calculating frustrations
 

Darn calculators....I have been trying to calculate a starting point for myself with calories and macros. Well that's easier said than done. Seems all the calculators use different calculations.

One of the calculators asks for body fat... sighs... so I found a body fat calculator which needs measurements... so I whip out the handy dandy tape measure. Of course being me I try a few first few landed me around 30%… then the navy calculator 82% (which would be less than 80lbs of lean mass ...I am thinking uh 80lbs of muscle couldn't heft around 394lbs)

Any who type both bf% in and get 1100 to 3700 ... yup totally nailed that jello to the wall...face palm

I know I eat around 1700 a day no diet or anything. I have tried decreasing calories and still have a hard time loosing and usually end up sick. Most of the calculators give me restricted calories that are at least 1000 more than what I regularly eat. Could it be I need to eat more to lose weight?

I also know I always crave foods that are fat and carb based, which would be why I am looking at macros. It's obvious eating fat and carbs no matter how low the calories isn't working, so I am going to try and shift my macros to eat more protein and less fat. I am still trying to figure out macro amounts that are appropriate.

No. You calculate with your goal weight in mind. If you are sedentary, your calories are roughly your goal weight times 10. So if you want to be 150 lbs, your calories would be 1500. You might check out Scooby's Workshop via Google. He has good calculators and meal plans on his site. Bodybuilding.com also has meal plans and workout plans. I like Jamie Eason's LiveFit trainer. I found modified versions of the exercises that she recommends on Google. Some people have also found body weight equivalents. If you don't feel up to that, Leslie Sansone's Walk At Home videos are good. About dot exercise dot com has seated strength training exercises for obese people. I'm currently doing the Leslie Sansone videos. I like FatGirl PHD as well. She went from not being able to walk at 290, to losing over 100 pounds, and running 5K's now. She also has her own meal plan and workout plan. These are all free. I mention these different types because everyone is different. What works for one person may not work for another. Oh, and last thing, there are diet/exercise forums on here, if you have any questions about specific diets/exercises that you'd like to try, you might want to ask them. Personally, I'm going with mostly clean eating. Lots of fruits, veggies, and lean meats. I allow myself everything in moderation. If I have a sweet, crisps, or soda, I limit them to once or twice a week. Good luck on your weight loss efforts.