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If body types exist, are their caloric needs different?

Oishii
Oishii Posts: 2,675 Member
edited October 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
If body types exist, I'm a lazy mesomorph, I think. My maintenance calories far exceed mfp's calculations (next time I want to lose weight, hopefully baby weight, I'll set mfp to lose 0 lbs :laugh:), while some on mfp find they have to go below what they thought to not gain. Could body types help explain this kind of difference?

Replies

  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    Great question, definitely bumping this!
  • Oishii
    Oishii Posts: 2,675 Member
    Anyone have an answer for us?
  • liza001
    liza001 Posts: 77
    There is a Dr here in Australia that put out a book about the different body shapes and diets for the shapes... I feel there is credit for this .. If you google the liver cleansing diet - Sandra Cabot you should see her other books.. I know that we all have different metabolisms, gosh I have friends that eat everything possible not to lose weight... and depending on muscle depends Metabolism too... If I don't eat balanced foods then I struggle more with weight loss
  • xraychick77
    xraychick77 Posts: 1,775 Member
    i dont particularly believe in body types.
    and i'd calculate your own bmr..look up the harris benedict formula. i've found mfp underestimates my needs by almost 100 cals.

    i dont even go on mfps stuff, as i found it to be off usually.
  • Coltsman4ever
    Coltsman4ever Posts: 602 Member
    The best way to find out is to have your BMR tested. Not just using an online calculator, however if you can't get it checked professionally, a calculator would be ok. Then add to that, any calories burned through exercise. There's the calories you require to maintain your current weight.
    There are sites out there that let you calculate your BMR by entering everything you do. Like: hours you sleep, showering, brushing your teeth, watching TV... etc. All these daily activities burn calories and make up your BMR.

    Here's a site that lets you calculate.

    http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_burn.php
  • Oishii
    Oishii Posts: 2,675 Member
    I'll try googling Sandra Cabot. Thanks, Liza!

    None of the calculators would predict me. Thank you for the link to the calculators, Coltsman4ever. They do come up with higher numbers than mfp, but that is because mfp expects you to add for exercise, while these are trying to include it. I am moderately active, at a stretch, but seem to need a NET on mfp of between 2300 and 2450 to not lose weight. That's why I'm always looking for explanations of why.

    I also suspect there is something wrong with those calculations. The
    multiplier must be applied to EITHER the BMR or the RMR, trying to apply it to both means the author has misunderstood something.
  • menchi
    menchi Posts: 297 Member
    Oishii, I am always amazed at your maintenance calories since it's easily 8-900 cals more than mine before exercise. Are you set at active or very active in your diet profile where it asks you about your activity level? I'm set at sedentary since I do spend my work time at a computer, but I exercise daily. But the biggest reason I'm "sedentary" is that my maintenance cals were better calculated that way. Perhaps that one way to compensate for body types (or whatever makes our metabolisms different).
  • Oishii
    Oishii Posts: 2,675 Member
    I had to keep upping my activity levels until there were none left! Then I added 100 calories at a time. I finally decided, last week, to use 2450 as a ceiling and then follow my appetite.

    I think it's fascinating how many people don't work as mfp's figures think they should (which are based in research) and I would love to understand why.
  • liza001
    liza001 Posts: 77
    I'm finding it difficult to have correct amount of all the nutients we are supose to have... Protein, Calcium, iron, fibre, fats etc and stay in calorie range... ...

    I cut out breads pasta rice and had my carbs through sweet potato, pumpkin corn etc... Then had a massive craving for lasagna and my body tingled while I had it... So I've added breads pasta rice back into my diet (within cals...makes it hard) and I lost 500gms.. I have lost 1kg in the last 6 weeks... So it is to do with balance and finding what our needs are... I was sure that breads pasta was bad for you etc... If my cavveman ancestors couldn't eat then I shouldn't.. But I was wrong... Hmmm Still trailing and error... :laugh:
  • menchi
    menchi Posts: 297 Member
    Oishii wrote:
    I think it's fascinating how many people don't work as mfp's figures think they should (which are based in research) and I would love to understand why.
    I think it's because many of us are not the best judge of our food intake and activity level... so there are going to be over/under estimates. The other big reason is that the research based calculations are based on studies with large populations, which means you are getting the "average" person. It might be close for many of us, but not going to be spot on. Plus all of us here are going through big changes while the average person is probably in a more stable stage of their lives. So, to me this means 2 things
    1. the numbers MFP generate are ballpark figures, so don't fuss about getting the exact number of calories
    2. listen carefully to your body and re-evaluate frequently; you are going through changes and what worked last week might not work this week.
    liza001 wrote:
    I'm finding it difficult to have correct amount of all the nutients we are supose to have... Protein, Calcium, iron, fibre, fats etc and stay in calorie range
    I found a lot of the nutrients in fruits and veggies are in the skin so I try to eat that instead of peeling (saves cooking time too!). Other than that, I've relied on multivitamins when my net cals is set below 1400 or when I see that I'm not getting the nutrients I need on that day.

    Now that I think about it, keeping this body in good shape and running smoothly takes a boatload of mental and physical work!!
  • antalex03
    antalex03 Posts: 2 Member
    Thanks so much for directing me to the Harris Benedict Equation. Put in all my numbers and realized my goals might not be as realistic as I thought. No wonder I'm having problems with the last 10lbs!
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