Question for the veterans - calorie counting
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mou_254
Posts: 153 Member
So , I have been wondering lately, how do you guys approach the whole "how many calories to eat" thing?
Do you guys calculate tdee based on current weight and then eat at a deficit and then shave off more calories as you lose weight?
Or, do you eat the same number of calories the entire journey, and then up it a little when you switch to maintenance?
I have been thinking, what if I eat my maintenance calories at my goal weight for the entire journey? That way, I can always tell myself that I will always have these many calories to eat daily, throughout my life and I might as well get used to it. And theoretically, since I'm overweight (obese, actually) , I should lose weight by eating my goal weight's maintenance calories, isn't it? (Obviously I understand that there may be plateaus, and I'll have to adjust my calories accordingly)
Do you guys think it is feasible in the long run? My question is targeted mostly to the people who have lost a lot of weight (100 lbs or more) , because I have a lot of weight to lose.
Thoughts, opinions, suggestions?
Do you guys calculate tdee based on current weight and then eat at a deficit and then shave off more calories as you lose weight?
Or, do you eat the same number of calories the entire journey, and then up it a little when you switch to maintenance?
I have been thinking, what if I eat my maintenance calories at my goal weight for the entire journey? That way, I can always tell myself that I will always have these many calories to eat daily, throughout my life and I might as well get used to it. And theoretically, since I'm overweight (obese, actually) , I should lose weight by eating my goal weight's maintenance calories, isn't it? (Obviously I understand that there may be plateaus, and I'll have to adjust my calories accordingly)
Do you guys think it is feasible in the long run? My question is targeted mostly to the people who have lost a lot of weight (100 lbs or more) , because I have a lot of weight to lose.
Thoughts, opinions, suggestions?
4
Replies
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I use MFP's tools to figure that out. Have you not tried that?
I've only had a little over 30 lbs to lose, but really, the approach need be no different for 100.4 -
Do you guys calculate tdee based on current weight and then eat at a deficit and then shave off more calories as you lose weight?
I started using MFP's numbers, although I checked them with several TDEE calculators (I lost 95 lb total, but started MFP after the first 20 were lost). I ate back exercise calories too. After a few months I switched to the TDEE approach, ate about 1500, and ended up moving it to 1600 as I lost, as I was exercising more. I let my rate of loss gradually diminish, but I never ate maintenance calories -- I upped it when I got to maintenance.Or, do you eat the same number of calories the entire journey, and then up it a little when you switch to maintenance?
This is workable if you still have a lot to lose (it's not if you only have a little, as maintenance calories won't be that different), but remember what your actual maintenance calories are going to be will depend on how much you move. Mine has varied off and on as I've been at maintenance. Also, if you have less to lose or as you get close to goal it could become frustratingly slow, although at least you wouldn't have a tendency to quit in frustration, as you'd be doing what you planned to do forever.2 -
I've used both MFP NEAT eating all my exercise calories, TDEE, and used collected data to come up with my own numbers. (Yeah I have been around way too long.)
All those versions were close enough for me to lose at the predicted rate, and to stay in maintenance for a few years.
Oddly enough all those numbers also took me to maintenance on the same calories, and my maintenance was those calories too.
Fair enough I was small and only had 30lbs to lose.
The only problem I can see with going from obese to mid normal BMI is that a low calorie goal may have you losing a bit too fast which may leave you lethargic, upsetting your NEAT, and/or be restrictive enough to make it unsustainable.
There is no harm in giving it a go and if you find it isn't working, revert to the more conventional method.
I would be interested in you keeping the thread updated on your progress.
Cheers, h.0 -
It is theoretically possible to eat at maintenance for your goal weight the entire journey, but I don't think many have succeeded at that. Something you might consider is whether you really want to maintain your weight by tracking your calories in the same way that you do when you are losing weight. That doesn't work for me. Also, most people don't have a set maintenance weight but a range of about +/-5 lbs. Are you going to calculate your calories based on the midpoint? The low side? The high side? It would work better if you use the low side, but you will have to increase your calories at some point. At the midpoint it will take you a very long time. At the high point you will never get there.0
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TDEE minus 500-700 calories is usually how I would go about it since TDEE can be different day to day.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Look at the fat 2 fit calculator. It calculates your TDEE based on your goal weight. I will say that they also suggest for faster weight-loss you can subtract 200-300 calories. Look at all the numbers and see what makes the most sense for you. You may find your answer changes from time to time.
