Trying to lose 10lbs..should I reset my total calorie burn rate?

[sherryg]

Hi guys,

need some help.

im 56, female, today I weigh 156.8 and I selected the medium plan (1lb per week loss). I’m good with it going slow,I just don’t understand the calories burned daily equation. Do I need to change the 2214 that appears in that box. I am eating an average of 1200-1430 calories a day. My BMR is something like 1364. I can do simple math and maybe this math is escaping me but I cannot figure out if I need to input another number in that box. 

My step goal is 12k, stair goal is 10, miles are set at 5. I have no trouble meeting that. 

So, is there something I’m missing?

[tractorlegs]

@sherryg -- No. The Fitbit is calculating your calories burned based on your age, gender and weight, plus activity (steps) and heart rate. It's BMR plus activity, basically. At about 1000 calorie deficit per day, which is what you're looking at, you may lose about 2 pounds a week. In my experience, the fitbit is fairly accurate in calories burned daily, although some Fitbit users may disagree.. 

[sherryg]

Thank you. So I don’t have to adjust anything, even if I’m not meeting that insane target?

[Baltoscott]

@sherryg -- I think I agree that you don't need to change anything, but to make sure I understand your question, can you upload of screen shot of the calories burned target you are talking about?

As an aside, when I set up a weight loss plan, I use "Sedentary" instead of "Personalized" for the calorie estimate of how much I can eat.  In my case, "Personalized" allows me to eat too much to lose weight.  It seems to be because Fitbit overestimates my calorie burn when the estimate is based on my past activity (I am pretty active).  @tractorlegs indicates that personalized estimate is accurate in his experience, but that was not the case for me when I was trying to lose weight.  

Experiment and see what works best for you.  Based on what you've said so far about you are eating you are probably in good shape to lose weight so long as it is enough to avoid hunger most of the time.  (I would shoot for hunger for no more than about an hour before scheduled meals).  If you eat so low that you always feel hungry there likely will be a binge in your future, your metabolism may slow down, and, in any event, you are not building lifetime eating habits.

[sherryg]

Here’s what I was referring to, the 2214 calories burned goal. I assumed that Fitbit set that based on something but I wasn’t sure how it came to that number since I can’t seem to reach it,even when I hit all my other goals

[sherryg]

@Baltoscott @tractorlegs 

I posted the picture of what I was talking about.

Give me some advice please guys.  I lost 35 lbs on WW in 2016. At my lowest I was 140.5 for a minute, and then settled for pretty much all of 2017 between 143-146lbs.  2018 came and the weight crept up even though I was (and still am) following the WW eating plan.  Im sure you've heard, WW changed their plan and that really threw me off some, I dont know why, but it did, so the weight crept up to around 148-151lbs for a few months, then up some more to where I've settled for most all of 2018 and up to today, around 154-157lbs.  

I work out consistently, not killing myself but following different workout plans like 35-45 min of aerobic activity 5 days a week and hitting my 12k steps on and off, for years.  

I only yesterday decided that maybe I should start logging food intake in the Fitbit app as well as WW and also ITrackbites, just to see if Fitbit would be a better gauge of what I am doing wrong and help me self correct.  I track every single bit of food I eat, including weighing and measuring daily.

I will be honest to say that in the last year, I have allowed myself cheat days, which I didnt do during the initial loss phase and I know that contributed to some of the gain so this past weekend I decided that cheat days are no longer a thing.  I am determined to get off at least 10-12lbs but it's just not budging.

So, yesterday I decided to get up and instead of my usual dance cardio, I would run on the treadmill.  I did, it sucks because I hate running ,but I did it straight at 4mph for 30 min and my Fitbit said I ran 3 miles.  I ate well within my WW point value, no junk, and drank 4+ 24oz of water, my Fitbit says I got 12,560 steps, 14 floors, 8.1 miles, 2159 calories burned and 69 min active, and guess what I woke up to...

the scale saying I was up to 158.1 lbs from 156.8 yesterday....if I were to weigh in at WW today, I would've had to pay (I am Lifetime so thankfully weigh in only counts the first of the month!).  

Needless to say I am VERY frustrated because I dont want to be one of those people who has issues losing weight during menopause (I am 56).  My husband says I look great and he can tell my body is toning up dramatically BUT THAT GD NUMBER is too high.

