Calorie Wasteland Hypothesis

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mrschwarten
mrschwarten Posts: 194 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hey all!
Please hear me out and please don't be mean :p This is just a silly thought that popped in my head, and want to have a fun conversation!

So I've noticed that for me, I have a "Calorie Wasteland". My BMR is calculated to be ~2,200 cal. If I go the MFP recommended calorie amount route, it puts me at 1,500 cals/day. If I follow the old Beachbody route of focusing on macros to the tune of about 2,400 cals/day. This, of course, is not delving into stuff like workouts and eating back calories. Strictly calorie numbers based on calculators with lifestyle set to "lightly active". (My aim is to lose fat. And I workout a lot :sweat_smile: and adjust accordingly)

Through my very extensive research (sarcasm there - just observation of my self!), I've found I have great success with either of those two plans, "low cal" or "high cal", as I call them in my head. An additional observation: when I eat around 1,800, my body hangs on to those calories like a little goblin >:) and I stay absolutely put, or gain. These observations were done over months of maintaining each plan, so it's not just a one-week-maybe-I'm-just-bloaty effects :p

So, my hypothesis is that I have a "calorie wasteland"! Or like a no-go zone where I will not have success in losing weight. I have success at either end of the spectrum but not in the middle. Ok that sounds silly and a little crazy now that I type it out. I am not particularly interested in doing further research on this, as that I know that either high or low cal works for me...but I do want to see if any one else has a similar effect? Or any insight into if this is a real thing? Like, a deficit is a deficit, right?? :grey_question:

Yes, the Beachbody plan seems counterintuitive..."but mrs, you're eating too much!" And, on surface, I agree. But it works for me??? It def feels like I am eating too much to be losing, and ngl it boggles my mind if I think about it too much. It feels like an old-timey coal train that I shovel in chicken and it gets burned up like crazy! I call it "turning on the furnace" :lol:

Again, I'm not really looking for a debate or argument about CICO or what I'm doing wrong or Beachbody's the devil. Just sharing an observation and seeing if anyone has else too! For some people, managing their weight is so straightforward and for others it's more nuanced :sunglasses: Also, I am looking for something more creative to call it than "Calorie Wasteland"....any ideas??? lol Goblins live in swamps, don't they?
"Calorie Swamp"
:p:lol:

Replies

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,049 Member
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    Human bodies are dynamic, not static. Calories in influence calories out because calories are energy, and we need energy to run our bodies. Under-eat far enough or long enough, we slow down. Does that make "a wasteland", a hypothetical stuck middle ground? I don't know. But it may at least make a caloric sweet spot or two.

    I accidentally under-ate at first (because MFP underestimates my calorie needs materially). I lost weight while it happened, quite quickly, but got weak and fatigued. I didn't let that ride; I adjusted and ate more to feel more human, still lost at a reasonable rate. Would there have been a slowdown if I hadn't adjusted? Maybe.

    Through the rest of weight loss, I tried to eat the most calories I could, and still lose at a reasonable pace, and I do the same in maintenance, eating as much as I can and still maintain. That seems like a better path to me - for enjoyment for sure, and speculatively for health as well, rather than pushing to lower intake.

    As an aside, too many people believe the so-called calorie calculators deliver universal truth. They don't. They deliver the peak of the bell curve, the average. Ditto for fitness trackers, just more individualized. Some people are out further toward the tails of the curve, higher needs or lower, less average. The calculators/trackers just give a reasonable starting point for our personal n=1 science fair experiment.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,389 Member
    edited March 2022
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    Over what period of time did you observe loss and gain for all three version? Anything less than 4 weeks likely doesn't count as weight constantly fluctuates due to poop weight, water weight, stress, lots of things that are not so much related to fat weight.

