Help me decipher weight gain after tracking calories/macros for a week

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just used MyFitnessPal to calculate my calories/macros for a normal week. I didn't make an effort to diet or change anything because I wanted to see where I was currently. I've gained about 5 pounds in the last 6 months.

What I found is that I'm naturally eating about 1500-1600 calories a day and working out (according to my apple watch and MFP app) gives me 200 calories credit most days. So I am netting 1300-1400 calories a day! That seems really low and I don't feel like I should have to stay under that to be a healthy weight. for the past decade I've been about 148-150 pounds and I'm 5'6". The weight gain has put me up to about 155 at 5'6". I'm 45 years old, female.

What do I do? Do I really need to cut calories further? My macros were a weekly average of 34% carbs, 46% fat, 20% protein. Is that the issue? My foods highest in fats were eggs and the good cheese I eat. I also eat one pat of real butter on my whole grain toast in the mornings.

Ugh . . .

Yeah, you need to cut calories. It's the unfortunate part of getting older. One truly needs less calories to maintain themselves.
there is no magic number. You might need to go down to 1200 or 1000
I have to eat around 800 cals a day to lose weight. I can't eat that much fat and have to really eat a ton of protien
I am not suffering from muscle loss, my doctor has no concerns. He was the one who told me that as we age we really need less calories than we think.

This is insane and only true if you have been on seveer calorie restriction your whole life or if you are completely, 100% sedentary. Your body could not even function on that number.

People throw out some insane things. Like the idea that you have to stop eating fresh fruit. A 500g pallet of fresh blueberries is ~250-300 calories. Nobody is retaining weight eating juicy fruit that is mostly water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just used MyFitnessPal to calculate my calories/macros for a normal week. I didn't make an effort to diet or change anything because I wanted to see where I was currently. I've gained about 5 pounds in the last 6 months.

What I found is that I'm naturally eating about 1500-1600 calories a day and working out (according to my apple watch and MFP app) gives me 200 calories credit most days. So I am netting 1300-1400 calories a day! That seems really low and I don't feel like I should have to stay under that to be a healthy weight. for the past decade I've been about 148-150 pounds and I'm 5'6". The weight gain has put me up to about 155 at 5'6". I'm 45 years old, female.

What do I do? Do I really need to cut calories further? My macros were a weekly average of 34% carbs, 46% fat, 20% protein. Is that the issue? My foods highest in fats were eggs and the good cheese I eat. I also eat one pat of real butter on my whole grain toast in the mornings.

Ugh . . .

Yeah, you need to cut calories. It's the unfortunate part of getting older. One truly needs less calories to maintain themselves.
there is no magic number. You might need to go down to 1200 or 1000
I have to eat around 800 cals a day to lose weight. I can't eat that much fat and have to really eat a ton of protien
I am not suffering from muscle loss, my doctor has no concerns. He was the one who told me that as we age we really need less calories than we think.

This is insane and only true if you have been on seveer calorie restriction your whole life or if you are completely, 100% sedentary. Your body could not even function on that number.

LOL! Of course it can. Keep in mind that is 800 calories of whole foods like chicken, vegetables, eggs, cheese, and so on. And yes, I don't work out regularly and just a few times a week go for a 30 minute walk either outside or on a treadmill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just used MyFitnessPal to calculate my calories/macros for a normal week. I didn't make an effort to diet or change anything because I wanted to see where I was currently. I've gained about 5 pounds in the last 6 months.

What I found is that I'm naturally eating about 1500-1600 calories a day and working out (according to my apple watch and MFP app) gives me 200 calories credit most days. So I am netting 1300-1400 calories a day! That seems really low and I don't feel like I should have to stay under that to be a healthy weight. for the past decade I've been about 148-150 pounds and I'm 5'6". The weight gain has put me up to about 155 at 5'6". I'm 45 years old, female.

What do I do? Do I really need to cut calories further? My macros were a weekly average of 34% carbs, 46% fat, 20% protein. Is that the issue? My foods highest in fats were eggs and the good cheese I eat. I also eat one pat of real butter on my whole grain toast in the mornings.

Ugh . . .

Yeah, you need to cut calories. It's the unfortunate part of getting older. One truly needs less calories to maintain themselves.
there is no magic number. You might need to go down to 1200 or 1000
I have to eat around 800 cals a day to lose weight. I can't eat that much fat and have to really eat a ton of protien
I am not suffering from muscle loss, my doctor has no concerns. He was the one who told me that as we age we really need less calories than we think.

