I Am Confused !!!

GypsyRoaddog
GypsyRoaddog Posts: 80 Member
edited September 25 in Food and Nutrition
But Happy :>)

I just went to the BMR & BMI calculators and learned a lot that I am glad to know yet confuses me! Add this to the 'eat all your calories' posts and the resulting 'starvation mode' posts and, whew! The more I learn the less I know :>)

I am 57 y.o., 6'0" and currently weigh 220#. My BMR calculates to 1861 cal/day. This means I need to consume 1861 cals just to live and perform sedentary lifestyle functions. I am writing all this as I understand it, so that any errors can be pointed out and also direction given re: the 'eat your calories/starvation mode' conundrum. My BMI is 29.8. Healthy range for me is 18.5-25, over is 25-30 and above 30 is obese. I Am Bloody .2 From Being Obese !!! OK, next . . . The weight range for a healthy BMI for me is 136.4-184.4. Well, I scored one, my goal when I got here was 185 or below.

NOW --> Let's say I burn 750 cal/day for an even # by walking. This is realistic for me to accomplish, and to keep up. I know this is a question whose answer will vary by point-of-view but that is wonderful. I am sincerely interested in several points-of-view.

What should I have my daily caloric intake set to, and should I make up for the calories burned by my walking?

I am, by the way, familiar with Nutrition and what I understand ppl to mean when they write "Eating Clean". This I have begun. (<:

TIA !!! I really, really need some feedback . . .

gyps

Replies

  • spcopps
    spcopps Posts: 283
    I have 1 question..how much weight are you wanting to lose per week? What does MFP say you need to eat daily without exercise (from your food diary)..
  • Mads1997
    Mads1997 Posts: 1,494 Member
    That makes 2 of us. I am now confused by something I just read on the forums about eating your BMR. I am following what MFP said to eat and it's a few hundred less than my BMR.
  • uubulldawg06
    uubulldawg06 Posts: 102 Member
    What did you put as your active rate? MFP takes your BMR and activity rate into account when they give you your calorie intake. They do a deficit of 500 calories for every pound a week that you want to loose. As for eating your exercise calories that is a personal choice, I eat some of mine back everyday always making sure I am above 1200 calories daily.
  • GypsyRoaddog
    GypsyRoaddog Posts: 80 Member
    MFP set me at 1800 calories. When I did not lose any weight in 10 days I set it manually to 1300. As for my active rate, I entered sedentary. I think I put initially that I wanted to lose 2#/week.

    tks,,gyps
  • GypsyRoaddog
    GypsyRoaddog Posts: 80 Member
    Actually, not too sure what the initial settings were . . .
    )<:
  • jrt9999
    jrt9999 Posts: 114
    You can readjust your goals. Go back and select say 1.5 pound week loss at sedentary. Then try 1 and/or 2 lbs a week.

    At your height 1,800 sounds like you originally set it for 1lb loss per week.

    I am 5'6" and 1,600 keeps me about 1.5 pounds weekly loss average.

    Your BMR is the amount of calories your body needs to function while doing nothing but laying in bed 24/7. So if you eat at your BMR you should lose weight as you burn additional calories by walking around, going to work, and anything else above laying around.
  • ingy1990
    ingy1990 Posts: 22
    so is it ok to not eat the calories from working out? This is what confuses me. I eat the right amount of calories give or take a few. I work out and it tells me to eat more calories! I would think I should still lose weight if I don't eat more....right?
  • jrt9999
    jrt9999 Posts: 114
    so is it ok to not eat the calories from working out? This is what confuses me. I eat the right amount of calories give or take a few. I work out and it tells me to eat more calories! I would think I should still lose weight if I don't eat more....right?

    Up to you. I eat them all back.

    At 1,600 per day without exercise I lose 1.5 lbs a week.
    At 1,600 per day plus eat back all exercise calories i lose 1.5 lbs per week. No change.

    I eat to lose or gain weight and to give me fuel to workout. Calories=Energy.

