Doing it right! Diffrent information

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elekelk
elekelk Posts: 107
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, so this is not as easy as I thought because everyone is telling me different things. Before my plan was to eat 1200 calories a day (not eating back exercise cals) and working out 1,5 hours 5 times a week.

My new plan is to eat at least 1500 calories (my bmr) and work out 1,5 hours 4 times a week. Will I lose more? Is this right? Will this work? It's so hard to do it right when everyone keeps telling me different things. I just need someone to tell me "Do like this and you will lose weight"

Thank you.
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Replies

  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    you already lost 11kg - what was you calorie intake and regime then ? Has the loss rate fallen off or stopped - if not then Keep Calm and Carry On !
  • xraychick77
    xraychick77 Posts: 1,775 Member
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    everyone is different..thats why they all give you different advice..some just give myth heard from someone else advice...but..its all about experimenting with yourself to find what works for you.

    for me...i have to be strict on my calories..i dont eat back, i work out frantically in order for me to lose a few lbs. i workout for an hour and half every day. i run at least 1.5 miles, if not 2 miles everyday, after lifting. but thats what works for me..i eat a little under my maintenance..like 1700 cals.
  • kr3851
    kr3851 Posts: 994 Member
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    If there was a magic formula... we'd all be using it! Different things work for different people, so do what works, until it stops working, and then change. Listen to your body. If you can't work out for 1.5 hours a day, give yourself a break for a day or two and then get back to it. If you're hungry, eat your exercise calories. You're in this for the long haul, not for a quick fix.
  • elekelk
    elekelk Posts: 107
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    It was the first thing I wrote "1200 calories a day (not eating back exercise cals) and working out 1,5 hours 5 times a week. " But I'm starting to feel more tired and I evidentially want to live a normal life. That loss took 4 months and really slowed down at some points. I'm hoping to loose the same amount when eating more and at the same time feeling better. Can I?
  • elekelk
    elekelk Posts: 107
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    I'm not looking for a magic solution but some people have told me I should eat my bmr and that I'm overworking my body. Is that true and what should I do is more of my question.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    It was the first thing I wrote

    Actually you wrote " Before my plan was " and "My new plan is " which I read as a change of plan and not a record of what you had been doing. I understand now.

    You lost an average of 1.5 lbs per week, which is pretty reasonable.

    You propose to exercise less and eat more, which points to a smaller energy deficit which would normally be associated with a lower weight loss. Some will argue that your metabolic rate is going to increase by more than the 300 calories of extra eating and that you'll therefore lose more. I wouldn't be able to support the latter argument with any evidence.

    So I would try your new plan for 4 weeks if you're not happy, then you'll know how it works.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    "Overworking your body" with a 1.5 hour workout 5 days a week sounds like nonsense, try being a manual worker.

    "Eating your BMR" is a mantra you'll hear round these parts. Probably nowhere else, but hey !
  • DellG85
    DellG85 Posts: 79 Member
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    Ok, so this is not as easy as I thought because everyone is telling me different things. Before my plan was to eat 1200 calories a day (not eating back exercise cals) and working out 1,5 hours 5 times a week.

    My new plan is to eat at least 1500 calories (my bmr) and work out 1,5 hours 4 times a week. Will I lose more? Is this right? Will this work? It's so hard to do it right when everyone keeps telling me different things. I just need someone to tell me "Do like this and you will lose weight"

    Thank you.
    The thing to bare in mind here is that when you enter your goals into MFP, it already sets you at a calorie deficit which will give you the weekly loss you have selected without exercise. So, if you think about it, if you then exercise and burn off calories but don't eat them back, you are creating a much larger calorie deficit and therefore risk sending your body into starvation mode. I look at exercise as being a way to be able to eat more and I'm averaging at a 2/3lb loss per week. I've lost 41lbs in 13 weeks so trust me when I say, there is no harm in eating back your exercise calories so don't be afraid to do it. You will still lose the amount you've selected, you will be able to eat more and you will be gaining muscle tone and definition x
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    I've lost 41lbs in 13 weeks so trust me when I say, there is no harm in eating back your exercise calories so don't be afraid to do it.

    Sounds impressive. Can you elaborate a bit - how many exercise calories were you eating back, total calories, starting weight perhaps ?
  • DellG85
    DellG85 Posts: 79 Member
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    I've lost 41lbs in 13 weeks so trust me when I say, there is no harm in eating back your exercise calories so don't be afraid to do it.

    Sounds impressive. Can you elaborate a bit - how many exercise calories were you eating back, total calories, starting weight perhaps ?

