My goal for this week....

leooftheyear

So about a month ago, a little less, I started the New Rules of Lifting for Women, and started counting calories on MFP again, after a 6 month hiatus of me thinking I knew what I was doing/could eat whatever I wanted and gaining the weight back and then flipped to Weight Watchers were I was under eating because I was too afraid of using my weekly points "just incase I needed them"

I had an epiphany last night, I was home yesterday and really started rethinking my whole eating plan (which is when I found this group). I know for NROLFW the author recommends eating at maintenance for the 1st stage so I upped my calorie goal to the 2070/day recommended by MFP walk also calculating my TDEE maintenance which is right about 2050 with no exercise.... here's the problem..... so I've been eating that but not really calculating my exercise calories (I do the NROLFW 3 times a week, take Les Mills CX WORX twice a week and add in Les Mills Body Combat 3 times a week *the CX WORX and 2 of the body combat classes are only 30mins and the third Body Combat is an hour) I just added the hour long Body Combat this past weekend. So when I look at my weekly averages its really no higher than 1500 calories/day.....ANYWAY.... So yesterday I decided to switch things up, I actually ate 2403 calories after adding in my exercise calories and netted between 1873 - 2138 depending upon on how accurate those calorie burns are. When I left the gym, I hadn't had dinner yet, but I did have breakfast, mid morning snack, lunch and an afternoon snack about 2 hours before I went to the gym for a total of 1633 calories and I felt AMAZING!!! I had so much more energy than I had in the past few weeks, I didn't feel like I was going to collapse in the middle of Body Combat and I was not STARVING when I left.... on top of which I was stressed out saying "oh crap how many more calories do I have???"

I want to continue with this, my goal for this week is to be hitting the 2070/day being my net calories vs total calories.

HOWEVER.... I do have one question.... I do want to keep bumping up my calories as much as possible as I now see the benefits and I am seeing that I am not gaining the 10-20lbs I was so scared of gaining back.... for my TDEE, with the gym time (3 NROLFW days, 3 Body Combat classes and 2 CX WORX classes) the bare minimum on a bad week would be (2 NROLFW, 2 Body Combat and 1 CX WORX classes) should I set my activity level as moderate exercise and keep adding 100 calories a week OR should I keep it at desk job/sedentary and just eat back a portion of my exercise calories?

SORRY THIS IS SO LONG!

Jennbecca33

If you are going to use the TDEE method, which we do suggest, use Scooby to calculate and do not select sedentary. Your exercise and daily activity should all be considered when choosing your activity level and then you will eat that same amount every day even on the days you don't workout. You're not going to have to worry about figuring net calories. Add up all those minutes of exercise and then take into consideration your daily activity as well. Are you on your feet or walk quite a bit through the day? If so, that automatically puts you at lightly active - then add your workouts on top of that which would take you up another level at least. I'm guessing you'll actually be at the 5-6 hour activity level. For example, I only formally work out about 2 1/2 - 3 hours a week, but my activity level falls under the 5-6 hour level because I'm on my feet all day and walking quite a bit. You still want to increase your calories slowly - add 100 daily and stay there for a week, then add 100 more the next week. This will help your body adjust to the increase. You'll notice a lot more energy and begin feeling much better. Are you trying to reach your -15% deficit number or all you going all the way up to your TDEE? Either way, increase slowly. Hope this helps!

leooftheyear

Jennbecca33 wrote: »

If you are going to use the TDEE method, which we do suggest, use Scooby to calculate and do not select sedentary. Your exercise and daily activity should all be considered when choosing your activity level and then you will eat that same amount every day even on the days you don't workout. You're not going to have to worry about figuring net calories. Add up all those minutes of exercise and then take into consideration your daily activity as well. Are you on your feet or walk quite a bit through the day? If so, that automatically puts you at lightly active - then add your workouts on top of that which would take you up another level at least. I'm guessing you'll actually be at the 5-6 hour activity level. For example, I only formally work out about 2 1/2 - 3 hours a week, but my activity level falls under the 5-6 hour level because I'm on my feet all day and walking quite a bit. You still want to increase your calories slowly - add 100 daily and stay there for a week, then add 100 more the next week. This will help your body adjust to the increase. You'll notice a lot more energy and begin feeling much better. Are you trying to reach your -15% deficit number or all you going all the way up to your TDEE? Either way, increase slowly. Hope this helps!

I am trying to work up to my full TDEE, which based on activity would be at least 2646/day, i am still trying to get out of the mindset that i need to eat a little and exercise a lot but i could definitely feel a difference yesterday when i actually ate

mymodernbabylon

I slowly figured out my TDEE between August and December - best thing EVER. I had so much more energy and I ended up working out even better which made for better body changes. Do it!!!

leooftheyear

mymodernbabylon wrote: »

I slowly figured out my TDEE between August and December - best thing EVER. I had so much more energy and I ended up working out even better which made for better body changes. Do it!!!

Thank you I can already feel a difference and it's been like 2 days! no wonder I was MISERABLE eating 1500-1700 calories and going to the gym 5-6 days a week...YIKES!!!! LESSON LEARNED!

heybales

I'm not sure if you are doing all that exercise to merely burn more calories in hoping it will help weight loss.

Or if you are doing it hoping to transform the body.

Here's the problem with what appears to be a pretty massive workout schedule.

