My Fitness pal question

I'm new to the whole weight lifting game, and reading about all of these nutrition/weight loss ideas/suggestions is getting a bit overwhelming.

I started using My Fitness Pal and have been able to keep it up pretty well most days, but I'm just wondering if the numbers it's giving me sound good for my particular goals.

What My Fitness Pal says I need:

Calories: 2090
Carbs: 287
Fat: 70
Protein: 78

What my days look like:

M/W/F: Walk to work (2.5 miles one way, 5 miles total)

T/Th/Sat: Madcow's 5x5 (followed by some cardio [stair machine or elliptical) if I've got anything left in the tank)

I work in an ofice and sit behind a desk 5 days a week for 40 hours. As far as eating goes: that's obviously my biggest problem. I've gotten it about 90% under control on the weekdays but still struggling on the weekends, though it's coming along. The weight is coming off though, still, and for every pound I drop I seem to get more motivated, so every week there's been am improvement, and as long as I feel I'm improving day by day with what I'm eating I feel good.

I'm also a vegetarian, and I only bring that up because I feel it's important when mentioning nutrition/weight loss. For the past week when I've been consistent in logging everything in MFP I've had no trouble hitting the numbers that they say I need for protein and fat.

(A note on my weight days: for the past 5 weeks I have been going to the gym and feeling it out, getting comfortable with squatting, dead lifting, benching, and other basic movements. I've been using the 5x5 as a guide while doing those, but not following it to a T. This week will be my first week actually following the log given.)

I'm currently 6'3'' and 315 lbs (was 370). My goal is to lose weight, and, in the short term at least, get to about 250. I feel I'd be comfortable at that weight, but will reevaluate when I get there to see if I'd like to go lower.

So I guess I'm asking: does this look good? Is that too few calories? Enough protein? So far it seems to be working pretty well, though some nights I feel super hungry. I'm not much for eating in the day (in the mornings when I wake up I can hardly even drink water. I've been like that for as long as I can remember), but at night my hunger can feel just ravenous.

As far as supplements, I'm using what I'm comfortable with: protein powder for workout days and I've been taking creatine (1tsp each day) for about a week now. I'm not comfortable with stimulants or anything like that.

If you guys need any more info please let me know. I'm new here and trying to get a feel for things.


Thanks,


joe

Your macros are way off. I know you're trying to lose a lot of weight but calories seem really low, its about a lifestyle change and its not going to happen overnight. Your protein should be a lot higher.

[url]http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=133163973[/url]

Use that thread to properly calculate your calories and macros then input them manually into myfitnesspal.

[QUOTE=Pine Grove;835136441]Your macros are way off. I know you're trying to lose a lot of weight but calories seem really low, its about a lifestyle change and its not going to happen overnight. Your protein should be a lot higher.



Use that thread to properly calculate your calories and macros then input them manually into myfitnesspal.[/QUOTE]


Thanks, Pine. I felt that the calories were low, which was what prompted this thread.

Like you said: this has to become a way of life, something that is sustainable. While the amount of calories I was eating would get me through the day, it was hard to stick with sometimes and I'd been feeling the stress of it the past week or so. I'll check the thread you linked and update everything accordingly.


joe

Yup. Myfitnesspal severely underestimates protein levels for people trying to keep muscle (it recommends only the amount needed for proper body function). Use that link to calculate what you need. Myfitnesspal lets you customize your macros so once you do the math, you can set the numbers to what you want.

Take in A LOT more protein. i try to get about 150 grams of protein per day and your bigger than I am.

I modified my settings like this below for my cutting diet.

[IMG]http://i44.tinypic.com/2nu1vnt.jpg[/IMG]

I am getting *way* different numbers when trying to calculate my BMR.

Using the suggested method for a sedentary lifestyle it's:

26 x 142 = 3692 x 1.5 (for moderately active) = 5538 calories needed per day to maintain my weight.

Using what seemed to be the second most suggested, the Mifflin-St Jeor method it's:

[99.9 x 142 (weight in kg)] + [6.25 x 190 (height in cm)] - [4.92 x 30 (age)] + 5 = 2432.9 * 1.5 = 3694.35 calories req'd to maintain weight.

If I go for a 15% reduction in calories it's either 3140.25 or 4707.3 calories required each day in order to reduce my weight, and both of those seem to be pretty high for weight loss (one seems absurdly high). Am I doing this incorrectly? I tried both methods to see if they'd get close, but they're way far apart and while it says that it'll be an overestimation, they seem to be far off from what I assumed. Maybe my ideas of what were needed were just way off.


joe

[QUOTE=JoeDaddio;835166041]I am getting *way* different numbers when trying to calculate my BMR.

Using the suggested method for a sedentary lifestyle it's:

26 x 142 = 3692 x 1.5 (for moderately active) = 5538 calories needed per day to maintain my weight.

Using what seemed to be the second most suggested, the Mifflin-St Jeor method it's:

[99.9 x 142 (weight in kg)] + [6.25 x 190 (height in cm)] - [4.92 x 30 (age)] + 5 = 2432.9 * 1.5 = 3694.35 calories req'd to maintain weight.

If I go for a 15% reduction in calories it's either 3140.25 or 4707.3 calories required each day in order to reduce my weight, and both of those seem to be pretty high for weight loss (one seems absurdly high). Am I doing this incorrectly? I tried both methods to see if they'd get close, but they're way far apart and while it says that it'll be an overestimation, they seem to be far off from what I assumed. Maybe my ideas of what were needed were just way off.


joe[/QUOTE]

Meet it in the middle and adjust according to your results. If it isn't broken don't fix it, but if it isn't the result you want, lower or raise calories accordingly.

I use myfitnesspal and I agree that the protein levels are too low. It suggests I take in 85g of protein, needless to say that I attempt to double that number daily. Also, my maintenance cals are at 2260 which may even be too low although I attempt 1800-2000 max. All in all the app is good and once you conquer the weekend, you should see lbs flying off especially at your size. Good luck!

You guys can modify the % of your macros.

[url]http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals[/url]

I use myfitnesspal also, and my macros are way off like OP is. saying I only need 70protien. so this is what I do. I just use it to keep track of what Im eating. One cal counter says I should eat about 1700cals myfitness says 1450 so I eat between those and then just make sure I get the macros the first counter says I should have.