Calories - Do you/I eat enough?

boehle
boehle Posts: 5,062 Member
edited October 4 in Health and Weight Loss
My minimum each day is about 1250 calories.
I eat a bit more then them, and burn atleast 400 each day.
Am I not eating enough?
I don't see the lbs coming off as quick as I wish.
Do you eat your exercise calories?
Should I be? Will it help me lose?

Replies

  • sgoldman328
    sgoldman328 Posts: 379 Member
    I've recently been seeing a nutritionist. She said the best way to make sure you're eating enough is to figure out your BMR and TDEE


    Your BMR -- Basal Metabloic Rate -- is how many calories your body needs if you were to sit still for the entire day. You should go no lower than this number

    Your TDEE -- Total Daily Energy Expenditure -- is how many calories you burn per day, or how many calories you need to eat if you want to stay at your current weight.

    To lose weight, you need to eat MORE than your BMR, but LESS than your TDEE.

    Both numbers can be calculated using this website:

    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/


    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/


    Hope this helps!
  • MJ7910
    MJ7910 Posts: 1,280 Member
    i don't know b/c i do the same thing. i try to stick to around 1350 at the most and then i use about 250 or so for exercise so i usually net around 1000-1100. i've often wondered the same thing.

    does the BMR thing mean before or after you subtract exercise calories. this has always baffled me.
  • macylane4
    macylane4 Posts: 224
    I was eating and working out the same as you, and I started to have lower losses. Last week i thought I would try increasing my calorie intake because everybody we telling me to...I lost A LOT this week eating around 1500 calories a day. I didn't work out as much either. The more you work out the more you eat! If you eat 1500 calories...you should be eating back an additional 1/2 of your work out calories at least too!
    So....burn 500 cal in a work out
    eating 1500 cal + 250 work out calories...you should have ate 1750!
    Just think how many calories you were consuming to gain the weight! Staying that low is causing your body to eat your muscle, and not your fat!
    Hope this helps you!
  • agthorn
    agthorn Posts: 1,844 Member
    i don't know b/c i do the same thing. i try to stick to around 1350 at the most and then i use about 250 or so for exercise so i usually net around 1000-1100. i've often wondered the same thing.

    does the BMR thing mean before or after you subtract exercise calories. this has always baffled me.

    BMR is the amount of calories your body uses to keep you alive - breathing, digestion, heart beat, etc. It would be your caloric need if you were in bed in a coma. I'm pretty sure no one using this site falls into that category - we walk around, go to the bathroom, type, stand up and sit down, etc.

    MFP calculates your daily caloric need by multiplying your BMR by an activity factor - if you are sedentary, then your activity factor is 1.25. This does not account for any actual exercise, just your normal day-to-day activity. It then subtracts out a deficit of 250 calories for every 1/2 pound per week you wish to lose. This is your daily net calorie goal.

    When you exercise, those calories are added into your daily calorie goal to maintain your regular deficit.
  • momma3sweetgirls
    momma3sweetgirls Posts: 743 Member
    The only way to know if eating your exercise calories will help you lose more weight is to try it. Try it for a week and see what happens. It appears to work for a lot of people, including myself, and then others not so much.
  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,670 Member
    I've recently been seeing a nutritionist. She said the best way to make sure you're eating enough is to figure out your BMR and TDEE


    Your BMR -- Basal Metabloic Rate -- is how many calories your body needs if you were to sit still for the entire day. You should go no lower than this number

    Your TDEE -- Total Daily Energy Expenditure -- is how many calories you burn per day, or how many calories you need to eat if you want to stay at your current weight.

    To lose weight, you need to eat MORE than your BMR, but LESS than your TDEE.

    Both numbers can be calculated using this website:

    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/


    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/


    Hope this helps!

    That calculator puts my BMR at 1500 and my TDEE at 1800. I've had months before where I ate closer to that range than 1200 and I stopped losing completely. Personally, I go off of what MFP tells me and it works best.
  • Janiece65
    Janiece65 Posts: 15 Member
    MaureenJ79, the Harris Benedict Equation takes your activity level into account, so your TDEE value should not be adjusted for exercise.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,420 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools


    You can get BMR and BMI here. Your TDEE is figured when you input your "Goals"


    _________________
  • Chippetts
    Chippetts Posts: 5 Member
    according to this I should be eating roughly 2000-2200 calories. I have a hard time doing this. I have a hard time reaching the 1800 calorie mark. I know I have cheated and had treats that I need to cut out all together. Today was a stressful day and I cheated big time. Hopefully tomorrow will be better :(
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member


    Fixed that for ya. Those tools are right here. On this site :flowerforyou:

    There's a TDEE calc/estimator on MFP?

