3500 Calories?

Taking your BMR of 2830 Giving yourself a 600 cal addition for excersize = 3330 cal minus 500 to create a deficit and your around 2800 by my math.. just a quick version.

as far as adding healthy calories look to calorie dense foods, nuts, peanut butter, healthy fats tend to be higher in calories and can hep you get to your daily goals if you are not that hungry.

According to this post you don't add back your exercise calories: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/557201-how-to-lose-weight-correctly

or search topics: How to lose weight correctly

It looks to me, if your numbers are all correct, that you need to eat 3500 calories a day to hit a weight loss goal of around 1.5 pounds a week. Athletes often eat 6000 calories a day, and they don't go on a Dairy Queen diet, but I bet they eat a lot more fat than you do. Fat isn't bad for. Not even a little bit. Don't be afraid of it. Add some to everything.

I agree. I think as long as you are making healthier choices and you're not starving all the time, calories are just another number. You have to see what you can eat and lose weight with- MFP is just a tool to see how many calories you are taking in- you don't have to use the minimum/maximum calorie tool if it doesn't feel right for what you are doing. If you're not hungry and you're fine with eating less than stick with it! As you lose weight it will take less and less calories to maintain your weight.

So, I have been reading everything on this forum I can find about how to figure out your maint. calories, BMR, TDEE, knocking off 10-15% and losing a couple of pounds a week. Also eating back you exercise calories. Here is my problem:

I am 37, 6'6" 325 pounds.

I have used Fitness Frog to figure the number out.

TDEE for a Desk Job 3400
BMR is 2830.

I work out 5 days a week. According to my HRM, I am burning 600-800 calories, on average, a day.

So my TDEE * 85% = 2900 + work out calories of 600 = 3500 calories a day.

For the last couple of months, I have been taking in about 2000-2200 calories a day. According to everything I have read, that is way to low. I have been losing weight, but very slowly.

So my questions are:

1. Am I figuring this correctly, or am I missing something?
2. How the H*LL am I supposed to eat 3500 calories a day short of eating a whole pizza for lunch and fried chicken and mashed potatoes for dinner, EVERY NIGHT?

Like I said, I have been eating as healthy as I can for a couple of months, hardly ever hungry, and I can't get over 2500.

One concept you are correct on, you can feel fully fed, and your body may not be fed fully.

One big thing to above figures - and you do have the concept correct.

BMR calcs on age/height/weight were based on studies of people AT healthy weight, with certain LBM / fat ratios.
You move outside that range, and unless you have a lot of LBM, that BMR estimate is now inflated.
That's why it's said obese folks with lots to lose can eat below BMR safely. That's estimated BMR, not their real one. I'd say for you, that's still a sizeable undercut, but you can find out easily.

For better estimate of BMR to start the calc's with, use this.
http://www.gymgoal.com/dtool_fat.html

That only needs to be accurate to about 5%, take the avg.

Now get your BMR estimate based on that BF% and current LBM.
http://www.gymgoal.com/dtool_bmr.html

It may not be that far off, then again, it really could be lower by 300-400.

And then same muliplier of 1.25 for sedentary to estimate non-exercise maintenance.

Then, I'd add your avg 700 cal burn on top of that for TDEE estimate.

Then, I'd take a 20% deficit, you have enough to lose right now. Later you can adjust that to 15%, and then 10%.

Then eat that figure everyday, which includes exercise spread out.

To confirm you are above BMR then, daily goal minus that 700 should be at or slightly above your more correct BMR figure.

If slightly below, and you have 1 rest day, don't worry about it. If more than slightly below, and 2 rest days, don't worry about it.

I know this advice may not seem very scientific, but sometimes theres a danger of being overwhelmed by the numbers instead of listening to your body. If you feel like you are eating healthy, you aren't hungry, you feel like you have energy, and your workouts are energetic, you are seeing progress and you are eating 5-6 small meals a day rather then your 3 large meals. I should say dont sweat it. Scuse the pun....

"If you feel like..." Losing weight is science, it's not about feelings.

I know you mean well, but this sort of advice is unhelpful.

So, I have been reading everything on this forum I can find about how to figure out your maint. calories, BMR, TDEE, knocking off 10-15% and losing a couple of pounds a week. Also eating back you exercise calories. Here is my problem:

I am 37, 6'6" 325 pounds.

I have used Fitness Frog to figure the number out.

TDEE for a Desk Job 3400
BMR is 2830.

I work out 5 days a week. According to my HRM, I am burning 600-800 calories, on average, a day.

So my TDEE * 85% = 2900 + work out calories of 600 = 3500 calories a day.

For the last couple of months, I have been taking in about 2000-2200 calories a day. According to everything I have read, that is way to low. I have been losing weight, but very slowly.

So my questions are:

1. Am I figuring this correctly, or am I missing something?
2. How the H*LL am I supposed to eat 3500 calories a day short of eating a whole pizza for lunch and fried chicken and mashed potatoes for dinner, EVERY NIGHT?

Like I said, I have been eating as healthy as I can for a couple of months, hardly ever hungry, and I can't get over 2500.

Guess I should go on a KFC, Pizza Hut and Dairy Queen diet.

Any suggestions are welcome.

Thanks

Where did you get your TDEE from?

If your TDEE is including exercise, there is no need to add them again.

Just deduct 15-20% from your TDEE and eat that.

I've seen 3 dietitians who have told me NOT to eat exercise calories back because I'm still so over weight (244lbs) they said I don't need to until I get a LOT closer to goal. I'd just just upping it by a couple of hundred calories and see how you go... I don't know the science, but 3 of them all have the same opinion and I've been losing weight well. Zara

Your BMR looks about right. Add in 600 exercise calories and you get yourself up to the range you cited TO STAY AT 325. But, to lose 2 pounds a week, you need a 1000 calorie per day deficit. So if you do your exercise EVERY DAY you can eat 2400-2500 calories per day. You'll need a 7000 calorie per week deficit to accomplish the 2# per week.

Caution: It's very easy to skip an exercise or two a week and two of them will "cost" you 1/2 pound!

Also, I started out at 300# and now am at 234. I lost about 2 pounds a week at first. It is very easy to UNDERESTIMATE the calories you are consuming unless you WEIGH EVERY PORTION. Guaranteed you can eat 1500 calories more than you think you are simply by being off by 30%-40% on portion size. And the body is very good at adhereing to the 3500 calories to the pound rule. It doesn't forgive misjudgement in portion size.

I chuckle every time I read someone say they have a hard time eating their calories. I say: "Get a scale". For a fellow 6'6" (I'm 6'2") it doesn't take a lot of effort to consume 2400 calories. I started out with a 1700 calorie alotment to lose my 2#/week, but as I lost weight, MFP kept skimping me down. Now, I get 1600/day if I do my 20 minute walk EVERY DAY. The 1700 I was originally alotted was WITHOUT any exercise.

I know that most days I am not HUNGRY; but, there are times, maybe 2-3 times per month that I am really really hungry in the true biological sense. But, staying on task and staying under 1600 takes planning and discipline if I am to eat nutritious, low fat foods. My %s break down: 15% cal from fat, 30% from protein, 55% from carbs.

Look more closely at your consumption. I'd be surprised if you are not understimating.