Seriously doubting.....

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  • plzlbsbegone
    plzlbsbegone Posts: 233
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    my diary is also open for scrutiny! please, take a look, let me know what you think. please ignore today's. i am not feeling well.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    my diary is also open for scrutiny! please, take a look, let me know what you think. please ignore today's. i am not feeling well.

    A couple of suggestions:

    - keep an eye on your sodium intake - you are often above 2,000mg - there are a few items that are really high - swap these out and your sodium levels will be much better
    - throw a few more snacks in - handful of nuts (unsalted!), 1/2 avocado etc
    - I think the MFP default for macros is 60% carbs, 20% for both fat and protein - you should think about setting your carb level at 40 - 50% and then set your fat and protein at between 25% and 30%
  • sweetsuzyq21
    sweetsuzyq21 Posts: 3 Member
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    Remember babe, if you don't eat enough calories, your body will go into starvation mode. You'll lose for a while, but then your body will recognize that you aren't taking in enough so it's conserving the little you're eating. Keep eating those healthy alternatives - high protein, low fat - to get more calories. You'll get there, and we're all here with you!!
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,129 Member
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    so around 1500 should be right?

    Yep. I think 1,500 is right.

    If your weight loss has stalled, it could be just a plateau you would have to wait out. I don't think it has anything to do with the 1500 calories you've been eating.

    I read it that you shoud be eating 1853 to lose weight (the stats bake in the deficit needed for weight loss) assuming you are sedentary. If your MBR is 1726 you should not be eating below this.

    dg09 - sorry to contradict:flowerforyou:

    That 1853 is her maintain weight for 160lbs at sedentary. Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't think so.

    1726 is just the base number waiting for the multiplier, when added it comes to 2071. If she ate at 1726, that would only be 345 calories a day below maintenance, or 2416 a week... not even 1 lb.

    If you read the 'blurb' in the calcs is states that is is the amount she needs to eat to achieve her weight loss goal - therefore it already includes the deficit.
    Based on how much activity you do on an average day, the calories in the right column will be the number of calories that you will be able to eat at your goal weight. If you start eating those calories right now (eating like the thinner you), you will eventually become that thinner person.

    "You will eventually become that thinner person". It's true you will, because that 1800 calories is about 200 calories less than her current TDEE, she'll get to her goal in 4 years. Think about that.

    She's burning 2000 calories now at her current weight, but she shouldn't eat no less than 1853 calories?

    Her BMR is 1726 so she should not be eating 1500.

    Also, the 'blurb' also states "Based on your goal weight, the following chart was generated. The chart shows the number of calories that you should eat on a daily basis to reach your goal weight"

    http://www.fitwatch.com/qkcalc/caloriedeficitcalculator.php

    My BMR is 2257, MFP has me at 1880 daily. You're saying that's wrong?

    If that is you BMR, then yes, thats what I am saying. It is my understanding that it is not recommended to eat below your BMR.

    The problem here is that if you have a lot of weight to lose, (like over 60 lbs, you CAN eat under your BMR - for a while.)

    The OP needs to be eating above her BMR, but below her TDEE.

    dg09, you may have had some success eating below your BMR for a long time with the large amount of weight you had to lose. Mark my words, that you will need to eat at or above your BMR when you get close to goal. Don't give bad advice based on your past, when that is not where she is.

    see my next post on page 2


    .
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,129 Member
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    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.

    From the MFP BMR calculator page: "Our calculator uses the Mifflin-St. Jeor equations to estimate your BMR which is believed to be more accurate than the more commonly used Harris-Benedict equation."

    These are the Mifflin-St. Jeor equations (weight in kilograms, the height in centimeters, and the age in years):

    Male: BMR = 10×weight + 6.25×height - 5×age + 5
    Female: BMR = 10×weight + 6.25×height - 5×age - 161

    YOU are responsible for choosing an accurate activity rate. Don't try to speed up the process by choosing "Sedentary" just because it is an option.

