confused about Calories Remaining
kerivkennedy
Posts: 16 Member
Am I correct in understanding that the MFP calories remaining will still keep with our goal?
Right now I have a goal of 1.5 lbs a week. It has my calories at 1300, BMR is 1600.
Based on exercise (steps/walking brought in from Fitbit), its now telling me I have an extra 400 calories.
So I can really have 1700 calories today and still keep on track?
I am horrible at math calculations. I know the basics, cut out 500 calories a day (or exercise them), and you'll loose a 1lb a week, a combo of calories and exercise for 1,000 lbs, but once I starting adding in BMR I am confused.
they way I'm doing things is taking the BMR MFP gives (1600), adding in exercise, then subtracting calories consumed. If it comes out between 500 and 1000 I'm happy.
Is that right?
Right now I have a goal of 1.5 lbs a week. It has my calories at 1300, BMR is 1600.
Based on exercise (steps/walking brought in from Fitbit), its now telling me I have an extra 400 calories.
So I can really have 1700 calories today and still keep on track?
I am horrible at math calculations. I know the basics, cut out 500 calories a day (or exercise them), and you'll loose a 1lb a week, a combo of calories and exercise for 1,000 lbs, but once I starting adding in BMR I am confused.
they way I'm doing things is taking the BMR MFP gives (1600), adding in exercise, then subtracting calories consumed. If it comes out between 500 and 1000 I'm happy.
Is that right?
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Replies
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Most people on here will tell you that calorie burns are over estimated and only to eat back a small amount of them. Personally i don't eat back my exercise calories if i can help it, I just class them as helpers for extra weight loss.0
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kerivkennedy wrote: »Am I correct in understanding that the MFP calories remaining will still keep with our goal?
Right now I have a goal of 1.5 lbs a week. It has my calories at 1300, BMR is 1600.
Based on exercise (steps/walking brought in from Fitbit), its now telling me I have an extra 400 calories.
So I can really have 1700 calories today and still keep on track?
I am horrible at math calculations. I know the basics, cut out 500 calories a day (or exercise them), and you'll loose a 1lb a week, a combo of calories and exercise for 1,000 lbs, but once I starting adding in BMR I am confused.
they way I'm doing things is taking the BMR MFP gives (1600), adding in exercise, then subtracting calories consumed. If it comes out between 500 and 1000 I'm happy.
Is that right?
If your BMR is really 1600, that is the amount of calories you need to keep your body functioning, like say, if you were in a coma. Your maintenance calories are much higher than that, the calories you need to maintain your current weight. Without knowing your height and weight, I don't know what your maintenance calories are, but let's say they are 2000. So if you eat 1700, that's a 300 calorie deficit per day.0 -
kerivkennedy wrote: »Am I correct in understanding that the MFP calories remaining will still keep with our goal?
Right now I have a goal of 1.5 lbs a week. It has my calories at 1300, BMR is 1600.
Based on exercise (steps/walking brought in from Fitbit), its now telling me I have an extra 400 calories.
So I can really have 1700 calories today and still keep on track?
I am horrible at math calculations. I know the basics, cut out 500 calories a day (or exercise them), and you'll loose a 1lb a week, a combo of calories and exercise for 1,000 lbs, but once I starting adding in BMR I am confused.
they way I'm doing things is taking the BMR MFP gives (1600), adding in exercise, then subtracting calories consumed. If it comes out between 500 and 1000 I'm happy.
Is that right?
What your FitBit tries to do is calculate your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure)....this is your maintenance. For some people, for some forms of exercise this estimate is excellent.
To lose 1.5 pounds a week you want to eat 750 calories less than maintenance.
The hard part is figuring out whether your FitBit is accurate for you. This is why many people here eat back 50% of exercise calories. This conservative estimate will also make up for times when logging food may not be spot on either. My advice, start with 50%. If your weight loss is progressing as expected leave things alone. But if weight loss is more (eat more) - if weight loss is less (eat less).
I don't use exercise calories as "extra helpers." Moderate weight loss helps me lose a larger percentage of fat. Eating too little will help me lose muscle....no thanks.0 -
quiksylver296 wrote: »
If your BMR is really 1600, that is the amount of calories you need to keep your body functioning, like say, if you were in a coma. Your maintenance calories are much higher than that, the calories you need to maintain your current weight. Without knowing your height and weight, I don't know what your maintenance calories are, but let's say they are 2000. So if you eat 1700, that's a 300 calorie deficit per day.