Sorry for net cursing, I am just really frustrated and could use some wisdom to send me back down the road to success.

Thanks for your input.

[Baltoscott]

@sherryg 

I cannot figure out how to reset the calorie burn goal you pointed out.  On the app, but not the computer desktop, I can change the number, but the change does not stick after I change screens and go back the app desktop.  I believe it is because it is associated (in a way that makes no sense to me) with your weight loss plan.  I would just ignore it. 

Basically what you are shooting for is a 500-1000 cal/day deficit.  I am pretty sure you are on track for that.  But it will take time!  I am sure you have heard this before, but much of weight change is just change in water weight.  I weigh daily, and then rely on a moving average to help me decide whether I'm on track for my goals.  The TrendWeight link in my signature gives you a sense of how muchweight can change from day to day (even days that are a week apart!), when the weekly average hardly moves.  Focusing on moving averages keeps you from freaking out when the scale reading tomorrow morning doesn't match up with all the work you did today.  Keep up your habits day after day, and the weight trend will reflect the work

As much as I personally like the scale as an evaluation tool, though, I think the main goal of any eating and workout plan is to develop reasonable lifetime habits that make rebound unlikely.  If weight watchers is doing that for you, it is the right program.  But if you find you need 'cheat days' because you feel deprived, you probably are not on the right track. 

I've been in more or less maintenance mode for about a year and a half since losing 40+ lbs in the first half of 2017.  I don't drink two beers or glasses of wine a day anymore, but I do let myself drink one or two beers or glasses of wine on odd number days, anniversaries, and birthdays (oddly, by taking some days off, I also tend to want to drink less on planned drinking days).  I stopped having pizza every Friday night, but if it is really good pizza, and I haven't had any for at least two weeks, I'll go ahead and indulge.  I just make sure that I ALSO have a substantial salad, and some other veggie before and with the pizza so that I can stop myself at two or three slices from a small, instead of eating most of a medium or large.  I used to have some ice cream every night.  But while I was losing weight I really cut back on sweets and developed a taste for plain yogurt with frozen fruit (berries, mango etc.).  Now I actually prefer that, though I will grab a spoonful of my wife's ice cream sometimes. 

Finally, listen to your husband.  Obviously, if he has any sense, he won't say you look fat; but if he thinks you look fit, you probably do, and you are probably on the right track!  As a follow up on that idea -- pull out the tape measure and use that as a weekly check on your scale process. 

[sherryg]

@Baltoscott 

LOL! The husband better tell me the  truth! He really is pretty good about telling me to get out of my own head.

To be honest, I am totally good with the scale being one of the measurement tools rather than a the be all end all, but it does suck when you get on it and think you've done so well only to see an unexpected spike.  All I had to do was jump off and put my hand on my leg to see the evidence of why it went up; my hand print stayed on my leg for a few seconds longer than usual.

As for your eating tips, oh honey, I am there already.  I have a fully stocked wine rack, like 50+ bottles, that we rarely crack open.  I have all kinds of snacks that just don't interest me in the slightest.  I LOVE pizza but don't eat it and as for your trick, having an accompanying salad, I do that every single time I do enjoy pizza.  I prefer to make my own on a Foldit rather than go out and when we do go out, its cracker thin flat bread pizza for me.  I dont do dressings, I prefer naked salads but when I do need a little, its usually balsamic vinegar or, on the rare occasion, Bolthouse farms and then only fork dipped.  My cheat Saturdays started becoming a chocolate free for all and all it was doing was making me sick to my stomach by the end of the day so two weeks ago, when I was feeling horrible, I said, enough of this crap. I adore plain greek fat free yogurt, strained so that its spreadable (I make this myself) and use that on the spelt english muffin I eat otherwise, I am not much for bread products. Lastly, I DETEST ice cream (I KNOW, I'm weird 🙂 ) I hate all things cream-based including pudding and whip creams.  The WW Smart Point program really worked for me when they were using that.  I've struggled with wrapping my arms around Freestyle since they brought it out but I havent given up yet!

Thank you for all your kind words of support and your suggestions.

I will keep on, keeping on

🙂

Sherry 

BTW---CONGRATULATIONS on your spectacular weight loss and in your success at keeping it off!  You are a great role model for many of us on the struggle bus 🙂