If you weigh more, do you need more food?

Allup2Me78
Allup2Me78 Posts: 589 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Needing some advice..If you weigh more do you need more food? I know it is not about a height issue but I always thought if you have more to lose that you need to eat less, but there are some that say if you weigh like in my range of 193 lbs at 4ft 10 that you need more food like referencing the tdee-20% method which basically it eat more to weigh less..Opinions??

Replies

  • stackhead
    stackhead Posts: 121 Member
    The bigger the fire the more fuel you burn....

    So yeah.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    Yes. This is why it is important as you loose weight to tell MFP and also to periodically ask it to recalculate your calories. If you drop in 5 pounds blocks it does it automatically. Otherwise, it doesn't.

    Every time I've stalled it was because I had lost weight and hadn't readjusted to the new lower calorie needs.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    The bigger you are as in a 6' man needs more than a 4'10" woman yes. The bigger you are as in you are 50% body fat then no not necessarily. The numbers get really skewed on all the calculators when you get outside the normal parameters. You'll get high numbers for BMR and TDEE just based on the fact that those calculators are assuming a proportionate amount of lean body mass to fat ratio. You don't need to eat extra to feed the fat so someone who is morbidly obese can get away with eating much less than what most of those calculators will tell you.
  • Allup2Me78
    Allup2Me78 Posts: 589 Member
    But I only workout 3-4 times a week for about 30 min burning about 150-180 calories so that is not alot
    The bigger the fire the more fuel you burn....

    So yeah.
  • Allup2Me78
    Allup2Me78 Posts: 589 Member
    I have never went by Mfp's calorie goals. Only tdee-20% and just my own thing
    Yes. This is why it is important as you loose weight to tell MFP and also to periodically ask it to recalculate your calories. If you drop in 5 pounds blocks it does it automatically. Otherwise, it doesn't.

    Every time I've stalled it was because I had lost weight and hadn't readjusted to the new lower calorie needs.
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
    One of the components (in fact, the primary one) of TDEE is weight. As your weight changes (and also your age; your height and sex are not likely to change but if they do, those too) you need to re-run the numbers in order to calculate an accurate TDEE-20%. TDEE is an estimate anyway, so it doesn't matter much as you lose 2 or 3 pounds, but as you get to 5-10 pounds lost (or gained) you should re-evaluate.
  • Allup2Me78
    Allup2Me78 Posts: 589 Member
    yes, this I know BUT me being 4 ft 10 193 lbs I would think I would need less food not the 1700 that my tdee-20% is saying..I would think I would need more like 1400 or so because of how much I need to lose
    One of the components (in fact, the primary one) of TDEE is weight. As your weight changes (and also your age; your height and sex are not likely to change but if they do, those too) you need to re-run the numbers in order to calculate an accurate TDEE-20%. TDEE is an estimate anyway, so it doesn't matter much as you lose 2 or 3 pounds, but as you get to 5-10 pounds lost (or gained) you should re-evaluate.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    But I only workout 3-4 times a week for about 30 min burning about 150-180 calories so that is not alot
    The bigger the fire the more fuel you burn....

    So yeah.

    Exercise is only one component of calorie burn...and a small one at that. We burn the vast majority of our calories just being alive...that would be your BMR. The next largest chunk of calorie burn is your NEAT (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis)...this is your day to day stuff...cleaning, cooking, going to work, etc. After that you have your EAT (Exercise Activity Thermogenesis)...for someone who is fairly active, this might still only represent about 10%-15% of the body's total caloric needs.

    Your weight is definitely one component used to determine your caloric needs...the more mass you have to move around, the more calorie you will burn just being. If you have a high % BF though, you can sustain larger energy (calorie) deficits than someone who is leaner because you don't need to feed fat the way you need to feed muscle mass.
  • Allup2Me78
    Allup2Me78 Posts: 589 Member
    Great info! Thanks :)
    But I only workout 3-4 times a week for about 30 min burning about 150-180 calories so that is not alot
    The bigger the fire the more fuel you burn....

    So yeah.

    Exercise is only one component of calorie burn...and a small one at that. We burn the vast majority of our calories just being alive...that would be your BMR. The next largest chunk of calorie burn is your NEAT (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis)...this is your day to day stuff...cleaning, cooking, going to work, etc. After that you have your EAT (Exercise Activity Thermogenesis)...for someone who is fairly active, this might still only represent about 10%-15% of the body's total caloric needs.

