Had my metabolism tested - interesting results and some questions
Replies
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MaineMom76 wrote: »So I guess a followup question would be...
If you totally ignored my comment about eating 1600 calories and I just told you, hey, my RMR is 1800, how many calories would you recommend me to eat to lose 1-2 pounds per week, what would be your recommendation? I know some people say TDEE minus 20%. Some people say to use MFP's calculations, etc. I'm just curious what would be your recommendation based on the RMR and not based on my history of eating a certain amount of calories.
Personally, I like TDEE minus 5 times your current body weight in pounds.0 -
I don't have any insight, but can I just say how jealous I am of your metabolism?? I also am hypothyroid, and my metabolism test resulted in my maintenance calories being 1,340. With how overweight I am/was at the time, losing 2lbs a week should have been easy, but not with that kind of metabolism
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MaineMom76 wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »MaineMom76 wrote: »So I guess a followup question would be...
If you totally ignored my comment about eating 1600 calories and I just told you, hey, my RMR is 1800, how many calories would you recommend me to eat to lose 1-2 pounds per week, what would be your recommendation? I know some people say TDEE minus 20%. Some people say to use MFP's calculations, etc. I'm just curious what would be your recommendation based on the RMR and not based on my history of eating a certain amount of calories.
I'd say it was impossible to give a recommendation based on that without knowing your activity level. IMO, if you are not obese or very lean, TDEE-20% is reasonable.
That's fair, and I thank you for your honesty. Well, considering the woman called me a "really big girl," LOL, I guess you would say I'm obese. Technically I am. As a former athlete, I still have a lot of muscle, so people have told me that it doesn't look like I weigh 233 but I do, and so that puts me in the obese category.
I do home workouts - HIIT, interval, total-body workouts (Insanity-type workouts if you know them?) 6 days/week for 30 minutes each session. I also teach a Zumba class one day/week for 60 minutes. My Zumba class is more like a hip hop dance class, so more intense than a regular Zumba class but it's straight cardio obviously, no weights or anything.
I work from home, so other than running errands, cleaning the house, etc., and taking the kids to and from school, I'm usually on my laptop.
Based on that, I'd do a rough estimate of 2100-2200 for average weekly TDEE, although it could be higher I'd think it was a decent place to start. I'd cut 500-750 (okay because obese, IMO), but given that it sounds like there's no reason to rush it maybe err toward the 500 (I know a lot of people recommend a lower goal, but for me 500 always worked better as otherwise the losses would be harder to see with the fluctuations). That would end up around 1600, which I know is where you've been, so probably is not that helpful!2 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »MaineMom76 wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »MaineMom76 wrote: »So I guess a followup question would be...
If you totally ignored my comment about eating 1600 calories and I just told you, hey, my RMR is 1800, how many calories would you recommend me to eat to lose 1-2 pounds per week, what would be your recommendation? I know some people say TDEE minus 20%. Some people say to use MFP's calculations, etc. I'm just curious what would be your recommendation based on the RMR and not based on my history of eating a certain amount of calories.
I'd say it was impossible to give a recommendation based on that without knowing your activity level. IMO, if you are not obese or very lean, TDEE-20% is reasonable.
That's fair, and I thank you for your honesty. Well, considering the woman called me a "really big girl," LOL, I guess you would say I'm obese. Technically I am. As a former athlete, I still have a lot of muscle, so people have told me that it doesn't look like I weigh 233 but I do, and so that puts me in the obese category.
I do home workouts - HIIT, interval, total-body workouts (Insanity-type workouts if you know them?) 6 days/week for 30 minutes each session. I also teach a Zumba class one day/week for 60 minutes. My Zumba class is more like a hip hop dance class, so more intense than a regular Zumba class but it's straight cardio obviously, no weights or anything.
I work from home, so other than running errands, cleaning the house, etc., and taking the kids to and from school, I'm usually on my laptop.
