Caloric Intake & Body Fat

Another bump for more data.

Need about 10 more people and then I will do a writeup. I have 42 people so far! Keep it coming please.

I don't understand all this yet. I've only been tracking a week, and I have no weight change. I seldom eat all the allocated daily calories. I've been under every day but one; however I try to eat as much as I can. I have gone over the fat allowance once(2 g) and over the protein allowance twice. I never eat as many carbs as this site recommends (and I never will)

Age: 50
Sex: F
Body Fat : 34%
Weight: 168
Daily Calories: 1300

Weight goal: 157
BF Goal (optional): 22%

Using the US Navy site reference:
Body Mass Index: 25.6 kg/m2
Waist-to-Height ratio: 0.49
Percent Body Fat: 34.2%
Lean Body Mass: 110.6 lb

"Your BMI is greater than normal, but your waist-to-height ratio is normal.
You may be overweight or have unusual mass distribution. (huh?)
Your diet should contain at least 81 grams of protein per day".

Questions: Do calories consumed at night "behave" differently? Does it make a difference when calories are consumed? Is there an answer of fact?
If I consume less calories than exerted, don't I HAVE to lose weight? I am in constant motion. How can I lose muscle when I am on my feet and moving 8+ hours/day? Any help appreciated here.


I'm looking forward to observations from this study. Thanks!

Ok, lets see if we can answer some of your questions.

First, under eating your calories is bad. It's simple, if you aren't adding fuel to yoru body, it can't properly function. This will adversely affect weight loss as your body pushes to hold onto whatever calories it can. This is especially true when you are closer to 1200 calories (which is the minimal requirement to maintain proper bodily functions). Also, keep in mind, fat does not make you fat. Excessive calories do. You should aim to get .5 - 1 g of protein per lb of body weight. So if you weigh 150 lbs, you should aim to get 75-150 g's of protein.


Second, there is a lot fo contreversy on whether or not eating at night is bad. I will note, I have a protein shake at 930pm every night after my workout and go to bed by 10 or 1030pm. I will note, that your body can breakdown whey protein within 30 minutes to an hour, where it can take 3+ hours for egg or chicken protein to break down within your system (if I recall correctly).

Third, it is critical to understand a few things when it comes to weight loss; 1) you need to understand your basal metabolic rate (BMR). BMR is the amount of calories a person would burn if they slept for 24 hours. Essentially, it's the amount of calories that are used by your body to maintain normal functions such as breathing and organ function. 2) Total Daily Energy Expended (TDEE) is the second major component. This is the amount of energy your body expends (calories burned) throughout the day based on your lifestyle. If you have a desk job and don't workout, you would be sedentary. If you are a nurse and walk all day you can be lightly active, etc.. This is a multiplier on top of your BMR.

I have a desk job but I workout 6 days a week and I try to walk as much as possible at work. This makes me moderately active to very active. So I multiply my BMR by 1.55 (moderately active) to figure out my caloric needs. Once I get that number, I back off my deficit for weight loss (since I am 10 lbs from my goal, i set it at .5 lbs per week or 250 calories a day).

For one lb of weight loss, the calorie deficit is 500 calories per day (person that has 20-50 lbs to lose) or 1000 calories for those who have 50+ lbs to lose.


Below is a narrative using the Fat2Fit BMR calculator. I have found this tools is a bit more accurate than MFP because this compensates better for lean body mass (LBM) which is the amount of muscle/tissue/organs throughout your body (essentially, everything less fat content). I didn't know your height, so I assumed 5'5" since it's an average. I have used this tool for awhile to help me turn fat into muscle. I have lost 3% body fat in 90 days. I am currently 12% body fat and I eat 3000 calories a day. In another 45 days, I am due to remeasure myself and hopin to get in the single digit body fat numbers. Also, using this, you won't have to eat back your workout calories as you automatically eat them throughout the day. keep in mind, you have to eat to lose weight. This way, you won't lose muscle.

http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/



Entered information: 50 year old female, 65 inches tall, weighing 160 pounds.

From the information that you entered, you'd like to weigh 145 lbs.


Harris-Benedict Formula

There are a few different methods to calculating yourbasal metabolic rate (BMR). One of the most popular, developed in the early 1900's is called the Harris-Benedict formula. Based on this formula, your current BMR is 1422 calories.


Katch-McArdle Forumla

The numbers above are fairly accurate, however they don't take into account your lean body mass. A more accurate formula that does take your lean body mass into account is the Katch-McArdle formula. Since many of us have scales that will tell us our current body fat, this formula may yield more accurate results. Based on the information you provided, body fat percentage of 34%, you have a lean body mass of 106 lbs., and your BMR is 1411 calories.


How Many Calories Should I Eat?