I personally like the TDEE method and I just recalculate it along the way based on current weight and activity level.0 -
I set MFP for my TDEE minus a deficit.0
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It didn't take me long to figure out that I preferred a stable calorie goal rather than a moving target. I've lost about 130 pounds in the past 25 months with a calorie goal during about the past 22 months that is about 200 calories below my anticipated maintenance calories. I haven't changed my calorie goal since I settled on a number that kept me satiated. I'm sedentary so, after my initial water weight loss in the first couple of weeks, my rate of loss wasn't too fast at that calorie level. I lost an average of about 1.5 pounds per week near the beginning and I'm at an average of about 0.6 pounds per week now. The rate just gets slower and slower on its own without me having to make any adjustments at all. Easy peasy. Once I reach a weight that works for me, I'll add a bit more cheese here and there to bump up my calories to maintenance.3
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For context, I lost 170 lbs a few years ago and have been in maintenance for about 2 years.
I 100% agree that when you have a lot of weight to lose, looking at long-term sustainability is critical to success. I feel so sad for people I see who seem to be in such a hurry to lose a large amount of weight and for their "diet to be over," that they burn out their willpower with too much restriction.
It's also absolutely true that after you lose the weight, you'll likely need to have a new approach to food than what you had when you started, and you really need to take your time to figure that out. Meaning that if you are anything like me, you have a lot of weight to lose at least partly because you love eating food, and you'll need to find a way to come to terms with that that strikes a balance between accountability to yourself for your goals and kindness and respect for yourself and your natural preferences.
The good news is that over the long haul it really does get easier, and your attitudes do shift. I still love treats, but I've found ways to enjoy them in smaller and less frequent doses. I still love larger portions than average, but I have learned how to plan my meals better to account for that, and I've (very slowly) learned to actually feel psychologically "finished eating" after a smaller plate. But also (in terms of setting a calorie goal), I found that my goals -- and my needs changed. Mostly what I found that as I got lighter, being active was less onerous / more fun, and I gradually became more active, which changed my nutritional needs (more calories, different macros). And for a lot of people (not me, for specific reasons), a long-term plan that works quite well is intermittant fasting combined with a fairly disciplined "cut" / "bulk" cycle. This suggests that a calorie target for eating at healthy maintenance (sometimes called "eating for future you") might realistically be something of a moving target. Bear in mind that I started losing weight about 4 years ago, and I'm still finding that my attitudes and needs continue to change, and mostly it gets easier.8 -
middlehaitch wrote: »I've used both MFP NEAT eating all my exercise calories, TDEE, and used collected data to come up with my own numbers. (Yeah I have been around way too long.)
All those versions were close enough for me to lose at the predicted rate, and to stay in maintenance for a few years.
Oddly enough all those numbers also took me to maintenance on the same calories, and my maintenance was those calories too.
Fair enough I was small and only had 30lbs to lose.
The only problem I can see with going from obese to mid normal BMI is that a low calorie goal may have you losing a bit too fast which may leave you lethargic, upsetting your NEAT, and/or be restrictive enough to make it unsustainable.
There is no harm in giving it a go and if you find it isn't working, revert to the more conventional method.
I would be interested in you keeping the thread updated on your progress.
Cheers, h.
I thought I might as well give this a go, now. Let's see what happens!! Thanks
1 -
It didn't take me long to figure out that I preferred a stable calorie goal rather than a moving target. I've lost about 130 pounds in the past 25 months with a calorie goal during about the past 22 months that is about 200 calories below my anticipated maintenance calories. I haven't changed my calorie goal since I settled on a number that kept me satiated. I'm sedentary so, after my initial water weight loss in the first couple of weeks, my rate of loss wasn't too fast at that calorie level. I lost an average of about 1.5 pounds per week near the beginning and I'm at an average of about 0.6 pounds per week now. The rate just gets slower and slower on its own without me having to make any adjustments at all. Easy peasy. Once I reach a weight that works for me, I'll add a bit more cheese here and there to bump up my calories to maintenance.
That's what I used to think as well, that a stable calorie goal is better for me, personally. But, my thoughts are whether that stable goal for me can be close to my goal weight's maintenance calories?0 -
For context, I lost 170 lbs a few years ago and have been in maintenance for about 2 years.
I 100% agree that when you have a lot of weight to lose, looking at long-term sustainability is critical to success. I feel so sad for people I see who seem to be in such a hurry to lose a large amount of weight and for their "diet to be over," that they burn out their willpower with too much restriction.
