60 days in - Do I need to tweak calories/exercise?
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AbsoluteTara79
Posts: 266 Member
I haven't introduced myself properly here. But I've spent a lot of time the last couple months lurking/reading these threads and trying to figure out who knows what they're talking about and who doesn't! 
Anyway, I'm 60 days into working on my fat loss, have some metrics to work with, and want to get a "check-up" so-to-speak.
My stats:
Age: 35
Height: 5'5
SW on Dec 2: 166
1/1 weight - 159.3
CW: 154.1
GW: 135 or so... We'll see when I get there.
Currently nursing an older baby. Probably contributes to a small bump in calorie burn.
Diet: I have my calorie goal set to 1760 based on MFP calculator for 1 lb/week. I try to hit a minimum of 100g of protein. I pretty much hit that. I try to keep carbs under 200 grams and let fat fall wherever.
Exercise: I started Stronglifts 5x5 at the beginning of the year. I do that Mon/Wed/Fri. I do 20 minutes on the elliptical after lifting. Then on Tuesday/Thursday I run or do the elliptical. I rest the weekend.
I used my intake and loss for the month of January to calculate my actual TDEE at 2322. Average calories per day were 1735. That number is skewed a little high from 2 work parties. Day-to-day, I'm around 1638. My diary is open - or a PDF of a somewhat typical week is here on dropbox. (This week had some slightly higher cal days).
https://www.dropbox.com/s/o2019qdpxsfylhy/Printable Nutrition Report for Absolutetara79.pdf?dl=0
Given this, I'm wondering if I should bump calories up slightly? Change my workouts? Or if it makes no difference whether the deficit is 20% or closer to 25% / 30% in terms of protecting against LBM losses? I am finding myself feeling more tired, but I also really love seeing the consistent losses and would rather just get to the finish line. Would love thoughts from the experienced pals. Thanks!
Anyway, I'm 60 days into working on my fat loss, have some metrics to work with, and want to get a "check-up" so-to-speak.My stats:
Age: 35
Height: 5'5
SW on Dec 2: 166
1/1 weight - 159.3
CW: 154.1
GW: 135 or so... We'll see when I get there.
Currently nursing an older baby. Probably contributes to a small bump in calorie burn.
Diet: I have my calorie goal set to 1760 based on MFP calculator for 1 lb/week. I try to hit a minimum of 100g of protein. I pretty much hit that. I try to keep carbs under 200 grams and let fat fall wherever.
Exercise: I started Stronglifts 5x5 at the beginning of the year. I do that Mon/Wed/Fri. I do 20 minutes on the elliptical after lifting. Then on Tuesday/Thursday I run or do the elliptical. I rest the weekend.
I used my intake and loss for the month of January to calculate my actual TDEE at 2322. Average calories per day were 1735. That number is skewed a little high from 2 work parties. Day-to-day, I'm around 1638. My diary is open - or a PDF of a somewhat typical week is here on dropbox. (This week had some slightly higher cal days).
https://www.dropbox.com/s/o2019qdpxsfylhy/Printable Nutrition Report for Absolutetara79.pdf?dl=0
Given this, I'm wondering if I should bump calories up slightly? Change my workouts? Or if it makes no difference whether the deficit is 20% or closer to 25% / 30% in terms of protecting against LBM losses? I am finding myself feeling more tired, but I also really love seeing the consistent losses and would rather just get to the finish line. Would love thoughts from the experienced pals. Thanks!
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This does not constitute medical advice and you may want to consult your primary care physician if you're at all concerned about the relationship between caloric restriction and milk supply/breast feeding. I'm also saying this to cover my *kitten* in case you reading this post causes you to do something that results in something else happening that you don't want to happen.
Ok now that I got that out of the way:
If you are feeling tired/sluggish I don't think it's a bad idea to consider one or more of the following options:
1) Adding another 100-150 cals to see if you feel better.
2) Take a short diet break where you bring calories to maintenance for a few days (up to two weeks) and then resume your deficit.