    Anecdotal observation: when I eat crisps I lose weight. Totally and reliably. Proven again and again. This is also how I gained weight, btw. The solution: when I eat a bag of crisps I have to poop. A lot. Which shows on the scale the next morning. But yeah, I was overall overeating and the longterm trend was upwards.
  • CoachDee77
    CoachDee77 Posts: 4 Member
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    Hey... Thanks for posting this... it's important to remember a few things: 1. Every BODY is different and metabolizes at a different rate. 2. Most if these numbers are based on recommendations that are geared toward people who are already healthy. 3. This is about a journey into self-discovery... the reason we struggle with weight issues is precisely because we do not know how OUR own body responds to foods, nutrients, calories, etc... so kudos to you for taking the time to observe yourself! 4. These fitness apps are helpful tools to provide some type of structure and community, but it is certainly not the end all to end all... working with a nutritionist or coach to meet your needs is always a good idea... 5. Keep in mind 1lb. = 3500 calories... if you maintain a 500 calories deficit per day, you should be losing 1 lb. Per week... ( that is science and math) again, every BODY is different.... 6. Make sure you enjoy the journey..take time to laugh and breathe through your days... don' t ever forget that we only have one... so let's make it the best!!
    Once again, thank you for sharing this... Im sure many of us can relate!
  • Bridgie3
    Bridgie3 Posts: 139 Member
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    I remember a boss from long ago talking about speedboats, and how they're either in the water fully, or up out of the water fully, but never half way. They're either going fast enough to skip, or they're wallowing.

    I have had times when my thyroid has gone into crisis and I've lost weight on huge calories a day. I've been able to feel my heart thump at the time, my pulse race, everything going gangbusters. Probably what being on meth must feel like, but I lack the urge to find out.

    And I have lost mega weight on eating almost nothing.

    And you're right. when I'm a 'good girl' and try to lose 1 lb or 1/2 lb a week, I sit there in no-mans-land forever.

    :D
  • honeybee_s
    honeybee_s Posts: 10 Member
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    Thanks for this topic! :)
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 1,970 Member
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    I know MFP underestimates calorie needs by about 200 kcal/day across the board, and I already don't track cooking oil, if I did, then it would be an even larger difference. Because of this I set my own calorie goal based on what I've learned about myself.

    I have found that I have to really just set my own calories. At my current weight, I have been losing .8 lb/week average the past 3 months at a maximum of 1786 kcal/day (I worry more about weekly overall than individual days though). I just finished a 2 week diet "break" where my weight went up slightly, but only about 1-2 pounds and maintained that on 2010 kcal/day.

    I think the reasons for this involve several things:
    1) I'm a fidgeter and even when I'm sitting still, I'm not lol.

    2) I have activities and hobbies that are nearly impossible to determine calorie burn - a day on my bike out in the mountains or on the track burns how many calories? How much of that time am I riding hard or just chilling or just hanging out not even riding? Barn chores and horseback riding same type of thing - riding the young strong stallion for 30 minutes vs schooling one of the school horses on the flat for 45 minutes is a vastly different energy output LOL.

    3) I like to lift heavy-for-me weights, and I believe may carry a bit more muscle than the average female my age

    The calculators are a great place to start, but are just estimates based on averages - we're all still individuals.

    As for eating more or less, I know not eating enough, or not eating the right macros can seemingly halt my expected weight loss - for example, at one point I had cut fats too low and my weight plateaued for like 3 weeks. I kept the same calories but adjusted macros a bit (primarily including more fats) and almost instantly was back on the expected weight loss.
  • mrschwarten
    mrschwarten Posts: 194 Member
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    @Bridgie3 I like that speedboat analogy! That captures what I meant perfectly! :D And no-man's-land is the literal woooorst :s
    @CoachDee77 Thank you for your encouragement :blush: And of course, there's 'seasons'; seasons of good fitness and nutrition choices come easy, and seasons of struggling or priorities lying elsewhere. My body's changed over the seasons and the years, so while your statement of every BODY is different, even your own body can be different at different times!
    And @HoneyBadger302, oh yes! Sometimes the various calculators/trackers/logs are totally worthless in terms of what I am actually doing....I laugh sometimes at how MFP has a "cleaning" entry for activities. "Cleaning" means so many different things to me! There's swiping the dusty railings with a cloth from the laundry as I walk to the laundry room and there's 50-pound carpet cleaner machine, pouring sweat and jammin' to early 2000's punk pop on multiple floors of the house! And just like you, it seems macros are where I have success in the areas that matter to me.

    Thank you all!
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,389 Member
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    I think MFP imported the activity data from the compendium of physical activity. These are lab tested activities, not only sports that give realistic calorie burns for certain activities - under lab conditions and as executed for the referenced studies. https://sites.google.com/site/compendiumofphysicalactivities/home

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