How to set actively level?

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hoffmanchristina
hoffmanchristina Posts: 22 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Right now my activity level is set at lightly active. Every week I adjust my setting so that my weight loss equals a reduced calorie intake. At 256 lbs, my calorie intake was 1610. Now at 230 lbs, my calorie intake is at 1440. I've had my Polar Loop for just over a month. My daily calorie burn is 2900 to 3000 calories, average 2978.

I'm still losing weight consistently but I haven't lost the 2 lbs a week in 2 weeks. I don't eat back calories and I have only gone over my limit twice and both of those times (less than 30 calories), I had a Martial arts class. I also walk my dog for 2 to 5 miles every night that it isn't raining for the last 4 weeks. We've only missed 2 nights.

How many daily calories burned are each activity level? Should I be moved up a level and eat more? I was doing so well losing weight and I'm not happy that it's slowed down even with me adjusting my calories. Should I start a staggered pattern, eat 1200 one week and 1500 the next?

Replies

  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
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    I prefer sedentary then I estimate my own calories for everything beyond sitting my butt in my chair and very slow walking (I don't put in grocery shopping, but if I roam a mall or something I do sometimes record that).

    That said, if you just started or increased your workout time and effort you could very well be retaining some water weight (the body uses it for muscle repair and it drops off when and how it wants to, sometimes weeks down the road). So perhaps you are actually losing with your settings and the scale is just lying.
  • lucent78
    lucent78 Posts: 4 Member
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    Edited.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    That's not how you do it. You set your activity level based on your activity level, and only change it if your activity level is changing. So in general, if you sit on your *kitten* literally ALL day and only move to go from your chair to your bed, then you'd choose sedentary. If you do normal walking/standing (cooking, showering, walking from place to place) then you are lightly active, which most people tend to fit into. And then I don't remember what the other active levels are, but you get the idea.

    From there, whenever you exercise, you log your exercise and eat back at least half. 2/3rds would be fine as well.

    Set your losses to be 1lb/week and you're golden and will be able to sustain the deficit much better; throw in a maintenance day weekly or bi-weekly as well to help keep your body happy.

    If you prefer to eat a consistent number of calories every day, then go by TDEE. I am moderately active for most calculators, and on MFP the "active" setting lines up fairly well with the TDEE given by moderately active settings on calculators. So you could try setting your activity level on MFP to include exercise, in which case you would NOT log and eat back calories as you'd be considering the calories it gives you to be total caloric need and not net calorie needs. If using TDEE calculator, subtract 20% from the number and try eating that amount for a month and see if you lose. If using MFP method, select 1lb/week for a similar deficit. In both cases you would not eat back exercise calories as they are already assumed to be included in your intake.

    One thing to understand is that in life, 1lb loss isn't always going to add up to 500 calories. If your caloric maintenance needs are 2500, th en yes, 500 is your 1lb deficit. But if you need 3200 to maintain, then your deficit would actually be 640 for 1lb/week (1lb/week is usually about 20% below your TDEE). If your maintenance is only 2000, then 400 is enough for a deficit. This is why you don't arbitrarily subtract or add 500 calories (or god, 1000, who would do that?!). This is why I'm not really a fan of MFP's calorie settings, well one reason at least.
  • laurenjill
    laurenjill Posts: 94 Member
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    Learn about your BMR and TDEE. Read this thread http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/931670-bmr-and-tdee-explained-for-those-needing-a-guide
    Then go here http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    ...at 230 lbs...my daily calorie burn is 2900 to 3000 calories, average 2978.

    That'll be lightly active.
    Should I be moved up a level and eat more?

    What would you do if you wanted to gain weight?

    I'd suggest taking a super critical look at your logging. If that is spot on, then your burn estimate is too high, which is a very common occurrence amongst those with a lot to lose using the standard calculators.
  • hoffmanchristina
    hoffmanchristina Posts: 22 Member
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    Everyone has missed the point and main question in this post.

    I don't estimate my burn. I have a Polar Loop that I wear all day, every day. My daily burn averages between 2900 and 3000. I use a HRM to only log my MA classes 2-3 days a week and when I cut the grass every 6-10 days depending on the weather. I walk my dog every night but I don't log it nor do I use my HRM for it.

    I eat pretty close to my daily limit without going over. And I adjust it every week as I lose weight. I have it set on light activity and a 2 lb loss a week. For the last 2 weeks, I have only lost 1.5 lbs.

