Total beginner - kinda

wooger449
wooger449 Posts: 6 Member
edited February 12 in Getting Started
So I got a smart phone for christmas and downloaded myfitnesspal as I seriously need to get my weight/diet in check.

Now the thing is, I weigh about 208lbs and I'm 6"2 so I think my BMI is something like 26.5?

Anyway, This past week I actually started trying and have been consuming net calories of around 1200 a day. However, I have been doing on my excerise bike for about 40 minutes - 5 times this week. According to the machine, I am burning something like 530 calories doing this but my fitness pal puts it at around 420? Which should I trust?

Also do I have to lift weights and stuff? haha I am a guy but I have no upper body strength at all... any guidance would be really appreciated as I am kind of lost and confused, oh and really bloody hungry! Thanks!

Replies

  • rides4sanity
    rides4sanity Posts: 1,269 Member
    I'd go with MFP numbers and err on the side of caution... But as a 6'2" guy there is no reason for you to only eat 1200 cals. Why did you choose such a low amount? Even at 2lbs per week at your height I can't think of a single calculator that would put you at such a large deficit...
  • kshadows
    kshadows Posts: 1,315 Member
    First of all, 1200 calories is WAYYY too low, especially for someone your size. Your best bet is to determine your BMR (basal metabolic rate) and go from there to determine your intake.

    Best way to figure calories burned is to use a Heart Rate Monitor. If the machine you were using was monitoring your pulse, it's quite possible you burned that many. MFP is an estimate, I find using my HRM works much better...sometimes it's more, sometimes less.

    But seriously. Eat more.
  • wooger449
    wooger449 Posts: 6 Member
    Ermm the app told me I should eat that much is I wanted to lose 1.5lbs per week. Is it incorrect? because having a quick look through the posts 1200 seems to come up a lot, is it some arbitrary number?
  • kshadows
    kshadows Posts: 1,315 Member
    Ermm the app told me I should eat that much is I wanted to lose 1.5lbs per week. Is it incorrect? because having a quick look through the posts 1200 seems to come up a lot, is it some arbitrary number?

    The problem is, the app isn't take ANYTHING at all into consideration besides how much you weigh and how much you want to lose. Let me find the link to a thread that will change your life. lol
  • wooger449
    wooger449 Posts: 6 Member
    Oh, well most of the calculators I look at for my BMR say it is around 2000 calories, even MHP says it is 1900, sooo what would be a good target for me to eat if I wanted to lose around 1.5lbs per week?

    I cant use a HRM on the bike, the computer/magnets for resistance interfere with them a lot, I have tried them in the past and just ended up having to return them :(.

    Thanks for all of your help by the way :)
  • kshadows
    kshadows Posts: 1,315 Member
    Oh, well most of the calculators I look at for my BMR say it is around 2000 calories, even MHP says it is 1900, sooo what would be a good target for me to eat if I wanted to lose around 1.5lbs per week?

    I cant use a HRM on the bike, the computer/magnets for resistance interfere with them a lot, I have tried them in the past and just ended up having to return them :(.

    Thanks for all of your help by the way :)

    Anytime :) I just figured this all out a few weeks ago!

    This link is the BEST explanation. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974888-in-place-of-a-road-map-2k13
  • mmcdonald700
    mmcdonald700 Posts: 116 Member
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ check out that calculator everyone seems to use. Just for s**ts and giggles I put in your height and weight and threw in the age of 25 (since you don't say - it will be slightly lower the older you get I think) and it says your BMR is around 2100 HOWEVER even if you are sedentary (have a desk job with no exercise) your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure is ~2400 calories. Therefore, to lose 2 lbs a week you need a deficit of ~1000 calories a day and should not be eating less than 1400 calories (including eating back your exercise calories). However, I would guess you don't have a ton to lose since you're 6'2 and close to 200 so I would suggest going with 1-1.5 lbs per week. (so like 500-700 calorie deficit a day) and then maybe don't eat back your exercise calories all the time if you want to be more aggressive. You can try 1400 w/ eating back exercise calories but after about a month of that you're probably going to want to eat a few hundred more calories... 1400 just isn't that sustainable long-term.
  • wooger449
    wooger449 Posts: 6 Member
    Thank you so much! That is really helpful (I just turned 28 the other day!). By the way, you are really cute! ;)
  • mmcdonald700
    mmcdonald700 Posts: 116 Member
    Haha thanks! No problem. One thing I thought of that I didn't mention... if you are gonna use that calculator/TDEE method and you choose to put your activity level to include your workouts then it will increase your average daily TDEE - that means you don't eat back your exercise calories on the days you exercise (event though MFP will subtract exercise calories from daily calories) because it averages the calories you burn for a week and averages the extra calories you should eat for each day. The other method is to say your activity level is sedentary (so that it only calculates your daily expenditure for just doing regular life - getting up, doing the dishes, getting to work, etc - not exercise) and then on MFP enter your exercise and if on exercise days you want to eat a little more, go for it. Some people want to eat a bit more each day, others prefer to eat less on days they don't work out and eat a bit more on days they do. Both ways work just as well, just personal preference is all.
  • wooger449
    wooger449 Posts: 6 Member
    Awesome, I think I will do the sedentary one as it seems kinda easier! Although, how often do you recalculate how many calories you should eat? Im guessing as you loose weight you burn less calories so need to eat less/exercise more so do you just do it every few weeks?

    Also, all the calories calculated always seem to be around 2000 or higher! I remember you said that I prolly shouldn't go below 1400, so if 1400 okay? at least for this first few weeks? Thanks again for all of your help!
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