Health fitness food knowlegeable types, I have a question

[cleo29]

Ok, I am fully on the exercise train. I signed up for the transformation challenge at Orange Theory where you commit to attend at least three classes a week, plus try to do outside stuff as well. I did this more than anything as a way to get me back into a good routine instead of teaching my cycle once a week and maybe getting in one OTF class. So, I am now working out at a minimum five days week. yay!

So far, the scale has only budged a little, but I have seen other changes like I lost about 1/2 and inch or an inch off my upper thighs and I think I have added muscle.

My question is, My Fitness Pal has me at 1680 calories a day. Do you think this is correct? I know you don't want to eat more than you are burning, obviously, but I have heard from others that if you are getting too few your body will still want to hold onto the fat even with working out.

I just want to make sure I am doing what I can to get the results I want. My goal is losing 10 pounds. This has been my goal for a while now. lol

[TR]

I feel like people’s favorite thing to say, that’s usually wrong, is that you might be eating too few calories, lol.

Google “Scooby accurate calorie counter”, that was helpful for me (when I was dieting) in choosing a daily calorie count to aim for.

[foundmylazybum]

I never lost weight when I went to a gym similar to OT. Just as an fyi. But I also looked and felt awesome!

My body was really toned and I gained measurable strength, flexibility and other things like knowledge and confidence. I'm only saying these things to perhaps widen your perspective beyond just weight loss...I think a lot of people do lose weight but..dont get into an idea that it's the only success measure.


In terms of eating, Idk. I usually burned between 600- max of maybe 1k cal a session.

You can lose weight, but if you under eat you'll lose every fitness benefit and you won't be able to maximize the workouts. Also the type of calories matters.


Personally I didn't worry so much about calories, bc of I ate 600 calories of donuts that isn't the same as 600 cal of say 3 oz lean meat, salad and a sweet potato.

I would consider more not just calories in/out but overall is your diet balanced and nutritious.

[foundmylazybum]

Feb 21, 2020 16:22:58 GMT -5 TR said:

I feel like people’s favorite thing to say, that’s usually wrong, is that you might be eating too few calories, lol.

Google “Scooby accurate calorie counter”, that was helpful for me (when I was dieting) in choosing a daily calorie count to aim for.

I agree. I coach college endurance athletes who run 60-90 mpw, ride bikes to class, do general strength, and then are up all day doing things. They need to worry about undereating.

Most average people dont need to worry about this. 

[lightbulbsun]

Feb 21, 2020 16:12:58 GMT -5 cleo29 said:

Ok, I am fully on the exercise train. I signed up for the transformation challenge at Orange Theory where you commit to attend at least three classes a week, plus try to do outside stuff as well. I did this more than anything as a way to get me back into a good routine instead of teaching my cycle once a week and maybe getting in one OTF class. So, I am now working out at a minimum five days week. yay!

So far, the scale has only budged a little, but I have seen other changes like I lost about 1/2 and inch or an inch off my upper thighs and I think I have added muscle.

My question is, My Fitness Pal has me at 1680 calories a day. Do you think this is correct? I know you don't want to eat more than you are burning, obviously, but I have heard from others that if you are getting too few your body will still want to hold onto the fat even with working out.

I just want to make sure I am doing what I can to get the results I want. My goal is losing 10 pounds. This has been my goal for a while now. lol

This info is incorrect. If you eat too few calories you will lose both fat and muscle, even if you're exercising. 

I figure out how many calories to eat by calculating my BMR, and then subtracting a certain amount of calories/day (depending on how quickly you want to lose), and then adding back in exercise calories. Since you only want to lose 10lbs, you shouldn't subtract more than 500 calories/day, which would be a rate of 1lb/week. But really, it would be better and more sustainable to try for -250 calories/day, which would be 0.5lbs/week. I always use sedentary as my lifestyle, and then add in calories for exercise, but I suppose you could use a more active base. 

Also, make sure you're weighing and measuring all your food. Most people underestimate what they're eating.

BMR calculator: www.calculator.net/bmr-calculator.html

ETA: if you're adding calories for exercise, 1680 is probably too high for your goal, but it's hard to tell without knowing more details.

[cleo29]

Feb 21, 2020 16:22:58 GMT -5 TR said:

I feel like people’s favorite thing to say, that’s usually wrong, is that you might be eating too few calories, lol.

Google “Scooby accurate calorie counter”, that was helpful for me (when I was dieting) in choosing a daily calorie count to aim for.

I will check this out and I love the name. lol

[icedcoffee]

Feb 21, 2020 16:22:58 GMT -5 TR said:

I feel like people’s favorite thing to say, that’s usually wrong, is that you might be eating too few calories, lol.