Based on your goal weight, the following chart was generated. The chart shows the number of calories that you should eat on a daily basis to reach your goal weight. At Fat 2 Fit Radio we advocate eating like the thin, healthy person that you want to become. The calorie levels you see in the chart are not extreme, but they do create that all important caloric deficit that is required to get you to your goal weight in a safe manner. Once you reach your goal weight, you will continue eating the same number of calories for the rest of your life to maintain that weight. You'll never be on a diet again.

Based on how much activity you do on an average day, the calories in the right column will be the number of calories that you will be able to eat at your goal weight. If you start eating those calories right now (eating like the thinner you), you will eventually become that thinner person. As you get closer to your goal weight, your weight loss will start to slow down. It is OK to eat a few hundred calories less per day (200-300) to speed up your weight loss at this point.

Activity Level Daily Calories
Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job) 1627
Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk) 1865
Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) 2102
Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk) 2339
Extremely Active (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.) 2576

I'm double checking all numbers since we can measure differently....
Body Mass Index: 25.4 kg/m2
Waist-to-Height ratio: 0.49
Percent Body Fat: 24.0%
Lean Body Mass: 126.9 lb

% body fat is different. (different neck measurement?)

Your numbers assumed below are good but I'm 5'8"

so what I'm hearing is I have to eat more!!!!!??
This feels illogical. According to the BMR and activity multiplier, I should be consuming about 2100 calories (-500) for weight loss=1600? I currently have to make an effort to eat 1400 most days. Does the "type" of calorie count? I favor protein, maybe too many fats.

Actually, Fat2Fit incorporates your deficit into the equation already, so you don't have to add a deficit. Since your body fat is inconsistant (and until you can get it measured by calipers, if it's possible) I ran the numbers without yoru body fat (see below). Also, 24% woud be fairly lean and is considered athletic so I will let you determine if that be an accurate depiction but from what I have seen, very few people fit in that category. Either way, if you are moderately active, you should be aiming to eat 2000 calories a day. Yes, I know it seems contradictory, but I can tell you, I am working with several people and every single one that increased their calories has lost weight immediately.


Also, don't be afraid of fats. They are very healthy for you and help your mind and body function. I would suggest setting up your profile at 2000 calories and do 50% carbs, 30% protein and 20% fats. Also, what do you do for exercise? Are you lifting weights? cardio,etc... ?






Activity Level Daily Calories
Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job) 1619
Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk) 1855
Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) 2091
Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk) 2327
Extremely Active (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.) 2563

I'm really not fond of carbs & actually like South Beach & do well with it, but it's not sustainable healthy living. Also I consume very little animal fat so I suspected going over fats was OK; thank's for the confirmation. Any carb snack/chip recommendations? I'm really going to have a hard time eating 2000 calories daily. Our family's metabolism is slow (not great) and most are heavy. (Irish ) so eating a little less should be OK. I am pretty active and on my feet 5+ hours/day most days. I also walk/run 2/3 miles most days. I need more resistance/strength exercises but run short on time, and exhausted at day's end. Here again I'm very open to suggestions. Thanks so much. Are you a nutritionist? Your insight is wildly appreciated.

Complex carbs = goodness. Whole wheat, whole grain pastas, rice.... veggies, fruits, etc.... Below is a list of suggestions. One thing you have to remeber, the biggest source of energy comes from carbs. They are essential to providing you energy and can lead to improving weight loss. Don't be afraid of all carbs. Only be afraid of simple/refined carbs. These come from processed foods.

Also, regardless of your family history (i am english), there is one simple solution to a slow metabolism. It's called muscle. The more muscle you have, the more calories your need and the harder your body works for them. This in turn requires more food and you become skinnier because muscle also burns fat. Since 1 lb of muscle takes up less space as 1 lb of fat, you lose inches. If you really want to jump start your metabolism, look into a program like Chalean Extreme. It's like 35-40 minute workouts and works wonders. I used it for 90 days and lose 3% body fat and 6" (2" from stomach, 2" from abs and 2" from my hips). The kicker is I am 12% body fat so I don't have much more to lose. And it put it in perspective from you, one of the ladies in the program is 60 years old so it's easier than something like p90x.



http://www.livestrong.com/article/27398-list-complex-carbohydrates-foods/

come on everyone, I need 7 more people to complete my study.

Nightly Bump!

Wow, you really seem to have this down to a "SCIENCE." I would like an assessment done using your method. Hope the following information helps.

I am female
Height- 5"6
Weight- 160lbs.
My goal is 145lbs

Sidenote, I have not been eating back my calories that I burned off will that hinder my weight loss?

thanks, yes it will hinder your long term results. Feel free to private message me and we can discuss further and I can help you along. But there are several methods that can help you out.