How do you determine your ideal calorie intake? page

[eira]

BMR calculators? How do i know if i am 'sedentery' 'active' or 'lightly active'? are those terms being used for overweight america or do they really mean active when they say active?

I keep trying not to think about calories but after eating 1400-1600 a day, i am at the same measurements/ weight i was a month and a half ago- and i am always moving around! for that reason i have *sort of* lost faith in the online calorie thing... anyone have other suggestions?

how do you determine how many calories you need to lose/maintain?

[Docter]

Eat until you're full.

Edit: On a serious note, if this is for weight loss then just reduce your calorie intake. Ignore those guidelines -- figure out what works for you.

[DaisyEater]

Eat until you're full.

For me, "full" means "not hungry". If I eat until I get a feeling of fullness in my stomach, I gain weight. I also have to let myself be hungry a little more throughout the day. However, on primal this doesn't make me feel like I want to kill someone and eat them. I just feel a little hungry and its ok. It also takes four or five hours even after breakfast (my smallest meal of the day) to get this way where I was hungry every two or three hours before.

Eira: Can you post a typical day's eating with portion sizes? It might help us figure out if you could be using your calories to give you more boost.

[eira]

For me, "full" means "not hungry". If I eat until I get a feeling of fullness in my stomach, I gain weight. I also have to let myself be hungry a little more throughout the day. However, on primal this doesn't make me feel like I want to kill someone and eat them. I just feel a little hungry and its ok. It also takes four or five hours even after breakfast (my smallest meal of the day) to get this way where I was hungry every two or three hours before.

Eira: Can you post a typical day's eating with portion sizes? It might help us figure out if you could be using your calories to give you more boost.

yeah, am wondering if i even need to eat this much, i am pretty much always somewhere between full/not hungry. i'm afraid to eat too little because i walk all over the place/ spend a lot of time on lithography presses and carrying large objects around my studio.


a typical day looks something like that, although i dont usually have a sweet potato and i've cut the cream out of my coffee. i'm 5'3 and 126 pounds ( heavy for my frame ) i didn't expect anything miraculous, but i was hoping there would be some change in measurements or body composition? must have a really slow metabolism! hah

[MalPaz]

you dont determine it, it changes....every second

[Lewis]

BMR calculators? How do i know if i am 'sedentery' 'active' or 'lightly active'? are those terms being used for overweight america or do they really mean active when they say active?

Sedentary means has a desk job and probably drives to work too. Basically, sitting down most of the day day every day.

Lightly active is going to mean has a more physical occupation or takes time out to walk, cycle, swim, whatever fairly regularly.

Active will likely mean something much more vigorous, again either occupational and/or recreational.

I keep trying not to think about calories but after eating 1400-1600 a day, i am at the same measurements/ weight i was a month and a half ago- and i am always moving around! for that reason i have *sort of* lost faith in the online calorie thing... anyone have other suggestions?

There's Kwasniewski's method, which is recommended by Dr Kurt Harris, who Mark sometimes links to:

Archevore - Archevore Blog - How to Lose*Weight

It's a fairly extreme regimen, but it's certainly one that's based on quantifiable figures, if that's what you want. You start off by calculting a figure for protein and basically eat a large percentage of the rest of your calories as fat:

In order to work out the correct daily food intake using this proportion, one has to know how many grams of protein needs to be ingested in a day to satisfy body's requirements. This amount varies from person to person and depends on a "due body weight". Due body weight, in kilograms, is equal to person's height in centimetres less 100 (± 10%). Thus, for a person 160 cm tall, a due body weight is 60 kg ± 6 kg.

A correct amount of protein to be consumed in a day is approx. 1 g per 1 kilogram of a due body weight. Thus, a 60 kg person needs to consume 60 ± 6 g of protein to satisfy body's daily needs.

optimal_diet_1

I guess Mark himself would probably advise people to include more vegetables and fruit. How important is it to get a few pounds off anyway, as against eating a more nutrient-dense diet and allowing the weight to go with time?

[Dragonfly]

I've found I need fewer calories than I thought, eating Primal. According to most online calculators, I am in deficit at 1700 calories, but my experience is that 1700 is maintenance for me. I needed to drop down to 1400-1500 to see a shift.

If you've been eating well for at least the last 6 months-1 year and feel like your metabolism is functioning fine, then you may need to drop your calories slightly.

Personally, IFing has made this much easier for me.

[eira]

There's Kwasniewski's method, which is recommended by Dr Kurt Harris, who Mark sometimes links to:

Archevore - Archevore Blog - How to Lose*Weight

It's a fairly extreme regimen, but it's certainly one that's based on quantifiable figures, if that's what you want. You start off by calculting a figure for protein and basically eat a large percentage of the rest of your calories as fat:



optimal_diet_1

I guess Mark himself would probably advise people to include more vegetables and fruit. How important is it to get a few pounds off anyway, as against eating a more nutrient-dense diet and allowing the weight to go with time?

Thank you, these are great links. Hopefully primal can teach me to be more patient...... but i dont know if i will ever be able to kick the instant gratification/ calorie counting mindset! i've been brainwashed!!! ahhh

[JPA]

1400 calories is what I eat at lunch alone.

Just eat until you're satisfied.

[DaisyEater]

Your diet looks pretty good, but maybe a little more protein would be good. I say if you're not actively hungry then don't eat. If you're worried about finding yourself suddenly out of energy then keep some nuts or something in your handbag for emergencies. I used to get low blood sugar episodes when I was CW where I felt dizzy and sick if I didn't eat. I don't have that problem these days.