Google “Scooby accurate calorie counter”, that was helpful for me (when I was dieting) in choosing a daily calorie count to aim for.

Yeah I’m not sure why this is always peoples advice. Intense workout for an hour burns off like 2 thin mints so more than likely if you’re not losing weight it’s because you’re eating too much. My biggest problem is intense workouts make me hangry. Weight loss happens in the kitchen, unfortunately.

[gummybear]

Feb 21, 2020 16:22:58 GMT -5 TR said:

I feel like people’s favorite thing to say, that’s usually wrong, is that you might be eating too few calories, lol.

Google “Scooby accurate calorie counter”, that was helpful for me (when I was dieting) in choosing a daily calorie count to aim for.

I completely agree with this. I have had an almost 60-lb range of adult non- pregnant weight and I. Have. Tried. Everything. I know every body is different but unfortunately for me, as a short, small-framed person - I don’t get to eat a lot. Certainly not more when I’m in a weight loss rut. Careful calorie counting is the only thing that works and I really have to watch portions. Weigh and measure. Sadness. Also unless you are wearing a HRM (like OTF) I think calories burned during an exercise session (like machines etc) really overestimates. Basically everything sucks.

[cleo29]

lightbulbsun, the amount MFP gave me is pretty on target. So, that is good. Thanks for the link!

[yaga]

Feb 21, 2020 17:41:26 GMT -5 gummybear said:

Feb 21, 2020 16:22:58 GMT -5 TR said:

I feel like people’s favorite thing to say, that’s usually wrong, is that you might be eating too few calories, lol.

Google “Scooby accurate calorie counter”, that was helpful for me (when I was dieting) in choosing a daily calorie count to aim for.

I completely agree with this. I have had an almost 60-lb range of adult non- pregnant weight and I. Have. Tried. Everything. I know every body is different but unfortunately for me, as a short, small-framed person - I don’t get to eat a lot. Certainly not more when I’m in a weight loss rut. Careful calorie counting is the only thing that works and I really have to watch portions. Weigh and measure. Sadness. Also unless you are wearing a HRM (like OTF) I think calories burned during an exercise session (like machines etc) really overestimates. Basically everything sucks.

This is where I'm at with weight loss. Also short, so I have the same "can't eat a lot" mentality when I really think about trying to lose weight. (And I'm struggling with like, 10-12 pounds.)

I mean, the pints of ice cream and girl scout cookies I keep buying aren't helping, but even when I don't have them, no amount of exercising helps if I'm not meticulously tracking. And I'm working out up to 6 days a week (mix of HIIT and cardio - mostly running, some long brisk walks - with the Sweat app). 

[thebreakfastclub]

This is partly why I joined weight watchers. I have 23 points and it's pretty easy to track in their app. I don't eat my exercise points. I am losing 1 lb a week pretty consistently.

[gummybear]

Feb 21, 2020 18:56:41 GMT -5 spearmintleaf said:

I am another one who has always lost weight with calorie restriction. And running always melts the weight off. No other exercise helps me manage weight like running does.

This too. I’m in very good shape and have a lot of muscle. But i will hold onto fluff like no tomorrow. As soon as I start running that extra later just melts off.

[cleo29]

thebreakfastclub, I am on WW too. And MFP. lol I will track in both, and I don't eat those points either. I do it more for keeping myself accountable for hitting my exercise goals.

spearmintleaf, I wish I could run, but I just can't. My knees don't like it and I think my running on the treads contributed to my meniscus finally tearing. I do do well power walking. I need to add that back in to my week. I would get in 4-6 miles per walk.

I do like how strong I think my body is becoming and H says he can see a difference. Also, I do teach my cycling classes once a week, so that adds a nice mix and keeps my legs strong.

[wanderingback]

As a fitness person, my advice would be to get off the scale and stop worrying about 10 pounds. It sounds like you are healthy and your body composition is changing in a healthy way so why is losing 10 pounds the ultimate goal? If for some reason you must lose 10 pounds, then you’ll likely need to pay closer attention to the food you’re eating, the macros especially. I know renaissance periodization works well for a lot of people who are very active active and looking to lose fat and not muscle. You can google it to find the info if you want to buy the templates or app.

[cleo29]

wanderingback, thank you! I will look into it. THe number is about how things are fitting. It could change if things start fitting better, even with the scale not changing much.

