Calling all smart kids....

Boosier3
Boosier3 Posts: 57 Member
edited November 12 in Health and Weight Loss
Good morning! So I have been on a plateau for the last three weeks after losing almost 36 pounds. I am 5'4", and started at 227. I realized last week, that I was eating my daily calories, but that my net calories consumed were way too low. I had recently purchased a FITbit and had it linked to my account, and have since unlinked it, as I think it makes more sense to log my activity manually. I have seen so many of you post about how to figure what my numbers should be, but its all so confusing for me. Can someone assist me with helping me figure out how to set my MFP properly so I am getting the most accurate calorie intakenumber as possible?

I currently have it set to Lightly Active, as I walk every day for 45 minutes over lunch. I do have a desk job. I have it set to lose 1 1/2 pounds a week. My diary is open, so feel free to critique it as well. I know it's under for the net calories in the past few weeks, as I wasn't aware of it until it was brought to my attention. Thank you for any help you can give.

Replies

  • chanstriste13
    chanstriste13 Posts: 3,277 Member
    i would set your profile to sedentary - you're probably wet up to eat too many calories. i work out hard five to six days a week, but when i'm not doing that, i'm sitting around a good portion of the day. so i have mine set to sedentary. best of luck to you!
  • Boosier3
    Boosier3 Posts: 57 Member
    I should also add that I did up my calorie intake, but gained a few pounds right away so needless to say it freaked me out. So I should change it to sedentary and just input my exercise calories manually and possible eat some of those back?
  • Boosier3
    Boosier3 Posts: 57 Member
    Anyone? Please....:)
  • steph1278
    steph1278 Posts: 483 Member
    I have heard that when you up your calories, you should give it about a month for your body to adjust. You might gain initially, but the pounds should start to drop off.
  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
    First, congrats on losing 36 pounds! That's spectacular!

    I currently have my goal calories set to what my BMR calculates out to if I were at my goal weight. Seems to be working pretty well so far! When I actually stick to it, I lose! I also choose sedentary, as I do sit around a good portion of the day. I'm using my Fitbit to adjust for that. Some days I am on my feet all day.

    As for exercise calories, I have found if I eat some back, I'm good. If I eat all of them back it's too much. I'm using a HRM to measure my burns whenever I can, so I know it's more accurate than using what MFP has. Although a lot of the MFP measurements were somewhat close to my actual burns, depending on the activity.

    For breaking a plateau, it sounds like you might need to change up your routine a bit! Either have a spike day with calories, or change up your exercise routing. Try a new class or DVD.
  • OLFATUG
    OLFATUG Posts: 393 Member
    I read the title and clicked on it... but I don't think I'm smart enough to answer! (sits in the back of class with the pointed cone hat and waits to be released).
  • dlwyatt82
    dlwyatt82 Posts: 1,077 Member
    If you're using the FitBit counter, you should be able to do this:

    Calculate your BMR on the MyFitnessPal website.
    Add your calories burned value from FitBit to that number (or average it out over a week or so); this is your TDEE for the day (or an average day).
    Subtract between 500 and 1000 calories from that result (while staying above 1000-1200). That's your calorie target

    All you're doing is replacing the "Activity multiplier" (BMR x 1.2 for Sedentary, etc) with hard data taken from your FitBit counter.
  • Boosier3
    Boosier3 Posts: 57 Member
    Funny Kinrad!! :) I'm just looking for any input that that would help. I did change my settings to 1lb week weight loss, and make it sedentary and it bumped it up to 1430. So if I show a gain in the next week or so, I shouldn't freak out about it and ride it out right??
  • Boosier3
    Boosier3 Posts: 57 Member
    Anyone else have any thoughts and/or advice?
  • Boosier3
    Boosier3 Posts: 57 Member
    Bump
  • opus649
    opus649 Posts: 633 Member
    Agree with those who say you should list "sedentary" if you have a desk job and then just log your walking separately (MFP will compensate). Losing 36 pounds is pretty awesome... plateaus are to be expected. I think you just have to be patient... sucky answer, I know.

    Are you doing any weight training? I've never heard of anyone losing large amounts of weight >50 lbs without adding in some kind of resistance training (not saying it doesn't happen, just that every success story I've personally read mentions resistance training as particularly valuable).

    Good luck!
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