Calorie intake/ Activity Level

littlebear0121
littlebear0121 Posts: 1,073 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi- I'm new to MFP. I am 38 years old, weigh 168 lbs, would like to weigh 130 lbs, and am 5'6." I was not sure what to put for my activity level, so I put sedentary because I figured it wouldn't hurt. I don't have a fitness tracker. I have been burning about 350 calories a day from cardio exercise (based on MFP calculations, not my own), and adding that to the 1280 recommended by MFP for 1 lb weight loss per week. I've been entering everything I eat and coming in just under the allowed amount, and am hungry, dizzy, and shaky most of the day. I know I am eating much, much less than I normally do. For example, on Sunday I ate 4000 calories (burned about 1000 through exercise) and while I normally don't keep track, that seemed like a normal amount. I've been drinking a lot more water than usual, 9-10 cups per day. (On purpose, not because of thirst.) I'm not sure that I should be classifying myself as sedentary. I homeschool my children and have a very active four-year-old. Sometimes I am sitting, but I am often up cleaning or cooking. I try to exercise 6 days a week for 30-40 minutes, and usually actually achieve 2-4 days a week and am not considering this for the activity level. However, I put on muscle easily compared to other women, so I think my resting metabolism might be higher. (I do lift weights.) Do you think I should just wait a bit before changing my activity level, and see how much my weight changes? I'm hoping that the shakiness is due to cutting sweets and most snacks out of my diet, and maybe it's just in my head. Or maybe I should adjust my macros? Any other suggestions?

Replies

  • MichelleSilverleaf
    MichelleSilverleaf Posts: 2,027 Member
    Being dizzy and shaky is not usually because of cutting out sweets and snacks, kind of sounds more like you're not eating enough to fuel your activity. I'd bump it to lightly active and eat back a portion of your exercise calories, try that for a month and see how you feel.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    It is difficult to determine what causes your shakiness and such. If you had many sweets beforehand, it could be sugar withdraw. If you greatly reduced soda, it could also be caffeine withdraw.

    If you're not getting proper nutrition, that can cause it too.

    Given you activity level, I'd say lightly active is a good choice. From there, don't add your exercise to MFP. Also, you'll need to make sure you eat quite healthy. While you can go ahead and lose fat eating snickers bars all day if under the calorie goal, you'll feel like crap. So, gotta make sure you get your nutrition in. Add in a multivitamin if needed.
  • MichelleSilverleaf
    MichelleSilverleaf Posts: 2,027 Member
    DanaDark wrote: »
    It is difficult to determine what causes your shakiness and such. If you had many sweets beforehand, it could be sugar withdraw. If you greatly reduced soda, it could also be caffeine withdraw.

    If you're not getting proper nutrition, that can cause it too.

    Given you activity level, I'd say lightly active is a good choice. From there, don't add your exercise to MFP. Also, you'll need to make sure you eat quite healthy. While you can go ahead and lose fat eating snickers bars all day if under the calorie goal, you'll feel like crap. So, gotta make sure you get your nutrition in. Add in a multivitamin if needed.

    If she's doing intentional exercise like weight lifting, that she should absolutely log.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    MichelleSilverleaf wrote: »
    If she's doing intentional exercise like weight lifting, that she should absolutely log.

    You can go one of two routes: choose sedentary and then log everything you do or choose your activity level and not worry about logging each and every activity.

    We as people as well as MFP tends to greatly over estimate calories burned in activity. So, without some sort of personal tracker like a fitbit, I'd caution against adding exercise calories unless we're talking 2 hour kickboxing training sessions daily.
  • mabearof6
    mabearof6 Posts: 684 Member
    MichelleSilverleaf wrote: »
    DanaDark wrote: »
    It is difficult to determine what causes your shakiness and such. If you had many sweets beforehand, it could be sugar withdraw. If you greatly reduced soda, it could also be caffeine withdraw.

    If you're not getting proper nutrition, that can cause it too.

    Given you activity level, I'd say lightly active is a good choice. From there, don't add your exercise to MFP. Also, you'll need to make sure you eat quite healthy. While you can go ahead and lose fat eating snickers bars all day if under the calorie goal, you'll feel like crap. So, gotta make sure you get your nutrition in. Add in a multivitamin if needed.

    If she's doing intentional exercise like weight lifting, that she should absolutely log.

    Intentional exercise is not included in activity level if you are truly following MFPs formulas. Intentional exercise should be added, ITA. Especially if having issues with dizziness and shakiness. MFP already gives you a calorie deficit. It is easy to overestimate calorie burn and underestimate calorie intake. I watched my rate of loss for a few weeks and adjusted my calories accordingly. Keep in mind weight lifting itself does not burn a lot of calories.
  • ladyhusker39
    ladyhusker39 Posts: 1,406 Member
    You might be trying too drastic of a change too quickly.

    If you're confident you've been overeating before now you could always set your goal to maintenance and eat at that level for a week or two to help you adjust to the reduction. Then add your deficit after that.

    I hope you feel better.
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    Generally BW x 10 is a good place to start so I'd eat no less than 1700 calories and then see your rate of loss in terms of how you want to adjust.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Lightly Active because you are a mom.

    Even mom's with 40 hr desk jobs usually discover with activity trackers the evening household responsibilities easily make them Lightly Active.

    Any intentional exercise for sure add on too, if it's more than 10 min of something.
    That's how MFP works.

    Tools only work well when used properly.
    When mis-used, at the best they don't work well, at the worst they hurt you.

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