question for those who were previously eating too little

AVinmill
AVinmill Posts: 88 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
So with all the hype around increasing calories I went and did the military BF% and calculated my BMR to be about 2100. It recommended me to eat 3000-3400 calories at my activity level of working out 5 days a week and for my job where I'm usually on my feet. I was eating too little so I've upped my calories from 2300-2400 to about 2900-3000. I'm getting as much as I can and hope I can get used to putting more in my mouth but I sure do feel fuller with that extra 600cal. Although it has only been a few days I've gained I think 2lbs. I know this doesn't necessary mean anything but I can only assume this is my body adjusting and my metabolism hasn't come up to match it yet?

I'm not really worried about it I'm just trying to understand it and maybe get an idea for when it should level out or if that's even normal? Thanks for the help peeps.

Replies

  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    So with all the hype around increasing calories I went and did the military BF% and calculated my BMR to be about 2100. It recommended me to eat 3000-3400 calories at my activity level of working out 5 days a week and for my job where I'm usually on my feet. I was eating too little so I've upped my calories from 2300-2400 to about 2900-3000. I'm getting as much as I can and hope I can get used to putting more in my mouth but I sure do feel fuller with that extra 600cal. Although it has only been a few days I've gained I think 2lbs. I know this doesn't necessary mean anything but I can only assume this is my body adjusting and my metabolism hasn't come up to match it yet?

    I'm not really worried about it I'm just trying to understand it and maybe get an idea for when it should level out or if that's even normal? Thanks for the help peeps.

    If you have been underfeeding for some time, then you will gain a bit at first. However, it will level off and you will start to lose if you are eating less than TDEE and more than BMR. That is the perfect place to be! I can't say how long it will take you, but I will say to commit to a minimum of 4 weeks eating correctly (between TDEE and BMR), before reassessing.

    One of the biggest mistakes people make is giving up too quickly and going back to underfeeding. Vicious cycle.

    Stick with it -- you'll be so pleased!
  • AVinmill
    AVinmill Posts: 88 Member
    Ok so I just went to the www.fat2fitradio.com website again and it has my BMR as Harris-Benedict-2143 and Katch-McArdle-1931. I would put myself being somewhere between Very Active-3298 and Extremely Active-3633 since I workout 5 days a week and don't sit at work. So Are those numbers my TDEE or does that already include a deficit?
  • StarryEyed500
    StarryEyed500 Posts: 225 Member
    Ok so I just went to the www.fat2fitradio.com website again and it has my BMR as Harris-Benedict-2143 and Katch-McArdle-1931. I would put myself being somewhere between Very Active-3298 and Extremely Active-3633 since I workout 5 days a week and don't sit at work. So Are those numbers my TDEE or does that already include a deficit?
    Those are the maintenance numbers for your ideal weight. If you're already there, that's your TDEE. If not, it's slightly less than your current TDEE.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Ok so I just went to the www.fat2fitradio.com website again and it has my BMR as Harris-Benedict-2143 and Katch-McArdle-1931. I would put myself being somewhere between Very Active-3298 and Extremely Active-3633 since I workout 5 days a week and don't sit at work. So Are those numbers my TDEE or does that already include a deficit?
    Those are the maintenance numbers for your ideal weight. If you're already there, that's your TDEE. If not, it's slightly less than your current TDEE.

    Sorry to contradict, but if it is the fit2fatradio site, it bakes in the deficit. The actual TDEE is that number plus 20%. See 'blurb' above the table.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Ok so I just went to the www.fat2fitradio.com website again and it has my BMR as Harris-Benedict-2143 and Katch-McArdle-1931. I would put myself being somewhere between Very Active-3298 and Extremely Active-3633 since I workout 5 days a week and don't sit at work. So Are those numbers my TDEE or does that already include a deficit?

    That site bakes in the deficit so you should eat at the level in the table (there should be some blurb above the table that explains)
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    Ok so I just went to the www.fat2fitradio.com website again and it has my BMR as Harris-Benedict-2143 and Katch-McArdle-1931. I would put myself being somewhere between Very Active-3298 and Extremely Active-3633 since I workout 5 days a week and don't sit at work. So Are those numbers my TDEE or does that already include a deficit?

    That's a good website. Those higher numbers already include your exercise AND they are how many calories need to MAINTAIN THE GOAL WEIGHT you entered. Therefore, if you eat that number of calories now, it does include a deficit for you to get to your goal weight. You would NOT eat exercise calories on top of that. (That's the way I have my MFP set up, BTW).

    If you want to set it up that way, choose GOALS, CHANGE GOALS, CUSTOMIZE GOALS, then enter the number as your daily calories. Then, either don't enter exercise, or (as I prefer to do), enter your exercise with 1 calorie burned, just so you can keep track.

    Alternately, you can customize your daily calories at your BMR number, in which case you WOULD eat your exercise calories on top of it. Both methods should create a similar result if you have a consistent activity level.

    If someone is a new or irregular exerciser, they would do better to work with BMR plus exercise calories.

    blessings.
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
    If someone is a new or irregular exerciser, they would do better to work with BMR plus exercise calories.

    I'll also note that tracking exercise calories seperately is a good idea if you need the additional incentive. My workout time is now that I do to "buy myself dessert". (grin)
  • StarryEyed500
    StarryEyed500 Posts: 225 Member
    Ok so I just went to the www.fat2fitradio.com website again and it has my BMR as Harris-Benedict-2143 and Katch-McArdle-1931. I would put myself being somewhere between Very Active-3298 and Extremely Active-3633 since I workout 5 days a week and don't sit at work. So Are those numbers my TDEE or does that already include a deficit?
    Those are the maintenance numbers for your ideal weight. If you're already there, that's your TDEE. If not, it's slightly less than your current TDEE.

