Help for calorie target needed, please

Tatarataa
Tatarataa Posts: 178 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I need help please with the following question:
after not being long on MFP when I was experimenting a bit with my calories trying to stay in a weekly calorie target, but bing always insecure about whether it is a good target, I had a week of binges (binge eating is my problem) with 17500 cal PLUS (means 2.5 real kilogramm more fat and even more on the scale-around 4-5 kg more on the scale!). I was close to maintenance and starting a bit to gradually up my calories before-now I am of course away from maintenance again and asking myself with how many calories to go on. do you think that the binge might have helped me reset my metabolism? So that I could up my calories for weight loss a bit now? or would that be a mistake? I might have been a bit too low in calories before which might have helped trigger the binge...on the other hand side the worst thing that could happen to me know would be to be unsuccessful with losing...
I am also very confused about all the different values the TDEE calculators (like IFFYM or scoobys or fit radio) give me. But I have posted about this and already got some valuable answers on this. Still-the question for me is: should I go with MFPs BMR and add half of my exercise calories (given by MFP I do not have a fitbit or so) or should I estimate my TDEE and eat a certain percentage of this one (most recommend 15 %)? And if I take my TDEE which calculator should I use or should I just take the average of all the calculator values? And what is best if you want to watch our weekly calories and vary them/do a zig zag routine of about 3 days at TDEE minus eg 15% and one day at TDEE or something like that? If I do the changing daily calorie values is it a problem to go under my BMR (not that I ever eat that less ;O)...)? What would you suggest or advice? Many thanks in advance!

Replies

  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    TDEE - 15% is going to be similar to setting MFP to 0.5 lbs/week or thereabouts, for simplicity I would just do that. I don't believe in resets or cycling personally.
  • Tatarataa
    Tatarataa Posts: 178 Member
    Just to add to my previous post: I heard that most people are using IIFYM when they calculate their TDEE.

    The TDEE of my current weight (after binges maybe too high but well the difference in calories even towards my goal weight is not that much):

    -BMR 1218
    -TDEE with exercise every day: 1994
    -15 % of TDEE (fat loss): 1695
    -20 % of TDEE (aggressive fat loss): 1595

    -TDEE with exercise 6 times per week: 1834
    -15%: 1559
    -20%: 1467

    My weight before would have been lower in values. Maybe my "real" weight is inbetween now (I hope the 17500 cal will not have ended in 4-5 kg of real weight gain!!!Or what do you think??)

    The values for my (lowest boarder) goal weight would be:

    -BMR 1170
    -TDEE exercise every day: 1915
    -15%: 1628
    -20%: 1532

    -TDEE wth exercise 6 times per week: 1762
    -15%: 1498
    -20%: 1410

    Note: I also sometimes exercise twice a day. There is also an option for this in IFFYM. But they are also talking about "intense" exercise and I am doing mostly low impact exercise and also calculate walking etc in. Also, I sometimes end up doing no exercise a day. So I thought "everyday" would probably the closest to my exercise level. What do you think?

    You can see the difference between my actual calorie vaues in IIFYM and my (lowest) goal weight values are not that much, as I am still even after the binges not too far away from maintenance (which makes me less anxious-puuh).

    So my idea would now be to use either
    a) 7 times 15% of current TDEE as a weekly goal
    b) 7 times 20% of current TDEE as a weekly goal
    c) less of b) as a weekly goal and slowly up my calories to b)

    or

    d) 3 days at 15% of my current TDEE followed by 1 day at current TDEE and so forth (zig zag routine)
    e) 3 days at 20% of my current TDEE followed by 1 day at current TDEE and so forth (zig zag routine)
    f) less of e) in the 3 days followed by 1 higher day with less than current TDEE and so forth (zig zag routine) and then slowly up it to e)

    g) eat the suggested BMR of MFP (1200 cal) and also eat back half of my daily exercise calories
    (as they are calculated by MFP)
  • Tatarataa
    Tatarataa Posts: 178 Member
    I was eating something between 1200 and 1600 daily before my binge, maybe 1400( and not logging every coffee ). ...hard to estimate...also you should know I am still breastfeeding a bit which might add maybe 50-100 cal a day not sure...
  • Tatarataa
    Tatarataa Posts: 178 Member
    @yarwell: many thanks for your answer!
  • Tatarataa
    Tatarataa Posts: 178 Member
    Can anyone else write me his or her opinion, please?
    I really need to know how to move on now!
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    1525 calories/day.

    40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fat.

    Go forth and prosper! :drinker:
  • uvi5
    uvi5 Posts: 710 Member
    Breastfeeding will use some of the calories. I breastfed also, worked out, drank water and continued to watch what I ate, but did not know actual calorie counts back then. 1200 seems low while breastfeeding. But don't worry about the binge. I've had binges (over 2 weeks ago) I recovered and I am losing weight. Just keep going and after a few days you'll forget about the binge and be back on track! You got this!
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