Calorie counting for dummies(me) help please

[Vivian124]

I'm brand new to calorie counting after ditching Slimming World for the umpteenth and final time. I used a calorie calculator online and I'm allowed 1800 calories a day. If I didn't do a tap of exercise but didn't exceed 1800 calories will I lose weight?
I'm confused because calorie deficit is when you burn more calories than you consume, does that mean you have to for example consume 1800 calories but burn off 2000? Therefore creating a deficit?
I also signed up to nutracheck app which so far I'm loving.
Thanks.

 

[Megansnarkle]

I'm brand new to calorie counting after ditching Slimming World for the umpteenth and final time. I used a calorie calculator online and I'm allowed 1800 calories a day. If I didn't do a tap of exercise but didn't exceed 1800 calories will I lose weight?
I'm confused because calorie deficit is when you burn more calories than you consume, does that mean you have to for example consume 1800 calories but burn off 2000? Therefore creating a deficit?
I also signed up to nutracheck app which so far I'm loving.
Thanks.

What do you mean you're 'allowed' 1800 calories a day?

You need to work out your TDEE (find a calculator online). This is how many calories you burn a day in your normal everyday life. Usually these calculators estimate a reasonable number of calories burnt based on how active you say you are. If you eat more calories than that, you are in surplus and will gain weight. If you eat fewer calories, you'll lose weight. If you eat that amount of calories, you'll maintain your weight.

 

[Clickbait]

I'm brand new to calorie counting after ditching Slimming World for the umpteenth and final time. I used a calorie calculator online and I'm allowed 1800 calories a day. If I didn't do a tap of exercise but didn't exceed 1800 calories will I lose weight?
I'm confused because calorie deficit is when you burn more calories than you consume, does that mean you have to for example consume 1800 calories but burn off 2000? Therefore creating a deficit?
I also signed up to nutracheck app which so far I'm loving.
Thanks.

So when you signed up to Nutracheck you will have inputted your details and been asked how much weight you want to lose up to 2lbs a week and your calories will be set accordingly. That will be what you can eat and you should lose that weight without exercise.

Rule of thumb is that 3500 calories equates to 1lb of fat.

You can claim calories back from exercise if you want to - there is an option to search for different types of exercise and length of time doing them and you’ll be told approximate calories burned.

If you’ve got questions the forums or the admin are really helpful.

 

[WhatABore]

Go on a TDEE calculator (Don't use the suggested calories from mfp, unsure of Nutracheck). It will tell you your calories.

For example, this was just randomly putting in 5ft 9 and 250lbs.

Your body burns calories just by existing. Which is what your Basic Metabolic Rate is.
Usually, the bigger you are, the higher your BMR will be as it will take more energy to move your body.
This is not including any exercise at all.
So your maintenance will usually be higher depending on your activity levels during the day.

TDEE Calculator: Learn Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure

Use the TDEE calculator to learn your Total Daily Energy Expenditure, a measure of how many calories you burn per day. This calculator displays MUCH more!

tdeecalculator.net

This website gives you quite a bit of information.
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If you do any exercise, there is an option to add that onto Nutracheck and it'll deduct it from how many calories you've had that day.

I never add my exercise on as I don't want to eat my exercise calories.

 

[The Devils Arse]

Im guilty of putting in my exercise and then allowing to eat a wee bit more. Just Signed up with a fitness/nutrition coach and she has advised me not to "eat back" my calories as fitness watches always over estimate. Just look at exercise as becoming fitter, increasing your lung capacity, bone density etc. so from a health point of view rather than as weight loss.

I've found nutracheck to be the best app, as the calories are reasonable (not just me that was given 1200 on MFP?!) and it's a British app so much easier to locate food etc than mfp x

 

[littlepup]

Jamessmithpt on instagram is a bit of a prat at times but explains calories really well.

It comes down to deficit but If you want to go further into it, there are also videos on calories from different sources and how the body uses them which explain why eating 1200 calories or ice cream for instance isn’t the same as 1200 calories from protein and carbs.

 

[Le Cochon Roux]

MyFitnessPal. As others have suggested it overestimates your calorie expenditure a bit. For instance when I started using it a year ago it suggested 2,800 calories per diem.

I mean, I was a great fat wobble bottom but I surely wasn't burning that much. I set myself a targeted at 2,000 which I've mostly stuck to.

Also don't think, "oh, I've been and exercised loads today, I'll have a bag of donuts." That's a trap. You will never outrun the fork. MFP also shows your protein intake. Calories from protein are preferable over carbs and fat and especially sugar, which is EVIL but which I for one like too much.

I've lost about 20 percent of my weight since lockdown. Wouldn't want to be that huge ever again.

 

[WhatABore]

MyFitnessPal. As others have suggested it overestimates your calorie expenditure a bit. For instance when I started using it a year ago it suggested 2,800 calories per diem.

I mean, I was a great fat wobble bottom but I surely wasn't burning that much. I set myself a targeted at 2,000 which I've mostly stuck to.

Also don't think, "oh, I've been and exercised loads today, I'll have a bag of donuts." That's a trap. You will never outrun the fork. MFP also shows your protein intake. Calories from protein are preferable over carbs and fat and especially sugar, which is EVIL but which I for one like too much.

I've lost about 20 percent of my weight since lockdown. Wouldn't want to be that huge ever again.

This is similar to what MFP was telling me I can have.
Would never lose on that. Using the Tdee calculator and it says 1850 calories. (Also a chunk ) but I've been sticking to that for around 8 weeks and losing between 1 and 3lbs a week.

 

[Vivian124]

I'm 4 weeks into calorie counting and up 2lbs?!?!

 

[WhatABore]

I'm 4 weeks into calorie counting and up 2lbs?!?!

Have you used a tdee?
And making sure you're counting every single thing?

 

[Vivian124]

Yeah I used tdee and note every thing I eat on Nutracheck.

 

[littlepup]

I'm 4 weeks into calorie counting and up 2lbs?!?!

Not to make assumptions but, some ladies find their weight fluctuates naturally with their menstrual cycle. Might be worth keeping an eye on if it’s relevant to you.

 

[WhatABore]

Not to make assumptions but, some ladies find their weight fluctuates naturally with their menstrual cycle. Might be worth keeping an eye on if it’s relevant to you.

I don't bother weighing when my period is due because I know it'll dishearten me.
Gain anything from 1 to 5lbs every time. Always lost it again the week after!

 

[judgejohndeed]

I'm 4 weeks into calorie counting and up 2lbs?!?!

Things that can affect your weight:
-menstrual cycle
-bowel movements
-eating salty food the day before
-eating a heavy meal the day before
-increase in exercise (water retention)
-not getting enough sleep

If NONE of these things apply to you then:
-1800 calories is not a deficit for your body
-you are not tracking accurately e.g. not weighing everything, eating bites here and there that you're not tracking
-you have a medical issue

 

[Megansnarkle]

Things that can affect your weight:
-menstrual cycle
-bowel movements
-eating salty food the day before
-eating a heavy meal the day before
-increase in exercise (water retention)
-not getting enough sleep

If NONE of these things apply to you then:
-1800 calories is not a deficit for your body
-you are not tracking accurately e.g. not weighing everything, eating bites here and there that you're not tracking
-you have a medical issue

This. It may help to weigh yourself daily under the same conditions and watch the average - the Fitbit app gives an average weight each week. I find I have days where I gain a few pounds seemingly overnight despite sticking to what I should be doing, other times I have big drops but I look at the overall trend. As long as the average is generally going down, that's OK.