Calorie deficit...confused
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or why don't you just read about how MFP calculates calorie recommendations and how it works, rather than telling others who have been around a long time that they are wrong?
MFP figures out your calorie requirements (without purposeful activity) based on activity level and then you factor in those calories - which works better for people who don't have a set workout plan each week, or a highly variable one
(and as a note, personally, I do use TDEE, but I'm not going to tell others they are wrong when they know what they are talking about, I just found what works for me, because my exercise is consistent)4 -
hansklamp2112 wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »@hansklamp2112 the first rule of holes is when you find yourself in one, stop digging.
Oh look, another minimalist, no-content response. First rule of getting in a constructive discussion: actually have some basis and not just send a one sentence response that is completely ignoring the previous post. It shows your lack of knowledge on the subject.
Refer to my first post, when it was constructively put together to provide helpful advice. Look at your immediate post after, attacking me for providing OP advice without giving ANY constructive response.
Well done, you look like a clown.
no, he was saying what works for you, doesn't work for everyone...to which you basically said anyone who doesn't use TDEE isn't fit...4 -
deannalfisher wrote: »or why don't you just read about how MFP calculates calorie recommendations and how it works, rather than telling others who have been around a long time that they are wrong?
MFP figures out your calorie requirements (without purposeful activity) based on activity level and then you factor in those calories - which works better for people who don't have a set workout plan each week, or a highly variable one
(and as a note, personally, I do use TDEE, but I'm not going to tell others they are wrong when they know what they are talking about, I just found what works for me, because my exercise is consistent)
From OP's post, it sounds like her workouts are consistent too... thus solidifying, even further, that a TDEE calculator would likely benefit her. And the entire point was to push the idea of negating letting MFP tell you to eat more because you worked out that day. This literally could not be made any clearer. If people would re-read OP's first post, identify the questions, and see the response, they'd likely understand why this is very suitable advice. She is welcome to take or leave it. That's what we call free will, it's amazing.
P.S. I said whoever says it is terrible advice* there is a difference... I lost a lot of weight without a TDEE calculator at one point, and at a certain point I had to turn to other tools when I stalled and figure out more information on how/why. I wish I had known from the beginning, which is what I am offering here.. Additionally, what I am saying is, someone who actually has the audacity to say it is terrible advice, likely has never adequately tracked nutrition, thus, makes me question them and their statement when any other respectable forum on the internet will likely offer the same response of "try a BMR/TDEE calc, don't eat your workout cals unless you are really needing them to perform."
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most days and 600+ calories doesn't give you a lot of context - as compared to saying I do spin MWF, swim TTh etc - different workouts will have a huge variability in amount of calories and honestly 600+ seems really high for a good portion - since that would close to cycling 2hrs for me at 16mph, or swimming for 4000+yds - so I would guess overestimating at best
...plenty of us have given her guidance based on how MFP comes up with calorie recommendations3 -
@Charabz69
Are you still confused with how MFP works and how much you should be eating, or do you have more questions? Ignore the sidetrack, but if there is more you need help with, please ask.5 -
Little confused myself. I did the last 4 weeks at 1700-1800 mostly and work out 6 days a week for 1 hr+ Lost 2 pounds but assuming some fat was replaced with muscle. I sit on my butt all day at work so I reset mfp to non active and it has me at 1680 or something like that.
So if I'm nocking off 500+ calories a workout I should eat where I was at 1800 area to be safe?
Figure this out eventually haha0 -
have you actually read about how MFP determines calories - because unless you have done that, your advice is less than useful
https://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/en/portal/articles/410332-how-does-myfitnesspal-calculate-my-initial-goals-
TDEE is only as good as your estimations and work outs (i.e. If I say that I am moderately active and yet for one week am only lightly active, or vice versa, heavily active) - then my TDEE will change since my daily energy expenditure has changed - so its not a one size fits all equation2 -
hansklamp2112 wrote: »However, I couldn't stand by and let someone mindlessly shout "terrible advice" on something that is based on the formulas put together by people with actual educations and scientific backgrounds on the subject matter.
The formulae behind this stuff is fine, it's your terrible advice about how to misapply them that's a problem here. If you can't stand being called out for giving bad advice, then stop giving bad advice. And, when you can't do that, don't assume that anybody who disagrees with you is in poor physical condition. You were wrong, but that's ok, we're all wrong sometimes, it's how we deal with it.6 -
If you're doing your calculations correctly, the TDEE one and the MFP+Exercise will be the same.
