Beginning to think it's Calories consumed vs. NET instead

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Replies

  • juicemoogan
    juicemoogan Posts: 994 Member
    I eat at TDEE - 15% (calories consumed)
    If i workout and my burn puts me at a number below my BMR - I eat back until my NET cals are at least my BMR.

    Its working for me so far.
  • watboy
    watboy Posts: 380 Member
    I eat about 1400 and burn abiut 600 a day I dont eat excercise calories back. Been doing it 4 years. I just recently started eating more and doing 5 x 5 stronglift program.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Once you take activity calories earned and eaten back out of the equation, if you eat over your BMR you will gain weight.
    That's only true if you include every single activity. Like typing, walking to the bathroom, brushing your hair...

    I don't think little things like make enough of a difference in such a generic calculation. If we were somehow able to know exactly what our own body really used at rest, that might make a difference, but how many of us know anything other than the generic formula.

    It's really not much different than BMI. It's a formula for the masses.
    Even though a formula may not give you an accurate number, BMR is still a real thing, and it's less than the total calories you burn during the day. You can't make a statement like "if you eat over your BMR you will gain weight". That's a ridiculous thing to say. How do you think people maintain their weight when they aren't dieting?

    *sigh* Read my post re: taking activity out of equation If you are at rest and you give your body more calories that it can use at rest (BMR), you will gain weight. I never said BMR wasn't real (???)
  • VegGoddess
    VegGoddess Posts: 81 Member
    bump
  • kellyreynolds14
    kellyreynolds14 Posts: 56
    I asked a personal trainer about this concept last night. He states that you don't have to eat back what you burn. He states just eat something after exercising. He said he problem that people are having is that they eat 50-75% of the burned calories back and their body holds on to those calories. Once you have gotten your body adapted to a good steady work-out routine then you should eat about 25-50% of those calories burned but no more.

    This is an interesting concept. I will try it out.

    I really don't have much of a problem losing the weight when I am excercising regularly, eaty oober healthily, and keeping my net calories below MFP's recommendations. With that said, the reason I think this does work, is because MFP's calculations for my calorie allotment seems to be off. I went to about 10 different sites with calculators and they all said to lose 0.5lb per week I should eat anywhere between 1800-2000 calories a day while I beleive MFP caluclated something around 1500.. I am starting to think a bigger consideration above how many calories you consume a day would be how many you consume in one week, and how you vary your calorie consumption day to day. I hav read it may help to cycle your calories and plan your larest calorie intake day to coincide with your heaviest workout day (therefore still keeping your NET calories low). I am still testing this out. With that said, I think I am gonna keep a closer eye on my TOTAL calories consumed, since I haven't really paid attention to that before.
  • SaraTN
    SaraTN Posts: 536 Member
    I started a thread that has a handy little weight tracker based on calorie intake and caloric expenditure. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/576000-weight-loss-simulator

    I think the tool is pretty amazing when you manipulate the data. Some people have been confused thinking it was "telling" them to consume a rediculously low number of calories but in actuality it just puts it into perspective with the weight loss goals, like you might be expecting too much too fast.

    I have played around with the data by a time frame goal and a lifestyle change goal. For me, it works to put in my job and my leisure time activity for the baseline at low active levels. Then, when I input my data for lifestyle change I use the detailed button and add my scheduled runs/walks that I do per week. This will tell me I am increasing my activity by X%. I can also manipulate my carb intake say for the first 15 days only get 10% of my calories from carbs then at day 11 up it to 30%.

    Under the tabulated data, it will tell you exactly how many calories you need to consume and burn each day along with body fat percentage, lean mass etc. Of course, you can also input the calories you want to consume (i.e. 1500) it will then simulate how many you need to burn based on the data you initially put in.

    Perhaps this will help people "visualize" the concept.

    Here is the direct link if you don't want to go to the thread:

    http://bwsimulator.niddk.nih.gov/
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Deleted because I confused myself.:drinker:

    :laugh:
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,261 Member
    Once you take activity calories earned and eaten back out of the equation, if you eat over your BMR you will gain weight.
    That's only true if you include every single activity. Like typing, walking to the bathroom, brushing your hair...

    I don't think little things like make enough of a difference in such a generic calculation. If we were somehow able to know exactly what our own body really used at rest, that might make a difference, but how many of us know anything other than the generic formula.

    It's really not much different than BMI. It's a formula for the masses.
    Even though a formula may not give you an accurate number, BMR is still a real thing, and it's less than the total calories you burn during the day. You can't make a statement like "if you eat over your BMR you will gain weight". That's a ridiculous thing to say. How do you think people maintain their weight when they aren't dieting?