Short term, the diet break will halt fat loss but it may make you feel a LOT better when you resume your diet.
The alternative to both is to just stay the course. The potential advantage of this is that you lose fat faster but that depends entirely on whether or not you can adhere to the diet and also maintain gym performance/etc.
I tend to favor slower fat loss for most (certainly not all!) people, to make performance and adherence higher.0 -
Thanks! No concerns with milk supply. But I understand the disclaimer nonetheless.
I'm going to bump up calories 100-150 and see how it goes for about a month. I appreciate the options!0 -
If anyone cares for an update 28 days later. I set my new calorie goal to 1800. I averaged 1801 for the month.
I lost 3.9 pounds - 2 inches off my waist, and an inch off my hips. No change in arms/legs.
This month including many opportunities for less accurate logging too - 2 parties we hosted, v-day dinner, a 3 day work trip and 1 week off the gym for illness. Given all that, I'm pretty pleased that I lost what I did.
The one area I'm going to rethink is my workout. I added some accessory work to the SL 5x5 and I think it was too much considering how my lower back has felt the last two weeks. Is 5x5 alone, with no other lifting, really good enough for a beginner for fat loss goals? Thanks!0 -
That's amazing loss!!
quick qn - did you have the same kind of loss (weight/inches) in the previous months when you were on 1700 cals?
I tried SL for a few weeks, but was discouraged because of lack of results. But I love heavy lifting and would like to start again. Just excited to see your losses and its motivating me to try it again...0 -
Thank you @sixpacklady! Yes, the losses have been pretty consistent. I started at the beginning of December with a more aggressive calorie deficit (about 1500 cals) and lost 7 pounds in the first month (that was cardio only). I lost 5 lbs in January (about 1700 cals), and 4 pounds in February (1800 cals). I've increased calories each month to make my diet easier to adhere to long-term. I've consistently lost inches and am down 2 pant sizes. And measurement-wise, the most losses have come from my abdomen which is great after 2 kids and a c-section!
I am doing a 2 week diet break right now and will jump back into deficit mid-march.
You definitely have to change your mindset and give lifting more than a few weeks. It's hard not to want results RIGHT NOW! But it's actually pretty destructive to your goals if you don't set yourself up to expect slow progress made through small steps.
I give myself peps talks frequently to give all changes 1 month minimum before I assess making tweaks. It took 60 days to see a difference in the monthly photos I've been taking.
And it helps to be mindful of the rationale behind each element of your diet/exercise. Your weight loss is more related to your diet, loosely speaking. Heavy weights encourage that loss to be more fat than what it would be with diet/cardio alone. And you start out with so little weight with SL that you really have to get through a few weeks before it even feels like you're doing much. Anyway - happy to help if you have any other questions. I'm pretty much a noob, but I like to nerd out on stuff so I've been reading a lot. 0 -
Thank you for the reply.
I really agree with whatever you said. I just have to learn to be patient!! I have around 15 more lbs to lose and its so tough...
I am 5'2.5, 135 lbs and my problem area is my tummy. With us shorties, we have to be extra consistent with diet and workouts to see results. What would you suggest I set my intake to?
I also really like to read a lot about fitness and stuff, but really have to learn to stick to a program. Only thing is, I see the weight loss/inch loss faster with circuit training workouts like Jillian Micheal's DVDs and not so fast with SL.
Anyways, I have read that ICF 5 X 5 is a modified version of SL, with some accessory work included. You may want to take a look...0 -
Start with your goals and be absolutely clear with yourself on what you want and what you want your body to look like. Then build a plan from there. If you want to lose inches/pounds as fast as possible and prefer a more delicate build, that might lead you to one plan. If you prefer more muscle in your ideal body, you might decide a steadier approach with heavier lifting is a better plan. You have to know what you want so that you know what you need to stick to.
