**READ THIS** Figuring out your calorie goals

bumping for later....i need to figure this out sooner than later but its scarrrrry!!

Bump, to show partner later.

Bump!

Can someone help the dumb person please? *lol* Maybe it's too early but all the terms and numbers have got me a wee bit confused. Ok, I did the military BF check and found I'm at 36.4% BF (UGH!) and according to that I'm "Overweight" but not "Obese". However, according to the post that the original person made on here I'm "Obese" OK, whatever *lol* MFP has me eating 1500 calories a day but the Military thing says I should be eating up to 2234 calories a day based on being moderately active. (I work out/exercise most days of the week, might give myself one day off) Now, maybe someone can explain the whole calorie deficit thingie in simple terms If I exercise and I log it on MFP the program adds the calories back into my daily goal. However, I've always been taught a calorie burned is gone, you don't get to "eat it back" So... why is this? How do I know how many calories I should really be eating? I weigh 166 (starting was 172) and the miltary site says my ideal weight is 145lbs, I was thinking more along the lines of 135-140. Any help with these numbers and making sense of it is so greatly appreciated.

Maybe I just need another cup of tea? *lol*

Can someone help the dumb person please? *lol* Maybe it's too early but all the terms and numbers have got me a wee bit confused. Ok, I did the military BF check and found I'm at 36.4% BF (UGH!) and according to that I'm "Overweight" but not "Obese". However, according to the post that the original person made on here I'm "Obese" OK, whatever *lol* MFP has me eating 1500 calories a day but the Military thing says I should be eating up to 2234 calories a day based on being moderately active. (I work out/exercise most days of the week, might give myself one day off) Now, maybe someone can explain the whole calorie deficit thingie in simple terms If I exercise and I log it on MFP the program adds the calories back into my daily goal. However, I've always been taught a calorie burned is gone, you don't get to "eat it back" So... why is this? How do I know how many calories I should really be eating? I weigh 166 (starting was 172) and the miltary site says my ideal weight is 145lbs, I was thinking more along the lines of 135-140. Any help with these numbers and making sense of it is so greatly appreciated.

Maybe I just need another cup of tea? *lol*

most calculators account for exercise in the activitiy level - for example on fat2fit 'moderate active' means you workout 3-5 times a week. you should eat the number in the chart that matches your activity level.
On MFP 'moderate active' accounts for activity from your job only and doesnt take into account any burned from exercise and therefore gives you a smaller allowance, which is why you have to eat back exercise. The allowance already includes a deficit, so by not eating back exercise you are creating deficit twice. You should eat the net goal PLUS exercise cals, and you should be aiming for 0.5-1lb /week with what you have left to lose.


an example for explanation using my numbers:
BMR 1550 Katch Mcardle - this is what your body needs to just keep you alive and everything working properly.
MFP total daily activity is 2060 based on sedentary as i have a desk job. Add exercise of 350 = 2410. This is TDEE.
Fat2fit gives me 2215 for moderately active (2658 TDEE).
I think Fat2fit is more accurate as their calculation takes body fat % into account.
To lose weight, you create your deficit by taking 500 cals / lb from TDEE without your net cals going below BMR.

I eat 1950 total / 1600 net. (2658-1950 = 708 deficit). I lose approx 1.5 lbs per week, while leaving enough cals to cover my BMR.
Say I eat 1600 and dont eat back exercise so net is1250 . This would be making a too big deficit (2658-1600 = 1058 deficit so this only leaves 1250 for my body to do 1550 cals worth of work, eventually it will start breaking down muscle as this is the easiest fuel source. As you lose muscle you burn less calories, so your loss will slow down or stop.

hope this helps!!

So should we eat our BMR @ lean body mass?

My BMR is 1609

My lean Body Mass BMr is 1328

My TDEE at sediatry is 2029

I do 3 zumba work outs a week burning 700 calories each time

Do I eat 1328 BMR NET or 1609 BMR NET ?
Thanks

Bump for later

Awesome, awesome post!

can you tell me what is "bump" and how to do it?

bump