Question about calorie intake for weight loss
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How many calories is your jawbone giving you, say for a mile's walking?
I keep pointing people to this article which changed my relationship with exercise calculators/ trackers which are all wrong, wrong, wrong:
http://www.runnersworld.com/peak-performance/running-v-walking-how-many-calories-will-you-burn
You know I'm not really sure how many calories it gives me. I basically use the step tracker for just tracking my steps. I don't follow the calorie advice are graphs they give me. I use my fitness pal for all of that. I do however, notice that since I got the tracker I am way more active. it's a motivation tool for me so it's working.
Thanks for the article! Will Read it after work! Some of the stuff is so scientific it goes right over my head so I need to concentrate! Hah
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4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »"I walk 1.5-2.5 miles every morning and try to stay active throughout the day" and "I average about 6,000 steps per day" seems like it may not add up to me. Its hard to say without following you around all day, but myself (5.6 ft woman) I average about 2,000 steps per mile, so would be up to 3-40000 after the morning walk you describe, and its pretty tough for me to get less than 4000 steps a day if I have to do anything (go to work, grocery shop, chores around the house).
You may be correct, but it seems like maybe your calories out could be where you need to look for accuracy.
As for a calorie goal- age, height, current weight, goal weight would all be useful information if you want advice on that. It seems like most people should be able to lose if they are accurately intaking 1200 calories, but size and age definitely factor into that.
I believe it. I've got a REALLY sedentary job (sometimes stuck at my desk for most of the day with only a couple of runs down to the bathroom and/or lunchroom), and even if I walk to work (1.5 miles), I STILL have to purposely add more movement to my day to get over 6,000 steps. My walk only accounted for about 3,200 steps.
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4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »"I walk 1.5-2.5 miles every morning and try to stay active throughout the day" and "I average about 6,000 steps per day" seems like it may not add up to me. Its hard to say without following you around all day, but myself (5.6 ft woman) I average about 2,000 steps per mile, so would be up to 3-40000 after the morning walk you describe, and its pretty tough for me to get less than 4000 steps a day if I have to do anything (go to work, grocery shop, chores around the house).
You may be correct, but it seems like maybe your calories out could be where you need to look for accuracy.
As for a calorie goal- age, height, current weight, goal weight would all be useful information if you want advice on that. It seems like most people should be able to lose if they are accurately intaking 1200 calories, but size and age definitely factor into that.
I believe it. I've got a REALLY sedentary job (sometimes stuck at my desk for most of the day with only a couple of runs down to the bathroom and/or lunchroom), and even if I walk to work (1.5 miles), I STILL have to purposely add more movement to my day to get over 6,000 steps. My walk only accounted for about 3,200 steps.
Yes!!!0 -
4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »"I walk 1.5-2.5 miles every morning and try to stay active throughout the day" and "I average about 6,000 steps per day" seems like it may not add up to me. Its hard to say without following you around all day, but myself (5.6 ft woman) I average about 2,000 steps per mile, so would be up to 3-40000 after the morning walk you describe, and its pretty tough for me to get less than 4000 steps a day if I have to do anything (go to work, grocery shop, chores around the house).
You may be correct, but it seems like maybe your calories out could be where you need to look for accuracy.
As for a calorie goal- age, height, current weight, goal weight would all be useful information if you want advice on that. It seems like most people should be able to lose if they are accurately intaking 1200 calories, but size and age definitely factor into that.
I believe it. I've got a REALLY sedentary job (sometimes stuck at my desk for most of the day with only a couple of runs down to the bathroom and/or lunchroom), and even if I walk to work (1.5 miles), I STILL have to purposely add more movement to my day to get over 6,000 steps. My walk only accounted for about 3,200 steps.
Yes to this. Moving around is the best medicine when it comes to this game of weight loss. Increasing your daily NEAT (non exercise activity thermogensis) is one huge key. You can always increase EAT (exercise activity thermogensis) as well (this is what I call mixing up the exercise to keep that from going stale and yes a person can stall in their exercise).
This is why I mentioned active activity level. Everyone needs to make sure that the following question really imitates your true daily activity as this setting does not include exercise in MFP.
How would you describe your normal daily activities?
