Information Overload

lnd0718
lnd0718 Posts: 22 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, so my C personality makes me overanalyze almost anything that I do. Collect data, do the research and then after tirelessly finding information try and execute and in the meantime, question every decision that I made and how I arrived at my decision.

So, I just need some opinions that I am heading in the right direction.

CW 140.5

NEAT maintenance calculators have me at 1558 calories for sedentary, lightly active 1775. I am afraid to say that I am lightly active because I have a desk job but, I manage to make myself get at least 10,000-12,000 steps a day. FitBit is adjusting and giving me some calories for these steps.

If my current goal is 1540 (basically maintenance) I need to be creating my deficit with exercise and NOT eating back those calories or at least minimizing the exercise calories I eat back? For instance, so far today I have "earned" 558 exercise calories and will get more around lunch. I have eaten back 226 of those so far today.

Just desperately need some clarification and some confidence that I am thinking about the deficit correctly.

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    yes you're right.

    I personally prefer MFP method, because what happens if for some reason (injury, working late, general life gubbins) you cant work out... with MFP you get the deficit anyway, and the joy of eating more on work out days.

    You don't give your height, but i am 5ft5 and 138lbs and i lose (slowly) on net 1650 cals, so you might well find that 1540 is too low for maintenance.

    and, based on 10-12,000 steps that's definitely light active.
  • lnd0718
    lnd0718 Posts: 22 Member
    Yes, I knew I left important info out. Height is 5'1"
  • lnd0718
    lnd0718 Posts: 22 Member
    When I adjust goals in MFP and say I want to lose 0.5 lbs per week and I am lightly active the 1540 is what it gave me.

    So, I don't know. I'll go for a few weeks. See what happens and go from there.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    I think you're plan sounds about right. It's important to remember that all calculators are based on general population averages so your results may vary. Just start with your plan and if you aren't losing as expected adjust until you are.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    You both comprehend the math of it and have stated the case well. The next step is to carefully record your exercise burn and your calories eaten each day and use the Reports feature to compare your weight change over time to your accumulated calorie deficit.
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  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I can eat back 100% of the calories my FitBit One gives me. The exercise calories MFP gives me are much more generous, and I can't eat them all back. I don't know where FitBits with heart rate monitors fall.
  • CasperNaegle
    CasperNaegle Posts: 936 Member
    Check out this article and calculator. https://legionathletics.com/how-many-calories-should-i-eat/
    What helps me is to just keep my calories flat and use this to get my TDEE lined out. I try to stay at about a 20% deficit when I'm cutting. I don't want to have to move my stuff around all the time based on more exercise one day over the other.

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