I'm 5'2" and 221 lbs (39 years o ld)
mostly sedentary (although recent increase working towards being more fit. increasing walking and just plain moving all day)
Based on http://www.bmi-calculator.net my BMR is 1724.45
I'm having one of those super hungry days, plus my body is sore and grouchy from all the walking/moving I've been doing.
so if MFP says 1600 - just to preserve basic function all day, does that mean I should always eat closer to 1600, making the assumption I get out of bed, doing basic day to day stuff.
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So far I've lost at the pace I want to, but its super early into my dieting (roughly Dec 1 start). I just want this to be something I can keep up. Setting too high a goal is a set up for failure. I know I really need to loose a lot more to be the ideal weight for my height, but I have a goal of 50 lbs. (25 lbs is my intermediate goal, I'd love to reach by spring)
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kerivkennedy wrote: »Am I correct in understanding that the MFP calories remaining will still keep with our goal?
Right now I have a goal of 1.5 lbs a week. It has my calories at 1300, BMR is 1600.
Based on exercise (steps/walking brought in from Fitbit), its now telling me I have an extra 400 calories.
So I can really have 1700 calories today and still keep on track?
I am horrible at math calculations. I know the basics, cut out 500 calories a day (or exercise them), and you'll loose a 1lb a week, a combo of calories and exercise for 1,000 lbs, but once I starting adding in BMR I am confused.
they way I'm doing things is taking the BMR MFP gives (1600), adding in exercise, then subtracting calories consumed. If it comes out between 500 and 1000 I'm happy.
Is that right?
If your Fitbit is combined with some sort of heart rate monitor, then you can be assured that 400 calorie "burn" is accurate and then..yes...you can have 1700 calories today.
If it is not then I would use a more conservative number to be on the safe side...some only "eat back" 1/2 of the calories they burn, I go with a 66.6% figure (2/3 of the workout calories) and it seems to work out.
Basically, just multiply whatever calories are given to you by MFP or your Fitbit by .666 and that's the number you enter in the Exercise Diary...400 * .666 = 266.4, round down to 266.
And TeaBea is correct about not losing muscle..muscle HELPS you burn fat since it's an energy "hog"..a pound of lean muscle wants a lot of calories to maintain it so all things being equal poundwise, a more muscular 221 pound person gets to eat more than that same 221 pound person with a higher body fat percentage.0 -
kerivkennedy wrote: »So far I've lost at the pace I want to, but its super early into my dieting (roughly Dec 1 start). I just want this to be something I can keep up. Setting too high a goal is a set up for failure. I know I really need to loose a lot more to be the ideal weight for my height, but I have a goal of 50 lbs. (25 lbs is my intermediate goal, I'd love to reach by spring)
You're right - consistency is key. I would like to lose faster too, but I just get grouchy & fall off the wagon. 1300 is the starting number. MFP doesn't assume anything above your activity level. Eating 1600 would be a good starting point. See if you can live with that for awhile.0 -
Thanks!
Its gonna be a long process. I think part of my guilt is the fact my body is so incredibly sore and tired today I just can't motivate myself to do what I've been pushing myself to for the past week (nothing too strenuous, but even moderate exercise is a lot when you've been a couch potato)
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Your fitbit will give you extra calories as it notices that you have burned them. The same thing happens if you manually log exercise - MFP will give you more calories.
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Ok. So I used scoobysworkshop.com to enter your stats.
It showed your BMR as 1635, which again is the minimum number of calories needed to keep you alive. You should be eating AT LEAST this.
Your TDEE is your total daily energy expenditure. This is the average amount of calories you burn in a day. I chose "sedentary" when I plugged in your stats, because I don't know how active you are.
To lose weight, you then subtract a percentage from your TDEE. For example, TDEE - 20%. TDEE-20% then equals your calories to eat in a day. Your TDEE - 20% is...wait for it...1962 calories! Yep, you can eat this much and still lose weight!
As you lose weight, your TDEE will drop and you will have to adjust your calories.
On a completely different note, buy a food scale. A digital one with a tare button. Learn to use it. Weigh and log ALL your food. This is the only way to know how many calories you are really eating in a day.
https://youtu.be/XpHykP6e_Uk
Watch this video^
GOOD LUCK!!! YOU CAN DO THIS!!!0 -
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I have and know how to use a food scale. My daughter was previously on the Ketogenic diet for her severe Epilepsy.
I've had to weigh every single food item she consumed to the 10th of a gram - with zero exceptions.
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