Exercise if done right tears the body down.
It's the rest for recovery and repair back up, stronger if diet allows, where the actual benefit comes in.

For example, the body only improves when it is overloaded and feels the need to.

But you can't overload the body with just plain tired muscles.

I'm betting you are even aware how much strength you are missing by that full routine.
Oh, it will feel like you are giving it your all, but that doesn't mean the muscles are anywhere near overloaded by weight.

I'd suggest as you try to get calories up, only do the lifting to the new TDEE correct for only the lifting.
You'll be removing 2 stresses at once, massive exercise on a body with extreme deficit, and that extreme deficit.

You'll probably be shocked how well your workouts become.

leooftheyear

heybales wrote: »

I'm not sure if you are doing all that exercise to merely burn more calories in hoping it will help weight loss.

Or if you are doing it hoping to transform the body.

Here's the problem with what appears to be a pretty massive workout schedule.

Exercise if done right tears the body down.
It's the rest for recovery and repair back up, stronger if diet allows, where the actual benefit comes in.

For example, the body only improves when it is overloaded and feels the need to.

But you can't overload the body with just plain tired muscles.

I'm betting you are even aware how much strength you are missing by that full routine.
Oh, it will feel like you are giving it your all, but that doesn't mean the muscles are anywhere near overloaded by weight.

I'd suggest as you try to get calories up, only do the lifting to the new TDEE correct for only the lifting.
You'll be removing 2 stresses at once, massive exercise on a body with extreme deficit, and that extreme deficit.

You'll probably be shocked how well your workouts become.

I completely agree, I upped my calories by 200-300/day and I can already see results, I only do maybe 2 hours/week of cardio and right now 2-3 hours of lifting a week, but I will definitely back off the cardio if I feel I need to.

When I was KILLING IT, I was doing 2 Body Pump classes, 2 Body Flow classes, 1 Body Attack class, 1 Spin class and 1 endurance training class and eating between 1500-1700/day

heybales

Well, since the normal phrase of killing it means the workouts - I know for a fact you were not, not with that routine and that deficit.

I know you for sure had to feel worn out after the workout, and you gave it your all. Sadly your all was a far cry from what it could have been.

So something was indeed being killed!

Good job, and if you haven't had an exercise break, that's beneficial all by itself every so often, 6- 8 weeks. Walking only during the normal workout time.

leooftheyear

heybales wrote: »

Well, since the normal phrase of killing it means the workouts - I know for a fact you were not, not with that routine and that deficit.

I know you for sure had to feel worn out after the workout, and you gave it your all. Sadly your all was a far cry from what it could have been.

So something was indeed being killed!

Good job, and if you haven't had an exercise break, that's beneficial all by itself every so often, 6- 8 weeks. Walking only during the normal workout time.

I have definitely backed off the exercise (2 30min body combat classes, 1 1hour body combat class, 2 30minute core training classes and 2-3 days of just strength training) plus adding the additional calories helped A LOT!!! I don't feel as worn out and hungry or grumpy.... no wonder I wasn't making any progress, and when I was (on weight watchers) I'd drop 2-4lbs one week just to gain it back the next...not ideal

mymodernbabylon

You're still doing a LOT of hardcore cardio - I'd say you probably could use even more calories tbh. But glad you are starting to feel better.

skinny4me2be

IMHO, weight watchers has to big of a deficit for people who are active. I am a w.w. flunky over and over, Would lose 5-10lbs and stop and drop out, gain, quit...ate my weekly points and all, would not go over. They always had a hart time helping me figure out how many activity points to eat, as they don't specialize in the activity. Glad your uppin' and feeling better!!

leooftheyear

mymodernbabylon wrote: »

You're still doing a LOT of hardcore cardio - I'd say you probably could use even more calories tbh. But glad you are starting to feel better.

I agree, I bumped it up to between 2200-2600 depending on the day (2200 for the rest days, 2600 for the cardio class days and 2400 for the weight days)

leooftheyear

skinny4me2be wrote: »

IMHO, weight watchers has to big of a deficit for people who are active. I am a w.w. flunky over and over, Would lose 5-10lbs and stop and drop out, gain, quit...ate my weekly points and all, would not go over. They always had a hart time helping me figure out how many activity points to eat, as they don't specialize in the activity. Glad your uppin' and feeling better!!

That was my issue too was the activity, I was too scared to eat the activity points because unless you had an active link then you weren't sure how accurate the measurements were and I was up and down 2-4lbs/week. I lost 8-10lbs in 2 months but it was down 4 up 2 the ENTIRE time!

skinny4me2be

leooftheyear wrote: »

skinny4me2be wrote: »

IMHO, weight watchers has to big of a deficit for people who are active. I am a w.w. flunky over and over, Would lose 5-10lbs and stop and drop out, gain, quit...ate my weekly points and all, would not go over. They always had a hart time helping me figure out how many activity points to eat, as they don't specialize in the activity. Glad your uppin' and feeling better!!

That was my issue too was the activity, I was too scared to eat the activity points because unless you had an active link then you weren't sure how accurate the measurements were and I was up and down 2-4lbs/week. I lost 8-10lbs in 2 months but it was down 4 up 2 the ENTIRE time!

They consider activity points, but they (w.w.) also don't consider how active you are outside of your workouts. Which is why I'm now understanding why w.w. didn't work for me. I was eating WAY to little for how active I was.