Calorie Counting - where on earth am I going wrong?

[RobM77]

In a dull moment just now I worked out my calorie intake and outake, but it seems wildly out. Can anyone explain the science behind this or where I've made a mistake? I'm not trying to lose weight, I'm just curious.

My daily food intake (kcals): (a typical day)

Breakfast (8am) bran flakes with milk - 135
1st lunch (10:30am) fish/ham/egg s/wich - 250
flapjack - 200
2nd lunch (2:00pm) fish/ham/egg s/wich - 250
flapjack - 200
Dinner (tonight is typical - veg risotto) - 500
Snack after the gym (10:30pm) - cornflakes with milk - 155
glass of wine (my average for the week is probably a glass a day) - 100

Total for the average day = 1790 (maybe 1900 to 2000 if I include spread on the bread or a different dinner etc)

Exercise in an average day:
40 minutes of very fast walking (~5mph) a day = 280
45 minutes of hard circuit training, or running/cycling/swimming = 408
30 minutes moderate (3-4mph) walk at lunchtime = 112

Total = 800

According to most of the websites I can find (e.g. http://calculators.hpathy.com/calories-need.asp) as a 177cm tall 33 year old weighing 75kgs and taking regular exercise I should be eating about 2800 calories a day, which is about right because if I put myself down as sedentary they say 2100 and the above exercise burns 800 a day.

Question is, how am I getting away with an intake of under 2000 a day and why am I always full of energy all day? What's more, why am I not losing weight? From the above maths you'd expect me to either be lethargic or losing weight, neither of which I am - I'm bursting with energy, have a stable weight and am pretty healthy.

I realise I should look at the more complex picture of saturated fats etc etc, but the above is so wildly out that it intrigued me.

I'm asking firstly out of curiosity, and also on behalf of the poor people who are counting their calories in similar proportions to me and expecting to lose weight, but not managing it!

[okgo]

It's all a load of st isn't it.

I've recently started cycling a lot further to work. Means I'm onthe bike moving at a fair rate for about 2 hours per day, I've not changed what I'm doing or eating and I've not lost weight. Given I only used to be on the bike 20 mins a day I really don't know what is going on!

[Tumbler]

You need to calculate your base metabolic rate I've made it 1754

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/metri...

How are you calculating the calories burned, are you using a heart rate monitor?

[okgo]

as if a calculator that has no idea of a persons muscle mass is going to be anywhere near accurate.

[Stevenj214]

I would double check your calorie assumptions.

2 slice of bread + 1 egg + some butter? + mayo? I make out to be 300-350+

What are you drinking through the day? Everything other than water has a calrie value.

Have you checked your dinner portions? A lot of people will happily serve up 2 x the 'recommended single portion amount', possibly adding another 500kcal.

[Tumbler]

okgo said:

as if a calculator that has no idea of a persons muscle mass is going to be anywhere near accurate.

As with many things it's only a guide, hence the need to use a heart rate monitor.

[jas xjr]

maybe cut out the flapjacks?

[RobM77]

okgo said:

It's all a load of st isn't it.

I've recently started cycling a lot further to work. Means I'm onthe bike moving at a fair rate for about 2 hours per day, I've not changed what I'm doing or eating and I've not lost weight. Given I only used to be on the bike 20 mins a day I really don't know what is going on!

Similar for me. I used to run, cycle or swim every other day, but now I'm doing very hard circuit training as well on the off days, and have halved the amount I drink. I've also decided to get competitive with my sport and do triathlon, so I'm doing the swimming etc that much harder. It's made no difference at all to my weight.

I was wondering whether there's some sort of base weight that when you get to it it's very hard to go below it, and my calorie shortfall perhaps isn't enough to break through that?

[RobM77]

Stevenj214 said:

I would double check your calorie assumptions.

2 slice of bread + 1 egg + some butter? + mayo? I make out to be 300-350+

What are you drinking through the day? Everything other than water has a calrie value.

Have you checked your dinner portions? A lot of people will happily serve up 2 x the 'recommended single portion amount', possibly adding another 500kcal.

Thanks. I usually have salmon, mackerel or ham in my sandwiches. It's out of a tin, so I used the salmon tin to work out the typical calories. The egg will indeed be quite a bit higher. My bread spread is an Olive oil "light" one, and I don't use Mayo. Oh, I put salad in too (lettuce, rocket - stuff like that), but not much.

As for drinks, I don't drink tea or coffee (yuk!), so just drink water out of the cooler all day at work, and orange/apple juice at home, or a glass of wine a day on average as listed above. I guess the fruit juice is adding a bit? I still can't see it getting up to 2700 though!

[Torquey]

I started using some calory counter app and a good day through the week would be: 1472 calories eaten. 617 burnt. Thats a net total 855 calories.

