Doing the Math - How to?

Panini911 · July 2018

I have just relied on MFP but i see posts talking about the math (figure out how many fewer calories you need to loose weight). curious if there is a go to link to learn how to do that?

PokeyBug · July 2018

MFP uses the Mifflin-St. Jeor formula to give you a calorie number for your weight loss goal. Most of us use their calorie recommendations as a starting point. Say MFP tells you you'll lose a pound a week by cutting your calories to 1500 a day, and you follow their recommendations for a month. After the month is over, if you've lost more or less than what they're telling you, which is probable, because we're all different, you adjust your calories a little higher or a little lower, depending on your goal, so you can lose at the right rate for you.

For me, Mifflin-St. Jeor wasn't a good starting point (I was starving, lol!), so I used a calculator set with the Harris-Benedict equation to determine my starting point. My weight loss target zone was actually right between the Harris-Benedict and the Mifflin-St. Jeor numbers.

nvmomketo · July 2018

There is roughly 3500 kcal in one pound of fat, so you need to eat 3500 kcal less than you need in order to lose that pound.

There are a bunch of online TDEE calculators that can help you figure out how many calories a day that you use. From there you just subtract calories to create a deficit to start losing weight.

For example, if your TDEE is 3000 kcal, if you only eat 2500 a day, then you have a 500 kcal deficit. If you do that for a week, you should be missing 3500 kcal and have lost one pound.

If you want to lose more, then you create a larger deficit. Most do not recommend losing more than 2 lbs a week, nor eating fewer than 1500 kcal a day if you are a man, or 1200 kcal a day if you are a woman.

bebbtm1 · July 2018

There is an article in WH that gives you insight on how to calculate a healthy daily calorie intake when following a macro approach.

Step one: Calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR - number of calories you burn with no activity)
BMR= 655+(4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age)

Step two: Multiply your BMR by your activity level for daily recommended calorie intake
1.2 little or no exercise | 1.375 light exercise (1-3 times per week) | 1.55 moderate exercise | 1.725 heavy exercise
I have calculated my BMR by the lowest activity level so that I use my exercise to increase the calorie deficit.

If you're then following a macro approach you can then be conscious of where the calories are coming from.
To build strength: 50% carb, 20% fat, 30% protein
For fat loss: 30% carb, 25% fat, 45% protein
For cardio fitness: 45-50% carb, 20-30% fat, 15-20% protein.

Hope this helps.

Lillymoo01 · July 2018

bebbtm1 wrote: »

There is an article in WH that gives you insight on how to calculate a healthy daily calorie intake when following a macro approach.

Step one: Calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR - number of calories you burn with no activity)
BMR= 655+(4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age)

Step two: Multiply your BMR by your activity level for daily recommended calorie intake
1.2 little or no exercise | 1.375 light exercise (1-3 times per week) | 1.55 moderate exercise | 1.725 heavy exercise
I have calculated my BMR by the lowest activity level so that I use my exercise to increase the calorie deficit.

If you're then following a macro approach you can then be conscious of where the calories are coming from.
To build strength: 50% carb, 20% fat, 30% protein
For fat loss: 30% carb, 25% fat, 45% protein
For cardio fitness: 45-50% carb, 20-30% fat, 15-20% protein.

Hope this helps.

I love the formula's you have provided although depressing that it gives me a BMR of 1128. That is soooo small. Wondering about the macro split though. 45% protein would be very hard to achieve for many and most likely overkill I would have thought. Recommendations for protein for weight loss that I have seen are body weight in kgs x 1.5-2. 45% could be way over this amount.

Deviette · July 2018

Lillymoo01 wrote: »

bebbtm1 wrote: »

There is an article in WH that gives you insight on how to calculate a healthy daily calorie intake when following a macro approach.

Step one: Calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR - number of calories you burn with no activity)
BMR= 655+(4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age)

Step two: Multiply your BMR by your activity level for daily recommended calorie intake
1.2 little or no exercise | 1.375 light exercise (1-3 times per week) | 1.55 moderate exercise | 1.725 heavy exercise
I have calculated my BMR by the lowest activity level so that I use my exercise to increase the calorie deficit.

If you're then following a macro approach you can then be conscious of where the calories are coming from.
To build strength: 50% carb, 20% fat, 30% protein
For fat loss: 30% carb, 25% fat, 45% protein
For cardio fitness: 45-50% carb, 20-30% fat, 15-20% protein.

Hope this helps.

I love the formula's you have provided although depressing that it gives me a BMR of 1128. That is soooo small. Wondering about the macro split though. 45% protein would be very hard to achieve for many and most likely overkill I would have thought. Recommendations for protein for weight loss that I have seen are body weight in kgs x 1.5-2. 45% could be way over this amount.

Remember that BMR is purely the number of calories you need by just being alive. It considers that you were at rest all day (so laying in bed and not getting up at all)

Yeah I thought that 45% protein was pretty high (and from my point of view the carbs are super low)

Lillymoo01 · July 2018

Deviette wrote: »

Lillymoo01 wrote: »

bebbtm1 wrote: »

There is an article in WH that gives you insight on how to calculate a healthy daily calorie intake when following a macro approach.

Step one: Calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR - number of calories you burn with no activity)
BMR= 655+(4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age)

Step two: Multiply your BMR by your activity level for daily recommended calorie intake
1.2 little or no exercise | 1.375 light exercise (1-3 times per week) | 1.55 moderate exercise | 1.725 heavy exercise
I have calculated my BMR by the lowest activity level so that I use my exercise to increase the calorie deficit.

If you're then following a macro approach you can then be conscious of where the calories are coming from.
To build strength: 50% carb, 20% fat, 30% protein
For fat loss: 30% carb, 25% fat, 45% protein
For cardio fitness: 45-50% carb, 20-30% fat, 15-20% protein.

Hope this helps.

I love the formula's you have provided although depressing that it gives me a BMR of 1128. That is soooo small. Wondering about the macro split though. 45% protein would be very hard to achieve for many and most likely overkill I would have thought. Recommendations for protein for weight loss that I have seen are body weight in kgs x 1.5-2. 45% could be way over this amount.

Remember that BMR is purely the number of calories you need by just being alive. It considers that you were at rest all day (so laying in bed and not getting up at all)

Yeah I thought that 45% protein was pretty high (and from my point of view the carbs are super low)

Thanks. Fortunately, I am well aware of that because eating that amount would be revolting. Not only that but I am quite active so I actually maintain on around 2000 calories a day. My sedentary NEAT is around the 1350 mark which is still a depressing amount though.

Panini911 · July 2018

Thanks! Will do the math when I have a bit of extra time

sijomial · July 2018

If you want an alternative use of maths you can work out your calorie goal as opposed to your calorie needs - which usefully corrects for your food and exercise logging inaccuracy as long as your logging is consistent. Very handy if you are a person who uses inaccurate methods such as measuring cups and portions/servings, the amount you are actually eating could be very different to what you think you are eating.

Add up all your calories eaten in last 4 weeks, add 3500 for each 1lb lost, divide total by 28. That's your daily calorie goal to maintain weight.
Then choose desired rate of loss, take 500 cal deficit from your maintenance goal per day would in theory give you a 1lb/week loss.

Doing the Math - How to?

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