This is insane and only true if you have been on seveer calorie restriction your whole life or if you are completely, 100% sedentary. Your body could not even function on that number.

LOL! Of course it can. Keep in mind that is 800 calories of whole foods like chicken, vegetables, eggs, cheese, and so on. And yes, I don't work out regularly and just a few times a week go for a 30 minute walk either outside or on a treadmill.

No, no, no. Just stop spreading this toxic stuff. I am sorry you have ended up in this situation, but it is not normal. Most people need 1200 to just maintain basic metabolic, bodily, and brain functions. You can do 800 for a short, short time, but not on the reg. And you are choosing a restrictive calorie load that will not get you nearly enough of the fiber, protein, and whole grains you need over a well-rounded diet and exercise which is critical for remaining mobile and healthy as we age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just used MyFitnessPal to calculate my calories/macros for a normal week. I didn't make an effort to diet or change anything because I wanted to see where I was currently. I've gained about 5 pounds in the last 6 months.

What I found is that I'm naturally eating about 1500-1600 calories a day and working out (according to my apple watch and MFP app) gives me 200 calories credit most days. So I am netting 1300-1400 calories a day! That seems really low and I don't feel like I should have to stay under that to be a healthy weight. for the past decade I've been about 148-150 pounds and I'm 5'6". The weight gain has put me up to about 155 at 5'6". I'm 45 years old, female.

What do I do? Do I really need to cut calories further? My macros were a weekly average of 34% carbs, 46% fat, 20% protein. Is that the issue? My foods highest in fats were eggs and the good cheese I eat. I also eat one pat of real butter on my whole grain toast in the mornings.

Ugh . . .

Yeah, you need to cut calories. It's the unfortunate part of getting older. One truly needs less calories to maintain themselves.
there is no magic number. You might need to go down to 1200 or 1000
I have to eat around 800 cals a day to lose weight. I can't eat that much fat and have to really eat a ton of protien
I am not suffering from muscle loss, my doctor has no concerns. He was the one who told me that as we age we really need less calories than we think.

This is insane and only true if you have been on seveer calorie restriction your whole life or if you are completely, 100% sedentary. Your body could not even function on that number.

You’re technically right, but you have to remember how far off we are when counting calories. First, we humans are just not very accurate. But second, the package calorie counts are also wildly off. NYT recently investigated this. One sandwich was marked 228 calories and actually had 548. That’s an outlier example from their data set but it just goes to show how hard it is to get an accurate count even when you’re being careful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just used MyFitnessPal to calculate my calories/macros for a normal week. I didn't make an effort to diet or change anything because I wanted to see where I was currently. I've gained about 5 pounds in the last 6 months.

What I found is that I'm naturally eating about 1500-1600 calories a day and working out (according to my apple watch and MFP app) gives me 200 calories credit most days. So I am netting 1300-1400 calories a day! That seems really low and I don't feel like I should have to stay under that to be a healthy weight. for the past decade I've been about 148-150 pounds and I'm 5'6". The weight gain has put me up to about 155 at 5'6". I'm 45 years old, female.

What do I do? Do I really need to cut calories further? My macros were a weekly average of 34% carbs, 46% fat, 20% protein. Is that the issue? My foods highest in fats were eggs and the good cheese I eat. I also eat one pat of real butter on my whole grain toast in the mornings.

Ugh . . .

Yeah, you need to cut calories. It's the unfortunate part of getting older. One truly needs less calories to maintain themselves.
there is no magic number. You might need to go down to 1200 or 1000
I have to eat around 800 cals a day to lose weight. I can't eat that much fat and have to really eat a ton of protien
I am not suffering from muscle loss, my doctor has no concerns. He was the one who told me that as we age we really need less calories than we think.

This is insane and only true if you have been on seveer calorie restriction your whole life or if you are completely, 100% sedentary. Your body could not even function on that number.

People throw out some insane things. Like the idea that you have to stop eating fresh fruit. A 500g pallet of fresh blueberries is ~250-300 calories. Nobody is retaining weight eating juicy fruit that is mostly water.

But...sugar! Can't eat fruit because sugar, insulin, ketosis, glycemic index, something something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just used MyFitnessPal to calculate my calories/macros for a normal week. I didn't make an effort to diet or change anything because I wanted to see where I was currently. I've gained about 5 pounds in the last 6 months.

