Help with activity level

nlwrfa
nlwrfa Posts: 118 Member
edited November 21 in Health and Weight Loss
I have a question about my settings... I'm starving at the 1700 calories I'm allowed a day and noticed since I dropped to 1700 from 1900 that I've been binging a lot more. I sit all day at work, but will be working out (lifting heavy training for a strength competition 4 days a week) these next two months and beyond for whatever competition is next. As I lost weight, my calories adjusted down. I don't know if it's because I'm gaining more muscle therefore increasing my metabolism and in turn burn more calories just sitting around or I'm just imagining my hunger. I have gained decent amount of muscle as I'm new to weight lifting as of 3 months ago. Should I change my activity level set to currently sedentary to lightly active? I also felt like I lost more eating more... but then again it was back when I was first starting out so losing more weight is normal at first so not sure if that's it either.

Replies

  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,242 Member
    How fast are you/have you been losing? Why would you NOT increase your calories if that will likely reduce your binge incidents? Not to mention feeling more energised which you've hinted at.

    Your calories in and out OVER TIME is what matters. Long term compliance is much more important than size of deficit.
  • ayuri17
    ayuri17 Posts: 21 Member
    Are you logging your exercise? You are allowed more calories on exercise days. I would recommend leaving activity level at sedentary and eat back some of your exercise calories instead.
  • nlwrfa
    nlwrfa Posts: 118 Member
    @PAV8888 I've lost 33 pounds in 90 days. I'm just worried me increasing calories is just me giving myself an excuse to play the extra calories. Granted I'm only looking at increasing back to 1900 where I felt good and losing. But I also know I do have to adjust my calories down as I lose weight or I wouldn't anymore. As far as energy.. I had a bad week last week but it's tom for me :/ so can't really judge. Although prior to that I was at 1850ish and felt fine.
  • nlwrfa
    nlwrfa Posts: 118 Member
    @ayuri17 days I lift heavy I actually am not hungry after exerting myself. It's the days after that are the worst. Plus I don't think the lifting weights calorie count is very accurate. What energy I use to lift 200 pounds is not even close to how little my trainer burns lifting 200 calories because my max is her warm up weight
  • nlwrfa
    nlwrfa Posts: 118 Member
    edited September 2017
    And I calculated my TDEE... which means I'm eating over a 1200 calorie deficit a day at a sedentary level... if I eat at myfitnesspal recommendations which is not healthy I would think but I'm new and overweight cause I didn't know how to do any of this healthy stuff... just really want to do things the right way so it's maintainable i2cfu7y09qg9.png
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,242 Member
    Compliance over time.

    Compliance for a very long time even after the end of the weight loss phase.

    Pushing to failure does not increase the probability of compliance.

    Your rate of loss is already more than adequate.

    Your time horizon is months and years of eating at maintenance

    The probability of losing at a super high rate all the way to maintenance is marginal. The desirability of doing so is even more questionable.

    Start using a trending weight app to judge your weight level. When things slow down it will be invaluable in keeping you on track.

    While it sounds like you're obese and as such you may be able to tolerate a 1200 Cal deficit (which btw it does sound like you're achieving), it is generally considered optimal to be generating deficits in the 20% range. Maybe 25% while obese.

    You're hitting the 40% range.

    Eat the 1900. Eat the 2000. I would argue eat the 2300 leaving you room to come down in the future.

    Unless you're trying to save money by reducing your grocery bill by 200 Cal worth of food there are no bonus points for achieving results with a greater degree of difficulty than you have to.

  • misnomer1
    misnomer1 Posts: 646 Member
    You're eating too low. 'sedentary' fits a a very small % of people imo. You're more likely 'lightly active' or more.
  • nlwrfa
    nlwrfa Posts: 118 Member
    thank you all for the tips... i adjusted back up to 1850... so it's still down from the 1900 i started at. will see how this makes me feel and how the weight loss progression goes for a few weeks and then readjust accordingly. thank you all for the input and help
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    NoraInMt wrote: »
    thank you all for the tips... i adjusted back up to 1850... so it's still down from the 1900 i started at. will see how this makes me feel and how the weight loss progression goes for a few weeks and then readjust accordingly. thank you all for the input and help

    If you are not logging exercise and thereby eating back some of the activity calories you are earning, the way MFP is designed then you need to adjust your calories yes.

    You are in essence using TDEE...not NEAT.

    To calculate your actual TDEE instead of using an app try this...

    total calories consumed+(lbs lostx3500)/#days (typically 21 or 28 days)

    That will give you your average TDEE and you can then decide how much of a deficit you want to be in.

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