Why do I find this so hard?

Xkmaf2018X wrote: »

Thanks All

So I've amended my settings - see below.

- Lightly Active - Lose 1lb per week gives me a goal of 1520
- Active - Lose 1lb per week gives me 1810

Shall I go with the Lightly Active option?

Just for some perspective. I work from home. I get maybe 1000 steps per day if I don't go out. THAT is sedentary. And I've lost at the rate predicted by MFP.

You really should go with Active setting.

With 1800 calories you have space for the regular biscuit or the occasional cake. Having them don't make you a failure.

I tend to do the same things you do where I'm 100% gung ho and then fall off the wagon. I realized that I was thinking about it too much. I mean, I'd count religiously, feel amazing when I managed a low deficit for the day/week/month and then I'd blow up and have a binge(s)/quit and rationalize that it was ok to do so since I'd been so strict for a month. Every time I'd quit/binge it felt like starting all over again.

This time around, I'm doing things differently. I set a 1lb a week loss goal. I don't factor any gym time into my weight loss. I go to the gym because it makes me feel good and relieves stress, but I'm not tracking my gym calories at all. It made it easier because I was always stressing over how much did I "earn" for eating back. With the higher daily calorie intake I don't have to worry about that now because I'm not starving myself.

I'm also open to the fact that this works right now, butt might not work forever. As I get closer to my goal (which is pretty far away) I might have to tighten up my tracking. Not worrying about that for now.

I used to think that because I was 50lbs over weight I needed to have a high calorie deficit...but I've been on MFP on and off for several years (had a couple babies in there) and when I think of the gaining and losing cycle I realize I could have just accepted it would take a year to lose what I wanted to lose rather than losing 80% of it in 6 months, falling off the wagon, gaining it back, and repeating.

My dream is to one day hit a point where I eat a reasonable amount out of habit without having to count calories.

Sounds like you are chasing perfection and then feel like you've failed with you didn't achieve perfection.

Perfection isn't possible. Just push to be better. Better is achievable and will hold over time. Over that time you will come as close to perfection as possible.

Xkmaf2018X wrote: »

I did say I had a fitbit 😁

Yesterday I did just under 12k steps and my “extra” calories synced from fitbit to MFP was 513.

513 on top of your 1290? Doesn't sound terribly far out in left field to me.

Xkmaf2018X wrote: »

Thanks everyone!

I’ll stick with the 1580 calorie goal but if needed am I allowed to eat back those walking calories my fitbit gives me and also the calories I get back from working out?

MFP is designed on the "net calories" assumption that the more you do, the more calories you can consume and still burn excess at the desired (1 lb per week) pace. (keeping an eye on macros is a good idea ... don't make ALL the extra calories sugar / fat!). Someone higher up this chain suggested eating back ~50% exercise calories. That would be a reasonable starting ceiling. You don't NEED to eat them all if you are not hungry, but if your body needs the fuel, don't short yourself either. You are ALLOWED to eat back as much of the exercise calories as you feel you need.

So long as your actually-eaten calories minus exercise calories works out above 1200 or so on any given day, you are no dangerously under-stoking your rock bottom metabolic rate. Go for the full pre-exercise intake, then adjust up from there day by day, depending on how active you are on that particular day.

If you are eating back a Fitbit adjustment ... I do believe MFP should be set to BMR (sedentary)

Looks like that gives you 1200+513 ... 1713 is right at what we had been estimating.

73CL350 wrote: »

cmriverside wrote: »

73CL350 wrote: »

If the fitbit is adding calorie adjustments for those steps ... doesn't it get double counted when you set activity level to active ?

OP, what is the calorie adjustment on 12000 steps ?

She didn't mention having a FitBit, so not sure why you bring that up.

She's eating 1290...no FitBit would tell her that with a 12,000 step commute.

100% agree they should be eating 1800ish.

I read: "get around 12,000 steps a day....My calorie goal as set by MFP is...etc" and read it as saying 12,000 steps a day as set by my Fitbit.

Can i blame low blood sugar ? *facepalm*

ooooh. She did say it later - my bad.

Xkmaf2018X wrote: »

Ah yeah I see what you mean! So if I set my activity level at lightly active because of my steps per day then I shouldnt be eating the “extra” calories that fitbit gives because my “lightly active” setting is taking into account the steps I do - is that right?! Xx

1700-1800 is about right for you.

If you were eating that much already, I don't know what to tell you about your inability to stick with it, other than eat a little more on days you exercise. If you're gonna use FitBit, at least try to play by its rules, then adjust if all else fails in a couple months. You said you were eating that already?

If it's psychological, that's a whole other topic.