Requesting Advice on Minimum Net Calories for 165lb/f

megankpy
megankpy Posts: 8 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello,
I have attempted to do some research around the web and tried various BMR/RMR calculators in order to find out how many calories I should aim for, but I've just ended up confused. I would appreciate any advice on if I should adjust my intake.

I currently am a reasonably sedentary student, but I occasionally go on long walks. To better track my random exercise, I have set my caloric goal to my BMR and simply eat a bit more (about 30% of the calories I burn) on the days I walk more.
Does this logic stand up? I have lost 14lbs in 70 days by this method.

My stats are as follows:

- Weight: 165 lbs
- Height: 65"
- Age/Gender: 28/f
- BMR: 1580 (*an average of all the different results seen on various websites)
- RMR: 1890 (for "couch potato" days)
- Caloric deficit goal: 500kcal/day (1lb/week)
- Caloric intake goal (lazy days): 1890 - 500 = 1390 (*Usually more like 1450)
- Caloric intake goal (active days): 1450 + (30% of caloric burn)

On active days my net calories are often between 1100 and 1250. Is this a safe range? I really want to avoid starvation mode/stunting my metabolism.

Any tips are appreciated!
M

Replies

  • megankpy
    megankpy Posts: 8 Member
    Here is my graph of net calories consumed for reference:

    http://imgur.com/HZ8oMZ6
  • noKTdidnt
    noKTdidnt Posts: 61 Member
    Most that I've read is that the best thing to do is never go lower than your BMR. So, for you, I would eat around 1,600 calories daily and just add in more activity to your day to create that calorie deficit.

    You'll likely be happier, have more energy, and be easier to sustain over a longer period of time. Hopefully that helps!
  • jko90s
    jko90s Posts: 25
    If you're losing weight consistently after 2 months you must be doing something right! Keep it up.

    About the net calories thing, don't worry about it, your actual caloric intake is still around 1400 and studies show that the body adapts to low intensity training anyways.
  • megankpy
    megankpy Posts: 8 Member
    noKTdidnt: Thanks for the encouragement! I will probably try and up my intake a little and be more active once I'm done finals next month. :3
  • megankpy
    megankpy Posts: 8 Member
    jko90s: Thanks a lot! I appreciate your take on the situation. It's going better than I expected, just want to keep an eye on my health and keep the momentum.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I have eaten 1700 calories everyday (on average) since Sept 9th 2013 and consistently lose 3/4lb a week.

    At that point I was 169 but I still lose weight on that amount at 159. Mind you I lift 3x a week and do 2 HIIT a week
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    So you are almost using MFP the way it was designed - you just need to set it up correctly.

    Set weight loss goal to 1/2 lb weekly - 1 lb is too aggressive for only 14 lbs more to go. You'll be setting up a fight with your body trying to be too aggressive - and it will win, and you will lose, but not weight.
    Or use 1lb until down to last 10, but remember to change it.

    Set activity level to Lightly Active since walking - but don't log that separately since already included.

    Log any true exercise you do, and eat back 80% of those calories.

    You have likely already lost some muscle mass with no resistance training mentioned.
    You should also eat 2 x the default grams of protein that MFP assigns.
    That a reasonable deficit will allow holding on to what you have left now.
  • jko90s
    jko90s Posts: 25
    So you are almost using MFP the way it was designed - you just need to set it up correctly.

    Set weight loss goal to 1/2 lb weekly - 1 lb is too aggressive for only 14 lbs more to go. You'll be setting up a fight with your body trying to be too aggressive - and it will win, and you will lose, but not weight.
    Or use 1lb until down to last 10, but remember to change it.

    Set activity level to Lightly Active since walking - but don't log that separately since already included.

    Log any true exercise you do, and eat back 80% of those calories.

    You have likely already lost some muscle mass with no resistance training mentioned.
    You should also eat 2 x the default grams of protein that MFP assigns.
    That a reasonable deficit will allow holding on to what you have left now.

    1lb is too aggressive? Hippie nonsense
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    So you are almost using MFP the way it was designed - you just need to set it up correctly.

    Set weight loss goal to 1/2 lb weekly - 1 lb is too aggressive for only 14 lbs more to go. You'll be setting up a fight with your body trying to be too aggressive - and it will win, and you will lose, but not weight.
    Or use 1lb until down to last 10, but remember to change it.

    Set activity level to Lightly Active since walking - but don't log that separately since already included.

    Log any true exercise you do, and eat back 80% of those calories.

    You have likely already lost some muscle mass with no resistance training mentioned.
    You should also eat 2 x the default grams of protein that MFP assigns.
    That a reasonable deficit will allow holding on to what you have left now.

    1lb is too aggressive? Hippie nonsense

    Here's the study results where they took 25% deficit from measured TDEE, which was less than 1 lb weekly, for the non-exercise group.

    Even with that minor deficit, with no exercise, they caused their body to adapt to lower eating levels beyond what the weight loss caused.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/heybales/view/reduced-metabolism-tdee-beyond-expected-from-weight-loss-616251

    Is that a negative result, is that too aggressive?

    The effect to that kind of result - they must eat lower than they would have had to otherwise, to keep losing the same amount of weight.

    That obviously is the body fighting that level of weight loss, because it caused some of it to disappear by adapting.

    What would you recommend is reasonable for only 14 lbs to go when already dieting for a while?
    Perhaps you aren't aware of what the body can and will do in a diet.

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