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2009-05-01 11:24 AM

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Subject: How accurate are these calorie counters?
In April I decided to begin using Fitday.com to count calories in an effort to drop a few pounds.  I chose the least active activity level and logged all my food intake an exercise for the month and really made an absolutely honest effort to log everything accurately.  At the same time I upped my exercise volume from just over 300 to over 400 minutes per week, and that included an extra 30 minutes of strength training over what I had been doing

According to the reports for last month I ran a 1349 calorie/day deficit.  Times 30 days that should have been a total deficit of 40K calories which (using 3500 calories for 1 pound fat as a base) should have resulted in an 11.5 pound weight loss.  In reality I lost two pounds.  Ok, so lets say I underestimated intake or output, or that there's some inaccuracy in the metrics fitday uses and I compensate by adjusting calories consumed upwards 10% and calories burned downwards 10%.  That still should have been a 780/day calorie deficit and an expected weight loss of 6.7 pounds.  

Now don't get me wrong, I'm happy to see the scale move and for the record I did gain a notch on the belt, my vascularity and abs are starting to come back, etc.  so I guess I may have gained some muscle at the same time.  However, the "gained muscle" explanation seems like an old chestnut at this point I hear it used so much.   Either I'm completely deluded about what I ate and the exercise effort I gave, or the data and calculators on fitday.com are garbage.  Thoughts?

Edited by Spleen 2009-05-01 11:26 AM


2009-05-01 10:16 PM
in reply to: #2123734

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Subject: RE: How accurate are these calorie counters?

Generally calorie calculators are wrong.  They're estimates only, same with the basal metabolic rates.  The food caloric data is from the USDA usually.  I think that data is pretty old now and things have changed a bit.  How did you determine your portion sizes?

Based on what you're describing, either the estimates were pretty decent and your body has lowered it's metabolism to handle such a deficit or your body composition has changed leaving your weight the same.  I'd recommend using body measurements to track your diet instead.  You can get a decent cloth tape measure in the sewing department and use it to track changes to waist line, arm, thigh and a few other points.  Adjust your diet to keep those moving in the right direction.

2009-05-04 7:27 PM
in reply to: #2123734

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Subject: RE: How accurate are these calorie counters?

This is where I am please with the Calorie King software that I use. Last month the Calorie King software predicted my weight-loss at 15lbs and I actually recorded a weight-loss of 19lbs. I know that this software is leading me toward my goals each week/month.

2009-05-07 10:25 AM
in reply to: #2123734

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Subject: RE: How accurate are these calorie counters?
I would suggest picking up a scale that measures body fat %.  They are not 100% accurate compared to caliper testing, but they will show you trends.  Just make sure you take your weight/measurement at a consistent time / condition each day.  For me, that means right after getting out of bed and going to the bathroom (#1 only), but before eating anything.  With a good BF% trend line, you can calculate how much muscle you gained and fat you lost (hopefully).

Another thing to be careful of - if you are truly running at a 1000+ daily calorie deficit, your body may actually think it is being starved and is holding onto fat stores or worse.  When my wife and I worked with a nutritionist a couple years back, she encouraged us to have a day off once a week.  Good to have a reward day (mentally) and help your body avoid the starvation response. 
2009-05-07 6:06 PM
in reply to: #2136327

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Subject: RE: How accurate are these calorie counters?
daleskibum 
Another thing to be careful of - if you are truly running at a 1000+ daily calorie deficit, your body may actually think it is being starved and is holding onto fat stores or worse.  When my wife and I worked with a nutritionist a couple years back, she encouraged us to have a day off once a week.  Good to have a reward day (mentally) and help your body avoid the starvation response. 


I have had 2 other people say the same thing to me. I'll have to look in to that.  However, if that's true doesn't that run counter to the simple "weight loss = (calories burned - calories consumed)" equation that so many people throw out there?  Unless maybe my resting metabolism is burning some very small number of calories?
2009-05-07 10:51 PM
in reply to: #2123734

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Subject: RE: How accurate are these calorie counters?

Like so many things, I think the weight gain/loss = calorie surplus/deficit equation only works in moderation.  Past a certain threshold and other factors come into play.  On the other end of the spectrum, your body can only absorb so much food in a day.  So if I eat perfect 6 days a week and then 10,000 calories in one day, I haven't ruined my week.  Eating that much may cause other issues a couple days done the road, but I could still lose waiting doing that.  And in fact I did lose weight doing that.  For almost two years my wife and I journaled our food intake and lost a combined 160 pounds.  Six days of good eating, one day of being bad.  And some weeks, we were really, really bad.  We would safe up our cravings throughout the week and then just went nuts on our day off.

I'm not an expert by any stretch, but I do know from personal experience that eating too little can be an issue.  As I got down closer to my goal weight, losing weight became more difficult.  I also noticed energy levels dipping and recovery times lengthening.  I had to increase my calorie intake (specifically protein) from 2000 to 2500/day.  I had more energy, which allowed me to workout harder, keep my metabalism up, build muscle, and slowly drop the extra weight.  I eventually got down to a 9.8% BF.  I haven't sustained that (this was back in 2004), but even today I can still claim an almost 100 pound weight loss by doing the six day on, one day off strategy. 



2009-05-08 9:56 AM
in reply to: #2123734

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Subject: RE: How accurate are these calorie counters?
Excellent anecdote!  I'm kinda doing the "day off" thing too, I guess.  Sunday is my one day off from work and also my long ride (40+ miles) day so on Sundays I'll allow myself a few beers, a cheeseburger or a fried food, etc.  Still, I'm usually burning at least 4K calories on a day like that and I don't think I'm consuming more than 3K.
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