    I know I need a 1000 calorie difference daily to lose 2 lbs a week. My estimate is about 1500 calorie difference. I should be losing 3 lbs a week. I'm trying to find out the problem because I want the max healthy weight loss.

    Custom BMR Calculation - http://www.fat2fittools.com/tools/bmr/
    Entered information: 31 year old female, 64 inches tall, weighing 230 pounds.

    TDEE - total daily energy expenditure. This is what it estimates for me to maintain my current weight.
    Activity Level Daily Calories
    Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job) 2173
    Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk) 2490
    Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) 2807
    Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk) 3124

    My goal is 130 - 135 lbs. This is what it takes to lose 2 lbs a week.
    Activity Level - Daily Calories from website - Daily calories MFP
    Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job) - 1651. - 1200
    Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk). - 1892. - 1440
    Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk). - 2133. - 1790
    Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk). - 2374. - 2140

    My lean body mass, 0% body fat, is 119 pounds.

    130 lbs is 9% body fat and BMI of 22.3. 136 lbs is 15% body fat and BMI of 23.3. Both are very reasonable goals. I hope everyone sees why my initial question about MFP activity level comes from and why my level might be off.

    So, am I eating too little and that is causing a slow down in my weight loss (hence upping my activity level to give me more calories) or is there another problem. Another article I read said that if you eat at the same level everyday, you body becomes used to it and that slows weight loss. So, should I stagger intake every week with one week high, 1500 calories, and the next week low, 1200 calories, to keep my body guessing? Should I try an OTC weight loss product for a week to rev up my metabolism?

    My next mini goal is to lose another 25 lbs by Halloween and I don't want to stall.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    I don't do math or know much about anything you asked.

    I just want to pop in to say that I've found the more I lose, the harder it gets. I've seen other people say it, too.

    So, if it gets harder or slows down or whatever, don't get discouraged. The weight loss journey is a long one and the path goes up and downhill, curves and has bumps in it. But you'll get where you're going!

    Hang tough! :)
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    Everyone has missed the point and main question in this post.
    You're welcome.
    I don't estimate my burn. I have a Polar Loop that I wear all day, every day.
    :laugh:

    Using a device that estimates burn is the same as estimating the burn. You ARE estimating your burn.
    I use a HRM to only log my MA classes 2-3 days a week...
    HRMs *vastly* over-estimate burns for that type of activity.
  • hoffmanchristina
    hoffmanchristina Posts: 22 Member
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    My workout estimates are only about 1/3 of MFP estimates for the same time. So, yeah I think mine are much more realistic. And as I stated, I was losing the recommended pounds for 6 weeks. The last two weeks have been less and nothing has changed.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    If you are wearing a device that already estimates (more accurately) your TDEE/maintenance needs, then subtract 20% from your weekly average TDEE and set that as your daily caloric goal. Adjust up/down based on how you're losing weight; if quite more than 4lbs a month then add 50-100, if less than subtract 50-100.

    Your device is already telling you what number to go with to calculate your daily deficit. Just average out the end-of-day total for a week.

    so at 2950 lets say, 2360 would be a good starting caloric limit to test out for a 20% deficit (which is the MOST recommended deficit, and one should ideally go no lower than this regardless of starting weight and goal) or a 1lb/week loss. Which will be much more sustainable. As you can see, this is an almost 600 calorie difference. You should not just arbitrarily subtract 500 or 1000 for your desired weight loss goal. If I eat at a 20% deficit based on my estimated TDEE (2550 as a conservative estimate), then I only need to eat 510 calories fewer to lose at around the same rate. I don't even know what the % is for 2lbs a week lost because no calculator gives this as an option because it is not a reasonable, sustainable deficit and is more liekly to cause you to give up, binge, or regain the weight.
  • hoffmanchristina
    hoffmanchristina Posts: 22 Member
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    1 lb is 3500 calories. So 2 lbs is 7000 calories. So a daily deficit of 1000 calories is 2 lbs a week.
  • KPeriandri
    KPeriandri Posts: 19 Member
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    If you are more active and have found yourself to not be losing, you need to do something different. I suggest you eat another small meal each day --150 to 200 calories -- and see how that goes. Some of my friends are serious body builders and on their journey to where they are now, they have had to increase their calorie intake when they plateau. Just a suggestion. Keep up the good work. Fuel your body and don't be fretting. Your body gets used to these changes. Tweak your lifestyle -- either add or take away more calories -- and you will be fine!
    Good Luck!

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