Check my diet for me

RNGRZulu

hello - I've used all the tools I could find.
My BMR seems to be around 2112 calories a day. My workouts have been around 500 per session.

I have a Polar Loop w/ H7 to see better what I've been burning. Workout days look more like 3300 cals, non-workout days look like 2800.

I'm 47 (tomorrow), 6'0 and 232. I lift a lot of weights and usually do a spinning class 3 days a week, weight interval or circuit training the other days. Again, I'm using my Polar feedback rather than estimating calories from a tool.

I weigh most of my food on a kitchen scale. I measure almost all of my protein except hard boiled eggs and why isolate. I measure out my non veggie carbs by volume.

I eat very clean. At least cleaner than normal people.

Anyway, MFP is recommending that I target 1460 calories per day (sedentary work and 5x60 minutes exercise per week) in order to lose around 2 lbs per week. So a deficit of 1000 cals per day.

I know that's the most aggressive. It seems a bit lower than I expected. But I'd like to see a drop. Also, I'm pretty certain I have messed up my metabolism over time with extremely low calories and juice fasts in the past. I've tried to stablelize that over the last 18 months or so...I've put on about 20 lbs in the process.

So I could use advice on getting back to a healthy weight...safely. And in a way that's sustainable.

Friends can see my diary for more details.

Thanks

juggernaut1974

2 lbs/week is probably too aggressive, and yeah 1460 calories is way too low.

Try resetting your goal to .5 lb a week (or 1 lb a week if you think you can sustain the deficit.) Also remember if you're using MFP's calculations, that you need to eat back at least part of your exercise calories.

Based on the info in your OP, somewhere around 2200-2300 would seem a reasonable gross calorie goal.

StaciMarie1974

Are you using the HRM ONLY for steady state cardio? Its not reliable for activity where you're constantly starting/stopping activity and will give a high burn #.

Keep in mind the MFP 'method' assumes you'll eat more for exercise. And its not going to give a reliable starting # if you don't choose an accurate activity level. If your BMR is 2100 and you burn 2800 during normal activity, without doing cardio, then you're not sedentary. Your most aggressive base intake would be 1800 (2800 - 1000) for a 2 pound loss goal. Then additional to compensate for exercise. OR aim for a 1 pound deficit (2300 intake) and only eat additional for exercise as you feel its necessary.

RNGRZulu

StaciMarie1974 wrote: »

Are you using the HRM ONLY for steady state cardio? Its not reliable for activity where you're constantly starting/stopping activity and will give a high burn #.

Keep in mind the MFP 'method' assumes you'll eat more for exercise. And its not going to give a reliable starting # if you don't choose an accurate activity level. If your BMR is 2100 and you burn 2800 during normal activity, without doing cardio, then you're not sedentary. Your most aggressive base intake would be 1800 (2800 - 1000) for a 2 pound loss goal. Then additional to compensate for exercise. OR aim for a 1 pound deficit (2300 intake) and only eat additional for exercise as you feel its necessary.

I've been keeping it on for my whole workout session, including weight training. Sometimes that traditional sets, others it's more like HIIT training.

You're suggesting I take it off during weight training? Why is that not accurate?

StaciMarie1974

Heart rate monitors are designed to calculate burn during steady state cardio. When you're moving multiple major muscle groups over an extended period of time. Your body works differently doing strength training.

One way to compensate for this: base your intake off of your standard activity, non workout calories. 2800-500 = 2300. And then know that extra burned thru exercise will increase your deficit.

Found this article about it:

http://livehealthy.chron.com/can-heart-rate-monitors-measure-calories-weight-lifting-4910.html

RNGRZulu

2300 for workout and non-workout days. That's 500 intake deficit. The additions workout deficit is gravy (pun intended)

I am basing the BRM on the Polar Flow data I have so far. I hope it's accurate enough.

RNGRZulu

StaciMarie1974 wrote: »

Heart rate monitors are designed to calculate burn during steady state cardio. When you're moving multiple major muscle groups over an extended period of time. Your body works differently doing strength training.

One way to compensate for this: base your intake off of your standard activity, non workout calories. 2800-500 = 2300. And then know that extra burned thru exercise will increase your deficit.

Found this article about it:

http://livehealthy.chron.com/can-heart-rate-monitors-measure-calories-weight-lifting-4910.html

Thanks for the article. I guess I will just put it on when doing cardio (treadmill, spin class, HIIT, or circuit training). I won't use it when I'm doing traditional weight training sets.

lynndot1

1450 is what I eat on days I don't do any cardio when trying to lose weight...and I'm 5'4" and just under 130lbs. You definitely need more, haha. I mean yes if you ate that every day you would lose the weight but you'll probably feel like crap doing so.

Also if you're lifting a lot I don't recommend such a drastic cut in calories. Your body needs fuel to build muscle and you will start to see a loss in performance if you eat too little while lifting multiple times a week.

RNGRZulu

I'm adjusting my goal to 2300 cals per day. That's 500 under my average BMR (based on Polar Flow total daily calories - workout calories). Any calories burned from exercise is extra deficit.

I shoot for 40/40/20 macros, drink 120oz of water a day, get protein (egg whites) and carbs (oatmeal) within 30 minutes of completing my workout which starts at 6:00am.

I'm not supplementing really other than BCAA/glutamine/creatine stack right when I get to the gym.

I'm putting everything on a spreadsheet to show my actuals on one page that I will update daily. That will help me with projections for a reasonable mid-term goal. I'd like to be under 200 by 4th of July. But, under with good LBM. So, if I'm over but leaned out, I'll be happy.

My long term goal is to keep this up, maintain under 200 as my new normal. That will take some adjustment time. I don't mind working out. I usually look forward to it very much.