**READ THIS** Figuring out your calorie goals

I've tried to get to Helloitsdan via a personal message but maybe you guys can help me out. Here are my thoughts and questions.......


A little background on me......I am fairly new to all of this fitness and weight loss stuff and have only been on MFP for a few weeks. I have been dieting using the PINK Method by Cynthia Pasquela since the end of January and have lost 15 pounds so far. I am getting to these last 5-10 pounds and things have come to a halt which is why I am snooping around for what to do!

First question, at one point in the original post, Dan said to measure your waist 1" below the belly button but the Fat2 calculator states "Note: Women should measure the natural waist circumference at the point of minimal abdominal circumference, usually located about halfway between the navel and the lower end of the sternum (breast bone)." That's above the belly button at the smallest point. There is a a couple of inches difference between these two locations for me so I think it matters which one to use.

Second, I think I ran my numbers right and was hoping you could verify that for me.
Height: 5'1"
Weight: 127
Age: 42
Goal: 115-120 ---> not sure what would be best.
Work outs: Moderate 3-5days/week

I got these numbers:
Military Body Fat: 25.9% given 12" neck, 28" smallest circumference above belly button (1inch below is 30"), 35" hip
BMR via Katch McArdle: 1293 Based on Moderate exercise.....1930
TDEE = 1930 x 1.20 = 2316

With this, my calorie intake should stay between 1930 and 2316 to lose weight and I would never eat back calories from a workout unless my workouts burnt more than 437 calories (1930-1293+200). Given that, I would eat whatever I burnt over and beyond 437 calories. Example, if I burnt 600 calories via a workout, I would eat back 163 calories (600-437). Do I have all this correct?

Being so short, I have always been told I need to eat so much less than the average Jane Doe. I have been currently trying to stay around 1200 calories with a diet rich in protein and veggies along with some good carbs like CousCous or brown rice and fruits. It's been a lot of hard work and sweat to get 15 pounds off of me. Adding 700 calories to my diet is scary. Any other advice or recommendations for me in my specific situation?

One more thing.....lots of talk about macros and setting them. I have no idea how to do that. I can't even figure out how to set my calories specifically. Under Settings/Update your Diet Profile there are just options to fill in and MFP automatically sets your calorie intake based on those options. From the post, it seems like somehow you can bypass these options and tell MFP how many calories you want to consume. Any direction for setting macros and calorie intake would be greatly appreciated.

If you can help me on any of these points, I would greatly appreciate it!!!

This has always confused me. My BMR is 1552 so I should have this as my daily goal and work out to decrease this? So if I went for a bike ride somedays I would knock 800 off that easy. Do I have to eat the extra 800 cals...else I am going to get ill from eating way over my norm..x

Yes eat them, as you should not net below BMR. doing what you suggest would be like eating 752 (1552-800) and not exercising, which is missing the point of eating at least BMR.

If you regularly burn 800 cals say 5 days/week your average daily TDEE would be 1552*1.2 + 571 (800*5/7) = 2433. the calc is a little different but I am showing how regular acivity *1.2 and exercise would fit in.

So do lose weight you should eat between 10 and 20% below TDEE which would be 1946 (2433*.8) to 2190, but would not eat back exercise cals. So if you eat 1950 and burn 800, you would net below your BMR that day, but the average for the week you would be at your above BMR as on days you don't workout you would be eating above BMR by 400 to 540 but on workout days eating under BMR by . 250-400 cals.

Essentially your TDEE includes exercise cals and if you are active the multiplier would be 1.55 on your BMR to give you 2405, close to the 2433 I calculated above using sedentary and exercise cals.