Based on that, I'd do a rough estimate of 2100-2200 for average weekly TDEE, although it could be higher I'd think it was a decent place to start. I'd cut 500-750 (okay because obese, IMO), but given that it sounds like there's no reason to rush it maybe err toward the 500 (I know a lot of people recommend a lower goal, but for me 500 always worked better as otherwise the losses would be harder to see with the fluctuations). That would end up around 1600, which I know is where you've been, so probably is not that helpful!
Thank you!! It is helpful to have another opinion based on numbers, etc. I appreciate it!0 -
Mary_Anastasia wrote: »I don't have any insight, but can I just say how jealous I am of your metabolism?? I also am hypothyroid, and my metabolism test resulted in my maintenance calories being 1,340. With how overweight I am/was at the time, losing 2lbs a week should have been easy, but not with that kind of metabolism
Are you on medication now? It's been about 6 years for me, so I've been medicated for a while.
I also credit my very active sports life prior to adulthood with giving me enough muscle to keep my metabolism faster. I'm all about the muscle!0 -
@lemurcat12 is that a TDEE (as I read it to be in your post) or NEAT?
I thought a basic sedentary NEAT was RMR x 1.25 so the number you gave (in my thoughts) was without exercise.
1800 x 1.25 = 2250 NEAT
1lbs deficit = 1750 NEAT
1.5lbs deficit= 1500 NEAT
I am asking for my own clarity, not nit-picking.
Cheers, h.0 -
@MaineMom76 Understand that even trained professionals overestimate caloric intake by ~300 kcals. This data was observed following an experiment conducted in conjunction with the National Weight Control Registry. So people aren't picking on you - this is simply a very difficult skill to master and carries a great deal of inaccuracy - to the point that regulatory authorities allow a 20% margin of error in calculation.
The critical point to all of this is awareness and for you to build a routine that builds upon your strengths and enables your goals.
As for the negative people and those who exist to make the rest of us suffer - use the ignore feature liberally.
Thank you - I am grateful for constructive help but I have definitely had some negative experiences on these boards. I used to engage, but now I just ignore. Liberally. As you suggested. LOL4 -
VintageFeline wrote: »Can we not turn this into yet another Midwesterner bragging about eating 10'000 calories regularly and not gaining debate?
Apparently the 10,000 number has been discussed in the past.
https://reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2rr3ip/if_i_ate_10000_calories_in_one_go_would_my_body/0 -
I know what you mean. Take random product X. Label says 1 cup (28g) = 130 calories. I weigh, and have 20g of product X. Use the barcode scanner and the entry that comes up is 1 serving = 1 cup = 130 cals. So I do the math: 20/28 = .714 so I log .714 servings. And my log shows I had .714 cups...MaineMom76 wrote: »
I still weigh everything. In my diary, it may say cups, but whatever the equivalent it lists in grams for that cup is what I'm measuring. Hard to explain but even when I measure in cups, I'm still measuring on the scale. I know that probably doesn't make sense. LOL
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middlehaitch wrote: »@lemurcat12 is that a TDEE (as I read it to be in your post) or NEAT?
I thought a basic sedentary NEAT was RMR x 1.25 so the number you gave (in my thoughts) was without exercise.
1800 x 1.25 = 2250 NEAT
1lbs deficit = 1750 NEAT
1.5lbs deficit= 1500 NEAT
I am asking for my own clarity, not nit-picking.
Cheers, h.
No, I wasn't using NEAT.
True that basic sedentary TDEE is 1.2 x BMR. I was thinking RMR was a bit higher than BMR already, but maybe wasn't giving enough credit for non exercise daily movement.
My intent was to add exercise/activity to RMR based on the OP's statement that she wasn't that active outside of planned activity, exercised (circuit training type videos) 30 min/day most days, with one longer day and one rest day.
Could have been on the low side, but I think a decent starting place (I always start conservative when calculating TDEE) that I'd adjust if necessary going forward, if it were me.2 -
TimothyFish wrote: »MaineMom76 wrote: »So I guess a followup question would be...