    Sorry to contradict, but if it is the fit2fatradio site, it bakes in the deficit. The actual TDEE is that number plus 20%. See 'blurb' above the table.
    I did read it and it said "Once you reach your goal weight, you will continue eating the same number of calories for the rest of your life to maintain that weight. You'll never be on a diet again."
  • AVinmill
    AVinmill Posts: 88 Member
    Thank you very much everyone.. I will continue at about 3000 cals for a few weeks and see what happens.. Maybe I need to go higher but I'll adjust again in a few weeks if I think I need to.
  • ejechols
    ejechols Posts: 98 Member
    Bump
  • PhatAv8r
    PhatAv8r Posts: 150 Member
    So with all the hype around increasing calories I went and did the military BF% and calculated my BMR to be about 2100. It recommended me to eat 3000-3400 calories at my activity level of working out 5 days a week and for my job where I'm usually on my feet. I was eating too little so I've upped my calories from 2300-2400 to about 2900-3000. I'm getting as much as I can and hope I can get used to putting more in my mouth but I sure do feel fuller with that extra 600cal. Although it has only been a few days I've gained I think 2lbs. I know this doesn't necessary mean anything but I can only assume this is my body adjusting and my metabolism hasn't come up to match it yet?

    I'm not really worried about it I'm just trying to understand it and maybe get an idea for when it should level out or if that's even normal? Thanks for the help peeps.

    You don't list your Height/weight/Age, so no way to verify your numbers, but basically BMR/RMR tend to be used the same when they are actually different. RMR is your resting metabolic rate, and basically the calories required to continue to sustain life. Obviously, if you eat less, your body will adapt along the way, but eventually, you die. BMR in truth takes into account your RMR, plus the amount of actual activity you have. No one is normally totally stationary unless bedridden.. so they need to burn energy to move and do other things even if they don't provide any benefit for improving cardio or muscular fitness.

    So, if your RMR is 2100, and your BMR is 3000-3400, and you only eat 2100, then you'll have a 1100-1400 calorie deficit and start losing about 2 pounds a week.
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
    Ok so I just went to the www.fat2fitradio.com website again and it has my BMR as Harris-Benedict-2143 and Katch-McArdle-1931. I would put myself being somewhere between Very Active-3298 and Extremely Active-3633 since I workout 5 days a week and don't sit at work. So Are those numbers my TDEE or does that already include a deficit?
    Those are the maintenance numbers for your ideal weight. If you're already there, that's your TDEE. If not, it's slightly less than your current TDEE.

    Sorry to contradict, but if it is the fit2fatradio site, it bakes in the deficit. The actual TDEE is that number plus 20%. See 'blurb' above the table.

    I always understood the fat2fit site to give you the TDEE at your Goal weight.

    "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. As you get closer to your goal weight, your weight loss will start to slow down. It is OK to eat a few hundred calories less per day (200-300) to speed up your weight loss at this point."
  • jj3120
    jj3120 Posts: 358
    The fat 2 fit is a great websit!

    That's what I've started doing now - eating at my GOAL WEIGHT tdee regardless of exercise. Eating this way has stopped me feeling hungry on workout days and in the evening.
  • lisa28115
    lisa28115 Posts: 17,271 Member
    :bigsmile:
    The fat 2 fit is a great websit!

    That's what I've started doing now - eating at my GOAL WEIGHT tdee regardless of exercise. Eating this way has stopped me feeling hungry on workout days and in the evening.

    THIS IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING ALSO
    WITH MY NEW WORKOUT ROUTINES... I AM SO HUNGRY AFTERWARDS
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Ok so I just went to the www.fat2fitradio.com website again and it has my BMR as Harris-Benedict-2143 and Katch-McArdle-1931. I would put myself being somewhere between Very Active-3298 and Extremely Active-3633 since I workout 5 days a week and don't sit at work. So Are those numbers my TDEE or does that already include a deficit?
    Those are the maintenance numbers for your ideal weight. If you're already there, that's your TDEE. If not, it's slightly less than your current TDEE.

    Sorry to contradict, but if it is the fit2fatradio site, it bakes in the deficit. The actual TDEE is that number plus 20%. See 'blurb' above the table.

    I always understood the fat2fit site to give you the TDEE at your Goal weight.

    "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. As you get closer to your goal weight, your weight loss will start to slow down. It is OK to eat a few hundred calories less per day (200-300) to speed up your weight loss at this point."

    Hiya!!

    I think the 20% may be a generalization - thanks for picking that up. Someones TDEE is actually more than the number given because it already bakes in a deficit - but you are right, it may not be a 20% difference always as this will effectively decrease as you lose weight.

    Foks should regularly re-run these numbers are BMRs change, and as such the calculations, as you lose/gain weight.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Ok so I just went to the www.fat2fitradio.com website again and it has my BMR as Harris-Benedict-2143 and Katch-McArdle-1931. I would put myself being somewhere between Very Active-3298 and Extremely Active-3633 since I workout 5 days a week and don't sit at work. So Are those numbers my TDEE or does that already include a deficit?
    Those are the maintenance numbers for your ideal weight. If you're already there, that's your TDEE. If not, it's slightly less than your current TDEE.

    Sorry to contradict, but if it is the fit2fatradio site, it bakes in the deficit. The actual TDEE is that number plus 20%. See 'blurb' above the table.
    I did read it and it said "Once you reach your goal weight, you will continue eating the same number of calories for the rest of your life to maintain that weight. You'll never be on a diet again."

    Sorry - I misread your comment - the 'ideal weight' part of your sentence.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories