I'm starving and so confused
Laklynne
Posts: 10 Member
I am very overweight and I just joined a Biggest Loser contest to get myself started down a weight loss path. I am 38, 232lbs and 5'7. MFP is telling me I should be eating 1200 calories per day but everything else I read says that is much to low for me. Help?!
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I assume you set your loss for 2 lbs a week and set your activity level to Sedentary?0
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Yes I did. I work on a computer all day so I sit most of the day. I am working out at least 30 min a day but the trainer said don't eat the deficit shown from working out because that is where you lose the weight.0
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If you are using MFP's goal you are supposed to eat back the exercise calories. The trainer probably doesn't know how mfp works.3
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On mfp the deficit is built into your goal of 1200. Any exercise increases the deficit you already have and if you don't eat back some of those exercise calories you may be creating an unhealthy deficit.2
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Ok, I think I understand. Thank you.0
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If you are using MFP's goal you ate supposed to eat back the exercise calories. The trainer probably doesn't know how mfp works.
^^This.
MFP calculations exclude exercise (NEAT) and are based on your normal day and normal activity. The issue will be in figuring out how many exercise calories you have earned. If you are getting that number from the MFP entries, or from the machines, then they are probably grossly overestimated and you should only eat back half. If you are getting the calories burned from a heart rate monitor, then you can eat back about 75%. Play with these percentages to see where they should be.
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Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but if you are eating 1200 cals a day, and then let's say burning 200 calories through exercise, that means your net calories for the day is 1000. That is aggressively low and (from my personal experience) will possibly lead to a crash and binge cycle.
Diet->Binge->Crash->Diet
If you want to lose weight in a sustainable way that you can feel good about, try changing your weekly goal to 1 or 1.5 lbs, eating back 50% of your calorie burn and see where that leads you? You can always adjust as you go to find a good fit for you. But, being starving and miserable is not going to make this a good experience for you and will most likely hinder any success.
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Yesterday I was at 1185 cal. eaten and after exercising my MFP goal was 1632. So I was super confused. I usually don't get a chance to exercise until late at night, too late to eat more food. Suggestions on how to account for this? So in total I only ate the 1185 cal. yesterday.0
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My advice - set your goal for 1 lb/week and ease into this. Making dramatic changes will never work and will just frustrate (and starve) you.
In the beginning you'll likely do better than 1 lb/week so take the win, but don't set unrealistic expectations. What you need to do is recognize the habits you built around eating - both good and bad. Set small goals on how you can remove the bad habits and reinforce the good habits.
Biggest loser challenges are built for failure. If they were held over a year we would see a greater success, but people don't have the patience for this.3 -
1200 is pretty low, even more so if you're not eating back any exercise calories burned.
Perhaps set your weekly weight loss goal a bit less aggressive...one pound per week would allot you 350 more calories per day.
Being constantly hungry is NOT a great way to lose weight.0 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »If you are using MFP's goal you ate supposed to eat back the exercise calories. The trainer probably doesn't know how mfp works.
^^This.
MFP calculations exclude exercise (NEAT) and are based on your normal day and normal activity. The issue will be in figuring out how many exercise calories you have earned. If you are getting that number from the MFP entries, or from the machines, then they are probably grossly overestimated and you should only eat back half. If you are getting the calories burned from a heart rate monitor, then you can eat back about 75%. Play with these percentages to see where they should be.
I ran (in my mind it was running in others it may have been jogging) 3 miles yesterday and if I was wearing a heart rate monitor it was probably beeping and telling me to stop. Wouldn't this equal more calories burned not less?
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Yesterday I was at 1185 cal. eaten and after exercising my MFP goal was 1632. So I was super confused. I usually don't get a chance to exercise until late at night, too late to eat more food. Suggestions on how to account for this? So in total I only ate the 1185 cal. yesterday.
Focus on a weekly goal (not as simple as the website doesn't do this well) instead of a daily goal. So if you were under yesterday, maybe eat more today. Better would be to think ahead and plan for the exercise (assuming it is regular) and eat a bit more.
The problem is that you are effectively eating a net of 738 calories and doing that for an extended period will lead to health issues. Serious health issues.1 -
At your weight that sounds very low.. What I suggest is figuring out what your TDEE is (can take some time). Total calorie burn including exercise and everything. Keep your calorie deficit at about 20%.1
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Yes I did. I work on a computer all day so I sit most of the day. I am working out at least 30 min a day but the trainer said don't eat the deficit shown from working out because that is where you lose the weight.
Um.....no
My Fitness Pal (MFP) gave you a calorie deficit BEFORE any exercise was factored in. Some people can't/won't exercise but they can still lose weight.