    Your weight is definitely one component used to determine your caloric needs...the more mass you have to move around, the more calorie you will burn just being. If you have a high % BF though, you can sustain larger energy (calorie) deficits than someone who is leaner because you don't need to feed fat the way you need to feed muscle mass.
  • Quasita
    Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
    Generally speaking, yes. Even though you don't have to fuel fat, you have to fuel your body to carry the fat. The smaller your body, the less lean muscle mass you have to carry things around, and the more work you have to put in to move your body.

    Me, I'm about 6'1" and I weigh 435lbs. I wear a calorimeter because I didn't trust basic, generic calculations. Turns out that for my body, I actually burn MORE than what is estimated by typical exercise calculators. Even with a 1k calorie cut to my diet goals, I still have a diet goal of just shy of 2400 calories. On a typical day, I burn 3500-5000 calories, depending on my exercise level.

    When I went by the calculators only, I barely lost any weight and got super frustrated. When I got my BodyMedia Fit Link, it calculated things to be much higher and I realized I was undereating. When I adjusted to the new calorie estimation, I started losing a lot more weight, because I was fueling my body properly.

    There is such a thing as not eating enough to lose weight. If your current cut is below the recommendation, and you're not meeting your goals, I would suggest trying it by the 1700 calorie and see how it goes.

    Remember, the FDA estimates that the average person needs 2000 calories to sustain their lifestyle. While some people are less, and some people more, you shouldn't be too drastically far away from that number unless you can say (like me) that you are literally twice an average person.
  • Allup2Me78
    Allup2Me78 Posts: 589 Member
    my tdee-20% is 1753 with a Bmr of 1593 so I am told to eat over the 1593 and up to the 1753 but that just seems like a lot for someone at 193 lbs trying to lose weight..that is where I get confused & I dnt workout strenuous at all...but I like that the exercise level is calculated in the TDEE method
    I have even thought about doing my tdee-25% which wld be 1643 calories with the same bmr of course BUT then I am told that you should never do it minus 25%
    Generally speaking, yes. Even though you don't have to fuel fat, you have to fuel your body to carry the fat. The smaller your body, the less lean muscle mass you have to carry things around, and the more work you have to put in to move your body.

    Me, I'm about 6'1" and I weigh 435lbs. I wear a calorimeter because I didn't trust basic, generic calculations. Turns out that for my body, I actually burn MORE than what is estimated by typical exercise calculators. Even with a 1k calorie cut to my diet goals, I still have a diet goal of just shy of 2400 calories. On a typical day, I burn 3500-5000 calories, depending on my exercise level.

    When I went by the calculators only, I barely lost any weight and got super frustrated. When I got my BodyMedia Fit Link, it calculated things to be much higher and I realized I was undereating. When I adjusted to the new calorie estimation, I started losing a lot more weight, because I was fueling my body properly.

    There is such a thing as not eating enough to lose weight. If your current cut is below the recommendation, and you're not meeting your goals, I would suggest trying it by the 1700 calorie and see how it goes.

    Remember, the FDA estimates that the average person needs 2000 calories to sustain their lifestyle. While some people are less, and some people more, you shouldn't be too drastically far away from that number unless you can say (like me) that you are literally twice an average person.
  • Allup2Me78
    Allup2Me78 Posts: 589 Member
    & when I do exercise I burn maybe 150-200 in 30 min (can't do anymore right now due to medical issues)
    Generally speaking, yes. Even though you don't have to fuel fat, you have to fuel your body to carry the fat. The smaller your body, the less lean muscle mass you have to carry things around, and the more work you have to put in to move your body.

    Me, I'm about 6'1" and I weigh 435lbs. I wear a calorimeter because I didn't trust basic, generic calculations. Turns out that for my body, I actually burn MORE than what is estimated by typical exercise calculators. Even with a 1k calorie cut to my diet goals, I still have a diet goal of just shy of 2400 calories. On a typical day, I burn 3500-5000 calories, depending on my exercise level.

    When I went by the calculators only, I barely lost any weight and got super frustrated. When I got my BodyMedia Fit Link, it calculated things to be much higher and I realized I was undereating. When I adjusted to the new calorie estimation, I started losing a lot more weight, because I was fueling my body properly.