    Almost no one is Sedentary. If you care for children at home, or go to school or have ANY type of job, you are not Sedentary. Choose accordingly.

    The reason this site, Myfitnesspal, uses the Mifflin-St. Jeor equations is because this site allows you more flexibility in your added exercise. In reality, some people will not get much if any real exercise, and MFPal gives you the option to add this in as needed.

    That is why the Mifflin-St. Joer equation is a better tool than the more commonly used Harris-Benedict equation.


    You should never go below 1200 calories a day without medical supervision no matter what number you come up with.
  • ZenKevin
    ZenKevin Posts: 1 Member
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    I was going to reply to this, but cmriverside hit the nail right on the head.

    Very sound advice. Also, might I just add a few things from what I know to be true in the years I've studied nutrition (12+).

    You may have heard this before, but our bodies are not all the same. Some of us process macro nutrients (protein, carbs, fats) in different ways and are more or less sensitive. This is why low carb diets don't work for some while they're a miracle for others.

    I would suggest, if you're REALLY serious about changing your body and better eating/living habits, that you begin really paying close attention to what you're putting in your body. Anything and everything that passes your lips should be logged, as much as it's a pain. This will make you more accountable for what you're eating and make you think twice before snacking on empty calories between meals.

    Try out different macro nutrient ratio's, give each test a 2-4 week trial and don't cheat. (because you'll only be cheating yourself) This will give you a better idea and understanding of your own body and how it metabolizes different nutrients. Once you understand how YOUR body works, you can better understand how to burn off that stubborn fat. Once you know what your trigger is, you can kick your body's metabolism into high mode and really start seeing results. Also, sometimes when you hit a plateau, it doesn't always mean drop the calories a little bit lower to see results, you could even increase your caloric intake by 200-500 calories per day and give yourself a kick-start. Other options are to tinker with your protein/fat/carb ratio's or increase activity/rest periods for that week.

    There are lots of ways of busting through a plateau, that's the easy part. The harder part, or at least more time consuming, is initially learning how your body reacts to certain stimuli.

    Start taking notes and keeping logs of what you change and what works. Chart your progress in Excel and keep as many statistics as possible, ie: body fat %, measurements, weight, lean mass, etc. Measure each of these once a week or every other week. Preferably in the morning the same day/time each week. The more variables you cut out, the lower your margin of error will be.


    ...well, so much for avoiding posting on this topic. Oh well, hope I helped and good luck! =)
  • My1985Freckles
    My1985Freckles Posts: 1,039 Member
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    http://www.fitwatch.com/qkcalc/caloriedeficitcalculator.php

    My BMR is 2257, MFP has me at 1880 daily. You're saying that's wrong?
    .
    YES! This is wrong. You shouldn't (on average) eat below your BMR for an extended period of time.
  • My1985Freckles
    My1985Freckles Posts: 1,039 Member
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    From HeliotsDan's Post:

    visit http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/
    Do the Military Body Fat Calc first, then the BMR tool.
    The Military BF calc is accurate up to about 2%.
    The BMR tool will give EXACT calories to eat on a daily basis.
    This number is static and I only recommend eating back so your NET is at least 200 above BMR.
    Add 20% to suggested calories to know your TDEE.
    Use the Katch McGardle BMR number to know your BMR.
    Never eat at or below BMR.
    For Fat loss plans set up macros at 30% Protein/Fat.
    This % is only because MFP wont allow single %.




    He states that you shouldn't eat below your BMR.... I'm guessing your confusion is between TDEE and BMR. They are NOT the same number.
  • kapeluza
    kapeluza Posts: 3,434 Member
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    "So often people personal message me asking me if I think their calories are correct. It seems that people think there is some magical formula that only a very few can figure out. I see so many people on here just popping in numbers and following them heedless of what the numbers mean. I feel it's ULTRA important to know why MFP (and me, and a few others) gives you certain numbers. To that end I will try to empower YOU to be able to understand the basics about calories, calorie deficits, and why we recommend eating exercise calories. With this knowledge you should be able to easily figure out what your calories should be at for reasonable, healthy weight loss. So without further ado, lets get started.

