Mifflin forumula accurate for larger people?

NACHO · 05-17-2009, 01:32 PM

Hello I am 6'8" and need to loose about 40 pounds. I'm not loosing weight although according to the Mifflin forumla I should be.

I plug everything into fitday and am at at least a 500 calorie deficit daily. Eating mostly whole foods, 5-6 times a day etc. I am also doing the breakin section of New Rules and HIIT for 20 minutes after lifting. (3 x a week)

BMI is inaccurate by a lot for someone my height, so I'm wondering if Mifflin is as well or if my metabolism is just very slow due to 10 years of inactivity and very poor eating.

realcdn · 05-17-2009, 01:51 PM

As with all formulas it's a starting point. I found an online calculator using that formula, plugged in my current weight (~250) and the number seem valid. However, I plug in the weight I was a while ago and they seem a little higher than I was easing (and losing well). If you're sure that your calorie counts are accurate (weighing a good percentage of what you eat), then drop your calories slightly.

The one thing to point out is that watch you aren't putting so much into your workouts that you aren't moving around as much the rest of the day. FWIW I'm also doing NROL Break-in at the moment with the intervals afterwards. However, I also add in some walking 5 days a weeks (well, with a smidge of jobbing, but that's because I'm a bit of a masochist!)

Oh, and when did you start NROL? (ie. give it some time as weight loss isn't always linear) I'm a daily weigher and will definitely put on at least a pound (sometimes 2) after a lifting day. So if you're only weighing once a week, just do it two days after you lift.

LisaS · 05-17-2009, 01:52 PM

How long a trend are we looking at? Is it two weeks and you didn't see two pounds (500*7*2) or are you finding that over many weeks this food intake with your activity level seems to really be your maintenance and not a deficit? Have you noticed anything since you've been on a deficit like too tired to walk the dog for 45 mins so a quick 15 is all he gets and then you watch TV?

If you think that your daily activity + exercise + calories seems to be at a maintenance level based on a number of weeks of accurate tracking then you have to change something.

Believe it or not, you could try dropping the intervals to once a week and maybe just add a 30 min walk each 3-5 days a week instead. Or you could try dropping your calories a bit more - you're a big guy and probably have some room there to carry a bigger deficit even if Mifflin was spot on for you. What are you hitting today for calories?

NACHO · 05-17-2009, 02:16 PM

I've only been tracking carefully with Fitday for 2 weeks but I've been eating about the same way for a month without apparently any weight loss which is what makes me wonder.

I thought I was eating at maintinence levels until I started tracking and realized I was at a deficit. (According to the forumla)

What I am not doing is tracking my body fat % because I don't have the means to do so. That could be the missing ingredient to figuring out what is going on.

Bytsi · 05-17-2009, 04:57 PM

I'd also ask how you're tracking - do you measure in cups/teaspoons or are you actually weighing everything in grams. BIG difference... if you estimate or use cups/scoops to measure, you can be very far off from real/actual servings and calories.

NACHO · 05-17-2009, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bytsi

I'd also ask how you're tracking - do you measure in cups/teaspoons or are you actually weighing everything in grams. BIG difference... if you estimate or use cups/scoops to measure, you can be very far off from real/actual servings and calories.

You make a good point. Currently I'm not weighing anything, I am using cups/scoops.

I'm sure I'm slightly off but it couldn't always be in the same way so I would doubt I am off by more than a 50-100 calories a day and the Mifflin formula says I should be taking in 3450 calories even if I do no physical activity that day. My point here is a 1500 calorie diet has less margin for error than a 3000 calorie diet. Is my logic faulty?

Bytsi · 05-17-2009, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NACHO

You make a good point. Currently I'm not weighing anything, I am using cups/scoops.

I'm sure I'm slightly off but it couldn't always be in the same way so I would doubt I am off by more than a 50-100 calories a day and the Mifflin formula says I should be taking in 3450 calories even if I do no physical activity that day. My point here is a 1500 calorie diet has less margin for error than a 3000 calorie diet. Is my logic faulty?

Anyone wanna link Leigh's video here for me? Limited connectivity at the airport so can't do youtube myself right now...

As for your logic about having more room for error... I guess you could say that, but if your diet isn't working for you, then... maybe not.

LisaS · 05-17-2009, 08:55 PM

You said Mifflin has you at 3450 with no exercise. So what are you targeting as your daily intake to make your 500 deficit?

scribess · 05-17-2009, 09:58 PM

Here's the link to Leigh's video on weighing food vs. measuring.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY

NACHO · 05-18-2009, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scribess

Here's the link to Leigh's video on weighing food vs. measuring.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY

Very interesting. That certainly accounts for some of my problem.

I'm going to go to a larger deficit. 800-1000 and see what happens.