thank you for this invaluable tool. I read the article which explains the fundamentals of this model and the mathematical appendix. Everything is very well designed. The only detail I can think of is that it not include the possibility and effects of resistance training, specifically in the energy partitioning section. But again, thank you for this opportunity to give us (the non academical public) a great resource to understand the science of the bodyweight change.
I think the tool is helpful, thank you, but I noticed there was no tab for HIIT or strength training as a choice , like the light to moderate walking or swimming. Is this something to look at adding?
I used your health tracker and it gave me declining daily expenditures that are much higher than what my Fitbit tells me that I burned. In addition, I lift weights at least twice a week, do some exercise almost daily and these trackers tend to over estimate and not under estimate. What methods are used to calculate the daily calories burned? I feel there is something over estimating this in your model. Thank you.
Hi Traci. The research behind the Body Weight Planner is from work done by Dr. Kevin Hall and his research group and was published as part of The Lancet Series on Obesity. You can find more information about the science behind the Body Weight Planner, including a full description of the model equations, here: www.niddk.nih.gov/research-funding/at-niddk/labs-branches/laboratory-biological-modeling/integrative-physiology-section/research/body-weight-planner
@@NIDDKgov@NIDDKgov & @tracis.5673, I agree. I also tracked calories with Fitbit and compared them to the planner. The planner overestimates the amount of calories I burn by a lot! I would gain weight if I followed it. The research was done in 2011; it needs to be updated. People should refrain from following this planner. NIH, please update this research or your methods.
It gave me a calorie count that is really high for how quick i’m trying to lose. I usually eat around 1,000 calories a day and the planner suggested 2,500 (i run 5k twice a day) i’m hoping to lose about 20-30 pounds in four and a half months. Am i supposed to be eating more?
Hi Katelyn, thanks for reaching out. While the Body Weight Planner provides a healthy guideline, it is not intended to provide medical advice. A health care provider who has examined you and knows your medical history is the best person to recommend a nutrition plan for your specific needs.
Remove sugar, starches and processed-refined oils from your diet. The weight will drop and you will get toned. Happened to me in less than 6 months. And I am still at my ideal weight of 160 for 6'-0" 12% body fat. I do not exercise hard and I am careful about eating whole foods, not processed.
I'm not sure, I would assume it's international, since I've never seen other countries with different nutrition labels and I've heard people from other countries just call them Calories
How do you define "light" "medium" "intense" running? For example: If you go for a fartlek run, pushing to your limit: it is hard. But if it lasts one hour it'll be slower, does it still count as "intense" ?
The intensity of exercise is defined by the MET levels in the compendium of physical activities. Here is a chart: www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/pdf/PA_Intensity_table_2_1.pdf. Here is a webpage: www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/measuring/index.html which describes measuring physical activity intensity. -Dr. Hall
The model has been validated and correctly simulates weight gain in overfeeding studies as well as natural weight gain in people who start out overweight. However, we have not yet examined the validity of the model for treating people who are underweight due to an eating disorder such as anorexia. - Dr. Hall
Hi, I was just wondering what light leisure-time activity means more specifically? I know it says "Walking, non-strenuous cycling or gardening approximately once a week", but would one 2 hour gardening session per week really increase your calories that much? How about someone that walks about 4 to 5 thousand steps a day, with gentle yoga maybe twice a week? I'm just trying to get the most accurate handle on this. Thanks!
Hi Ashley, thanks for your question. According to the recently published Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans absolute rates and energy expenditure during physical activity are commonly described as light, moderate, or vigorous intensity. Energy expenditure is expressed by health professionals by multiples of the metabolic equivalent of task (MET), where 1 MET is the rate of energy expenditure while sitting at rest. Light-intensity activity is non-sedentary waking behavior that requires less than 3.0 METs; examples include walking at a slow or leisurely pace (2 mph or less), cooking activities, or light household chores. Moderate-intensity activity requires 3.0 to less than 6.0 METs; examples include walking briskly (2.5 to 4 mph), playing doubles tennis, or raking the yard. Vigorous-intensity activity requires 6.0 or more METs; examples include jogging, running, carrying heavy groceries or other loads upstairs, shoveling snow, or participating in a strenuous fitness class. You can learn more in the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans here - health.gov/paguidelines/second-edition/pdf/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf and on our website here - www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/staying-active-at-any-size
I just wanted to ask whether anyone else found the wording a little bit confusing when trying to determine your activity level. Had I not watched the video, I would have thought that moderate activity was literally going for a walk **once per week**. That didn't sound right to me, so I watched the video because I knew I was missing something.
The recommended caloric intake per day is ~2000, so the calculator telling me I need to eat 3000/day to maintain is ridiculous. Rather than set a fixed number as a goal for weight loss, it's more appropriate today to go by body fat %. This is because weight loss isn't necessarily fat loss. A guy could go to the gym daily for 60 days and not have any weight loss/gain, but look significantly better because that person gained muscle tone and lost body fat.
thank you for this invaluable tool. I read the article which explains the fundamentals of this model and the mathematical appendix. Everything is very well designed. The only detail I can think of is that it not include the possibility and effects of resistance training, specifically in the energy partitioning section. But again, thank you for this opportunity to give us (the non academical public) a great resource to understand the science of the bodyweight change.
I really want to study dietics, and this tool is invaluable!
