Weight Loss and My Fitness Pal Help

No worries

Yes. Log in to Garmin Connect. Go to Account then settings then account Information and its at bottom of page to connect to various 3rd party apps

I used a TDEE calculation (I created a spreadsheet, and updated it with my weekly weigh in to give the ever reducing balance). I’m not completely sedentary, so I picked the next one up. I then worked to a 500 calorie deficit from food. You can overwrite the target calories in myfitnesspal.

I then tried to “earn” at least 500 calories from exercise (so if I “earned” 700, I’d eat 200). Mainly using HRM, I’d agree the app guestimates are way off (even Connect without power or heart rate).

Apart from that, basically what qtip says. Calorie counting relies on you being accurate and honest. You can blow the deficit very easily over the day with guestimates. I was, and still am, a bit anal about weighing and portioning, where circumstances allow. I went from 135kg plus down to 70kg. I did, and still do, eat all food groups.

My only caveat, is even now in maintenance I’m tied to tracking. But it’s the price I’m prepared to pay to keep it off.

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Absolutely agree with the guys here about staying on it. Every time I stop tracking, I put on weight.

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This is probably to data-nerdy a setup, but…

I use MFP to track food, but not anything else. The problem is that the MFP model increases your calories for the day by the amount you spent biking. This results in insane day-to-day swings for me.

To figure out target calories, I initially used the TDEE calculator by IIFYM. It looks less usable now, and I’d probably seek one elsewhere, but there are lots of TDEE estimators out there. When doing this, pretend you are doing no biking. This gives you some base calories.

Then, figure out how you’re going to divide up your biking calories. Some of it should contribute to average overall calorie burn and some should be “eaten back” on the day you exercise. I’ve found eating back 1/3 of your biking calories works well. Take the remainder (2/3 for me) and increase your TDEE by the average amount of biking you do. (For example, if you burn an average of 4000 cal/wk, increase your daily calories by (4000/7) * (2/3) = 380.)

Then, I have an Excel sheet that has the calories eaten from MFP, the calories burned (from TR), and daily target, which is TDEE + (1/3 calories burned) + (target deficit). A deficit of 500 cal/day will get you 1 lb/wk.

Once you’re set up doing this and record this information plus your weight every day, you’ll eventually be set up to compute a much more useful TDEE. Your TDEE is average calories eaten plus 3500 * average pounds lost per day. Usually a 4-week average weight loss rate works decently well for me (using Excel’s slope function).

Yeah, there’s definitely two methods. Personally what works for me is fuelling the recovery rather than averaging out, but each to their own. My big calorie burner ride is usually the weekend, so it also suits that I don’t feel the need to be as restrictive as I might be over the weekend when doing the family time bit.

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I totally do this too. Works to good effect for me.

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I like to split calories between averaging and fueling recovery because I find I do need some of the latter. But a weekend long ride is easily 2500 calories, if not more, and the swing between 2300 on a rest day and almost 5000 on a Saturday is too much.

I have been using MFP for the last several weeks, and am really liking getting a handle on the app and on my exact nutrition intake. It is pretty cool to actually see what I am putting in my body. This has caused me to make a handful of adjustments that are serving me well.

I have a question though…

What is your experience with the activity level section of MFP? I have actually cut way down on TSS and volume by switching from all outside riding (over 8000 miles this year) to SSBMV 1 and 2. I am trying my best to stick to the TR program and prepare for 2020 road race season. That being said…I entered “high activity level”, and wonder if it is allowing too many calories. Should I switch the activity level, or just ride it out?

I have “lost” approx 2 lbs, but feel like there is more to go and it is going very slow. I would say I am very lean now, but could be better.

Thoughts?..

With MFP my method is to set the activity level to the lowest possible and then sync all my endurance activities. I also monitor my steps via a garmin watch and these calories are then added to my allowance too.

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I work out TDEE for my general activity level, and then use that. I then add in exercise activities.

They may have improved, but when I started tracking to lose weight, mfp was giving a completely unsustainable deficit - I was 120kg, and the target it gave then would still be a significant deficit now I’m at 70kg iirc.

You can use the scooby calculator, but I found a formula on another forum and set up a spreadsheet which I adjusted after my weekly weigh for the following weeks target (TDEE - deficit) when I was focused on losing weight.

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I also track with MFP. Having tried higher activity levels, I find that if I set it 1 notch up from sedentary then add 1/2 my riding calories I end up with a pretty good caloric deficit & can lose weight & train relatively well fueled. At one point I was fueling my workouts (before during & after) & would match the kj expenditure but I started putting on weight very quickly. I’m 5’5” & about 148 so good weight for the general populace but pretty tubby for my size on the bike. I’d like to get to 135 but will be happy with 140 -I’m 47 & the weight just doesn’t come down like it used to.

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yeah, i think I’l lower activity level…feel weird to do, but I’ll give it a shot

Really great input…i am 44 years old and can definitely relate to the change in fitness and specifically weight adaptations. I am also bigger at 168-170 lbs and 6’ tall. I would like to start the race season at 165 and then maintain r lose a little bit with heave race and training load. It’s funny; most of the guys I work with call me skinny and tell me I need to “put some meat on my bones” and then I ride and race with these little tiny dudes (comparatively) and I feel huge. i get advantages being bigger, though. It all works out.

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I get that too when I’m eating out with co-workers and I tell them I’m trying to lose a couple pounds. They look at me like I’m insane but when you start talking about 2 sec per mile per pound on the run and power to weight ratios on the bike and how 10 lbs can be the difference between 3.7W/kg and 4W/kg they typically remember I’m a competitive triathlete and thus insane. It usually doesn’t get brought up for at least a couple weeks at that point.

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Haha…sounds about right… I’m a fireman, and we like to eat “good” in the firehouse. However I have to eat on my own. I literally can’t eat the stuff often made. People think I’m crazy for eating “healthy” when I am basically following The Endurance Diet. We have to be able to have “cheat days”, but rare, and a not in excess. it would kill my body to put too much “cheat” in it.

Well, this should be interesting… I lowered my activity level on MFP, and the caloric intake lowered 27%…! I’m sure I can lose weight, but not sure if I will “be relatively fueled” adequately… trial and error… good stuff

I should also mention that I have the app set to lose 1lb/week. I’m currently shooting for 70% carbs, 15% & 15% fat/protein. I feel pretty good most of the time.

When I was eating 100% of my workout calories, I was stuffed! 3000+ cal per day (on the heavy workload days) was just a ton of food to me.

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Cool… I just adjusted it between activities levels…one down (instead of two), from where it was. Small adjustments and see how it goes. i have been finishing the days after training with “calories to burn” and feeling like I ate a ton, so this should be an adjustment in the right direction…

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Cool -hope it helps get you where you want to be!

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