You earn calories for exercise and you are expected to eat those back. However, MFP calorie burn estimates can be generous so many people eat back 50-75%. A heart rate monitor is going to be a much better estimate for steady state cardio though.
You don't have to eat the calories the same day. But if you know you are working out later, plan a bigger breakfast, or an extra snack. Some people even "bank" their exercise calories for the weekend.
Pick a weekly weight loss you are comfortable with. You don't need to be miserable. Staying consistent is the most important thing.1 -
My advice - set your goal for 1 lb/week and ease into this. Making dramatic changes will never work and will just frustrate (and starve) you.
In the beginning you'll likely do better than 1 lb/week so take the win, but don't set unrealistic expectations. What you need to do is recognize the habits you built around eating - both good and bad. Set small goals on how you can remove the bad habits and reinforce the good habits.
Biggest loser challenges are built for failure. If they were held over a year we would see a greater success, but people don't have the patience for this.
Yes, Lyle McDonald also recommends easing into it and considers not easing into weight loss one of the biggest mistakes women make.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLcjhm4-CSg&list=PLUXvX9BaxgqG9yO5XWB3gA_QshvrrcjVr&index=7 1 -
I am very overweight and I just joined a Biggest Loser contest to get myself started down a weight loss path. I am 38, 232lbs and 5'7. MFP is telling me I should be eating 1200 calories per day but everything else I read says that is much to low for me. Help?!
My company did three rounds of Biggest Loser at Work. We weren't very aggressive about weight loss. I lost 40 pounds altogether, never won any of the contests, but enjoyed the journey very much.1 -
I started out at 229 lbs and I'm 5'4". Without any measurable exercise, I lost 50 lbs in about 8 months while eating 1500-1600 calories.
ETA: I'm 42.1 -
I find this calculator to be useful - it is based on TDEE, not NEAT, like MFP but for me that works better because I have a pretty standard workout plan - I plugged some of your info in, but you can play around with your goal weight etc
https://mytdee.com/#gender=female&yr=38&cm=170.2&kg=105.2&bfp=&goal=lose&goal_kg=77.1&lose_speed=easy&formula=standard&units=imperial&exercise=sedentary3 -
Research bmr TDEE and set your own goals on here I never eat exercise calories
I lost 70lbs in 10 months eating 1500 calories and exercising
HRM is best inductor if real calories burnt not what's in here or on any cardio machines0 -
If you KNOW you will be exercising later, then go ahead and eat the calories beforehand. I generally post all my day's food after lunch, since I usually know what I'll be eating for dinner and my usual snacks. I can always modify later if something changes. I don't enter exercise until I actually do it, because although I know I intend to go for a run, I don't necessarily know whether it will be 4 miles or 5 or if I'll decide to do yoga or Pilates afterwards. Sometimes I look at the calories I intend to eat that day, see that I am over by 350 calories, so I know I need to go at least 4 miles. Or if I know I'm going to be running longer, I'll plan for a treat that I wouldn't eat otherwise.0
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There is a saying: this is not a sprint but a marathon. It could help to think long term. You CAN lose the weight and be healthier, but it won't be something you 'finish' in a few weeks or even a few months.
Something to think about: do you want to do this for a few weeks, get frustrated and give up? Going back to old ways and weighing 250+ pounds in 6-12 months? Or do you want to this so that you can stick with it for 3, 6, 9 months-whatever it takes-and be fitter, healthier and weigh less in 6, 12, etc. months?
Eating 1200/day trying to lose weight as fast as possible is likely to make you ready to give up and pretty quickly. Meaning you could easily end up worse off from trying to do something that is not sustainable.
Based on your stats, and your assessment that you are sedentary, you probably burn about 2118 daily not counting exercise. Consider setting yourself for a 1 pound weight loss goal, which I'm guessing MFP will put you around 1600 calories to eat daily. THEN consider your workouts as extra burned, above and beyond the 1 pound goal per week. You'll feel more satisfied, better able to fuel your workouts, and less like you have to deprive yourself.
Going extreme is typically not the best method.2 -
deannalfisher wrote: »I find this calculator to be useful - it is based on TDEE, not NEAT, like MFP but for me that works better because I have a pretty standard workout plan - I plugged some of your info in, but you can play around with your goal weight etc
https://mytdee.com/#gender=female&yr=38&cm=170.2&kg=105.2&bfp=&goal=lose&goal_kg=77.1&lose_speed=easy&formula=standard&units=imperial&exercise=sedentary
Thank you, I think these numbers look much more reasonable.
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There are basically 2 methods of counting calories:
1) TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). This is what your trainer probably thinks you are doing. Your daily number includes the energy you need to stay alive, plus an allowance for exercise, and then reduced by a certain amount (the "deficit") to let you lose weight. So this number will be quite high. Good if your exercise is consistent and you only want to focus on counting food.
2) NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis). This is the method myfitnesspal uses by default. Your daily number only covers the energy you need to stay alive, less a deficit. There is no allowance for exercise, just basic daily activity like walking around at work. This number seems low compared to TDEE, but you're not supposed to eat only that - you log all the exercise you do and your calorie allowance increases to account for it. Good if your exercise varies a lot from day to day, or if you need an extra incentive to exercise.
Both of these work if you do it right. It's a personal preference. If you want to do TDEE, find a calculator online to work out your allowance, then change your calorie goal on myfitnesspal to use that number rather than the default one.
One thing your trainer is wrong about: whichever method you are using, the weight loss comes from the deficit, which is built into your calorie allowance. You can lose weight without exercising at all. However, exercise does increase the amount you can eat while still losing weight, and is good for general health.
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Thank you everyone. Lots of "food" for thought. I am determined to lose this weight. I understand its a marathon but I am hoping I will see some real results in the short term to give me the motivation to keep trying. So far I am down 2.8lbs so hopefully I can keep it up and SMASH this Biggest Loser contest and ultimately my goal weight. My driving factor was while out the other day my son (5 years old) says mommy that lady looks like you. The lady (in my eyes) was WAY bigger and unhealthy looking then I am. I think my mirror lies to me because I don't see the same person in pictures (or apparently as others do) when I look in my mirror.
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my only comment IRT the biggest loser contest - will be that IMHO they tend to encourage more drastic weight loss strategies in order to success but that these aren't always successful0
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Mirrors lie (or rather, your brain does) - but children talk rubbish too. They inhabit a slightly different planet. He could easily have meant that she had a similar handbag or something
Don't be discouraged - you can do this.3 -
Thank you everyone. Lots of "food" for thought. I am determined to lose this weight. I understand its a marathon but I am hoping I will see some real results in the short term to give me the motivation to keep trying. So far I am down 2.8lbs so hopefully I can keep it up and SMASH this Biggest Loser contest and ultimately my goal weight. My driving factor was while out the other day my son (5 years old) says mommy that lady looks like you. The lady (in my eyes) was WAY bigger and unhealthy looking then I am. I think my mirror lies to me because I don't see the same person in pictures (or apparently as others do) when I look in my mirror.
For what it's worth, I'm 50lbs down and 50% to my goal and everyone tells me I look so much smaller, but I feel exactly the same size I was when I started. It's hard to see it in yourself. Just trust the process and keep with it, regardless of how the contest goes.2 -
2 thoughts. First your son could have meant anything. Maybe something about the lady's hair reminded him of yours. Second, I have a theory that when we look in a mirror we kind of see what we want to see. There have been many times that I see a picture of myself and think Whoa, I don't look like that. Maybe its something about 3d vs 2d? I don't know.
One other thought, since you are near the beginning of your journey. Find the last pair of jeans/pants/etc. that you bought. And pay attention to them. As you lose weight, you'll go down sizes. Keep that pair of jeans as a mental reminder of where you were. Also take pictures, or have someone take a couple of pictures of you. Then every 4 weeks or so, repeat. You'll be able to see the progress that way.Thank you everyone. Lots of "food" for thought. I am determined to lose this weight. I understand its a marathon but I am hoping I will see some real results in the short term to give me the motivation to keep trying. So far I am down 2.8lbs so hopefully I can keep it up and SMASH this Biggest Loser contest and ultimately my goal weight. My driving factor was while out the other day my son (5 years old) says mommy that lady looks like you. The lady (in my eyes) was WAY bigger and unhealthy looking then I am. I think my mirror lies to me because I don't see the same person in pictures (or apparently as others do) when I look in my mirror.
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fitoverfortymom wrote: »Thank you everyone. Lots of "food" for thought. I am determined to lose this weight. I understand its a marathon but I am hoping I will see some real results in the short term to give me the motivation to keep trying. So far I am down 2.8lbs so hopefully I can keep it up and SMASH this Biggest Loser contest and ultimately my goal weight. My driving factor was while out the other day my son (5 years old) says mommy that lady looks like you. The lady (in my eyes) was WAY bigger and unhealthy looking then I am. I think my mirror lies to me because I don't see the same person in pictures (or apparently as others do) when I look in my mirror.
For what it's worth, I'm 50lbs down and 50% to my goal and everyone tells me I look so much smaller, but I feel exactly the same size I was when I started. It's hard to see it in yourself. Just trust the process and keep with it, regardless of how the contest goes.
CONGRATS!!! Keep up the good work. I am looking forward to the day I can also claim such wonderful success.0 -
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