Another long intro and activity level question
Dumoria
Posts: 10 Member
Hey everyone - long time lurker here 
I was already used to 16:8 intermittent fasting when I joined this site last November. It took me awhile to get a hang of food tracking, then I started a cut using numbers I'd found with an online calculator.
It kinda went downhill from there. I starting playing with other fasting types - 5:2 and Eat Stop Eat - and my body was not happy lol. I lost my period for the first time in my whole life, and sleep. Once I noticed that insomnia would hit whenever I did 5:2 or ESE, I stopped.
And I went on with my cut. Between March and July of this year, I went from 65 to 59kg (the lightest I had ever been since high school). I was looking good but feeling like crap: constantly exhausted, making no progress with my workouts (I was doing this circuit three times a week), daydreaming about sleep... Oh, and thinking about food. Like all the time. I couldn't relax and just enjoy meals with my relatives - I would freak out at the thought of not knowing how many calories were in this or that. I had become really good at hitting my macros, though, but it felt more like playing nutritional Tetris than eating real food. I would binge on specific foods about once a week (dairy mostly - all I wanted was ice cream and gallons of ice cold milk). I didn't know where that came from because I had no ED history. The more I looked for answers, the more it became obvious that I had underestimated my caloric needs. When I started dreaming about calorie counting - I kid you not! - I decided it was high time to cut the bs and take a diet break.
Eventually, I came across the Eat The Food concept, found you guys and Go Kaleo. Her recommended calorie counter showed me how much I was supposed to eat and I couldn't believe it: instead of the 1700 cals I was eating on a workday, I was supposed to cut with 2125. I upped my intake by 100 cals a week for a month and I went back from 59 to 63 almost instantly. Then, feeling so tired of counting every single morcel to pass my lips I took a break from that too. I ate freely through the summer, and stabilized at 70kg.
I've been at this weigh for over a month or so. I'm no longer obsessing over food thinking about what, when or how I'll eat 24/7. Extreme hunger is long gone - those were freaky times LOL. Sleep has improved a bit: I'm now getting about five to six hours a night, still interrupted, but at least I feel rested when I wake up.
Long story short: I've been underestimating my caloric needs without knowing it for a long time, went on my first diet based on wrong numbers, then through a refeeding period and I'm ready for the next step.
Here are my stats: I'm 31, 1,68m / 5'6" and I weigh 70kg /142lbs.
I'm on my feet 18-20 hours a week waiting tables, carrying heavy things (un/loading the dishwasher) and cleaning up in a bakery/tea room kind of place. When using the counter I mentionned, I add an extra hour of light exercise (brisk walking; I use public transportation), and another of standing/walking. I joined a gym two months ago and started lifting three times a week using this program (3x12 reps, minus the crunches and deadlifts). I don't know how to calculate how much I burn doing that since I'm new at it. I walk on my off days, depending on the errands I have to run. Does it put me somewhere between moderately and very active ?
I plan to stick to 2200 for awhile, but I would be very grateful if you could give me some feedback on this. Thank you for reading!
I was already used to 16:8 intermittent fasting when I joined this site last November. It took me awhile to get a hang of food tracking, then I started a cut using numbers I'd found with an online calculator.
It kinda went downhill from there. I starting playing with other fasting types - 5:2 and Eat Stop Eat - and my body was not happy lol. I lost my period for the first time in my whole life, and sleep. Once I noticed that insomnia would hit whenever I did 5:2 or ESE, I stopped.
And I went on with my cut. Between March and July of this year, I went from 65 to 59kg (the lightest I had ever been since high school). I was looking good but feeling like crap: constantly exhausted, making no progress with my workouts (I was doing this circuit three times a week), daydreaming about sleep... Oh, and thinking about food. Like all the time. I couldn't relax and just enjoy meals with my relatives - I would freak out at the thought of not knowing how many calories were in this or that. I had become really good at hitting my macros, though, but it felt more like playing nutritional Tetris than eating real food. I would binge on specific foods about once a week (dairy mostly - all I wanted was ice cream and gallons of ice cold milk). I didn't know where that came from because I had no ED history. The more I looked for answers, the more it became obvious that I had underestimated my caloric needs. When I started dreaming about calorie counting - I kid you not! - I decided it was high time to cut the bs and take a diet break.