What I found is that I'm naturally eating about 1500-1600 calories a day and working out (according to my apple watch and MFP app) gives me 200 calories credit most days. So I am netting 1300-1400 calories a day! That seems really low and I don't feel like I should have to stay under that to be a healthy weight. for the past decade I've been about 148-150 pounds and I'm 5'6". The weight gain has put me up to about 155 at 5'6". I'm 45 years old, female.

What do I do? Do I really need to cut calories further? My macros were a weekly average of 34% carbs, 46% fat, 20% protein. Is that the issue? My foods highest in fats were eggs and the good cheese I eat. I also eat one pat of real butter on my whole grain toast in the mornings.

Ugh . . .

Yeah, you need to cut calories. It's the unfortunate part of getting older. One truly needs less calories to maintain themselves.
there is no magic number. You might need to go down to 1200 or 1000
I have to eat around 800 cals a day to lose weight. I can't eat that much fat and have to really eat a ton of protien
I am not suffering from muscle loss, my doctor has no concerns. He was the one who told me that as we age we really need less calories than we think.

What is your muscle mass % and how was it tested, and what baseline of muscle mass are you comparing against and how was it tested back then?

[Anonymous]

My God. I hate being fat but the only thing worse is this:

"Cut all juice, cut all sugar, very little fruit as that is just sugar. Eat kale chips and peanut sauce without added sugar, and drink a LOT more water. If you do drink tea, add honey only if you want sweetener. I drink mine plain. Or, you can cut a lemon slice and boil it in hot water and drink that. It helps cut fat anyway and no sugar. Also, sub all that cheese and find another alternative. Bread is not necessary. Do egg white bites instead without much added but pepper. I think that is it. NO Starbucks. I laugh when my coworker works out with me and wonders how she is not losing any weight. She drinks all of that fattening Starbuck's all day long. Water is always best. Humans do not need all this tasty food. That just leads to obesity.?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find this very hard to believe. 1500 calories should be close to your BMR, so if you do not stay all day in bed, this should definitely be fat loss calories. I am also 5'6", about 145lbs and with 10-15k steps a day a 5 days a week of lifting I am maintaining at 2500. On days where I dont move out of the house and just sit at the desk all day I still burn about 1900.

Consider yourself lucky.

I weigh a bit more than you, lift weights 4 days a week and get fewer steps, probably average 8000/day and according to my gamin I only burn a most 1900 cal/day. Even on days where I get in more cadio, like hiking 5 miles over the weekend I only burned 2400 .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just used MyFitnessPal to calculate my calories/macros for a normal week. I didn't make an effort to diet or change anything because I wanted to see where I was currently. I've gained about 5 pounds in the last 6 months.

What I found is that I'm naturally eating about 1500-1600 calories a day and working out (according to my apple watch and MFP app) gives me 200 calories credit most days. So I am netting 1300-1400 calories a day! That seems really low and I don't feel like I should have to stay under that to be a healthy weight. for the past decade I've been about 148-150 pounds and I'm 5'6". The weight gain has put me up to about 155 at 5'6". I'm 45 years old, female.

What do I do? Do I really need to cut calories further? My macros were a weekly average of 34% carbs, 46% fat, 20% protein. Is that the issue? My foods highest in fats were eggs and the good cheese I eat. I also eat one pat of real butter on my whole grain toast in the mornings.

Ugh . . .

Yeah, you need to cut calories. It's the unfortunate part of getting older. One truly needs less calories to maintain themselves.
there is no magic number. You might need to go down to 1200 or 1000
I have to eat around 800 cals a day to lose weight. I can't eat that much fat and have to really eat a ton of protien
I am not suffering from muscle loss, my doctor has no concerns. He was the one who told me that as we age we really need less calories than we think.

This is insane and only true if you have been on seveer calorie restriction your whole life or if you are completely, 100% sedentary. Your body could not even function on that number.

People throw out some insane things. Like the idea that you have to stop eating fresh fruit. A 500g pallet of fresh blueberries is ~250-300 calories. Nobody is retaining weight eating juicy fruit that is mostly water.

But...sugar! Can't eat fruit because sugar, insulin, ketosis, glycemic index, something something.

It’s a sad state of affairs this forum sometimes. Tons of gimmicks and very little self investigation. The food plan that works best is the one you figure out on your own. Takes work.

