250 lbs and calories

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simcity0109
simcity0109 Posts: 1 Member
edited May 2018 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello Everyone,

I am 250 lbs 5'6 female and 20 yo. I just started my weight loss journey about 1.5 weeks ago. I began by eating 1200 calories, but within a few days realised it was not healthy for me and I was constantly without energy and feeling cranky. I upped my calories to around 2000 now.

According to TDEE my BMR is 1943 cal/day, and maint is 3012 cal/day with moderate exercise

So my question is in order to lose weight at a rate of 1.5-2.0 lbs/week, if i cut my maint calories by 1000, that leaves me at 2012 cal/day. However, I also do exercise ~5 days/week for about an hr (mix of cardio and strength). Do I need to eat the calories I burn back (e.g., I burn 400 calories from exercise ==> leaving me at a total defict of 1400 calories, of which 400 I would eat back, which would bring my daily caloric intake to 2412)?

Also: When I was calculating my calories on TDEE it asked my activity level and gave me different amount of maint calories for different levels of exercise, for moderate it was 3012 mentioned above. Where as, for sedentary it was 2332 cal/day.

If anyone could help clarify this for me, I would truly appreciate it!

Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,412 Member
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    If you use the MFP profile settings to determine your calorie goal, it estimates your NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, which is BMR + activities of daily life such as your job and chores, not including intentional exercise). You should choose the MFP activity setting (sedentary, active, that sort of thing) based on your job, chores, non-exercise hobbies, but not exercise. If you use MFP this way, as designed, it will have already calculated a calorie deficit for you (based on the setting that says you want to lose X pounds per week).

    Then, if you exercise, you log those calories & eat those calories back, too. That keeps your calorie deficit (target weight loss rate) the same. Many people worry that MFP overestimates exercise calories, so they eat back around 50% of them to start with, and re-evaluate after 4-6 weeks based on their actual weight loss results.

    If you use a TDEE calculator outside MFP to set your calorie goal, it will ask you to estimate your activity including intentional exercise. If you get your calorie goal that way, you do not log your exercise in MFP (or you log it with zero calories), because the basic goal calories from a TDEE calculator already include exercise.

    Either way can work. Personally, I find it easier and less confusing to use MFP as designed - let it set the goal, based on an activity level that doesn't include intentional exercise - then log exercise and eat some or all of those calories, too.

    People who are very consistent and reliable in their exercise schedule, or who prefer to eat the same number of calories every day, sometimes prefer the TDEE method.

    People who exercise irregularly, or who tend to be more hungry on workout days, tend to prefer the MFP method.

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    TDEE includes exercise already; MFP's calculations do not. If you're just following the 2000 calories from TDEE, you wouldn't eat your exercise calories back. If you set MFP up for a 2 pound per week loss at your current non-exercise activity level, then you would eat your calories back.
  • aneedforchange
    aneedforchange Posts: 75 Member
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    I recently restarted my weight loss and having gotten to 230 again I find that I can do 1200-1300 calories a day if I’m eating a lot of protein. When I was a vegetarian I found that on the same amount of calories I was STARVING on that amount. So I know you didn’t mention whether you ate meat or not but it helps in some cases ! :)
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    aneedforchange wrote: »
    I recently restarted my weight loss and having gotten to 230 again I find that I can do 1200-1300 calories a day if I’m eating a lot of protein. When I was a vegetarian I found that on the same amount of calories I was STARVING on that amount. So I know you didn’t mention whether you ate meat or not but it helps in some cases ! :)

    A vegetarian could just choose a higher protein diet, it wouldn't require adding meat.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    TL;DR--Yes, you can up your calories to 2200-2500(NET-before exercise) and still lose weight.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,730 Member
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    You are mixing up two methods of estimation.

    You only get to count exercise once.

    Whatever is already included in your 3000 Cal estimation cannot be added in and eaten again.

    You can only add what was not already included.

    Whether moderate or hard exercise better reflects your total activity is not known at this time. Your weight trend results over 4 to 6 weeks will be a good indication.

    Instead of just aiming for a straight 2lbs or 1.5lbs, you may want to consider keeping your deficits to 25% of TDEE (20% when you're no longer obese)
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,952 Member
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    Since you're here on MFP, I suggest you keep it simple and use the MFP method, which does not include exercise calories, so you eat them back.

    Some people eat 100% of their exercise calories back and some recommend eating 50%. Start with either method and reevaluate after at least a month. For example, if you are eating 50% of your exercise calories and are losing faster than two pounds a week on a supposed 1000 calorie per day deficit, you need to eat a higher percent of your exercise calories to hit that 1000 calorie per day deficit more accurately.

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