    There is such a thing as not eating enough to lose weight. If your current cut is below the recommendation, and you're not meeting your goals, I would suggest trying it by the 1700 calorie and see how it goes.

    Remember, the FDA estimates that the average person needs 2000 calories to sustain their lifestyle. While some people are less, and some people more, you shouldn't be too drastically far away from that number unless you can say (like me) that you are literally twice an average person.
  • Patriots96
    Patriots96 Posts: 96 Member
    Great question, but I do have to admit that all this math is making my head spin :tongue:
  • Allup2Me78
    Allup2Me78 Posts: 589 Member
    Simple as: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
    Great question, but I do have to admit that all this math is making my head spin :tongue:
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    I think that eating close to your TDEE helps with maintenance. Check out the the threads in maintenance for examples of people who cut big and now are struggling to maintain.
  • Allup2Me78
    Allup2Me78 Posts: 589 Member
    I am not referring to the tdee maintenance calories. I am referring to the tdee with a deficit to lose weight.
    I think that eating close to your TDEE helps with maintenance. Check out the the threads in maintenance for examples of people who cut big and now are struggling to maintain.
  • Quasita
    Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
    I am not referring to the tdee maintenance calories. I am referring to the tdee with a deficit to lose weight.
    I think that eating close to your TDEE helps with maintenance. Check out the the threads in maintenance for examples of people who cut big and now are struggling to maintain.

    That's what he's saying, cut too much and you won't be able to maintain any losses you obtain because you will want to eat more. Have you even tried the recommendations?

    Someone your height is significantly overweight at 195lbs. That weight is just barely in range for a 6'1" woman (I know because well, that's me!). 1700 calories doesn't sound like too much at all to me. The most severe cut you can do from that and still be considered "okay" is to NET 1200 at the end of the day, though I wouldn't recommend doing that without a doctor supervising your weightloss. If you are really concerned over the numbers, don't use random calculators online, utilize some professionals and get some goals set for you that way.

    If you are going to share the calorie calculator you did, then you should probably actually use it yourself. If you don't trust the numbers it is giving you, then perhaps it's not a good tool for you?

    I am editing to say that if your exercise is limited due to medical issues, then your diet should *really* be monitored by your physician. That is, if you are under medical recommendations not to exceed certain activity levels, then you should be utilizing those professionals to set your goals. On the other hand, if you're saying you're limited due to medical issues based on self-assessment, I would venture to say that perhaps you need to get some people involved in your long term plan so that you know exactly what limitations in exercise and diet are right for you, instead of guessing.
  • Allup2Me78
    Allup2Me78 Posts: 589 Member
    I am not 195. I am 193 and I have used the tdee-20% tool for almost 3 mnths. & of course I know that I am overweight at 193 on a 4ft 10 frame so that is why I am on mfp. But ok thanks for all your input and replies! Have a great day ;)
    I am not referring to the tdee maintenance calories. I am referring to the tdee with a deficit to lose weight.
    I think that eating close to your TDEE helps with maintenance. Check out the the threads in maintenance for examples of people who cut big and now are struggling to maintain.

    That's what he's saying, cut too much and you won't be able to maintain any losses you obtain because you will want to eat more. Have you even tried the recommendations?

    Someone your height is significantly overweight at 195lbs. That weight is just barely in range for a 6'1" woman (I know because well, that's me!). 1700 calories doesn't sound like too much at all to me. The most severe cut you can do from that and still be considered "okay" is to NET 1200 at the end of the day, though I wouldn't recommend doing that without a doctor supervising your weightloss. If you are really concerned over the numbers, don't use random calculators online, utilize some professionals and get some goals set for you that way.

    If you are going to share the calorie calculator you did, then you should probably actually use it yourself. If you don't trust the numbers it is giving you, then perhaps it's not a good tool for you?

    I am editing to say that if your exercise is limited due to medical issues, then your diet should *really* be monitored by your physician. That is, if you are under medical recommendations not to exceed certain activity levels, then you should be utilizing those professionals to set your goals. On the other hand, if you're saying you're limited due to medical issues based on self-assessment, I would venture to say that perhaps you need to get some people involved in your long term plan so that you know exactly what limitations in exercise and diet are right for you, instead of guessing.

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