Another Question about Net Calories

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jchrisman717
jchrisman717 Posts: 780 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok - I thought I understood this -- but maybe I've been reading too many of the threads posted on here and just got myself confused. I know it has been done to death - but if someone could help me see if I have my goals set correctly and if I am reading my daily totals right I would really appreciate it.

I am at 164 and I want to lose 2 lbs a week - which MFP says to lose only .9 lbs a week. So first I don't understand why I can't set my goals to lost 2 lbs a week or at least 1 lb a week. I am trying to lose this weight by eating healthy and exercising. I went to another web site to figure out my BMR and my calories I should target a day. I came up with a BMR of 1438.9 and I put that I am moderately active meaning that I exercise lightly 3 times a week. So according to this website I should eat between 1563 and 1788 calories a day to lose 1.5 lbs a week. Ok - I can do that. I don't want to log every little exercise I do every day. I walk for lunch around 30 to 40 min. - I don't want to log those as I feel that I added that into the equation when I figured out my calories. I do however do a personal training class with pilates and weight training 3 times a week, and I do the ellliptical or treadmeal for about 45 min. 2 times a week. Those I do feel I need to add in and eat back my calories on because it is extra workouts that I haven't taken into consideration.

So by MFP guideles if I set my calories - lets just say for easier calcuation because the website says to eat at least 1563 but no more than 1788 calories a day (which isn't that a pretty big gap to have between?) if I set my calories to 1600 a day and I stay on 1600 a day on the days I don't do weight training or elliptical, and on the days I do eat those calories burned back.

Won't that be a more accurate way to lose than the typical 1200 calories that MFP gives me? I am finding that on most days I am barely hitting my 1200 calories including eating back my workout calories and I am not losing?

Replies

  • jchrisman717
    jchrisman717 Posts: 780 Member
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    Nobody answered my question on this yesterday so I just decided to go ahead and try it and then another member posted on it this morning: "A different way to set up MFP goals - that WORKS"

    Basically she's saying what I was trying to ask in my Original Post.

    So I went ahead and set my goals for 1600. I will not log my normal exercise calories (i.e., my walking at lunch), but I will log my personal training and/or gym workout calories and eat those back. I actually gained 1 lbs when I stepped on the scales this morning so I really need to try something different. So we will see what happens when I step on the scales next Thursday after doing this.

    On a good note - I am doing really good in my workout classes and feel better. So I'm going to focus on that positive!

    My goal this week is to eat cleaner though I have been eating a lot of alcohol and processed foods calories and I'm going to try to cut those down this week.'
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    Most people don't log "lifestyle" activities - walking, cleaning, etc etc... only the things they do specifically for exercise/as workouts. They use that activity level (I think that's what MFP calls it) in their profile to account for that stuff.

    Sounds like this is what you want to do, which is perfectly fine.

    As for the lbs/week. General rule of thumb is that 1lb/week is appropriate for people with less than 50lbs to lose. The idea is to keep things healthy and sustainable (i.e. not crash dieting).
  • jennifer2977
    jennifer2977 Posts: 156
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    I always thought that when you check your activity level, it was based on what you do in a normal day (like work). I work at a desk all day, so I check 'sedentary'. Weight Watchers had an explanation by theirs--sedentary was for desk jobs with little walking, moderate was similar to a sales job (working at a desk but also on your feet), and active was if you were on your feet all day.

    I think MFP has you log the exercise because they don't include it in you activity level.

    Hope this helps!
  • jennifer2977
    jennifer2977 Posts: 156
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    Also, if you are gaining weight but still eating less than 1200 calories and exercising alot, it could be that you aren't eating enough.
  • morganadk2_deleted
    morganadk2_deleted Posts: 1,696 Member
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    Also, if you are gaining weight but still eating less than 1200 calories and exercising alot, it could be that you aren't eating enough.

    THIS^

    Are eating enough? are you eating your exercise calories? are you drinking enough water?


    Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit
    With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)
    With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)
    With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)
    and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle building, and reducing fat. This means it is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode).

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    not sure what the issue is, why not just eat what MFP tells you to. Days you workout you eat more days you don't you eat your base calories, this way your net will be the same every day.

    If MFP tells you to eat 1350, you eat 1350 on days you don't workout to net 1350 (1350-0), on days you workout you eat 1350 plus what you burn. So if you burn 400 cals you eat 1750 to net 1350 (1750-400).
  • jhehle
    jhehle Posts: 88 Member
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    I have MFP set to lose 2lbs per week, it is an option on here just edit your settings. 2lbs is the maximum MFP allows unless you manually change your individual cal/etc goals.
  • hlmoore1996
    hlmoore1996 Posts: 15 Member
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    I am confused also....I just forwarded info and questions to my Wellness Coordinator at work. She will be sick of me soon, because it seems like I just keep asking the same questions. I don't know why this is so hard for me. I am very good at math and science so why is it so confusing for me? :ohwell:
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    I am confused also....I just forwarded info and questions to my Wellness Coordinator at work. She will be sick of me soon, because it seems like I just keep asking the same questions. I don't know why this is so hard for me. I am very good at math and science so why is it so confusing for me? :ohwell:
    What are you confused about?
  • cooter2533
    cooter2533 Posts: 108
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    Eat 1200 cal a day, drink 64 to 80 oz water a day and eat back about half of ur exercise calories.
  • jennifer2977
    jennifer2977 Posts: 156
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    You may be overthinking this. If you go by the goal that MFP sets for you (the 1400 or whatever), and eat back some of your exercise calories you should lose. What is your goal weight? At 164 I can't imagine you have a 'huge' amount to lose, and when you have less to lose it generally comes off slower than it would for someone like me who has 100+ to lose (I average about 2 lbs a week).
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    I am confused also....I just forwarded info and questions to my Wellness Coordinator at work. She will be sick of me soon, because it seems like I just keep asking the same questions. I don't know why this is so hard for me. I am very good at math and science so why is it so confusing for me? :ohwell:

    With the amount you have to lose, set your weekly weight loss goal to 1 lb/week and eat what MFP tells you to (this includes cals burned from exercise) At the end of each day you should be withing +/- 50-100 cals of your goal. Do not leave more than 100 cals remaining.
  • jchrisman717
    jchrisman717 Posts: 780 Member
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    Thanks everyone for your suggestions and responses. Unfortunately it seems that following the 1200 calories and eating back my exercise calories isn't working. Now it used to when I was younger - so I don't know if it has something to do with metabalism changes as we age or what. Sometimes what works for one doesn't work for others. I think I may have been eating too little when I take into account my activity level, and also that what I was eating wasn't necessarily the best things to eat (i.e., processed foods and alcohol). So that's what I am changing. It will be a little experiment on my part and see if it works!

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