    EDIT: Just saw your edit. I'll check it out. I
  • tmm01
    tmm01 Posts: 137
    I was eating and working out the same as you, and I started to have lower losses. Last week i thought I would try increasing my calorie intake because everybody we telling me to...I lost A LOT this week eating around 1500 calories a day. I didn't work out as much either. The more you work out the more you eat! If you eat 1500 calories...you should be eating back an additional 1/2 of your work out calories at least too!
    So....burn 500 cal in a work out
    eating 1500 cal + 250 work out calories...you should have ate 1750!
    Just think how many calories you were consuming to gain the weight! Staying that low is causing your body to eat your muscle, and not your fat!
    Hope this helps you!

    Thanks for this have found this helpful. I have been on 1000cals since beginning of sept. At first I was losing at a good rate, recently I have slowed down. I try to burn 500cals per day in exercise & don't always eat them back thinking eat less & exercise more = weight loss. I have over 100Ibs to lose. Some days I actually find it difficult to eat more than 1000cals as I have trained my body not to need more - is this starvation mode? I might try raising my cals to 1200 per day to see if this makes a difference.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,420 Member


    Fixed that for ya. Those tools are right here. On this site :flowerforyou:

    There's a TDEE calc/estimator on MFP?

    EDIT: Just saw your edit. I'll check it out. I

    oops..yeah, I thought the TDEE was a tool here. The TDEE would be what you would get in "Goals" if you were to use a reasonable activity level, and input "Maintain" or set for 0 weight loss. The site subtracts from your TDEE to get your actual goal. This assumes you will input your correct activity level, which is subject to much interpretation.


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/186814-some-mfp-basics


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/226404-bmr-maintenance


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/30898-bmr-vs-tdee-what-mfp-is-telling-you

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits
  • cboz88
    cboz88 Posts: 9 Member
    bump
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member


    Fixed that for ya. Those tools are right here. On this site :flowerforyou:

    There's a TDEE calc/estimator on MFP?

    EDIT: Just saw your edit. I'll check it out. I

    oops..yeah, I thought the TDEE was a tool here. The TDEE would be what you would get in "Goals" if you were to use a reasonable activity level, and input "Maintain" or set for 0 weight loss. The site subtracts from your TDEE to get your actual goal. This assumes you will input your correct activity level, which is subject to much interpretation.

    However, doesn't MFP assume that TDEE does not include exercise, as it expects people to log that in and then eat it?

    External calculators are going to assume TDEE is exercise inclusive.

    Not trying to split hairs here, just curious what your thoughts are on this.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,420 Member


    Fixed that for ya. Those tools are right here. On this site :flowerforyou:

    There's a TDEE calc/estimator on MFP?

    EDIT: Just saw your edit. I'll check it out. I

    oops..yeah, I thought the TDEE was a tool here. The TDEE would be what you would get in "Goals" if you were to use a reasonable activity level, and input "Maintain" or set for 0 weight loss. The site subtracts from your TDEE to get your actual goal. This assumes you will input your correct activity level, which is subject to much interpretation.

    However, doesn't MFP assume that TDEE does not include exercise, as it expects people to log that in and then eat it?

    External calculators are going to assume TDEE is exercise inclusive.

    Not trying to split hairs here, just curious what your thoughts are on this.

    No, I understand your point. The problem here is that people don't understand that at all. But if you entered your actual activity level (again, open to interpretation) and 0 weight loss as your goal, you should get very close to your TDEE. Unfortunately, people tend to try to "Lose 2 pounds a week" and input "Sedentary" and that is not reality for where a lot of people really are. In your example, you still need to input any additional exercise and eat those calories. Which puts you right back to your TDEE.

    We are in agreement.

    :laugh: ....as for splitting hairs. :laugh: see my signature :wink:

    ______________________________________________
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    Do you have a food scale? Sometimes we think we are eating less then we really are. The food scale really opened my eyes. Do yourself a favor and get one to make sure. Portion and calorie control is key.
  • boehle
    boehle Posts: 5,062 Member
    this is very confusing!

    Mine is 1806 so I multiplied by the smallest number because I sit all day, so it says I need 2100 calories a day?
    There is no way!

    To determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:

    If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
    If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
    If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
    If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
    If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9
  • margojr4
    margojr4 Posts: 259 Member
    I'll use myself as an example -


    BMR = .9 x body weight in kg x 24
    .9 x (145 x 2.2) x 24 = 1425


    TEF (thermal effect of food)
    calories consumed x 10% = 142.5


    PAL (physical activity level)
    BMRx : .20 sedentary
    .30 very light active
    .40 moderate active
    .50 heavy active
    1425x .40 = 570


    Add all together to get your TDEE = 2137


    On days I dont work out, I eat approx 1600 calories. On days I do work out, I avg. 1800-2000.


    Hope this helps? :smile:
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