OK So I Binged

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lisakatz2
lisakatz2 Posts: 209 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been following the recommended calories on MFP, but yesterday I binged. I was more active than I usually am, I went for two 35 minute brisk walks. I also walk 15 minutes to and from my bus stop - the rest of the time I am fairly sedentary. I was feeling great all day until the late afternoon. I got ravenous. I tried my best not to binge, but after dinner I had two large handfuls of peanuts in the shell, then moved onto eating peanut butter out of the jar, then 3 mini (fun size) candy bars and about a half dozen Swedish Fish. I'm not beating myself up over it, I think I'm not eating enough calories in general and not enough healthy fats. I could probably pump up my protein a little bit. A few questions:
I am female 61 years old 5 foot four and 199.6 pounds. How much protein should I be really eating? I have no idea what my lean body mass is.
Do you think adding some healthy fats (avocado, nuts - portioned controlled) will help me with this issue?
Do you think I should bump my calories up? My MFP allowance is 1350. I want to get down to 115 lbs and be 18 percent body fat or below.
This is not emotional eating. I'm really trying my best. I want to learn from this day so I can move on to sustainable, consistent eating.
Thanks in advance everyone!
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Replies

  • lisakatz2
    lisakatz2 Posts: 209 Member
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    I just adjusted my profile. Today I weigh 200 pounds even. I bumped my activity level to lightly active. This added 200 calories to my daily allotment.
  • sollyn23l2
    sollyn23l2 Posts: 1,612 Member
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    lisakatz2 wrote: »
    I have been following the recommended calories on MFP, but yesterday I binged. I was more active than I usually am, I went for two 35 minute brisk walks. I also walk 15 minutes to and from my bus stop - the rest of the time I am fairly sedentary. I was feeling great all day until the late afternoon. I got ravenous. I tried my best not to binge, but after dinner I had two large handfuls of peanuts in the shell, then moved onto eating peanut butter out of the jar, then 3 mini (fun size) candy bars and about a half dozen Swedish Fish. I'm not beating myself up over it, I think I'm not eating enough calories in general and not enough healthy fats. I could probably pump up my protein a little bit. A few questions:
    I am female 61 years old 5 foot four and 199.6 pounds. How much protein should I be really eating? I have no idea what my lean body mass is.
    Do you think adding some healthy fats (avocado, nuts - portioned controlled) will help me with this issue?
    Do you think I should bump my calories up? My MFP allowance is 1350. I want to get down to 115 lbs and be 18 percent body fat or below.
    This is not emotional eating. I'm really trying my best. I want to learn from this day so I can move on to sustainable, consistent eating.
    Thanks in advance everyone!

    Maybe try around .8 grams of protein per pound of your current body weight. Having said that... I feel like you should really consider whether your end goal is reasonable. For a 61 year old woman at 5'4 weighing 115 pounds is... a bit low. But ultimately, that's up to you and what you want.
  • lisakatz2
    lisakatz2 Posts: 209 Member
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    TBH, I'd rather be 120 and below 18 than 115 and below 18. I've always stayed at 19-20 percent when I weighed 120 lbs. Maybe 120 is more realistic?
    How many grams of protein is .8 for 200 lbs? Hate to ask a stupid question, but I don't know how to calculate that.
  • sollyn23l2
    sollyn23l2 Posts: 1,612 Member
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    lisakatz2 wrote: »
    TBH, I'd rather be 120 and below 18 than 115 and below 18. I've always stayed at 19-20 percent when I weighed 120 lbs. Maybe 120 is more realistic?
    How many grams of protein is .8 for 200 lbs? Hate to ask a stupid question, but I don't know how to calculate that.

    .8 x 200= 160. So, 160 grams of protein.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 9,918 Member
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    Yeah, your body fat doesn't need to be fed any protein. Also women for the most part need more protein then men and for someone that is trying to introduced exercise and have it in their head to improve their health I believe 1.0-1.2 g's for every lb of desired weight is probably enough. Also the science dictates that around 30g's a meal is minimal for muscle protein synthesis to take place so it's actually imperative that you/we consume that protein evenly over 3 or 4 meals, two can work, not as well and 1 meal a day is probably the worst case scenario. Anyway if you want to weight 120 then anywhere from 90 based on 3 meals (minimal muscle protein synthesis) to 140 is probably a good starting point and suspect the lower amount is probably a good place to start with an emphasis on quality protein which are from animal sources and if your eating mostly plants then I would suggest to start in the upper level of 140. imo.
  • lisakatz2
    lisakatz2 Posts: 209 Member
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    160 grams! Yikes! I thought I was doing OK hovering around 100!
  • lisakatz2
    lisakatz2 Posts: 209 Member
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    Any advice about the binging, and my eating?
  • sollyn23l2
    sollyn23l2 Posts: 1,612 Member
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    lisakatz2 wrote: »
    160 grams! Yikes! I thought I was doing OK hovering around 100!

    You would be fine at around 100. 160 would be if you wanted to eat higher protein for satiety reasons, but definitely not necessary.
  • sollyn23l2
    sollyn23l2 Posts: 1,612 Member
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    lisakatz2 wrote: »
    Any advice about the binging, and my eating?