And look at it this way, nobody "learns to be patient" if patience isn't a part of your personality. You choose to "practice being patient". The feelings of wanting to progress faster don't actually go away because you're still you with your personality. But you can change your behavior. It is a small nuance, but it really helps me not allow my personality to be a barrier to my goals.
I would read this thread for setting your intake:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1
For March/April I'm going with MFP's calculation with adjustments from my Fitbit rather than the TDEE method. My job and life is stressful right now so I like the flexibility that if I just need to skip a workout one day, or I have a business trip, my calories will adjust for that as opposed to TDEE that assumes the exercise you input will always happen.
I have read about other lifting programs, including ICF. My plan is to use SL to get me through fat loss. Then I'm going to decide if I want to maintain, recomp, or even bulk and choose a new program with whatever goal I have in mind. I was attracted to SL because of the efficiency and it felt like something I could fit into my schedule.
Best of luck to you!0 -
AbsoluteTara79 wrote: »If anyone cares for an update 28 days later. I set my new calorie goal to 1800. I averaged 1801 for the month.
I lost 3.9 pounds - 2 inches off my waist, and an inch off my hips. No change in arms/legs.
This month including many opportunities for less accurate logging too - 2 parties we hosted, v-day dinner, a 3 day work trip and 1 week off the gym for illness. Given all that, I'm pretty pleased that I lost what I did.
The one area I'm going to rethink is my workout. I added some accessory work to the SL 5x5 and I think it was too much considering how my lower back has felt the last two weeks. Is 5x5 alone, with no other lifting, really good enough for a beginner for fat loss goals? Thanks!
That is great progress.
A 5 x 5 routine is totally fine for a beginner with fat loss goals. If you have other goals, then you may want to tweak the routine - but if you are enjoying it and you are seeing results you want, I would not change a thing.0 -
That is great progress.
A 5 x 5 routine is totally fine for a beginner with fat loss goals. If you have other goals, then you may want to tweak the routine - but if you are enjoying it and you are seeing results you want, I would not change a thing.
Thank you! Trying to be reasonable with 1 major goal at a time. I can hardly wait for the next phase though!
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AbsoluteTara79 wrote: »
That is great progress.
A 5 x 5 routine is totally fine for a beginner with fat loss goals. If you have other goals, then you may want to tweak the routine - but if you are enjoying it and you are seeing results you want, I would not change a thing.
Thank you! Trying to be reasonable with 1 major goal at a time. I can hardly wait for the next phase though!
How has bumping up calories been re helping with tiredness (although some could be to adapting to the routine).0 -
AbsoluteTara79 wrote: »
That is great progress.
A 5 x 5 routine is totally fine for a beginner with fat loss goals. If you have other goals, then you may want to tweak the routine - but if you are enjoying it and you are seeing results you want, I would not change a thing.
Thank you! Trying to be reasonable with 1 major goal at a time. I can hardly wait for the next phase though!
How has bumping up calories been re helping with tiredness (although some could be to adapting to the routine).
Missed this with the nice weather.
I did see some improvement, but I have a few variables at work here. I am JUST getting over a sinus infection that lasted several weeks. I am often just a tad sleep deprived with small children and late night workouts. And yes, the routine is still new.
I am however, just finishing a 13-day diet break and that made a huge change for energy levels - and I was reluctant to try that. Glad I did. Back to deficit today.
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Still keeping up here now about 6 months in and looking for advice on adjustments.
I've kept at my lifting pretty faithfully 3x a week and that is going well and I'm enjoying it.
For about 6-8 weeks I tried to use Fitbit adjustments as the sole way to decide how many calories to take in, and that was a failed experiment. I've decided I do better with just a set goal so that I don't try to work the system, so to speak. I more or less maintained weight the last month+. No biggie.
I've also been getting a little burned out on cardio and the extra time commitment that entails. (I was running 30-40 minutes 2x week).