I'm thinking if you are using a tool (THIS tool, MFP,) why not try it? All the calculators are in the end based on a generalized algorithm, and each user is going to have some variance. No way to get it absolutely 100% correct.
Unfortunately, this argument just confuses people.
Let it go, @hansklamp2112 - if you want to use TDEE then do it, but that is not the method MFP uses, and I prefer MFP's calculations (based on the Mifflin St Jeor calculator - look it up if you want to see the numbers in action.)
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In before the lock?2
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mca90guitar wrote: »Little confused myself. I did the last 4 weeks at 1700-1800 mostly and work out 6 days a week for 1 hr+ Lost 2 pounds but assuming some fat was replaced with muscle. I sit on my butt all day at work so I reset mfp to non active and it has me at 1680 or something like that.
So if I'm nocking off 500+ calories a workout I should eat where I was at 1800 area to be safe?
Figure this out eventually haha
You probably did not gain much muscle over that time period. It takes a while to gain muscle, but a 2 lb loss is decent, not know your stats.
If MFP is giving you 1680, then I'd add 250 for your exercise (50%) so eat maybe 1900 and see what happens with the weight loss. Or give us your stats (sex, height, weight, age, goal weight and expected loss) and we can toss some numbers around.1 -
NorthCascades wrote: »hansklamp2112 wrote: »However, I couldn't stand by and let someone mindlessly shout "terrible advice" on something that is based on the formulas put together by people with actual educations and scientific backgrounds on the subject matter.
The formulae behind this stuff is fine, it's your terrible advice about how to misapply them that's a problem here. If you can't stand being called out for giving bad advice, then stop giving bad advice. And, when you can't do that, don't assume that anybody who disagrees with you is in poor physical condition. You were wrong, but that's ok, we're all wrong sometimes, it's how we deal with it.
I left OP with an explanation, they can take it and try to learn more based off that or not, but until you actually prove to OP that learning more about the underlying factors of BMR and TDEE is not beneficial to her EXACT questions in this post, then you're simply trying to rob her of exceptional advice on how to move forward and using MFP as a tool, but using an external calculator to get an idea of what she should do so she knows why her net calories are what they are, whether she should eat her deficit gained from workouts back, etc.
Cheers.deannalfisher wrote: »have you actually read about how MFP determines calories - because unless you have done that, your advice is less than useful
https://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/en/portal/articles/410332-how-does-myfitnesspal-calculate-my-initial-goals-
TDEE is only as good as your estimations and work outs (i.e. If I say that I am moderately active and yet for one week am only lightly active, or vice versa, heavily active) - then my TDEE will change since my daily energy expenditure has changed - so its not a one size fits all equation
Have you actually read what I am saying? The purpose of using the calculator is to understand the WHY. I didn't say eat your calories based on TDEE, I said you use the calculator to learn your BMR/TDEE to then move accordingly. Understanding WHY you are eating x calories a day is how you learn how to adjust based on your activity levels. That's the ENTIRE POINT.
You're sitting here saying that TDEE gives you a one all answer to what you should do, but doesn't account for weeks where you have less activity--you do understand that MFP also does not? Changing your weekly goals based on fitness activity is inconsistent and if anyone here knows anything, inconsistency is a very poor way to lose weight. You use it so you have an idea of what you're burning based on what your activity level is. You use the BMR to know what your body is very likely, and quite accurately may I add, burning based on normally existing. You then have two numbers to work from instead of a random one MFP gives you without telling you WHY. I could not make this any simpler. OP's questions would be answered with this type of knowledge, which is why I am trying to share it.
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TDEE - total daily energy expenditure - which will change based on (shock gasp) daily activity - it is at best an calculated estimate that doesn't take your specific body chemistry into an account but it based on population metric2
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hansklamp2112 wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »hansklamp2112 wrote: »However, I couldn't stand by and let someone mindlessly shout "terrible advice" on something that is based on the formulas put together by people with actual educations and scientific backgrounds on the subject matter.
