Ummm...no. You do realize that your body burns calories just being alive correct? In fact, most of your daily calorie burn is from just being alive...your heart pumping and all of your other organs doing their job. This is known as your BMR...Basal Metabolic Rate...it is the rate at which you burn calories if you did nothing but sleep.

    After your BMR you have your NEAT and TEF...Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis and Thermal Effect of Food (yes...eating food actually burns some calories)...then finally you have your EAT (Exercise Activity Thermogenesis). When you add all of those together (BMR + NEAT + TEF + EAT = TDEE) you get your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure).

    For the average person, BMR represents roughly 60-70% of your total daily burn...just being alive, you're burning 60-70% of your maintenance calorie needs. TEF is generally pretty marginal but your NEAT + TEF is going to be, on average, the second largest component of the average persons calorie burn...then, finally, your exercise. Obviously it depends on how much you're working out and what you're doing, but you can estimate only roughly 10%-20% of your daily burn is actually coming from exercise.

    If it's "not working" then you are underestimating your intake and/or overestimating burn. If you do not weigh and measure your foods, you may be eating 20% - 30% more than you think you are if you're just eyeballing and estimating portions. There's a whole thread today with a member who was logging a "handful" of nuts and putting 60 calories (which would be a very small handful and about 1/2 an actual serving...so maybe 15 grams of nuts)...the individual finally started weighing the portions and found out that while 60 calories was logged, actual consumption was in excess of 400 calories. This is generally the issue when people say they're "doing everything right" but not losing. Baring that, you would want to pay a visit to your doctor to determine if you have something going on that is interfering with your metobolism and making it slower than the average person of the same stats.

    Also, stop with all of the incesent exercising...it can be counterproductive to your goals. Use your diet for weight control and exercise for fitness.


    Thank you cwolfman13 this was actually very helpful. I have a feeling that I may be off with what I am eating as well as what I am burning. My HRM always seems to be very high when I finish a workout and its saying I burn 400+ from just 25min of exercise I am a little iffy about that number. I try to always use the scanner for calorie counting and do my best to estimate exactly how much I am eating but sometimes it does seem a little low compared to what I feel it should be. I guess with the food its probably better to over estimate my calories and with exercise better to under estimate.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    400 calories from 25 minutes of workingout would be pretty tough...that's about 16 calories per minute...it is extremely difficult to burn more than 10 calories per minute sustained...10 calories per minute on average would be an intensity level that would pretty much leave you unable to hold a conversation while performing the exercise...pretty much you're just hitting it...I would think 16 per minute would be pretty much impossible.

    When I used my HRM to estimate calorie burn I always took about 70% off to account for BMR calories that I would have burned just sitting at my desk instead of exercising...plus estimation error. In you example, that would give you about 280 calories burned which is more realistic for 25 minutes of intense workout...but still kinda high...guess depending on your stats.

    Personally, I'd also invest in a food scale. It is the most accurate weigh to estimate your intake. You obviously can't use it for everything and you're going to have times when you go out, etc...but it really helps to see what an actual portion of something looks like and feels like in your hands. Before I got my scale I was grossly underestimating my intake...I'd do things like log 4 oz chicken breast because that's what the package says is a serving...but the actual chicken breast was closer to 2 servings for a total of 8 Oz. Numerous examples of this...before my scale I was easily consuming 400-500 calories more than I thought and completely wiping out my deficit.

    I don't log anymore and am at maintenance...but I still use my scale for just about everything except veggies and fruit.
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
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    A bit long-winded... sorry.

    The good news is you don't have to be perfect, you just have to be better.
    I was just about to give up, but then I realized that my bad MFP days were still better than my PRE-MFP days.

    ++See where you can make small changes on things that aren't so important to you.
    (Don't even think of taking chocolate out of my diet!!!)
    --Reducing quantities
    --Swapping out things instead of eliminating them.

    ++Focus on what you should eat not what your shouldn't.

    ++Eating your nutritious foods first. Your body will be more satisfied and have less cravings.

    ++Every couple of weeks see where you can make another couple of small changes.
    If you completely revamp your diet, it's way easy to revert to old ways in times of stress. (and who doesn't have stress?)
    If you make a series of small sustainable changes, food still offers you some sense of comfort.
    sort of a comfort continuum, and after a while the first small changes will seem comforting in themselves.
    You don't have to be perfect you just have to do better.

    ++Rather than being uberstrict with the target MFP set for me. (I swear this saved my life.)
    I was happier once I gave myself a range:

    ROCK BOTTOM: 1200 cal
    TARGET: MFP Calories for lose 1 lb a week (when that hit 1200 I changed to lose 1/2 lb per week)
    TOP OF RANGE: Maintain Calories for my GOAL Weight.
    (SAFETY VALVE: Maintain Calories for CURRENT Weight - remember to keep updating this number as you lose)

    Shooting for one specific number makes every other number wrong... I needed more of a chance to be right.