Keeping this up for 5 days a week over 2 or 3 weeks made absolutely no difference.
All I can think is my base metabolic rate is so low.

[ewenm]

Stevenj214 said:

I would double check your calorie assumptions.

2 slice of bread + 1 egg + some butter? + mayo? I make out to be 300-350+

What are you drinking through the day? Everything other than water has a calrie value.

Have you checked your dinner portions? A lot of people will happily serve up 2 x the 'recommended single portion amount', possibly adding another 500kcal.

This would be my first port of call too. How do you know that your veg risotto is 500kcal for example? I know that a meal "for four" does me and the OH, with a little left over for her lunch the next day.

[RobM77]

okgo said:

as if a calculator that has no idea of a persons muscle mass is going to be anywhere near accurate.

True, but I'd say my muscle mass was average to possibly 20-30% above average for my age and height.

[RobM77]

Torquey said:

I started using some calory counter app and a good day through the week would be: 1472 calories eaten. 617 burnt. Thats a net total 855 calories.

Keeping this up for 5 days a week over 2 or 3 weeks made absolutely no difference.
All I can think is my base metabolic rate is so low.

Interesting. I'm not surprised you're lower. I'm well known in the office for always scoffing my face I do eat quite a lot!

[RobM77]

ewenm said:

Stevenj214 said:

I would double check your calorie assumptions.

2 slice of bread + 1 egg + some butter? + mayo? I make out to be 300-350+

What are you drinking through the day? Everything other than water has a calrie value.

Have you checked your dinner portions? A lot of people will happily serve up 2 x the 'recommended single portion amount', possibly adding another 500kcal.

This would be my first port of call too. How do you know that your veg risotto is 500kcal for example? I know that a meal "for four" does me and the OH, with a little left over for her lunch the next day.

Thanks - that's a good point. I checked a recipe online for that, so I should work it out better. The flapjack I worked out ages ago as it's a home recipe and I have the ingredients. I'll weigh the ingredients for my risotto tonight - it's usually rice (!), and then three or four types of veg, so tonight I have mushrooms, aubergine and courgette; with a tablespoon of Balsamic Vinegar and some water mixed with vegetable stock. Right - I'm getting hungry now so off home to cook!

The basic principle seems weird to me though - I eat a diet that's probably average or perhaps slightly healthier than average, and exercise way more than the average person (I'm about to charge home walking very fast, eat dinner and then go to the gym for 45 minutes; plus I run up stairs two at a time in the office and at home etc etc..), yet my weight is absolutely rock steady. That's good to have a steady weight of course, and I'm grateful for that, but I wondered if weight loss was over-simplified and I'm missing something.

[RobM77]

jas xjr said:

maybe cut out the flapjacks?

I adore them! Besides, I don't really want to take in less than 1800 calories a day given the amount that I exercise, I'd be worried about my health. Don't forget, I'm not trying to lose weight.

[BliarOut]

RobM77 said:

Stevenj214 said:

I would double check your calorie assumptions.

2 slice of bread + 1 egg + some butter? + mayo? I make out to be 300-350+

What are you drinking through the day? Everything other than water has a calrie value.

Have you checked your dinner portions? A lot of people will happily serve up 2 x the 'recommended single portion amount', possibly adding another 500kcal.

Thanks. I usually have salmon, mackerel or ham in my sandwiches. It's out of a tin, so I used the salmon tin to work out the typical calories. The egg will indeed be quite a bit higher. My bread spread is an Olive oil "light" one, and I don't use Mayo. Oh, I put salad in too (lettuce, rocket - stuff like that), but not much.

As for drinks, I don't drink tea or coffee (yuk!), so just drink water out of the cooler all day at work, and orange/apple juice at home, or a glass of wine a day on average as listed above. I guess the fruit juice is adding a bit? I still can't see it getting up to 2700 though!

How many calories per slice of bread? I can't see you getting any sort of sarnie for 250 cals.

[ewenm]

RobM77 said:

...I wondered if weight loss was over-simplified and I'm missing something.

I don't think you're missing anything. If calories burnt > calories consumed you should lose weight (assuming identical hydration). As you're not losing weight you're either under-estimating you calories consumed or over-estimating your calories burnt (or both).

[Stevenj214]

BliarOut said:

How many calories per slice of bread? I can't see you getting any sort of sarnie for 250 cals.

I checked mine - 119 per slice (white, thick sliced)

[BliarOut]

Stevenj214 said:

I checked mine - 119 per slice (white, thick sliced)

That leaves ten calories for a filling and any spread

[Burrow01]

Not sure your breakfast is correct

Breakfast (8am) bran flakes with milk - 135

What type of milk do you use

Skimmed Milk would be approx 50-60 cals, which only leaves 85-90 calories for the bran flakes?

Semi Skimmed milk would be 90-100 cals?