I'm sitting at 145lbs, 5'5. By mirror, I need to drop another 10 or so still. I intend to do that slowly - maybe .5-.75/week. And I upgraded to MFP Premium so I could alter calorie goals. I've set it up for:
1800 - M-F
2200 - Sat
2000 - Sunday
This was all assuming my maintenance is about 2200. But now with reducing cardio, I'm not sure what to select in TDEE calculators? What the heck is "moderate exercise" or "light exercise"? I feel like I'm in between. And the swing in calculators can range hugely based on that factor.
I'm getting in 10k steps M-F. And maybe 11-13k steps on the weekend. And then I'm doing SL plus some extras 3x a week. I'll adjust per results, but wondering if my plan seems reasonable? Or if it feels like I'm overstating maintenance calories? Thanks!0 -
Why guess from a rough 5 level TDEE chart when you have a device there that gives infinite levels based on what you actually do?
You do need to manually add workouts for Weights on Fitbit though.
But then just look at the email you get for your weekly stats - there's your average daily burn - or TDEE.
Including everything the TDEE chart and you guessing can't possibly get as better estimate.
Just don't sync accounts so your daily eting changes, take a reasonable deficit (250 cal?) off that average TDEE figure.
With adjustments to weight lifting - what does it say you burn on average?0 -
Why guess from a rough 5 level TDEE chart when you have a device there that gives infinite levels based on what you actually do?
You do need to manually add workouts for Weights on Fitbit though.
But then just look at the email you get for your weekly stats - there's your average daily burn - or TDEE.
Including everything the TDEE chart and you guessing can't possibly get as better estimate.
Just don't sync accounts so your daily eting changes, take a reasonable deficit (250 cal?) off that average TDEE figure.
With adjustments to weight lifting - what does it say you burn on average?
That is a great idea! Not sure why I didn't think of it. In my calorie burn history I'm at about 15,200 a week give/take on weeks where I've limited cardio to just taking quick walks to hit 10k steps. I'm not going to bother adding in weight training calories at this point. (I can't imagine they're that much?). So with my 1800x5, 2200x1, and 2000x1 calorie set-up that will approximate .5 lb per week. Thanks!
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AbsoluteTara79 wrote: »Still keeping up here now about 6 months in and looking for advice on adjustments.
I've kept at my lifting pretty faithfully 3x a week and that is going well and I'm enjoying it.
For about 6-8 weeks I tried to use Fitbit adjustments as the sole way to decide how many calories to take in, and that was a failed experiment. I've decided I do better with just a set goal so that I don't try to work the system, so to speak. I more or less maintained weight the last month+. No biggie.
I've also been getting a little burned out on cardio and the extra time commitment that entails. (I was running 30-40 minutes 2x week).
I'm sitting at 145lbs, 5'5. By mirror, I need to drop another 10 or so still. I intend to do that slowly - maybe .5-.75/week. And I upgraded to MFP Premium so I could alter calorie goals. I've set it up for:
1800 - M-F
2200 - Sat
2000 - Sunday
This was all assuming my maintenance is about 2200. But now with reducing cardio, I'm not sure what to select in TDEE calculators? What the heck is "moderate exercise" or "light exercise"? I feel like I'm in between. And the swing in calculators can range hugely based on that factor.
I'm getting in 10k steps M-F. And maybe 11-13k steps on the weekend. And then I'm doing SL plus some extras 3x a week. I'll adjust per results, but wondering if my plan seems reasonable? Or if it feels like I'm overstating maintenance calories? Thanks!
How long have you been maintaining and what was your average calorie intake during that time? Have you maintained since the diet break? How much were you eating during that?
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Between the 5 weeks of April 19th and May 23rd I at on average 2200 calories. And I guess I did lose some in that time period - 148.7 to 146.5, so 2.2 pounds. Based on that, my TDEE might be higher than what Fitbit says? (2420 vs. 2200).0
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AbsoluteTara79 wrote: »Between the 5 weeks of April 19th and May 23rd I at on average 2200 calories. And I guess I did lose some in that time period - 148.7 to 146.5, so 2.2 pounds. Based on that, my TDEE might be higher than what Fitbit says? (2420 vs. 2200).