    Exercising is only to build muscle, build cardiovascular strength, and speed up the metabolism (which in turn helps to burn more calories through better efficiency)

    Google Michael Phelps. When he is hard core training he probably eats 10,000 calories a day just to fuel he workouts.
  • spcopps
    spcopps Posts: 283
    Ok..Your BMR calculates to 1861 cal/day. SO take this 1861/24 (hours in a day). Now take that number (which is 77.54) and divide by 60 (minutes in an hour) and this is how many calories you burn per minutes just "living" (yours was 1.29 per minute). NOW --> Let's say I burn 750 cal/day for an even # by walking. I would need to know how many minutes you walk to do this for you but here is the details...take your 1.29 per minute resting calorie burn and multiply by the minutes you walk. You would then subtract that number from the 750 to know how many calories you burned (see you want to take out what you would have burned anyway that is why we did this). SO lets say you walk for 90 minutes...take 90 and multiply by 1.29 which is 116.31. Now take that and subtract from 750 which leaves 633.69 calories burned. You want to add these calories (633.69 to the 1800 that MFP tells you to eat for a total of 2433 calories per day.

    Go to My home...settings...Update diet/fitness profile. You can fill this out again and it will take you back to your original settings. If you don't see a weight loss after eating back your exercise calories you could lower them by maybe 500/week and do that a couple of weeks and see if you begin to lose. I was losing very slowly until I began to eat back most of my exercise calories each day. Hope this helps.
  • kacylaine
    kacylaine Posts: 154 Member
    I can tell you what I did (and so far, it has worked, I'm down almost 30 pounds). I went to several websites and calculated my weight maintenance calories (2100, give or take). Then, if you want to lose 1 pound a week, subtract 500. If you want to lose 2 a week, subtract 1000. I can't do 2 pounds per week, becuase that wouldn't give me the MINIMUM of 1200 recommended. Then, eat your exercise calories.
    I looked up your maintenance cals (without knowing your lifestyle...sendentary, lightly active, etc, you will probably want to re-check it) and they're about the same as mine. I eat about 1500-1600 a day, and eat all my exercise calories.

    Good luck!
  • GypsyRoaddog
    GypsyRoaddog Posts: 80 Member
    WOW!!! Thanks SO MUCH to all respondents !!! Your comments make it much easier to understand how all these components tie together . . . I am glad I calculated my BMI & BMR (Well, BMR had to be done at the start but _____), . . . I now realize how these interact with recommended daily calorie intake (and so Carbo, Fat, etc) . . . I will indeed go back & reset my numbers (which again, I see now see that the adjustment of any of several factors affects the rest) . . . based upon 1.5 lb/week weight loss and eat those calories in clean, healthy food. I will continue to walk my 1 hour/day, and will eat back my exercise calories. And as suggested, if that brings no response in like 3 weeks, I will reduce incrementally as suggested.

    I guess like many new to the site, and, for me, new to these concepts -- that is to say, not just fewer cal/day = more & faster weight loss -- I was looking at the shorter-term/faster big results and so, when I didn't loose any lbs in 10 days, I lowered my caloric intake. NOT !!! :>)

    Again, thanks to all and I'll keep everyone posted on how I fare.

    With all sincerity,
    gyps
  • spcopps
    spcopps Posts: 283
    I guess like many new to the site, and, for me, new to these concepts -- that is to say, not just fewer cal/day = more & faster weight loss -- I was looking at the shorter-term/faster big results and so, when I didn't loose any lbs in 10 days, I lowered my caloric intake. NOT !!! :>)

    Again, thanks to all and I'll keep everyone posted on how I fare.

    With all sincerity,
    gyps

    I'll admit it isn't a "fast process" but you have to think about it this way...we didn't gain this weight overnight so we can't expect to lose it overnight either. I look at some post and see where people are losing like 20 lbs in 2 months and it has taken me 2 months to lose 12 so I get discouraged..then I think...MY BODY isn't the same as theirs and I am just happy with what I am accomplishing. It may take me longer to get there but I WILL get there and so will YOU!
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