[emilyinchile]

On the topic of not eating enough, it's true that even intense workouts don't burn THAT many calories. It's also true that you can lose more muscle than is ideal if you have too big of a calorie deficit (ideally we want to hold on to muscle and lose fat). It's ALSO true that eating too little can mess with your metabolism and reduce your BMR (how much energy your body uses to stay active, things like breathing and beating your heart) which has the effect of you being in less of a calorie deficit than you thought and not losing weight.

All that said, your calories don't sound extremely low or high (I don't know how much you weigh to give a better calculation), and the important thing is that you ARE seeing progress in other ways than the scale. I'd stick with what you're doing and keep monitoring things like measurements, fit of your clothes and progress pictures in addition to weight, and if some of those are headed in the right direction then you're on a good path!

[cleo29]

Feb 21, 2020 22:10:16 GMT -5 emilyinchile said:

On the topic of not eating enough, it's true that even intense workouts don't burn THAT many calories. It's also true that you can lose more muscle than is ideal if you have too big of a calorie deficit (ideally we want to hold on to muscle and lose fat). It's ALSO true that eating too little can mess with your metabolism and reduce your BMR (how much energy your body uses to stay active, things like breathing and beating your heart) which has the effect of you being in less of a calorie deficit than you thought and not losing weight.

All that said, your calories don't sound extremely low or high (I don't know how much you weigh to give a better calculation), and the important thing is that you ARE seeing progress in other ways than the scale. I'd stick with what you're doing and keep monitoring things like measurements, fit of your clothes and progress pictures in addition to weight, and if some of those are headed in the right direction then you're on a good path!

I am a hair under 5'6" and weight 150.5, I think something like that. lol It can fluctuate down or up. I do tend to carry weight fairly evenly, but would love to lose this bit I have gained on my stomach.

I do think I am going to work my walking back in as my body tends to respond well to it. I like the OTF because I am getting stronger and definitely more tone. I just need to mix things up a bit, I think, and be mindful not to eat whatever I want because I made it to the gym.

[oswin]

My philosophy here is that if you're hungry, you're either not eating enough or not eating the right (healthy, filling) food. Following calories or macros only works if you're eating high quality foods (e.g. mostly less processed), drinking enough water, and getting sleep. If you make yourself miserable in the name of losing weight, you'll absolutely gain it back eventually because the changes made weren't sustainable.

Anyway, good job on the workouts and body composition changes.

[huskymom]

Are the body scans not included as part of the challenge? I’m doing it as well and we get 3 scans (initial, halfway, end) and it did give a calorie consumption goal (forget the exact term) that was pretty close to what MFP estimates. Our challenge is based on body fat % lost, but not really sure how accurate these InBody scans are- I’m just doing it to stay accountable!

[cleo29]

I thought we were supposed to get one midway but they did not. I will ask on Tuesday. I think the scan midway would be smart.

[dirtyred]

Feb 21, 2020 16:22:58 GMT -5 TR said:

I feel like people’s favorite thing to say, that’s usually wrong, is that you might be eating too few calories, lol.

Google “Scooby accurate calorie counter”, that was helpful for me (when I was dieting) in choosing a daily calorie count to aim for.

I never understood how people can believe that eating too little makes you not lose weight, or somehow gain weight.  If this were true, no one would ever starve to death. Famine wouldn't be something to worry about.  Most people grossly underestimate how much they eat (which is why a food scale is so important), or have "a bite or two" of something or a couple of somethings  and not count it.  Little bits add up fast.

[emilyinchile]

Adding in walking is a great idea - it isn't be too hard on your body, but it'll increase your calorie deficit a bit and therefore should help you keep seeing progress.

[tarzanswife]

I do OTF as well and use a TDEE calculator to figure out my calorie intake and macros. The generator will give you numbers based upon maintenance, cutting or bulking. Also moderate, low or high carb. I input these into MFP and try to stay within the total calories and the assigned macros.


TDEE Calculator

[mrssandro]

I have to say towards the end the last 10 is the hardest to get. Sometimes you body is just happy where it is at. You have to decide is it really worth changing your diet so much that you can't maintain it or if you really just wanting to appear smaller in some areas. To me focusing on fitness and strength training is the most ideal. Your body will start to morphe into what your goals are and sometimes that includes some weight loss. I think the scale should be the last indicator of setting health goals. To me it's never been helpful to focus on the number.

Also I see a lot of times that it's possible to eat too little, especially if you aren't eating the right things or using points/calories on foods that have no nutritional value. Your body craves substance. I have seen some WW folks who are eating less than 1200 calories daily and what really helps them is eating a splurge meal. I know people have lots of opinions but I am in the opinion that everyone is different and certainly not eating enough is possible.