Eventually, I came across the Eat The Food concept, found you guys and Go Kaleo. Her recommended calorie counter showed me how much I was supposed to eat and I couldn't believe it: instead of the 1700 cals I was eating on a workday, I was supposed to cut with 2125. I upped my intake by 100 cals a week for a month and I went back from 59 to 63 almost instantly. Then, feeling so tired of counting every single morcel to pass my lips I took a break from that too. I ate freely through the summer, and stabilized at 70kg.
I've been at this weigh for over a month or so. I'm no longer obsessing over food thinking about what, when or how I'll eat 24/7. Extreme hunger is long gone - those were freaky times LOL. Sleep has improved a bit: I'm now getting about five to six hours a night, still interrupted, but at least I feel rested when I wake up.
Long story short: I've been underestimating my caloric needs without knowing it for a long time, went on my first diet based on wrong numbers, then through a refeeding period and I'm ready for the next step.
Here are my stats: I'm 31, 1,68m / 5'6" and I weigh 70kg /142lbs.
I'm on my feet 18-20 hours a week waiting tables, carrying heavy things (un/loading the dishwasher) and cleaning up in a bakery/tea room kind of place. When using the counter I mentionned, I add an extra hour of light exercise (brisk walking; I use public transportation), and another of standing/walking. I joined a gym two months ago and started lifting three times a week using this program (3x12 reps, minus the crunches and deadlifts). I don't know how to calculate how much I burn doing that since I'm new at it. I walk on my off days, depending on the errands I have to run. Does it put me somewhere between moderately and very active ?
I plan to stick to 2200 for awhile, but I would be very grateful if you could give me some feedback on this. Thank you for reading!
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Replies
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Try this for adding up your time that includes walking.
Because of course walking 1 hr doesn't burn the same as lifting 1 hr, but you need to count both. And for sure need to include work time since not desk job. The 5 rough TDEE charts are based on assumed desk job, exercise is only increased activity.
And the thing with doing the average TDEE method, eating the same daily, as long as you get a good estimate on weekly activity, it doesn't matter what you burn in any 1 workout, it balances out.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1018770-better-rough-tdee-estimate-than-5-level-chart
You have a much better plan of attack now, that's for sure, just want decent estimate so you aren't producing more deficit than you think and scaring your body again.0 -
You have a much better plan of attack now, that's for sure, just want decent estimate so you aren't producing more deficit than you think and scaring your body again.
That's exactly it.
I work between 18-20 hours a week. 18hr = 2.5hr of actual activity.
My lifting sessions are about 1hr long each, including 5' of cardio/warm up and resting times (1' between sets). Should I count those 3hr as 2hr of actual activity to be on the safe side?
Also, should I add the extra hour of brisk walking and leasurly walking to my working time? (They should be disregarded on my off days? It changes everytime.)
If so, this is what I get:
[(working+walking+lifting)x0.0875]+1.2
[(2.5+0.75+2)x0.0875]+1.2
(5.25x0.0875)+1.2= 1.66x1493=2477 TDEE
... which gives me 2100 for a 15% cut. If I understand correctly, this is what I should be eating everyday, regardless of whether I'm working or not. I would like to add a little yoga on my rest days too, but I think it would be best to experiment with this number first and see how my body reacts, especially sleep wise.
Thank you for your precious input, heybales.0 -
Cardio warmup on lifting is so short, I'd skip counting that.
But 1 min rest during lifting is pretty minimal, and body is still burning more than standing or sitting would require as it recharges ATP stores, I'd leave the rest times in the estimate.
Intentional walking, even if tad slow to perhaps not sweat during lunch, is still 1/2 time.
Incidental walking while shopping, to from parking lot (unless 30 min away), around house for laundry and cooking, no that is not counted.
18-20 avg is actually 19, not 18. Not a big deal here, just pointing out for future, if you did a certain workout 2-3 times weekly for 45 min, that's not 2 x 45, that's 2.5 x 45 for an actual average.
Always thinking you are playing it on the safe side is what causes it to not be so safe anymore.
After month of actual results starting on the high side estimate, you can actually then estimate a better TDEE based on that level of activity. Of course as you mention, that's out the window when you add another workout.
Fortunately, yoga would count as slow walking, like incidental, not much calorie burn above resting. Pilates with actually body weight held poses and moves, ya that burns more.0 -
Always thinking you are playing it on the safe side is what causes it to not be so safe anymore.
Yeah. I don't know why but I automatically think I overestimate any time spent doing physical activities. >_<
So, with the new numbers, my maintenance level is about 2366 calories and my -15% cut 2000. I'm going to use these starting tomorrow and check back in a few weeks.
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