Sedentary: Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. bank teller, desk job)
Lightly Active: Spend a good part of the day on your feet (e.g. teacher, salesman)
Active: Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman)
Very Active: Spend most of the day doing heavy physical activity (e.g. bike messenger, carpenter)
OP also as you are learning, I thought I would put this link out here for you. If you go the beginning of the forums, there are a ton of stickies that contains a great deal of valuable information. For example this one..
It explains how you burn calories in a day, handling exercise calories in MFP and it explains this EAT and NEAT and all that jazz.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf/p1
this on is a good one too..
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084670/it-is-unlikely-that-you-will-lose-weight-consistently-i-e-weight-loss-is-not-linear/p1
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4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »"I walk 1.5-2.5 miles every morning and try to stay active throughout the day" and "I average about 6,000 steps per day" seems like it may not add up to me. Its hard to say without following you around all day, but myself (5.6 ft woman) I average about 2,000 steps per mile, so would be up to 3-40000 after the morning walk you describe, and its pretty tough for me to get less than 4000 steps a day if I have to do anything (go to work, grocery shop, chores around the house).
You may be correct, but it seems like maybe your calories out could be where you need to look for accuracy.
As for a calorie goal- age, height, current weight, goal weight would all be useful information if you want advice on that. It seems like most people should be able to lose if they are accurately intaking 1200 calories, but size and age definitely factor into that.
I believe it. I've got a REALLY sedentary job (sometimes stuck at my desk for most of the day with only a couple of runs down to the bathroom and/or lunchroom), and even if I walk to work (1.5 miles), I STILL have to purposely add more movement to my day to get over 6,000 steps. My walk only accounted for about 3,200 steps.
Yes to this. Moving around is the best medicine when it comes to this game of weight loss. Increasing your daily NEAT (non exercise activity thermogensis) is one huge key. You can always increase EAT (exercise activity thermogensis) as well (this is what I call mixing up the exercise to keep that from going stale and yes a person can stall in their exercise).
This is why I mentioned active activity level. Everyone needs to make sure that the following question really imitates your true daily activity as this setting does not include exercise in MFP.
How would you describe your normal daily activities?
Sedentary: Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. bank teller, desk job)
Lightly Active: Spend a good part of the day on your feet (e.g. teacher, salesman)
Active: Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman)
Very Active: Spend most of the day doing heavy physical activity (e.g. bike messenger, carpenter)
OP also as you are learning, I thought I would put this link out here for you. If you go the beginning of the forums, there are a ton of stickies that contains a great deal of valuable information. For example this one..
It explains how you burn calories in a day, handling exercise calories in MFP and it explains this EAT and NEAT and all that jazz.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf/p1
this on is a good one too..
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084670/it-is-unlikely-that-you-will-lose-weight-consistently-i-e-weight-loss-is-not-linear/p1
Thanks! Everyone is so full of information here!!
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Changed my settings from to losing 1 lb per week (it was 2) and from lightly active to active - new calorie goal is 1580. - I can live with that!
From what you described, you are sedentary not lightly active or active. I aim for a minimum of 20,000 steps a day, and i've never gone higher than the lightly active setting.
If you are going to stay with the active setting make sure you enable negative adjustments, found here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings Make sure 'enable negative adjustments' is ticked.0 -
Christine_72 wrote: »Changed my settings from to losing 1 lb per week (it was 2) and from lightly active to active - new calorie goal is 1580. - I can live with that!
From what you described, you are sedentary not lightly active or active. I aim for a minimum of 20,000 steps a day, and i've never gone higher than the lightly active setting.
If you are going to stay with the active setting make sure you enable negative adjustments, found here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings Make sure 'enable negative adjustments' is ticked.
Thanks I will0 -
Yeah, 6,000 steps a day is what most activity studies use to define "sedentary."
Essentially, if you're only getting 6000 steps a day, you are "sedentary" EVEN with your added walk before work. Don't count that against your total and don't eat back any calories from it.0 -
Wow, GREAT job losing the first 50!!! My suggestions are: 1) start lifting weights (not replacing the walking, but in addition to). You will see such a change if you gain muscle!!! 2) Make sure you're eating enough protein - dieter's best friend. :-) Make sure you're getting healthy fats too! 3) Yes, bump up your calories to about 1,400 (more sustainable), maybe eat back 1/2 your exercise calories. Good luck!!!0
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