[Cocosurviving]

MFP calories 1,110. Apple Watch steps 3,741. Water intake 33.8.

[UpDownAround]

Originally Posted by Tucson

I think if you were in the same shape as the average person, then maybe the 2200 calorie value would be more applicable. However, you probably are in much better shape than that. The calorie value from your watch does not take into consideration other factors like heart rate and fitness level. So I would only eat short of that figure, maybe by a percentage. FWIW that figure would be more applicable to me than to you. This assumes your watch in this respect is nearly enough to be useful. If this approach does not prove to work, I think you may need to ignore it. This is what you have already been doing.

The problem with totally ignoring it is that I have to set my calorie goal to an average day, which is fine if I am consistent about exercise. But I am starting to incorporate some core and upper body exercises and will cut back on walking a little. Also, as it gets warmer and the days get longer I will start doing other activities on a lot of days that are harder to track. Two hours of paddling yesterday was fairly constant exercise. But I am new to SUP paddling (fell in twice) and was getting my "sea legs". Once I am used to balancing and paddling, I will take a fishing rod with me and I might be out on the water two hours with really only 30 minutes of exercise. But I think setting my goal on the low end and ballparking exercise burn will be easier than setting a goal to average total burn.

[Tucson]

I weigh 174 today. This came as a bit of a surprise to me, so I will see what turns up tomorrow. I have reduced calories burned at least for three or four days in a row. I started out taking 80% of what my watch gave me, and very recently, I have used the figure from that online calories burned calculator. If I continue losing weight, which I doubt, I will need to re-evaluate how I am going about determining my calories burned for the day. For now I will continue to use the lower values provided by that online calculator. I am going to walk two to four miles today.

@UpDownAround

Ballparking calories burned may work for you during the short term, but as you improve your fitness, you will have to figure out how much lower that figure will need to go over a period of time. For that matter, the addition of upper body work further complicates this picture. So how do you under these circumstances determine a reasonably useful figure for this?

IMO the only way to come up with a useful figure is to make the changes in your routine static, and accordingly, the calories consumed. Then find a workable target for the calories that need to be consumed that maintains your weight. This value will need to go up over time as you become more fit. Otherwise, IMO you are just WAGing (wild azz guessing) it. Then if your routine changes, like changing reps, or the type of exersize, and yout weight begins to change, go through the same process again to come up with a new target for that calories that need to be consumed. So I think consistency is the key here. No change in exersuize routine is a start, at least for the periodic calculation of your target for calories that need to be consumed.

FWIW

Thoughts?

[Bozdickens]

I’m just trying to maintain.

I average between 159-161.

I’ll eat whatever until I get to 161 and then I’ll just eat less for a couple days until I’m back to 159.

I’m not sure this is the best way to maintain. Honestly I have no idea how else to do it.

But it seems to be working.

[Tucson]

I have walked about 10,000 steps for exersize. My wrist band calculates this out to 594 calories burned. However, the online calculator pegs this at 380 calories burned. So going by the 380 calorie figure, my target for today is about 2411 calories. So far today, I have totalled 1925 calories for breakfast, lunch, and a couple snacks. I have dinner and possibly a dessert left to go. Maybe a banana for dessert.

@BozDickens: You have a nice straightforward way to manage weight. Once I get my situation stabilized, particularly with respect to exersize, I may be able to do the same thing. I do not know yet, but that is where I want to be. Paranoia may keep me counting calories.

By the way, I am returning my wrist band to Amazon for another one that should turn out accurate enough for calories burned. All I am considering here is walking, running, and hiking. Any upper body work can change the results which I will somehow need to factor in. This should not turn out to be a problem once I have my upper body exersize routine down. Hmm...I have just realized that am definitely OCD about this! I will have to add this to my list of psychological afflictions.

PS My thanks goes to UpDownAround and his diary here of steps taken for getting me to exersize once again. My goal is to walk four miles without stopping. Next it will be six miles. Cocosurviving has helped me here too.

[UpDownAround]

@Tucson - It's a two way street - reporting my walking and diet also helps keep me focused.

@Bozdickens - You are pretty much in my range. I have been 160 to 162 the last few weigh ins. You could log food to see what the amounts that lead to increase and decrease are to figure out about what you need to stay even. But if you can stay within a coupe of pounds without going to all that trouble then just keep doing it...

13269 steps, which is almost 6 miles. I recorded roughly half as 60 min of 3 mph for 240 calories.

Food was 1779 calories today. I weigh in the morning. A little nervous about it because it seems like too high an average for the last couple of days - over 1900. It's kind of silly to be too worried because I know how many surplus calories it takes to truly put on a pound - 3500. If I have had 200 or 300 extra the last couple of days it would barely move the needle. If I am up a little, it wold likely be because I had one of the 100 calories packs of popcorn - salty and spongy. But I will cut back if it is up.

[Tucson]

I have had 2488 calories, just a bit over my goal. I decided to have an anti pasta salad for dinner. I like the honey mustard yogurt salad dressing that I used. I will see if following that online calories burned calculator will provide me values that work well enough for me.This is worth a try until I can find something better, like an accurate wrist monitor.

[UpDownAround]

I weigh 161.8 this morning. I am happy with that. It's about a half pound lower than the last weight. That doesn't mean I have really lost any weight. I am happy it wasn't a spike up, since I kind of expected it to be.

[Tucson]

I weigh 175 today. I wonder what has caused this weight loss? Considering the exersize I do, I have been eating a given amount of extra calories. Let’s see what happens in the next couple days. I will continue to use that online calories burned calculator. Unfortunately, it does not take into consideration my level of physical fitness. What is intense exersize to me is much less intense to someone else who is in better shape than I am. So I wonder how much off is my wrist monitor when it comes to the calories burned? It is considering how fit I am. Maybe it is not off as much as I think? Still, it is pretty high. I will get a handle on this before changing my exersize routine.

[Tucson]

Originally Posted by UpDownAround

I weigh 161.8 this morning. I am happy with that. It's about a half pound lower than the last weight. That doesn't mean I have really lost any weight. I am happy it wasn't a spike up, since I kind of expected it to be.

What is now your new goal for your weight loss? The reason I ask is you have both lowered your calories consumed, and increased your exersize, I know you want a cushion, but your weight will go up and down by a few pounds over time. As you know, this is normal. Furthermore, you do have the capability and the discipline to reign it in any time you choose to do so. As you have proven, you do know how to lose weight. Remember that there is not just one value but a range of BMI values for a physically fit person. Are you taking into consideration what you have gained in muscle mass? IMO this can make the difference of a couple pounds by itself. IMHO once you reach your weight goal, your feeling the necessity of providing yourself a cushion basically makes your target weight rather arbitrary anyways. Please do not let paranoia get the best of you. I am not trying to come across like I know better than you. It is just that these are the things that I frequently wonder about.

PS I need to take my own advice.

All of this is FWIW