Counting Calories

[Megan]

For people who have had this done, is there a big variation between the machine readings and what a tool like Fitday would give you? I'm sort of assuming that there couldn't be *that* much difference but I guess you never know.

Regardless, I didn't find that calories in/calories out (simple math) worked for me either. I could have a 500 calorie deficit or a 1000 calorie deficit. Didn't make a difference. Still don't know why.

[GymRatt]

Originally Posted by Jane P.

...they showed some type of device that you breathe into. The device will then register your calorie needs. It apparently must analyze the heat you're generating, since calories are a unit of heat.

If it was handheld, it was probably the BodyGem.

More on measuring metabolism:
http://www.healthetech.com/education...ismbasics.html

[sheepla]

I'm about the same height and size as you, NeedsToDoIt, and I've done the bodygem test and my BMR was 1710. Just FYI.

[NeedsToDoIt]

Thanks sheepla! Difference in the genders? (I'm a guy.)

[GymRatt]

A very overweight co-worker of mine has his metabolism measured (I'm guessing here, but I'm pretty sure he weighs about 300 lbs, and is 6') His metabolism was about 2100 calories.

Needs, what are you doing to burn another 1300 calories? My bodygem measurement, was about 1600, and the 'gem' people said I could add another 200 or so for lifestyle calories...but not much more than 200.

[Alan]

Guys definitely burn more calories. I'm nowhere near as big as NTDI and I know I can burn in the mid 2000's easily. 3200 doesn't seem all that farfetched for a 209 pound male, depending on his level of activity.

[GymRatt]

Assuming that NTD is correctly calculating his food intake, the discrepancy has to be in the calorie burn...

BTW, congrats on the 7lbs! That's about a pound per week lost. This is a good thing, imo.

[NeedsToDoIt]

Originally Posted by GymRatt

A very overweight co-worker of mine has his metabolism measured (I'm guessing here, but I'm pretty sure he weighs about 300 lbs, and is 6') His metabolism was about 2100 calories.

Needs, what are you doing to burn another 1300 calories? My bodygem measurement, was about 1600, and the 'gem' people said I could add another 200 or so for lifestyle calories...but not much more than 200.

Gym - the 1300 come off fitday.com, based on the inputs that I used when I set up the profile. It's based on an "lifestyle" setting of "seated work, some movement." How fitday gets 1300 from that, based on my other vitals, I don't know?

[RovinUSA]

I use FitDay PC software and I think I may know what the problem is here.


When you set up your profile, you can either use FitDay's estimate of calories burned in a day, based on your age, gender, weight, etc., or you can go in and customize that by entering how many minutes/hours you spend doing everything from sleeping, light seated activity, on up to vigorous activity. What I did was enter in how many hours I usually spend at each level of activity (including sleeping) not counting my workouts (since some days I don't work out). The figure it gave me was about 200 calories lower than the estimate FitDay gave me based on my weight and an average activity level (since I am mostly sedentary). So that brought my daily calorie expenditure to about 2000. (I weigh somewhat less than you do, and I am female, so those are factors also.)

Then, on days I work out, I add the workout to my activity log. I don't add anything else to my activity log, such as the things I do every day, since that is already counted, unless it is above the average amount of activity for me. So if I work out my daily calorie expenditure might be 2300 or so. I wonder if you are adding in all your activity every day, so you are in effect counting it twice?

Even by customizing your metabolism profile like I described, it is still only an estimate because individual metabolic rates vary, and also how much muscle you have, whether you have a thyroid problem, etc. When my thyroid meds are right, and I am carefully logging everything, I do seem to lose at about the predicted rate. For me, 1500 calories a day means losing about 1 lb. a week.

Hope this helps,

Shelley

[NeedsToDoIt]

Originally Posted by Alan

Guys definitely burn more calories. I'm nowhere near as big as NTDI and I know I can burn in the mid 2000's easily. 3200 doesn't seem all that farfetched for a 209 pound male, depending on his level of activity.

Thanks Alan. Good feedback.
Thanks too GymRatt on the seven.

I was just playing with the numbers some more.........working backwards.

Fitday says I eat about 2200 calories a day. Let's assume that's right. I know I lost 7 pounds - that's a fact. So, if I take 2200*60 (days) and then take 7*3500 (calories) and add the two, and then divide that sum by 60(days) it yeilds a burn of 2600 calories a day. Now, say I have added muscle in the 60 days, well, maybe the 3200 calories burned a day in fitday is not that far off?