    1st things first, a few givens must be stated:

    -Everyone's body is slightly different. ALWAYS keep in mind your numbers may not be exactly what MFP thinks simply because everyone's bodies all burn energy at a different rate. Tweaking may be needed.

    - MFP's goals wizard is a "dumb" tool. That means it doesn't care whether a specific goal is healthy and/or right for you, it just subtracts the goal deficit from projected maintenance calories. This means that even if you shouldn't be trying for a 2 lb a week loss, MFP won't care, it will still try to help you get there.

    -1200 calories is a generic number. It's not right for everyone. It's a baseline minimum given out as a floor by MFP based on prior research by the medical community. NOT everyone will need a minimum of 1200, very small people can go under, and bigger people need more.


    OK with those facts firmly set in your mind (please go back and re-read the givens until you have them firmly planted in your skull!), we can continue. Figuring out your perfect deficit isn't magic, it's a few simple formula's base on some basic, worldwide standards, and generally with slight modefication, will work for just about anyone who (besides weight) is generally healthy.

    Here's what you need:
    Height, weight, age, activity level, sex

    NOTE: activity level isn't as mysterious as it sounds. If you have a desk job, and do very little walking throughout the day and don't really perform any sports or physical activities, then you are sedentary, if you do some walking every day (or at least 4 days a week) or other light activity for at least 30 minutes cumulative at least 4 times a week, you are lightly active. If you do 60 minutes of light activity 5 days a week or do some kind of sport that requires walking or light jogging (say swimming or mailman or warehouse employee) then you are active, If you do a physically demanding activity (one that makes you sweat) for 4 days a week or more and for more than 1 hour a day, you are very active (like a coach that runs drills or you play volleyball). When in doubt, go down 1 level, you'd rather burn more than you think than less.

    With all these numbers you can generate your BMI. Now I realize BMI is flawed, but for what we're doing it's good enough. After years on here, and doing lots and lots of research, I've been able to associate general BMI ranges with approximate goal levels. This works for about 80 to 85% of people out there (there's always a few that are outside the curve).

    So now we can figure out where your goal should be.
    Go to the tools section and figure out your BMI:

    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).

    With this quick guide you can figure out your goal rather easily. I know many people will say "I can't eat my exercise calories, I gain weight when I do". Well I have news for you, that's not correct. I submit this, if you eat your exercise calories and gain weight 1 of 3 things happened:
    1 you were previously in starvation mode, and you upped your calories, and had an immediate weight gain, that's normal, to be expected, and necessary to get your body on track. Give it a month, that will stop, and you, once again, will begin to lose, but this time, in a healthy manner.
    2 you incorrectly calculated something, either your exercise calories, your calorie intake, or you put in to large of a goal. Go back and check all your numbers.
    3 you haven't given it enough time to work. This site promotes HEALTHY weight loss people. Healthy weight loss doesn't happen in days or weeks, it takes months and years. Each change you make in how you eat needs a month or more to work, be patient, give it time. It will happen.

    And to everyone who has a trainer that doesn't agree with eating your exercise calories. I also submit this: In 90% of the cases (and I have talked to a LOT of trainers about this exact topic) they actually DO agree with this method, you just explained it wrong.
    Just saying to a trainer "should I eat my exercise calories?" isn't enough, you have to explain to them that MFP already generates a deficit prior to any exercise, therefore the deficit will remain whether you exercise or not. Once you give them that idea, and you are relatively sure they understand the concept then I'll bet they change their tune.

    I hope this helps, it's pretty straight forward if you've been here a while, and to you new guys, I recommend going to the message boards link, clicking on the "general diet and weight loss" area, and clicking on those first few posts that have the little mouse trap next to them, they are sticky and will always be there, and are a wealth of knowledge about this site, exercise calories, starvation mode...etc. "

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