    *sigh* Read my post re: taking activity out of equation If you are at rest and you give your body more calories that it can use at rest (BMR), you will gain weight. I never said BMR wasn't real (???)
    LOL......of course if your at rest and do nothing all day and eat over your BMR you could potentially gain weight, but most people use BMR as a wake up number and go from there. Your explaination of BMR isn't doing anybody any good. Non exercise thermogenesis can be as much as 700+ calories, without doing any exercise whatsoever.
  • meechi53
    meechi53 Posts: 195 Member
    Silly question, what is TDEE?

    I just upped my daily by 150 calories and all of a sudden this week, weight is back down..
  • ElHombre23
    ElHombre23 Posts: 126 Member
    This topic can easily be summed up by saying listen and do whats best for your body i'm eating on most days between 1000 to 1500 calories a day then I burn off about 400 while training my muscle mass has actually increased and my waist is dropping in size...when I plateau which all bodies do and mine will eventually i'll switch things up...for now i'm going ride it out.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Once you take activity calories earned and eaten back out of the equation, if you eat over your BMR you will gain weight.
    That's only true if you include every single activity. Like typing, walking to the bathroom, brushing your hair...

    I don't think little things like make enough of a difference in such a generic calculation. If we were somehow able to know exactly what our own body really used at rest, that might make a difference, but how many of us know anything other than the generic formula.

    It's really not much different than BMI. It's a formula for the masses.
    Even though a formula may not give you an accurate number, BMR is still a real thing, and it's less than the total calories you burn during the day. You can't make a statement like "if you eat over your BMR you will gain weight". That's a ridiculous thing to say. How do you think people maintain their weight when they aren't dieting?

    *sigh* Read my post re: taking activity out of equation If you are at rest and you give your body more calories that it can use at rest (BMR), you will gain weight. I never said BMR wasn't real (???)
    LOL......of course if your at rest and do nothing all day and eat over your BMR you could potentially gain weight, but most people use BMR as a wake up number and go from there. Your explaination of BMR isn't doing anybody any good. Non exercise thermogenesis can be as much as 700+ calories, without doing any exercise whatsoever.

    My "explanation of BMR"?? I wasn't even aware I gave one.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member


    I said that and I know perfectly well what it means. Once you take activity calories earned and eaten back out of the equation, if you eat over your BMR you will gain weight. If you lose, that would just mean that the calculated BMR isn't correct for you (which it often isn't). You have to consume (absorb) less calories than your body will use in order to lose weight.

    I eat over BMR and I am not gaining weight. Not including any activity calories earned / eaten back.

    My BMR is 1360 and I rarely eat that little. I normally eat in the 1500-1800 range. If I exercise, then MFP gives me more but I don't eat them usually. My TDEE is 2200.

    p.s. - my exercise I log is typically about 225 in a day, so I am not going under BMR.
  • tabinmaine
    tabinmaine Posts: 965 Member
    Deleted because I confused myself.:drinker:

    :laugh:

    lmao
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    This topic can easily be summed up by saying listen and do whats best for your body

    Now that is the best advice there is. If the formulas work for you, congrats, you are average. If not, tweak the plan till it works for you.
  • zukkiz
    zukkiz Posts: 362 Member
    Okay so I figure things out a little differently, since I am a breastfeeding mommy.

    I calculate my BMR just as anyone else does and it comes to 1499.

    I then do the Fat2FitRadio idea of eating the TDEE of my goal weight, which is 150 lbs. So that TDEE is 1696. This is all set towards sedentary. Trust me I am not sedentary I am a mom of 6 (5 of which are boys).

    I have to add in only 300 calories for breastfeeding since my little one is 10 months old.

    My TDEE would be 1996, basically 2000.

    This week I started to eat about that much daily and net around 1700-1800. I haven't exercised this week really, but when I do I eat a lot of them back. (I use a HRM)

    I weigh in "officialy" tomorrow, but this week I am already down 2.5 pounds. That will make 32 pounds lost since January.

    You see though we all have different genetics, and what works for me might not work for others.