    The 200 extra calories you gave yourself by changing activity levels might help within that. Eat throughout the day. Try not to wait until you're starving.
  • lisakatz2
    lisakatz2 Posts: 209 Member
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    I do eating throughout the day.......about 5 times a day.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,634 Member
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    I would be more than happy with 0.6g to 0.8g of protein per lb of body weight @ BMI 24.9.

    in your case that's between 87g and 116g.

    This most of us view as a daily desired minimum we want to hit. Hitting more than that would then be for personal preference not because of an expected benefit

    Whether you go below the 140s and into the 120s or lower that you have been discussing, or not, you can decide as you're closer. Your discussion says you would like to and you can readjust protein at that point.

    The body fat percentages you discuss are very much into the very athletic category for females. You don't seem to mention too much about strength training or other athletic stuff. As you get lighter maybe some of that stuff will become more fun and athletic goals may come into play.

    I note that lighter means less muscle mass unless you are actively working on that.

    I am sure your health tests, providers, and as you get lighter your own changing perceptions will help guide you to the correct weight range
  • lisakatz2
    lisakatz2 Posts: 209 Member
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    OK, I'm shooting for 1800 calories, 158 gs carbs, 70 gs fat, and 135 lbs protein, until I get down to 180.
    Then I will readjust.
    I believe these macros will stop me from feeling ravenous, especially if I cluster the carbs around my workouts.
    I haven't started strength training yet, but I got resistance bands on order. Should come tomorrow.
    Plan on starting my workouts Monday.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,634 Member
    edited March 30
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    Just to make sure, are you set as sedentary (or some other activity level) and you add exercise as per MFP design, or do you set your caloric level pre including your expected exercise (tdee method)?

    Did you change your goal from 1350 to 1800 Cal intake? What was your actual average intake during the past few months? How fast have you been losing on average? Are you using a weight trend app?
  • lisakatz2
    lisakatz2 Posts: 209 Member
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    I'm set for light activity and add my exercise. I'm doing brisk walking outside for cardio. I haven't started with weight training (yet - that comes Monday). I changed my goal to 1800 calories. I've only been a MFP member for a little over a week and have been undereating by some 500 calories below that, my tracking shows. No wonder I binged. It's way too early to discern how fast I've been losing. I lost 3 pounds the first week but I'm certain that most of that is water from reduced carb intake/food volume. My hope is to lose a pound a week.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,634 Member
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    For general reference about 3500 calories end up being about 1 lb and you're probably better off using a weight trend app in addition to scale weight especially if subject to monthly fluctuations just to get a better general idea of how you are progressing longer term

    You do need sometime to gauge overall progress and of course new and unusual for you exercise and un usual food routines both introduce short term scale fluctuations not fully related to changes in your long-term energy reserves being willing to adjust is good
  • musicfan68
    musicfan68 Posts: 1,124 Member
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    lisakatz2 wrote: »
    160 grams! Yikes! I thought I was doing OK hovering around 100!

    You are fine around 100. I agree 160 is overkill.
  • lisakatz2
    lisakatz2 Posts: 209 Member
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    PAV8888 wrote: »
    For general reference about 3500 calories end up being about 1 lb and you're probably better off using a weight trend app in addition to scale weight especially if subject to monthly fluctuations just to get a better general idea of how you are progressing longer term

    I do have a weight trend app and plan to use it. Also, I'm going to track my measurements to see how I am progressing as well. Looking forward to the journey.

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,154 Member
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    lisakatz2 wrote: »
    160 grams! Yikes! I thought I was doing OK hovering around 100!

    FWIW, there's an evidence-based protein estimator here, with a guide:

    https://examine.com/protein-intake-calculator/
    https://examine.com/guides/protein-intake/

    Note that the guide suggests it's fine to use goal weight as the basis for estimates if currently materially overweight.

    I tried the calculator, guessing at some of your answers, got "Your protein optimal intake:
    at least 109 grams/day. Intakes of up to 136 grams/day may provide additional benefit, based on limited evidence."
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,634 Member
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    Using that calculator Ann with 140lbs/healthy weight/active/weight loss I got 103g

    To me anyway all this says that a non obsessive goal aiming to exceed 100g is probably good nuff.

    The determining factor in the presence of sufficient nutrients will be much more the exercise and muscle use than the difference between 100, 103, 109, or even 135g of protein...
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,898 Member
    edited March 31
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    lisakatz2 wrote: »
    I'm set for light activity and add my exercise. I'm doing brisk walking outside for cardio. I haven't started with weight training (yet - that comes Monday). I changed my goal to 1800 calories. I've only been a MFP member for a little over a week and have been undereating by some 500 calories below that, my tracking shows. No wonder I binged. It's way too early to discern how fast I've been losing. I lost 3 pounds the first week but I'm certain that most of that is water from reduced carb intake/food volume. My hope is to lose a pound a week.

    You already figured it out but I am going to post a graphical reference for reinforcement and for others who might be reading:

    https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/1200-calorie-diet/
    uq0erl7h1tk9.png

    Re protein, I shoot for 500 calories of exercise per day, and when I achieve that, using the MFP default of 20% protein aligns with the protein grams recommendation from the Examine.com link above. If I were completely sedentary, I'd need to bump it up.

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