    ++Only worry about it 1 lb at a time.
    Forget I *NEED* to lose 20, 30, 50, 100 lbs. I'm only worried about 1 lb the next one. I'll worry about the others later.
    Once I found ways to lessen the stress, I found it way easier to focus on the process and let the results follow. (It's what worked for me some people need the stress to get them motivated. Me I get scared and overwhelmed and don't see the big goal as achievable. )


    Food is not the enemy. You need nutrition to fuel your body and make it strong.

    Oddly enough, on my journey here I've reduced guilt over food.
    I have the occasional treat and I fully enjoy it with no guilt involved.
    The thing is since I'm not eating crap all the time, now the occasional treat is just that a TREAT it's special and I enjoy it so much more than when I was unconsciously shovel junk food into my face.
  • ritchiedrama
    ritchiedrama Posts: 1,304 Member
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    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDyY8mfrjP0

    Watch that video, NOTHING else needs to be said.
  • MyaPapaya75
    MyaPapaya75 Posts: 3,143 Member
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    I dunno at 205lbs and 5ft 9...I am willing to bet you are burning close to that. I wouldn't be so fast to shrug that number off..you seem really unsure of yourself which is normal...thus playing with your calories and changing up what seems to have worked for you in the past and now has turned into a weight gain if Im understanding correctly....personally I think you need to slow down and stick with a plan for the long haul ...have more faith in yourself..your body is going to fluctuate..thats normal especially when changing routines and calories......I would definitely hike the cals up to 1800-2000 make sure they are "good" cals lots of protein and veggies and stick with it for the long haul..watch the sodium intake as well.....stop doubting yourself
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    insanity is ciruct training which includes weights...you can't really esitmate calories while lifting...

    I do circut and log it at 233 for 25mins ...quite possibly you are over esitmating your calories out.

    As for In calories let MFP set that for you if you are unsure, weight/measure your food and log it all.

    I personally eat 1360 + eat back exercise calories to loose 1lb a week...I am 5ft 7 173lbs. At your weight you could eat more to loose 1lb a week as your BMR would be higher then mine.
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
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    Oh yeah, one more thing I didn't know when I was you age.... Don't go to extremes...

    Because if you drop a bunch of weight quickly odds are you'll gain it back plus more... Then you'll get more stressed about your weight and go to further extremes to lose even more only to gain it back plus another 10 lbs. and on and on....

    The goal is to be healthy. The slower you lose the more likely you are to keep it off because you are teaching yourself good eating habits that can last a life time If you can't get into the swing of losing right now... take a break and maintain where you are for a while.

    The closer I got to my goal the smaller I made my deficit. Yes, it took an excruciatingly time, but I was very close to eating at my maintenance calories, so I wouldn't have to teach myself yet another new set of eating habits for maitenance... (Still don't have maintenance down yet.)
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
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    I dunno at 205lbs and 5ft 9...I am willing to bet you are burning close to that. I wouldn't be so fast to shrug that number off..you seem really unsure of yourself which is normal...thus playing with your calories and changing up what seems to have worked for you in the past and now has turned into a weight gain if Im understanding correctly....personally I think you need to slow down and stick with a plan for the long haul ...have more faith in yourself..your body is going to fluctuate..thats normal especially when changing routines and calories......I would definitely hike the cals up to 1800-2000 make sure they are "good" cals lots of protein and veggies and stick with it for the long haul..watch the sodium intake as well.....stop doubting yourself

    ^this

    okay shutting up now...
  • haley98110
    haley98110 Posts: 65 Member
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    Thank you all for the great advice and knowledge. I definitely have some things to think about a re-evaluate. I do realize this will be a long journey. I need to stop looking at the people who have lost 50lbs in 3 months as an example for what I can do. Because time and time again I have never reached that goal. So I'm going in for the log haul, the lifestyle change, not the short term diet. I just wanted to make sure I am understanding this right. I know I also need to step away from the scale as its my biggest discouragement.
  • ritchiedrama
    ritchiedrama Posts: 1,304 Member
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    Thank you all for the great advice and knowledge. I definitely have some things to think about a re-evaluate. I do realize this will be a long journey. I need to stop looking at the people who have lost 50lbs in 3 months as an example for what I can do. Because time and time again I have never reached that goal. So I'm going in for the log haul, the lifestyle change, not the short term diet. I just wanted to make sure I am understanding this right. I know I also need to step away from the scale as its my biggest discouragement.

    you just need to watch that video i posted above.
  • haley98110
    haley98110 Posts: 65 Member
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    I watched it, thank you!
    Def make sure to eat my f@$&ing fiber haha

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