    I don't believe in going to far from your BMR or under 1200 just because I would not be able to function.
  • carld256
    carld256 Posts: 855 Member
    I go by MFP's calorie suggestion, in my case 1780, and eat near or a bit below that. I exercise a minimum 500 calories a day and don't eat those calories back. It seems to work for me.
  • tabinmaine
    tabinmaine Posts: 965 Member
    This topic can easily be summed up by saying listen and do whats best for your body

    Now that is the best advice there is. If the formulas work for you, congrats, you are average. If not, tweak the plan till it works for you.

    and while I agree with you, the problem seems to be that no one even knows what darn formula to begin with...let alone to start tweaking it.....LOL
  • blytheandbonnie
    blytheandbonnie Posts: 3,275 Member
    Can you people in the know look at my diary and tell me what I can do to start losing again. I already feel like I'm eating WAY too much. Maybe I'm not burning what I think when I exercise... Gaahhhh! I don't know. I will probably try to start lifting eventually but as out of shape as I am I think I'm getting enough resistance from the swimming at the moment. Especially when I put those swim fins on... grrrr!. Maybe? Anyway... some help and/or advice would be appreciated. Also, if I could maybe see someone's 'eat more to lose more' diary to see what you are eating it would help. Thanks.
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,010 Member
    I think most of the time this is a result of underestimating calories eaten and/or overestimating calories burned.
  • shan_0517
    shan_0517 Posts: 88 Member
    bump
  • leeslim4life
    leeslim4life Posts: 371 Member
    This month I have been burning an avg of 1000 cals and have been eating my BMR give or take 100 cals over or under it and I have been losing weight each week thus far. My Net is ridiculously low but, like some have said "everyone is different" right now this is working for me and I will adjust when I hit a plateau. I've also been switching up my workouts each day!
  • NicolePatriot
    NicolePatriot Posts: 621 Member
    omg BUMP. I need to read this later.
  • jlawson113
    jlawson113 Posts: 27 Member
    math is hard :/
  • jessicaoliver79
    jessicaoliver79 Posts: 28 Member
    I have a question.. I still have not figured this all out yet and I have been using this for almost 2 months now.. According to the calculator on this site it says my BMR is 2,280 ... after putting in my weight, height, age, sex, MFP gave me a calorie allowance of 1870 daily.. Is this too much? Should I lower it to 1200? I have a lot of weight to lose, so how important is it that I eat back my exercise calories?? Thanks for any info!
  • ElHombre23
    ElHombre23 Posts: 126 Member
    Thats just it..its impossible to apply one formula to every human body especially when you have so many variables in every physical body. The formula is that there is none...just keep throwing curve balls at your body...
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    This topic can easily be summed up by saying listen and do whats best for your body

    Now that is the best advice there is. If the formulas work for you, congrats, you are average. If not, tweak the plan till it works for you.

    and while I agree with you, the problem seems to be that no one even knows what darn formula to begin with...let alone to start tweaking it.....LOL

    True. I'm 50 and I've been thin most of my life. Starting having to work harder at it after age 40. I'd never even heard of BMR or TDEE before I joined this site last year. I just did crazy things like eating only when hungry, limiting processed carbs and exercising regularly. :noway:
  • zsaoosh
    zsaoosh Posts: 402 Member
    What about a marathon runner? Net comes into play there. What about if you want to keep your muscle mass? Your body will eat away at your muscles if you dont feed them. You will loose, but will it be fat or muscle? Never net under 1200 (give or take 100, depending on the person). Do you want to be skinny or healthy....I vote for healthy.
  • tabinmaine
    tabinmaine Posts: 965 Member
    Okay so I figure things out a little differently, since I am a breastfeeding mommy.

    I calculate my BMR just as anyone else does and it comes to 1499.

    I then do the Fat2FitRadio idea of eating the TDEE of my goal weight, which is 150 lbs. So that TDEE is 1696. This is all set towards sedentary. Trust me I am not sedentary I am a mom of 6 (5 of which are boys).

    I have to add in only 300 calories for breastfeeding since my little one is 10 months old.

    My TDEE would be 1996, basically 2000.

    This week I started to eat about that much daily and net around 1700-1800. I haven't exercised this week really, but when I do I eat a lot of them back. (I use a HRM)

    I weigh in "officialy" tomorrow, but this week I am already down 2.5 pounds. That will make 32 pounds lost since January.

    You see though we all have different genetics, and what works for me might not work for others.

    I don't believe in going to far from your BMR or under 1200 just because I would not be able to function.

    I like your thought process, and eating for "the future you"
  • AmandaPandah
    AmandaPandah Posts: 222 Member
    This gives me so much hope!
  • SaraTN
    SaraTN Posts: 536 Member
    math is hard :/

    This site can help! http://bwsimulator.niddk.nih.gov/
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