If you totally ignored my comment about eating 1600 calories and I just told you, hey, my RMR is 1800, how many calories would you recommend me to eat to lose 1-2 pounds per week, what would be your recommendation? I know some people say TDEE minus 20%. Some people say to use MFP's calculations, etc. I'm just curious what would be your recommendation based on the RMR and not based on my history of eating a certain amount of calories.
Personally, I like TDEE minus 5 times your current body weight in pounds.
Where'd you pick that one up? It puts me at 1200 cal, or -52% of TDEE5 -
TimothyFish wrote: »MaineMom76 wrote: »So I guess a followup question would be...
If you totally ignored my comment about eating 1600 calories and I just told you, hey, my RMR is 1800, how many calories would you recommend me to eat to lose 1-2 pounds per week, what would be your recommendation? I know some people say TDEE minus 20%. Some people say to use MFP's calculations, etc. I'm just curious what would be your recommendation based on the RMR and not based on my history of eating a certain amount of calories.
Personally, I like TDEE minus 5 times your current body weight in pounds.
Where'd you pick that one up? It puts me at 1200 cal, or -52% of TDEE
Yeah, that would put me at 995.
No thanks!! 3 -
TimothyFish wrote: »MaineMom76 wrote: »So I guess a followup question would be...
If you totally ignored my comment about eating 1600 calories and I just told you, hey, my RMR is 1800, how many calories would you recommend me to eat to lose 1-2 pounds per week, what would be your recommendation? I know some people say TDEE minus 20%. Some people say to use MFP's calculations, etc. I'm just curious what would be your recommendation based on the RMR and not based on my history of eating a certain amount of calories.
Personally, I like TDEE minus 5 times your current body weight in pounds.
Where'd you pick that one up? It puts me at 1200 cal, or -52% of TDEE
Yup, that would put me at 900 per day. To be fair, I was losing when I ate 900 calories a day! I was losing fat!... and muscle and hair and flakes of skin and bone density and energy and...8 -
MaineMom76 wrote: »Mary_Anastasia wrote: »I don't have any insight, but can I just say how jealous I am of your metabolism?? I also am hypothyroid, and my metabolism test resulted in my maintenance calories being 1,340. With how overweight I am/was at the time, losing 2lbs a week should have been easy, but not with that kind of metabolism
Are you on medication now? It's been about 6 years for me, so I've been medicated for a while.
I also credit my very active sports life prior to adulthood with giving me enough muscle to keep my metabolism faster. I'm all about the muscle!
Yeah, and I was then, too, my TSH and T3 and T4 were all normal during my test. I take Naturthroid now. I was taking Armour at the time of my test, I was on that for about 10 years- not a big fan, but better than the synthetics.0 -
TimothyFish wrote: »MaineMom76 wrote: »So I guess a followup question would be...
If you totally ignored my comment about eating 1600 calories and I just told you, hey, my RMR is 1800, how many calories would you recommend me to eat to lose 1-2 pounds per week, what would be your recommendation? I know some people say TDEE minus 20%. Some people say to use MFP's calculations, etc. I'm just curious what would be your recommendation based on the RMR and not based on my history of eating a certain amount of calories.
Personally, I like TDEE minus 5 times your current body weight in pounds.
yikes, that puts me at 1,020 per day and i think i'll pass on that. i'm doing pretty well on about 1600.3 -
I've been eating 1600 and not losing, which seemed odd. I'm 5'8", 233lbs., goal weight around 160. The woman who ran the test said that on the days I don't exercise, I should eat 1800 calories and on the days I do, I should eat 2100.
Not if you're not already losing weight. Increasing calories is never the answer if you're not losing weight.1 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »MaineMom76 wrote: »StaciMarie1974 wrote: »as to her recommendations - its hard to say because we don't know her qualifications or reasoning. If your TDEE is 1800-2340 depending on exercise then eating below TDEE should result in weight loss.
As to the accuracy of the machine: I have no idea. Will trust you've done your research there.
As to eating 1600 without results: how accurate was the 1600, and for how long did you eat at 1600 without weight loss. And was it no loss, or just not as much as you expected?
Over the course of 1 1/2 months, I haven't lost anything.
Her claim was that I'm eating not only below my TDEE but below my RMR, and apparently that's why I wasn't losing, but that also doesn't make sense to me.
Answer above about the accuracy of my calorie intake.
Keep in mind all the numbers are guessimations at best and that CICO is just one factor in weight loss/gains. What is your current Vitamin D level? What is your current CRP (C-Reactive Protein) test results?
Some lose weight quickly and some do not when CICO's are equal. There are reasons for that but the why's are not simple to learn.
Give an example of this, please.
Because, the only way to lose weight is to eat at a calorie deficit.
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GaleHawkins wrote: »MaineMom76 wrote: »StaciMarie1974 wrote: »as to her recommendations - its hard to say because we don't know her qualifications or reasoning. If your TDEE is 1800-2340 depending on exercise then eating below TDEE should result in weight loss.
As to the accuracy of the machine: I have no idea. Will trust you've done your research there.
As to eating 1600 without results: how accurate was the 1600, and for how long did you eat at 1600 without weight loss. And was it no loss, or just not as much as you expected?
Over the course of 1 1/2 months, I haven't lost anything.
Her claim was that I'm eating not only below my TDEE but below my RMR, and apparently that's why I wasn't losing, but that also doesn't make sense to me.
Answer above about the accuracy of my calorie intake.
Keep in mind all the numbers are guessimations at best and that CICO is just one factor in weight loss/gains. What is your current Vitamin D level? What is your current CRP (C-Reactive Protein) test results?
Some lose weight quickly and some do not when CICO's are equal. There are reasons for that but the why's are not simple to learn.
Give an example of this, please.
Because, the only way to lose weight is to eat at a calorie deficit.
diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/early/2015/05/06/db14-18810 -
I wish my RMR was that high! I am hypothyroid too and my recent RMR test showed to be 1394 or so. I am losing bodyfat % but not weight YET! I'm frustrated but hanging in there.
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TimothyFish wrote: »MaineMom76 wrote: »So I guess a followup question would be...
If you totally ignored my comment about eating 1600 calories and I just told you, hey, my RMR is 1800, how many calories would you recommend me to eat to lose 1-2 pounds per week, what would be your recommendation? I know some people say TDEE minus 20%. Some people say to use MFP's calculations, etc. I'm just curious what would be your recommendation based on the RMR and not based on my history of eating a certain amount of calories.
Personally, I like TDEE minus 5 times your current body weight in pounds.
Where'd you pick that one up? It puts me at 1200 cal, or -52% of TDEE
So, you are saying that you only weigh 125 pounds? If so, 1,200 calories isn't such an extreme number.0 -
So, you are saying that you only weigh 125 pounds? If so, 1,200 calories isn't such an extreme number.
??
Theo doesn't look to me like he weighs 125, but doing the math, 1200 is 52% of (roughly) 2300, and that means a deficit of 1100, and a weight of 220-ish.1 -
MaineMom76 wrote: »@MaineMom76 Understand that even trained professionals overestimate caloric intake by ~300 kcals. This data was observed following an experiment conducted in conjunction with the National Weight Control Registry. So people aren't picking on you - this is simply a very difficult skill to master and carries a great deal of inaccuracy - to the point that regulatory authorities allow a 20% margin of error in calculation.
The critical point to all of this is awareness and for you to build a routine that builds upon your strengths and enables your goals.
As for the negative people and those who exist to make the rest of us suffer - use the ignore feature liberally.
Thank you - I am grateful for constructive help but I have definitely had some negative experiences on these boards. I used to engage, but now I just ignore. Liberally. As you suggested. LOL
Looking at your post again I realize that our situations are very similar. I was around 205 in 2000 when diagnosed with thyroid cancer - resulting in a total thyroidectomy. This forced me to leave the Navy and I pretty much went from a crazy high operation tempo to a soft career in academia - ending up gaining ~70 lbs over 14 years. My wife had lost her baby weight using MFP and I picked this up. Like you with a solid base of muscle mass I had a higher metabolism and lost 60 lbs in the first year, then I slacked off and stopped logging and working out and put 45 lbs back on, which I'll refer to as my extremely dirty bulking period. I'm now down 25 and trending downward.
RMR/REE is primarily dependent upon muscle mass, so this is where those previous years of athletics really pay off, so yay us!0 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »GaleHawkins wrote: »MaineMom76 wrote: »StaciMarie1974 wrote: »as to her recommendations - its hard to say because we don't know her qualifications or reasoning. If your TDEE is 1800-2340 depending on exercise then eating below TDEE should result in weight loss.
As to the accuracy of the machine: I have no idea. Will trust you've done your research there.
As to eating 1600 without results: how accurate was the 1600, and for how long did you eat at 1600 without weight loss. And was it no loss, or just not as much as you expected?
Over the course of 1 1/2 months, I haven't lost anything.
Her claim was that I'm eating not only below my TDEE but below my RMR, and apparently that's why I wasn't losing, but that also doesn't make sense to me.
Answer above about the accuracy of my calorie intake.
Keep in mind all the numbers are guessimations at best and that CICO is just one factor in weight loss/gains. What is your current Vitamin D level? What is your current CRP (C-Reactive Protein) test results?
Some lose weight quickly and some do not when CICO's are equal. There are reasons for that but the why's are not simple to learn.
Give an example of this, please.
Because, the only way to lose weight is to eat at a calorie deficit.
diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/early/2015/05/06/db14-1881
I think what you're getting at is that the "CO" part of CO can vary based on a lot of unknown factors, so that two people who by all indications should be burning the same number of calories, actually may not be. Is that right?0 -
Hi @MaineMom76,
You posted regarding your intake on March 15. I responded.
community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10528222/not-losing-on-1600-calories-day/p1
I think this current post started out with questions regarding the test results but as I read your additional responses you seem to have gone back to the same questions you posted on the 15th (just framed in a different light). Yet you are a bit dismissive with folks suggestions. I don't mean to criticize and I think I hear your frustration but I just can't tell what you want. There is a lot of good advice here and on the other thread. Here's my question (for you to personally answer for yourself), when you are posting on the board (and visiting with your Dr's, etc.) what are you hoping for?
I see a bit of a yellow flag between the other thread, your lack of recent logging and this thread. I read it initially and thought, "you are making this too complicated", like seriously it reads like over-thinking, over-testing, over-everything. (And I say that knowing that I need someone to tell me the same thing when I'm "over' doing it and I hope that you take the words as they are meant, with good intention).
I also noted that you complicated the variables. You stopped logging and that adds new variables. Even if you are going to explore with Dr.'s etc. don't undo the work you've been doing, keep logging. Too many variables makes it harder for people to help :-)
Then I saw your comment "I am a recovering bulimic and a "recovered" anorexic, so being completely obsessive about my food is in my genes. " and the flag went from yellow to red. I think you are stressing yourself out. Get back to basics, log, drink water and breath!
MFP, the Korr testing, TDEE all of it is just estimates (some more accurate than others). You are heavy enough (I know) that any margin for error (given your good practices) isn't gonna kill your deficit. By the way, I don't have any issue with the Korr results since we discussed a possible cal increase over on the other thread.
And finally, can you go with your gut (literally)? Are you hungry-hungry? or just a little hungry? I ask because I think we eventually have to listen to our bodies. It is all estimates so eventually we have to listen (or do CICO and wait it out). I tend to go with a little hungry is ok, hungry, hungry means I'm a.) too low, b.) eating the wrong foods or c.) not eating often enough. So if you eat regularly, have decent macros and keep your water intake up, can you tell if you are hungry or hungry-hungry? I know you have a history with food so if you can't answer these "hungry" questions, that's totally ok but if you can, trust your gut (within the estimates that have been given to you).10 -
Consider making your diary public.0
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Also do you know how accurate the machine was that gave you those numbers?0
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brznhabits wrote: »Hi @MaineMom76,
You posted regarding your intake on March 15. I responded.
community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10528222/not-losing-on-1600-calories-day/p1
I think this current post started out with questions regarding the test results but as I read your additional responses you seem to have gone back to the same questions you posted on the 15th (just framed in a different light). Yet you are a bit dismissive with folks suggestions. I don't mean to criticize and I think I hear your frustration but I just can't tell what you want. There is a lot of good advice here and on the other thread. Here's my question (for you to personally answer for yourself), when you are posting on the board (and visiting with your Dr's, etc.) what are you hoping for?
