GauchoMark Member

I believe it also takes into account the intensity of the activity, so if today's steps were more "exercise-like" then the calorie burn is bigger.

So, as you elude to, the calculated calorie numbers you see - your MFP goal, the calories listed on the nutrition label, the number on the machine, etc. - are all just estimates. Even if you use a HRM it isn't going to be exact. The best answer is trial and error. For example, if you averaged 1200 calories for the last 3…

What you are describing is called a recomp. Yes it is possible to eat at around maintenance and build muscle and reduce fat. However, if you have been at a deficit for over a year, I wouldn't just change your intake to maintenance. I would suggest starting at maybe 200 calories below maintenance for a few weeks and…

So, lifting heavy is great if that is what you like and that is how you want to exercise. But, it's not the only way to get fit, especially if losing weight and getting lean are your goals. In reality, you can get the same effect lifting lighter weight with higher reps as long as you aren't lifting TOO light. All of the…

yeah, 156g of protein really isn't that high. My typical breakfast and lunch consists of 4 small meals and I end up at about 940 calories and 146g of protein without using powder or bars. That is basically, egg whites and greek yogurt for the breakfast meals and grilled chicken and veggies for the lunch meals. Fwiw, I've…

I assume you are getting to sub 5-6% BF? If that is the case, I would try to avoid fats as much as I can. Otherwise, I love the stuff. It is expensive, but give the P28 brand a try. The white chocolate and signature are great.

Like I said, different people have different tolerances. If you read the directions, most PWO say to test tolerance with 1/4 - 1/2 a dose. It sounds like you just took a full dose without seeing how you would handle it. But, coffee works too. Caffeine is caffeine. It also raises your HR and BP, you just apparently don't…

They give you more energy and endurance which allows you to increase your intensity and volume. It isn't placebo; creatine and caffeine are well researched. I simple google search even found pre-workout specific research. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3361498/…

for me it helps to think in terms of blood sugar. Try eating like a diabetic. You can even get a blood sugar test kit at the pharmacy and experiment if you want, but I try to keep my blood sugar fairly constant when I am trying to lose weight. That means, limiting sweets, eating every few hours, and making choices that do…

For me, refined carbs trigger hunger. I love sweets and once I start eating them I have to be really careful not to overeat. So, I just cut those out for the most part. If I eat any, I try to do it at night as a little treat before bed assuming I have calories available. Complex carbs are a better choice for me, so starchy…

Stay busy and drink plenty of non-carbonated zero calorie liquids. The busier I am the less I eat, but if I sit around the house and veg, then I get hungry. Also, you say you are eating a balanced diet, but you might need to tweak your diet some to find what combo keeps you satisfied longer. For me, carbs are a big no-no,…

Just like all the other RDA's the sodium limit is just a generalization. If you sweat a lot, you lose salt and have to eat more to replenish it. Contrary to popular belief, salt isn't evil, in fact it is necessary for cell transport. TOO MUCH salt is bad, but how much an individual needs is not going to be accurate by…

I retain water fairly significantly. If I go eat Mexican or Chinese, I can easily gain 5 lbs overnight. Everyone is different, though. The weight is simply water weight and you can get rid of it by flushing your system with... more water. Just drink a lot of water for a couple of days afterwards and your weight will go…

pre-workouts work. period. Some of them are better than others and some people tolerate them well, some don't. Whether or not you use one is up to you. I would base it on how well you do without them, how well you tolerate caffeine, and if you have any health issues. You might do just as well by eating a well planed meal…

That is part of your BMR, so its already accounted for.

but what is the point of eating it if I don't get anything out of it. Swallowing nuts whole (I even feel dirty typing that...) sounds miserable, pooping chunks sounds worse, and at that point it isn't even food anymore. I can eat plastic, too, but I'm not going to.

All joking aside, I see your point and train of thought, but quite frankly its wrong to think that it is in any way significant. The only food that might be worth considering are foods that have a non-digestible skin that remains intact - like a kernel of corn or a nut with the skin on it. It will be OBVIOUS, when it comes…

honestly, that looks like a good menu to hit your goals. You might just need to adjust the quantities slightly, but on the surface it looks like you are eating the right things. So, you've lost 10 lbs in 4 weeks. Considering your height and starting weight, I would say that you are doing everything right and losing at a…

building muscle while in a deficit is, for all practical purposes, not time well spent. HOWEVER, lifting weights while in a deficit is SO worth it. Change your goals/mentality a little - lose FAT and RETAIN muscle. To lose fat, you need to be in a caloric deficit, but you still want to lift weights to help retain as much…

first, take a step back. Do you REALLY want to cut out sugar? First you need to ask where your sugar is coming from and think about why the sugar is a problem. If you are concerned about blood sugar levels and avoiding spiking those, you can make better choices about what to eat. For example, fruit has a lot of sugar, but…

a 1000 calorie overage for one day isn't going to undo your good start. It is simply going to delay your results by 1-2 days. As long as it doesn't become a habit, it is water under the bridge. Just refocus on your goal and stick with them for a few weeks, then go treat yourself with another meal out.

Without knowing anything about her physically, how can you say that the protein is excessive? It really isn't that high for a female, especially one that is obviously doing a high protein/carb low fat diet. @monayoung1 if you want to open your diary, it would help us a little and we might be able to give suggestions. Also…

The best thing you can do with scale data is trend it. I weigh daily and trend the data - that is the only way the scale makes sense. I use trendweight.com but you can also do it yourself. I'm shocked MFP doesn't have a smoothing trend on their progress charts, actually.

the human race is doomed EDIT - although we are still probably doomed, the "Snake Diet" that I saw at least has you chew. It is more about eating one big meal a day. I guess just a marketing name for intermittent fasting. Is there another one? Maybe we could try to convince them to swallow a watermelon.

none whatsoever. As long as you are staying within your calorie limits, timing is irrelevant to weight loss. For that matter, you could eat double your goal for a couple of days and below your goal for a few days and still be OK. I lost over 100 lbs eating close to 1000 calories within an hour of going to bed. It is simply…

I eat my food whole... like a snake. That's why snakes are so skinny.

work out in the evening, eat a post workout meal, then go to bed. If I work out first thing in the morning, then I am hungry all day long. Work out at night, get belly full, then go to sleep... problem solved!

if you lost 7 lbs in your first week, the reason you "haven't lost in the 2nd week" is because the first week wasn't reality. You probably lost fat both weeks, but the scale lied to you pretty hard that first week and it might take another week or two for things to settle out so you are seeing real numbers again.

It depends. If you are using a hrm and doing steady state cardio, you might feel like your HRM count is more accurate than your fitbit count. In that case, if you log the calories burned and enter the times, it replaces that section of your fitbit count and does not double count it, so you are good to go. Another reason to…

Losing weight has absolutely nothing to do with macros. It is all about calories. Macros is about health and muscle mass retention. Even if you aren't exercising, you will be healthier and retain more muscle mass if you are eating adequate protein and essential fats than if you don't. You can gain weight eating healthy and…