The formulae behind this stuff is fine, it's your terrible advice about how to misapply them that's a problem here. If you can't stand being called out for giving bad advice, then stop giving bad advice. And, when you can't do that, don't assume that anybody who disagrees with you is in poor physical condition. You were wrong, but that's ok, we're all wrong sometimes, it's how we deal with it.
I left OP with an explanation, they can take it and try to learn more based off that or not, but until you actually prove to OP that learning more about the underlying factors of BMR and TDEE is not beneficial to her EXACT questions in this post, then you're simply trying to rob her of exceptional advice on how to move forward and using MFP as a tool, but using an external calculator to get an idea of what she should do so she knows why her net calories are what they are, whether she should eat her deficit gained from workouts back, etc.
Cheers.deannalfisher wrote: »have you actually read about how MFP determines calories - because unless you have done that, your advice is less than useful
https://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/en/portal/articles/410332-how-does-myfitnesspal-calculate-my-initial-goals-
TDEE is only as good as your estimations and work outs (i.e. If I say that I am moderately active and yet for one week am only lightly active, or vice versa, heavily active) - then my TDEE will change since my daily energy expenditure has changed - so its not a one size fits all equation
Have you actually read what I am saying? The purpose of using the calculator is to understand the WHY. I didn't say eat your calories based on TDEE, I said you use the calculator to learn your BMR/TDEE to then move accordingly. Understanding WHY you are eating x calories a day is how you learn how to adjust based on your activity levels. That's the ENTIRE POINT.
You're sitting here saying that TDEE gives you a one all answer to what you should do, but doesn't account for weeks where you have less activity--you do understand that MFP also does not? Changing your weekly goals based on fitness activity is inconsistent and if anyone here knows anything, inconsistency is a very poor way to lose weight. You use it so you have an idea of what you're burning based on what your activity level is. You use the BMR to know what your body is very likely, and quite accurately may I add, burning based on normally existing. You then have two numbers to work from instead of a random one MFP gives you without telling you WHY. I could not make this any simpler. OP's questions would be answered with this type of knowledge, which is why I am trying to share it.
If you rad the link it gives you the formula that MFP uses to get ermine calories - BMR + daily activity (NEAT) + purposeful exercise - which is (wait for it) TDEE
In fact if you go by that it gives you more data than most TDEE calculators6 -
hansklamp2112 wrote: »NorthCascades wrote: »hansklamp2112 wrote: »However, I couldn't stand by and let someone mindlessly shout "terrible advice" on something that is based on the formulas put together by people with actual educations and scientific backgrounds on the subject matter.
The formulae behind this stuff is fine, it's your terrible advice about how to misapply them that's a problem here. If you can't stand being called out for giving bad advice, then stop giving bad advice. And, when you can't do that, don't assume that anybody who disagrees with you is in poor physical condition. You were wrong, but that's ok, we're all wrong sometimes, it's how we deal with it.
I left OP with an explanation, they can take it and try to learn more based off that or not, but until you actually prove to OP that learning more about the underlying factors of BMR and TDEE is not beneficial to her EXACT questions in this post, then you're simply trying to rob her of exceptional advice on how to move forward and using MFP as a tool, but using an external calculator to get an idea of what she should do so she knows why her net calories are what they are, whether she should eat her deficit gained from workouts back, etc.
Cheers.deannalfisher wrote: »have you actually read about how MFP determines calories - because unless you have done that, your advice is less than useful
https://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/en/portal/articles/410332-how-does-myfitnesspal-calculate-my-initial-goals-
TDEE is only as good as your estimations and work outs (i.e. If I say that I am moderately active and yet for one week am only lightly active, or vice versa, heavily active) - then my TDEE will change since my daily energy expenditure has changed - so its not a one size fits all equation
Have you actually read what I am saying? The purpose of using the calculator is to understand the WHY. I didn't say eat your calories based on TDEE, I said you use the calculator to learn your BMR/TDEE to then move accordingly. Understanding WHY you are eating x calories a day is how you learn how to adjust based on your activity levels. That's the ENTIRE POINT.
You're sitting here saying that TDEE gives you a one all answer to what you should do, but doesn't account for weeks where you have less activity--you do understand that MFP also does not? Changing your weekly goals based on fitness activity is inconsistent and if anyone here knows anything, inconsistency is a very poor way to lose weight. You use it so you have an idea of what you're burning based on what your activity level is. You use the BMR to know what your body is very likely, and quite accurately may I add, burning based on normally existing. You then have two numbers to work from instead of a random one MFP gives you without telling you WHY. I could not make this any simpler. OP's questions would be answered with this type of knowledge, which is why I am trying to share it.