Based on that, I would say your intake suggestion looks reasonable. I am assuming that the high day on Saturday is for 'lifestyle' reasons - which is never a bad thing - if tweaking intake throughout the week helps adherence/sustainability, then its a good idea usually. If you can (and its not a big deal if you cannot) try to do some of your workouts on the high days - give your more energy for a better workout.
You can always tweak again after a few weeks if things are not progressing as you like.0 -
AbsoluteTara79 wrote: »Between the 5 weeks of April 19th and May 23rd I at on average 2200 calories. And I guess I did lose some in that time period - 148.7 to 146.5, so 2.2 pounds. Based on that, my TDEE might be higher than what Fitbit says? (2420 vs. 2200).
Based on that, I would say your intake suggestion looks reasonable. I am assuming that the high day on Saturday is for 'lifestyle' reasons - which is never a bad thing - if tweaking intake throughout the week helps adherence/sustainability, then its a good idea usually. If you can (and its not a big deal if you cannot) try to do some of your workouts on the high days - give your more energy for a better workout.
You can always tweak again after a few weeks if things are not progressing as you like.
Excellent - thanks!
The weekends are primarily for lifestyle and adherence/sustainability reasons.
And I've found that reducing cardio to walking instead of running has had a noticeable impact in the weight room. I'm progressing faster now and generally have more energy for workouts. But I will keep the cue on Saturday workouts in mind!0 -
AbsoluteTara79 wrote: »Why guess from a rough 5 level TDEE chart when you have a device there that gives infinite levels based on what you actually do?
You do need to manually add workouts for Weights on Fitbit though.
But then just look at the email you get for your weekly stats - there's your average daily burn - or TDEE.
Including everything the TDEE chart and you guessing can't possibly get as better estimate.
Just don't sync accounts so your daily eting changes, take a reasonable deficit (250 cal?) off that average TDEE figure.
With adjustments to weight lifting - what does it say you burn on average?
That is a great idea! Not sure why I didn't think of it. In my calorie burn history I'm at about 15,200 a week give/take on weeks where I've limited cardio to just taking quick walks to hit 10k steps. I'm not going to bother adding in weight training calories at this point. (I can't imagine they're that much?). So with my 1800x5, 2200x1, and 2000x1 calorie set-up that will approximate .5 lb per week. Thanks!
Except Fitbit assigns BMR level burn when no steps are seen - and you are burning much more than sleeping deeply.
Unless you are talking 15 min or less - yes, it counts.
And from comment above, you see why the TDEE could be more than what Fitbit reports - because it doesn't have full info.0 -
AbsoluteTara79 wrote: »Why guess from a rough 5 level TDEE chart when you have a device there that gives infinite levels based on what you actually do?
You do need to manually add workouts for Weights on Fitbit though.
But then just look at the email you get for your weekly stats - there's your average daily burn - or TDEE.
Including everything the TDEE chart and you guessing can't possibly get as better estimate.
Just don't sync accounts so your daily eting changes, take a reasonable deficit (250 cal?) off that average TDEE figure.
With adjustments to weight lifting - what does it say you burn on average?
That is a great idea! Not sure why I didn't think of it. In my calorie burn history I'm at about 15,200 a week give/take on weeks where I've limited cardio to just taking quick walks to hit 10k steps. I'm not going to bother adding in weight training calories at this point. (I can't imagine they're that much?). So with my 1800x5, 2200x1, and 2000x1 calorie set-up that will approximate .5 lb per week. Thanks!
Except Fitbit assigns BMR level burn when no steps are seen - and you are burning much more than sleeping deeply.
Unless you are talking 15 min or less - yes, it counts.
And from comment above, you see why the TDEE could be more than what Fitbit reports - because it doesn't have full info.
That does make sense! That difference is probably enough to boost me to the .75 lb / week. And feels like a nice buffer for logging inaccuracies.
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