[Anonymous]

Do yourself a favor and have your rmr tested. I did dexafit and it was eye opening. My base rate was 987 although I’m petite (5’1” and around 117). I’ve slowly increased it by adding a little muscle and a bit more activity but it’s still like 1075. So maintenance for me with my usual level of activity is 1400-1500. I don’t really need to lose weight at this point but I have to work hard not to gain and also hard to maximize nutrition, fiber, etc. That being said I find that I won’t gain weight with the occasional indulgence; it’s the long term habits that are most important. Sleep, activity, hydration, fiber, gut health all play a role.

[Anonymous]

Are you taking into account your period? The ravenous hungry stage, the bloated and feel full stage, etc?

Also, what is your daily exercise? A walk on the treadmill or a daily hard core aerobic run through a hilly neighborhood? Big difference. And beware that "gym machine" workouts may not be calibrated and overestimate calories burned.

[Anonymous]

Hate to say it, but I suspect the cheese. It’s such an easy way to get protein in the go, but it is also very high in fat and calories and a serving size tends to be much less than you think.

I shifted away from cheese as my main source of lunch protein and subbed in large salads with a serving size of grilled chicken for protein and have lost 25 lbs over the last 4 months. I also upped my exercise a lot and made some other dietary adjustments, but sadly I think making cheese a treat rather than a daily staple is the most important component to my weight loss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do yourself a favor and have your rmr tested. I did dexafit and it was eye opening. My base rate was 987 although I’m petite (5’1” and around 117). I’ve slowly increased it by adding a little muscle and a bit more activity but it’s still like 1075. So maintenance for me with my usual level of activity is 1400-1500. I don’t really need to lose weight at this point but I have to work hard not to gain and also hard to maximize nutrition, fiber, etc. That being said I find that I won’t gain weight with the occasional indulgence; it’s the long term habits that are most important. Sleep, activity, hydration, fiber, gut health all play a role.

Do you live the DMV? Where did you get your rmr measurement?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do yourself a favor and have your rmr tested. I did dexafit and it was eye opening. My base rate was 987 although I’m petite (5’1” and around 117). I’ve slowly increased it by adding a little muscle and a bit more activity but it’s still like 1075. So maintenance for me with my usual level of activity is 1400-1500. I don’t really need to lose weight at this point but I have to work hard not to gain and also hard to maximize nutrition, fiber, etc. That being said I find that I won’t gain weight with the occasional indulgence; it’s the long term habits that are most important. Sleep, activity, hydration, fiber, gut health all play a role.

Do you live the DMV? Where did you get your rmr measurement?

There are several places in the DMV, including Composition ID for example, but quite frankly I would not bother. Your BMR is largely determined by your size and will differ minimally between two individuals of weight and body composition. What matters is your total calorie expenditure, which can vary widely across individuals due to differences in activity level. In this regard people tend to overfocus on exercise, but we actually burn significantly more calories in non-exercise activity like daily steps and any movements we make throughout the day. People who tend to be described as having high metabolism are generally those who tend to fidget and generally move around a lot. Their BMR would not be dramatically different from someone built like them but sitting around all day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do yourself a favor and have your rmr tested. I did dexafit and it was eye opening. My base rate was 987 although I’m petite (5’1” and around 117). I’ve slowly increased it by adding a little muscle and a bit more activity but it’s still like 1075. So maintenance for me with my usual level of activity is 1400-1500. I don’t really need to lose weight at this point but I have to work hard not to gain and also hard to maximize nutrition, fiber, etc. That being said I find that I won’t gain weight with the occasional indulgence; it’s the long term habits that are most important. Sleep, activity, hydration, fiber, gut health all play a role.

Do you live the DMV? Where did you get your rmr measurement?

There are several places in the DMV, including Composition ID for example, but quite frankly I would not bother. Your BMR is largely determined by your size and will differ minimally between two individuals of weight and body composition. What matters is your total calorie expenditure, which can vary widely across individuals due to differences in activity level. In this regard people tend to overfocus on exercise, but we actually burn significantly more calories in non-exercise activity like daily steps and any movements we make throughout the day. People who tend to be described as having high metabolism are generally those who tend to fidget and generally move around a lot. Their BMR would not be dramatically different from someone built like them but sitting around all day.

Respectfully, I completely disagree. Your body fat percent is a huge and underrated part of the equation. Online calculators assume a much lower body fat percentage than the typical person who needs to lose weight will have. Like PP said, it will be majorly eye-opening for most people.