I think the tool is helpful, thank you, but I noticed there was no tab for HIIT or strength training as a choice , like the light to moderate walking or swimming. Is this something to look at adding?
Shandel, thank you for your feedback. We will pass it along to our colleagues responsible for designing the Body Weight Planner.
The height fields don't seem to work for me. I add them and they go back to blank when I go to the next field. :-(
I used your health tracker and it gave me declining daily expenditures that are much higher than what my Fitbit tells me that I burned. In addition, I lift weights at least twice a week, do some exercise almost daily and these trackers tend to over estimate and not under estimate. What methods are used to calculate the daily calories burned? I feel there is something over estimating this in your model. Thank you.
Hi Traci. The research behind the Body Weight Planner is from work done by Dr. Kevin Hall and his research group and was published as part of The Lancet Series on Obesity. You can find more information about the science behind the Body Weight Planner, including a full description of the model equations, here: www.niddk.nih.gov/research-funding/at-niddk/labs-branches/laboratory-biological-modeling/integrative-physiology-section/research/body-weight-planner
@@NIDDKgov@NIDDKgov & @tracis.5673, I agree. I also tracked calories with Fitbit and compared them to the planner. The planner overestimates the amount of calories I burn by a lot! I would gain weight if I followed it. The research was done in 2011; it needs to be updated. People should refrain from following this planner. NIH, please update this research or your methods.
It gave me a calorie count that is really high for how quick i’m trying to lose. I usually eat around 1,000 calories a day and the planner suggested 2,500 (i run 5k twice a day) i’m hoping to lose about 20-30 pounds in four and a half months. Am i supposed to be eating more?
Hi Katelyn, thanks for reaching out. While the Body Weight Planner provides a healthy guideline, it is not intended to provide medical advice. A health care provider who has examined you and knows your medical history is the best person to recommend a nutrition plan for your specific needs.
Remove sugar, starches and processed-refined oils from your diet. The weight will drop and you will get toned. Happened to me in less than 6 months. And I am still at my ideal weight of 160 for 6'-0" 12% body fat. I do not exercise hard and I am careful about eating whole foods, not processed.
Is height in cm-100 the ideal weight?
Why do you use calories and not kcals. Surely that is the more accurate measurement?
Calories (with a capital C) and kcals represent the same thing (calories with a lowercase c is actual calories, not kcals)
It's the first time |I've heard that. Is this an American thing or international?
I'm not sure, I would assume it's international, since I've never seen other countries with different nutrition labels and I've heard people from other countries just call them Calories
Where can I find this planner online?
The Body Weight Planner can be found on our website at: niddk.nih.gov/bwp.
How do you define "light" "medium" "intense" running?
For example: If you go for a fartlek run, pushing to your limit: it is hard. But if it lasts one hour it'll be slower, does it still count as "intense" ?
The intensity of exercise is defined by the MET levels in the compendium of physical activities. Here is a chart: www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/pdf/PA_Intensity_table_2_1.pdf. Here is a webpage: www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/measuring/index.html which describes measuring physical activity intensity. -Dr. Hall
Really like this tool, but I wish it let you select a goal body fat% instead of goal weight.
Is this applicable for people trying to gain weight, too?
The model has been validated and correctly simulates weight gain in overfeeding studies as well as natural weight gain in people who start out overweight. However, we have not yet examined the validity of the model for treating people who are underweight due to an eating disorder such as anorexia. - Dr. Hall
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) thank you greatly for responding
Hi, I was just wondering what light leisure-time activity means more specifically? I know it says "Walking, non-strenuous cycling or gardening approximately once a week", but would one 2 hour gardening session per week really increase your calories that much? How about someone that walks about 4 to 5 thousand steps a day, with gentle yoga maybe twice a week? I'm just trying to get the most accurate handle on this. Thanks!
Hi Ashley, thanks for your question. According to the recently published Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans absolute rates and energy expenditure during physical activity are commonly described as light, moderate, or vigorous intensity. Energy expenditure is expressed by health professionals by multiples of the metabolic equivalent of task (MET), where 1 MET is the rate of energy expenditure while sitting at rest. Light-intensity activity is non-sedentary waking behavior that requires less than 3.0 METs; examples include walking at a slow or leisurely pace (2 mph or less), cooking activities, or light household chores. Moderate-intensity activity requires 3.0 to less than 6.0 METs; examples include walking briskly (2.5 to 4 mph), playing doubles tennis, or raking the yard. Vigorous-intensity activity requires 6.0 or more METs; examples include jogging, running, carrying heavy groceries or other loads upstairs, shoveling snow, or participating in a strenuous fitness class. You can learn more in the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans here - health.gov/paguidelines/second-edition/pdf/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf and on our website here - www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/staying-active-at-any-size
These calories are surprisingly high.
I just wanted to ask whether anyone else found the wording a little bit confusing when trying to determine your activity level. Had I not watched the video, I would have thought that moderate activity was literally going for a walk **once per week**. That didn't sound right to me, so I watched the video because I knew I was missing something.
The recommended caloric intake per day is ~2000, so the calculator telling me I need to eat 3000/day to maintain is ridiculous. Rather than set a fixed number as a goal for weight loss, it's more appropriate today to go by body fat %. This is because weight loss isn't necessarily fat loss. A guy could go to the gym daily for 60 days and not have any weight loss/gain, but look significantly better because that person gained muscle tone and lost body fat.