It's also absolutely true that after you lose the weight, you'll likely need to have a new approach to food than what you had when you started, and you really need to take your time to figure that out. Meaning that if you are anything like me, you have a lot of weight to lose at least partly because you love eating food, and you'll need to find a way to come to terms with that that strikes a balance between accountability to yourself for your goals and kindness and respect for yourself and your natural preferences.
The good news is that over the long haul it really does get easier, and your attitudes do shift. I still love treats, but I've found ways to enjoy them in smaller and less frequent doses. I still love larger portions than average, but I have learned how to plan my meals better to account for that, and I've (very slowly) learned to actually feel psychologically "finished eating" after a smaller plate. But also (in terms of setting a calorie goal), I found that my goals -- and my needs changed. Mostly what I found that as I got lighter, being active was less onerous / more fun, and I gradually became more active, which changed my nutritional needs (more calories, different macros). And for a lot of people (not me, for specific reasons), a long-term plan that works quite well is intermittant fasting combined with a fairly disciplined "cut" / "bulk" cycle. This suggests that a calorie target for eating at healthy maintenance (sometimes called "eating for future you") might realistically be something of a moving target. Bear in mind that I started losing weight about 4 years ago, and I'm still finding that my attitudes and needs continue to change, and mostly it gets easier.
You are absolutely right, I love eating! I have not had major diseases ( a little bit of hypothyroidism only) and no major emotional trauma. I am obese purely because of my love for food, although I do have to admit that I use food to deal with emotions like happiness, sadness, frustration, anger and what not.
Thank you for sharing. I do intend to be more physically active; I'll join a gym in April and will walk back from office.0 -
TimothyFish wrote: »It is theoretically possible to eat at maintenance for your goal weight the entire journey, but I don't think many have succeeded at that. Something you might consider is whether you really want to maintain your weight by tracking your calories in the same way that you do when you are losing weight. That doesn't work for me. Also, most people don't have a set maintenance weight but a range of about +/-5 lbs. Are you going to calculate your calories based on the midpoint? The low side? The high side? It would work better if you use the low side, but you will have to increase your calories at some point. At the midpoint it will take you a very long time. At the high point you will never get there.
But part of my theory is that once I have eaten a particular amount of calories long enough ( and it will be long enough, considering I have about 110lbs to lose), I'll be able to eat without exactly counting all the calories ( I mean I'll be able to tell, say after 2 years, isn't it?) That way, I thought maintenance will also be easier, because I'll know when I'm going over.
I too have a range for goal weight, not an exact weight, and yes, I'll stick to the lower end to calculate calories.0 -
I set the mfp to lose 1lb a week. I figure it is easier to change my diet over time. I am eating better and better but if i went from what i was doing directly to what i should be doing at goal weight no way i would stick to it. I need to slowly make small sustainable changes.0
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If you eat right at the maintenance calories for your goal weight, your deficit will get smaller and smaller the closer you get to your goal weight. If you are familiar with math, it's like approaching the asymptote. That last 10 pounds might take you 5 years to lose. That may or may not be an issue for you.
Some people can eat intuitively after a while and some can't. I'm one who can't but you might be one who can.4 -
If you eat right at the maintenance calories for your goal weight, your deficit will get smaller and smaller the closer you get to your goal weight. If you are familiar with math, it's like approaching the asymptote. That last 10 pounds might take you 5 years to lose. That may or may not be an issue for you.
Some people can eat intuitively after a while and some can't. I'm one who can't but you might be one who can.
All valid points. I will have to consider and re-consider a lot of things along the way, it seems.0 -
Just purely out of curiosity what are your maintenance calories now, and what will they be when you switch to eating maintenance at your future weight?
Remember a big black limo won't come and run you down if you decide to change how you approach your goal.
I think it will be very important to eat back your exercise calories as you take this approach- they too will drop as you lose. Decide if you want to eat back current weight, which will give you wiggle room, or future weight.
I don't know much about math, but @seska422 is correct it could take a long time to lose the last few lbs. it took me 6 months of diligent logging and cutting back exercise cals to lose the last 5-8.
Cheers, h.0 -
Whether it's MFP sedentary with my age, height, weight, gender, and weight loss goal or TDEE estimating exercise and cutting 20%, I get similar target number of calories for my food.
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After a few months on MFP I decided that I would set my minimum to the lightly active calories at goal weight.
Did not regret and was not hindered by the decision.
You can always change your mind based on circumstances.
I've found it very educational to have to start thinking about which of the choices I was making were long term sustainabable vs expedient.
The more long term sustainabable the stuff we do... the better off we'll be, I think.
Contrary to other viewpoints descibed above, I personally view logging as a much longer term commitment....1
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