    SW: 272lbs
    CW:231lbs

    My calorie goal is set automatically by MFP based on a "lightly active" setting, which has me at roughly 1400 cals per day at the moment. I try to workout at the gym 3 times a week, averaging an 800 cal burn per session. Sometimes I work out more at the gym, it depends. I go particularly hard if I know I have a meal out planned, for example and will burn around 1000 cals instead. On the days Im not at the gym, I try to walk at least a couple of miles and on these walks, I usually burn 2-300 cals. I tend to eat most of my exercise cals back. Sometimes don't manage all of them purely because it's just a lot of bloody food to eat haha. But most of the time, most of my workout cals are eaten back (and thoroughly enjoyed too, may I add :) )
  • elekelk
    elekelk Posts: 107
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    The thing is that if I'm netting in at 700 every day 1,5 pounds a week is not that good. Its better than nothing but my point is If I can eat more and lose the same amount (as people claim) and at the same time not feel so tired all the time that would be good. But you say that I should keep going otherwise I wont even lose that?
  • iHEARTcardiacnurses
    iHEARTcardiacnurses Posts: 437 Member
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    The thing is that if I'm netting in at 700 every day 1,5 pounds a week is not that good. Its better than nothing but my point is If I can eat more and lose the same amount (as people claim) and at the same time not feel so tired all the time that would be good. But you say that I should keep going otherwise I wont even lose that?

    Net a minimum of 1200. You should not eat less than that. Eat back your exercise calories with a low fat, high protein snack. The protein will help build muscles and make you burn more fat while resting. Lift heavy and lift often and you'll see results.
  • DellG85
    DellG85 Posts: 79 Member
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    In my personal opinion, I'd say 700 net cals is far too low to keep your body going. Chances are, you will lose "weight" but it will more than likely be fluid and muscle mass that you lose, which is not what you want. In order to lose fat instead of muscle mass, you need to feed your body properly, taking in AT LEAST 1200 net cals per day. It's really hard to get your head around it when for years people have been saying "eat less, lose more" and I've been exactly in the position you are now mentally but honestly, I have learned this time that is just not the case. A balanced diet, netting at over 1200 cals per day with regular exercise included will give you far better results long-term. I'm actually considering upping my cals again based on my BMR as I've seen my friends have some astounding results by doing this. Long story short: Eat more, lose more x
  • SuffolkSally
    SuffolkSally Posts: 964 Member
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    It's a great big ongoing debate and I don't think there's a right answer.... I eat just above my BMR, so my figure is 1700. MFP overestimates calorie burn from exercise, so I eat 50% of my excerise calories back. It works for me - I'm never hungry and I'm losing weight steadily.
  • elekelk
    elekelk Posts: 107
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    But thats what I'm trying to figure out. The BMR thing! Yay or nay?
  • DellG85
    DellG85 Posts: 79 Member
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    It's a great big ongoing debate and I don't think there's a right answer.... I eat just above my BMR, so my figure is 1700. MFP overestimates calorie burn from exercise, so I eat 50% of my excerise calories back. It works for me - I'm never hungry and I'm losing weight steadily.
    Good Job! I agree MFP overestimates. At the moment, I use the cal count on the machines in the gym by entering my weight and monitoring my heart rate on the sensor things and when I walk, I use a tracker that uses gps to track my distance and pace and my body weight to work out the cals burned. I think the best idea when it comes to accurately monitoring cals burned is to invest in a heart rate monitor that straps to your chest. That way, you know how many cals you have burned for deff and can therefore rest assured you can eat them all back (woohoo!) I posted a thread about it yesterday as I found one online for £12.99 (in the uk but may well ship world wide). Think the thread was called "dirt cheap HRM" or something similar and I posted the links to it on there x
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    My calorie goal is set automatically by MFP based on a "lightly active" setting, which has me at roughly 1400 cals per day at the moment.

    Thanks for sharing, I guess you have some way to go so I can see why you can sustain the higher intake.

    Your TDEE is probably over 3200 without the exercise.
  • DellG85
    DellG85 Posts: 79 Member
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    But thats what I'm trying to figure out. The BMR thing! Yay or nay?
    Have a look at this link:

    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

    This is what I'm considering using ^^^^^ I was recommended this tool by a friend but have since seen many MFPers say that it's the best tool around x
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    But thats what I'm trying to figure out. The BMR thing! Yay or nay?

    you'll have to try it and see I suspect. You'll know in 4 weeks.
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
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    Ok, so this is not as easy as I thought because everyone is telling me different things. Before my plan was to eat 1200 calories a day (not eating back exercise cals) and working out 1,5 hours 5 times a week.

    My new plan is to eat at least 1500 calories (my bmr) and work out 1,5 hours 4 times a week. Will I lose more? Is this right? Will this work? It's so hard to do it right when everyone keeps telling me different things. I just need someone to tell me "Do like this and you will lose weight"

    Thank you.

    You need to figure it out for yourself, but for me, yes, eating between BMR and TDEE has been succesful.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/510406-tdee-is-everything?
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/512956-tdee-what-is-it-and-why-you-should-not-eat-below-your-bmr?
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6556-the-answers-to-the-questions?page=1
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6832-eating-all-of-your-calories-bmr

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