I also don't think you really understand MFP's method. Your explanation is too complicated for some folks on here--in my opinion. The OP was already confused and needs a simple answer. Unfortunately yours isn't. However your method is useful for people that have been on here a long time, and, or know the basics. There are lots of lurkers.4 -
Get a fit bit. This will give you yoir calories burned for the day. Calculate your BMR as well and you will see what you burn in a day without doing any activity. These are guides. Mfp already set a calori deficit for you based on the info you entered about yourself ....how active you are...your weight and your weight loss goals1
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deannalfisher wrote: »what is your age/height/current weight/goal weight? 1200 might be too aggressive for your goals
OP if you are still around - this is an important question that would be helpful for you to address. You mentioned feeling hungry on 1200 (no doubt because you weren't eating back exercise calories and were netting far under that). It's worth noting that 1200 is the minimum recommended calorie amount and that most people can lose weight eating more than 1200. Often during set up, people choose an aggressive rate of loss, thinking faster is better, not realizing it may not be appropriate for how much weight they have to lose total.1 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »@Charabz69
Are you still confused with how MFP works and how much you should be eating, or do you have more questions? Ignore the sidetrack, but if there is more you need help with, please ask.
I am now totally confused......TDEE?
I will google it!
I use a Myzone HRM which is where I get my 'calories burned' from, I do various types of exercise through the week, running, Spin, Body Attack, CX Works, Weights. I average 600 (I generally do 2 hours exercise, 5 days a week, 1 hour am and 1 hour pm), I realise that the calories burned is generally over-estimated on HRM and so as a rule I only 'eat back' 50%.
My main concern is that at 1200 a day I'm not actually 'fuelling' my body correctly and that is why I asked about the calorie deficit . I guess I need to pay more attention to macros?0 -
@Charabz69 I get the confusion. I going to make a couple of posts to explain things, but the short answer will be to eat back 1/2 your calories and see how your weight comes off over a month or so. If you lose too little, eat a bit more. If you feel out of energy, eat a bit more. There is no set answer and it confused partly by you not having a tremendous amount to lose and MFP given you 1200, which is as low as it will go. You certainly need to net 1200, so be sure to eat back some of your exercise calories.1
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Here's a bit of a primer on what people are talking about. And, if it's okay, I'll use myself as an example. I'm male, 6' 52 yrs old and 240 lbs. I'm also sedentary in my normal activities.
BMR is your basal metabolic rate. It's the number of calories your body burns to exist. So imagine a near coma life and that is BMR. It's also the normal starting point for any of these calculations. The calculators you find for this can use a variety of formulas, and they are all estimates. My BMR is ~2100 calories according to http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/
NEAT is Non-exercise activity thermogenesis. It's the amount of calories you burn in a normal day. This is what MFP bases the calories it give you on. MFP basically calculates your BMR from your stats and gives you a multiple of this based on your activity level. I think the sedentary factor is 1.2. So, my Neat should be ~2100 X 1.2 or 2520.
Now, to lose 1 lb a week, you need to reduce your calories (for the week) by 3500. Or 500 a day. I'm currently trying to lose 1.5 lbs per week, so my reduction is 750 cals per day so MFP gives me 1770 calories (it is actually giving me 1720, but I'm not quite 240). The point is that my weight loss goal is built into the number MFP gives me. So if I exercise and don't eat those back, I would lose weight faster than I should for good health. Or, more to the point, I would lose muscle where I want to lose fat.
Now, if I wanted to lose 2 lb per week, and MFP has my NEAT at 2470 (the real number MFP has, not my calc above), then MFP would give me 1500 cals. If my NEAT was 2000 and I wanted to lose 2 lb per week, MFP would still give me 1500 cals as I shouldn't be eating less than that, but I wouldn't be losing 2 lb per week.
I think that may be where you are at. MFP won't go below 1200 for a female, regardless of what you put in for your weight loss. So, you need to just try things for a while, eating back 1/2 your calories and seeing where your weight loss ends up.
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