I see a bit of a yellow flag between the other thread, your lack of recent logging and this thread. I read it initially and thought, "you are making this too complicated", like seriously it reads like over-thinking, over-testing, over-everything. (And I say that knowing that I need someone to tell me the same thing when I'm "over' doing it and I hope that you take the words as they are meant, with good intention).
I also noted that you complicated the variables. You stopped logging and that adds new variables. Even if you are going to explore with Dr.'s etc. don't undo the work you've been doing, keep logging. Too many variables makes it harder for people to help :-)
Then I saw your comment "I am a recovering bulimic and a "recovered" anorexic, so being completely obsessive about my food is in my genes. " and the flag went from yellow to red. I think you are stressing yourself out. Get back to basics, log, drink water and breath!
MFP, the Korr testing, TDEE all of it is just estimates (some more accurate than others). You are heavy enough (I know) that any margin for error (given your good practices) isn't gonna kill your deficit. By the way, I don't have any issue with the Korr results since we discussed a possible cal increase over on the other thread.
And finally, can you go with your gut (literally)? Are you hungry-hungry? or just a little hungry? I ask because I think we eventually have to listen to our bodies. It is all estimates so eventually we have to listen (or do CICO and wait it out). I tend to go with a little hungry is ok, hungry, hungry means I'm a.) too low, b.) eating the wrong foods or c.) not eating often enough. So if you eat regularly, have decent macros and keep your water intake up, can you tell if you are hungry or hungry-hungry? I know you have a history with food so if you can't answer these "hungry" questions, that's totally ok but if you can, trust your gut (within the estimates that have been given to you).
I would have loved to keep this discussion to my original questions, but as it tends to happen on these forums, I find myself answering the same questions or addressing the same things over and over again. That's part of my frustration.
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lemurcat12 wrote: »So, you are saying that you only weigh 125 pounds? If so, 1,200 calories isn't such an extreme number.
??
Theo doesn't look to me like he weighs 125, but doing the math, 1200 is 52% of (roughly) 2300, and that means a deficit of 1100, and a weight of 220-ish.
Perhaps I misunderstood what he meant by -52%. Regardless. A calorie deficit of 5 times a person's weight will give a 1 to 2 lbs weight loss to a person who is between 100 and 200 lbs. Or 1% of a person's weight, if you prefer.0 -
You can ask us as many times and ways as you want, but all we can tell you is the same thing.
If you burn at least 1800 calories being alive and you eat 1600 calories, you will lose weight.
If you're not losing weight, you're either not burning 1800 calories, or you're not eating 1600 calories, or you're overestimating calorie burn - so you're not netting 1600 calories.
That's it. You spent a bunch of money to verify the 1800 calories, so I guess the 1600 calories is wrong one way or another. The laws of thermodynamics tend to be pretty universal, while our estimates tend to be pretty wrong sometimes.3 -
annacole94 wrote: »You can ask us as many times and ways as you want, but all we can tell you is the same thing.
If you burn at least 1800 calories being alive and you eat 1600 calories, you will lose weight.
If you're not losing weight, you're either not burning 1800 calories, or you're not eating 1600 calories, or you're overestimating calorie burn - so you're not netting 1600 calories.
That's it. You spent a bunch of money to verify the 1800 calories, so I guess the 1600 calories is wrong one way or another. The laws of thermodynamics tend to be pretty universal, while our estimates tend to be pretty wrong sometimes.
Pretty sure I just asked the 1 time and 1 way, but thank you.0
This discussion has been closed.
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