Just started, need advice.

Spudguy1
Spudguy1 Posts: 4 Member
in Getting Started
Hi!

I'm 23 years old, male, 5'10" and I weigh 298lbs. I'm determined to get down to a healthy weight. I don't care how long it will take, but I'm not going to stop dieting until I get there.

Right now I'm focussing on dieting and using Diet Chef to control my meals. I'm at 1200 - 1300 calories per day at the moment and it looks like I'm doing pretty well, I just need to cut down my sugar intake from fruits: http://puu.sh/ib8HY/7a86fe33c6.png

Anyway, I have a Wii Fit and that comes with a pedomter which converts to calories burned. Should I enter my calories burned based off today's steps? It comes to 890 and that's just from having every step counted all day (I never take it off). Also, do I add this for the entire day? I need to add minutes so I just pop in 1440. Will this make the "You will weigh X in 5 weeks" more or less accurate?

Thanks

Replies

  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Your calorie goal is seriously low. A male shouldn't eat less than 1500. A young male your size can probably eat a heck of a lot more. I'd seriously rethink that calorie goal if you want to do this in a healthy way.
  • Momma_of3
    Momma_of3 Posts: 20 Member
    Following- I have the same question. Unsure if I should enter calories burned from my Fitbit to MFP.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Ready2Rock206 wrote: »
    Your calorie goal is seriously low. A male shouldn't eat less than 1500. A young male your size can probably eat a heck of a lot more. I'd seriously rethink that calorie goal if you want to do this in a healthy way.

    Agreed. Also, unless you have a medical reason to watch it, don't worry about going over on sugars. I don't even track it. As for your pedometer, if it isn't an activity tracker that you can sync wirelessly, then I wouldn't bother with that. Set your activity level appropriately and only log physical exercise. Walking during other day-to-day activities will already be accounted for.
    Momma_of3 wrote: »
    Following- I have the same question. Unsure if I should enter calories burned from my Fitbit to MFP.

    You can connect your Fitbit to MFP so it's done automatically.
  • suruda
    suruda Posts: 1,233 Member
    What I have read often is that we tend to underestimate the calories we eat and overestimate the calories we burn. If you do decide to add some fitness calories back, I wouldn't add more than half.

    I do think your calorie goal is low for a 23 YO guy...did MFP give you that one? are you under 5 feet tall?

    my goal is 1200 but I am a short and old woman! :wink:
  • Katiekate64
    Katiekate64 Posts: 30 Member
    http://fit101.org/the-step-by-step-guide-to-losing-weight-with-myfitnesspa


    I'm not sure if I put that link in correctly but that is a great article on how this app works.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    Momma_of3 wrote: »
    Following- I have the same question. Unsure if I should enter calories burned from my Fitbit to MFP.

    Connect your accounts at http://www.myfitnesspal.com/fitbit

    You can learn more in the Fitbit Users group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users
  • Spudguy1
    Spudguy1 Posts: 4 Member
    Okay so a lot of people are saying that I should be eating more calories, I'm going to try and bolter that a little. 1870 is the MFP goal given to me but dietchef.co.uk is giving me 1200 - 1300 a day. What sort of things should I eat to boost this, as Diet Chef is breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack.
  • Spudguy1
    Spudguy1 Posts: 4 Member
    Also, I am very inactive. I work an office job and it took me a long time to motivate myself to diet, I just can't push myself to exercise at this point. I know it sounds stupid, but I just don't think I can commit to it. Does that make the lower calorie count okay?
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    Spudguy1 wrote: »
    I work an office job and it took me a long time to motivate myself to diet, I just can't push myself to exercise at this point. I know it sounds stupid, but I just don't think I can commit to it. Does that make the lower calorie count okay?

    You lose weight by eating fewer calories than you burn—no exercise required. A healthy, sustainable goal is 250 calories less than you burn for every 25 lbs. you're overweight.

    Eating less than that will not get you to goal any more quickly. Food is fuel, and we should all be looking for the maximum number of calories at which we lose —never the minimum.

    Your default calorie goal already has your deficit built in. When you exercise, you log it & are given more calories to eat.
  • KeairaSedai
    KeairaSedai Posts: 138 Member
    edited June 2015
    I would stick to MFP.. not sure what DietChef is.. stick to the goal that MFP sets for you..

    Do not add the counted calories from the Wii Fit Pedometer, as those are your 'normal activity' calories. MFP already accounts for that. Perhaps ( I don't know this) DietChef does not properly. I agree that 1200-1300 is very low. I'm female 5"3' and near my goal and my goal is set at 1400.

    My advice? Stick to the 1860 calorie goal that mfp picked for you. Do not add step counter calories. Do add calories if you do extra actual exercise such as cycling, running, swimming, gym, whatever. Keep track of your weight in mfp and as you lose weight the calorie goal will go down, too.

    Also, very much so agree with editorgrrl above.
  • RuefulRabbit
    RuefulRabbit Posts: 42 Member
    Spud, one thing to consider is getting rid of the word "diet". To get the weight off and keep it off, you need to make permanent changes in your lifestyle - otherwise it will come right back.
  • ihatetodietalways
    ihatetodietalways Posts: 180 Member
    Please get in some of your essential fats and essential proteins. You can google them, our body needs them from food. And you will probably be happier with them.
  • Spudguy1
    Spudguy1 Posts: 4 Member
    Okay, thank you for all the advice guys. I'm going to be getting up to the MFC calories now by having two protein shakes a day at 212 calories each. :)
  • Brolympus
    Brolympus Posts: 360 Member
    Dude you are eating way too little. There is no way you can hit your protein goal for the day for a 5' 10" guy at 1200 cals.

    Would be wise to give yourself a bit more wiggle room and shoot for like 1500-1600 at least. You should be eating somewhere between 125g-150g protein per day (hard to say since its usually quoted as 0.8 x lean body mass, where lean body mass = total weight - (total weight x body fat %)), and making sure to be doing some kind of resistance training.

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