Does this make sense (weight loss calculation)?

nataliemarie387
nataliemarie387 Posts: 61 Member
edited December 18 in Health and Weight Loss
I hate the way MFP uses net calories etc, it really screws up my brain.

Here is my logical (to me) way of thinking about calories in/calories out and my plan..

Inputs... I am consuming 1600 cals/day, my BMR with a sedentary lifestyle is 1630 (BMR * 1.2), and I work out avg. 6x/wk and burn on avg. 1800 cals/wk (250/day)

Then... My average daily burn is 1880 and I'm consuming 1600 which gives me a daily deficit of 280 and means I should be losing about 0.5 lbs/wk

Therefore, if I stick with this plan, I should lose 5 lbs in 10 weeks.

Replies

  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    I follow you

    Out = 1630 + 250 = 1880

    In = 1600

    Deficit = 280

    280 /7 = 40 g per day = 280 g per week or 1/2 pound. Check.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    yes, the calculation makes sense... you just have to remember that the body doesnt do maths... it tends to do what it likes! so remember that you need to be patient and keep at it!
  • kbd388
    kbd388 Posts: 125 Member
    I hate the way MFP uses net calories etc, it really screws up my brain.

    Here is my logical (to me) way of thinking about calories in/calories out and my plan..

    Inputs... I am consuming 1600 cals/day, my BMR with a sedentary lifestyle is 1630 (BMR * 1.2), and I work out avg. 6x/wk and burn on avg. 1800 cals/wk (250/day)

    Then... My average daily burn is 1880 and I'm consuming 1600 which gives me a daily deficit of 280 and means I should be losing about 0.5 lbs/wk

    Therefore, if I stick with this plan, I should lose 5 lbs in 10 weeks.

    I am still trying to figure out what works for me too. How do you determine your average daily burn? Why do you multiply your BMR x 1.2 for sedentary lifestyle when you exercise every day?

    thanks!
  • Sl1ghtly
    Sl1ghtly Posts: 855 Member
    Never mind, misunderstood your post.
  • Heather2784
    Heather2784 Posts: 124 Member
    Makes perfect sense, in terms of numbers anyway.

    I think the way MFP does it, works more in favor of those less likely to workout routinely. It almost makes working out more as a bonus.
  • olong
    olong Posts: 255 Member
    I hate the way MFP uses net calories etc, it really screws up my brain.

    Here is my logical (to me) way of thinking about calories in/calories out and my plan..

    Inputs... I am consuming 1600 cals/day, my BMR with a sedentary lifestyle is 1630 (BMR * 1.2), and I work out avg. 6x/wk and burn on avg. 1800 cals/wk (250/day)

    Then... My average daily burn is 1880 and I'm consuming 1600 which gives me a daily deficit of 280 and means I should be losing about 0.5 lbs/wk

    Therefore, if I stick with this plan, I should lose 5 lbs in 10 weeks.


    Sounds right.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Why do you multiply your BMR x 1.2 for sedentary lifestyle when you exercise every day?

    Because she is entering exercise explicitly as a separate item.
  • ladyace2078
    ladyace2078 Posts: 460 Member
    I hate it too. Your calculation makes sense. I posted this somewhere else, but here is how I think of it:

    I want to lose 12 lbs, which at 3500 calories/lb I have 42,000 calories in storage that I want my body to use up and get rid of.

    I use 1600 calories a day just pumping blood, breathing, organ function (BMR) and another 1000 calories a day in exercise and moving around (walking to my car, cooking dinner, etc), so I burn a total of 2600 calories (TDEE).

    If I want my body to use some of the calories from my storage of 42,000, I have to feed it less calories than I burn in a day. So when I eat about 2200 calories a day, then my body uses 400 calories a day from my storage to cover all of my activity of 2600 calories. That means my 'storage' or extra 12 lbs is being whittled away at 400 calories a day.
  • rachmass1
    rachmass1 Posts: 470 Member
    Makes total sense to me
  • nataliemarie387
    nataliemarie387 Posts: 61 Member
    Thanks all :) I think I am just going to manually change my cal goal to 1600/day and stop entering exercise burn on here (I will enter minutes so I can keep track but then just put 1 calorie burned). The reason I do not like using the net calculation that MFP recommends is because it really screws up my macro counting when it adds extra exercise calories. Also, although I do want to eat back my exercise calories sometimes, I choose not to eat them all back all the time. Manually doing it this way will give ME the control.
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