Another calorie question

Balance_Moderation

Hey all! I am looking for some advice/input on how to calculate my stuff... can you all help me?

Okay here is my stuff... I am 5' 7" and weigh 170 as of this morning. I am pretty active.

• Spinning twice a week -- 45 min each session
• TRX class once a week -- 60 min class
• PiYo or HIIT once a week
• Yoga once a week
• I am also a mom to 4

So here is what I came up with using the Scooby calculator:
15% reduction is 1942 cal/day
20% reduction is 1828 cal/day

So, I don't worry about "eating back" any of my calories, right? I am regaining my footing with tracking calories again, so I want to make sure my numbers look good. Any suggestions/input?

heybales

So mom to 4 makes you lightly active for just daily life outside exercise. Easily.

You don't mention how long the HIIT is, which is rather intense cardio and that time really counts, much more than yoga does.

So 2 x 45 = 90
1 x 60 = 60
1 x ? 30 ? = 30 ?

180 with correction of that intense stuff - that's 3 hrs right there.

So exercise by itself is lightly active too.
Put the 2 together.
That puts you up in to moderately active - probably rounded up to nearest 1000.
Or pick the number between Moderate and Very.

You really aren't that far away from goal weight for 20% to be reasonable, from whatever you come up with.

And remember, there are infinite levels, 5 rough levels have traditionally been used merely for convenience factor, so you may have to do your own math.

TDEE x 0.85 = eating goal.

Balance_Moderation

heybales wrote: »

So mom to 4 makes you lightly active for just daily life outside exercise. Easily.

You don't mention how long the HIIT is, which is rather intense cardio and that time really counts, much more than yoga does.

So 2 x 45 = 90
1 x 60 = 60
1 x ? 30 ? = 30 ?

180 with correction of that intense stuff - that's 3 hrs right there.

So exercise by itself is lightly active too.
Put the 2 together.
That puts you up in to moderately active - probably rounded up to nearest 1000.
Or pick the number between Moderate and Very.

You really aren't that far away from goal weight for 20% to be reasonable, from whatever you come up with.

And remember, there are infinite levels, 5 rough levels have traditionally been used merely for convenience factor, so you may have to do your own math.

TDEE x 0.85 = eating goal.

I logged my activity as moderate with 3-5 hours of activity a week. I will be honest, I do struggle a bit with my NEAT activity. I don't want to overestimate my caloric burn. I don't wear a Fitbit or anything. Do you think that I logged it as enough. Here is the nitty-gritty breakdown of my activity:

• Mon - Spinning 45 min
• Tue - TRX class 60 min
• Wed - up in the air, I ususally go with what I decide I want to do it tends to be 45 min of PiYo or 20-25 min of HIIT or sometimes I just take the day off
• Thur - Kettlebell class 60 min
• Fri - Spinning
• Sat - Yoga either 40-75 min

I am fairly new to tracking calories again. I spent the better part of two years in the ETF group (Go Kaleo's Facebook group) rebuilding my relationship with food after a pretty disordered past. I try to be as accurate as possible but I also understand the realities of calorie unerreporting. I know that it is mainly estimates, but I'd like to get my estimates as close as possible, if you know what I mean... My weight has been rock-solid for 2 years so I am stable. I tracked with a Fitbook for the better part of a year and that was good, but I would like to start seeing some loss be it tape measure or scale.

I have been ST doing freeweights at my gym but want to take a bit of a break from it so that is why I am doing the TRX class and the kettlebells for my ST. More circuit/bodyweight based.

Thanks for your help. I value any input!!

Jennbecca33

Hi Balance - so with your nitty-gritty breakdown of your exercise in your last post, I would easily see you falling into the 5-6 hour activity level. Sounds like a lot, but add it up - and then add on your daily activity outside of formal exercise. Even if you struggle with getting NEAT, unless you are completely sedentary, it does count, and being a mom of 4, I bet you move more than you give yourself credit for. And you're correct, you will not eat back any exercise calories when using the TDEE method. You eat to the same level everyday - but I wouldn't take any more than a 15% deficit like Heybales said - you don't have much to lose. You could even do 10% deficit. I understand you not wanting to overestimate calories burned, but don't be afraid to test it out with the higher calorie level (5-6 hr level) - you're not going to gain fat bc you will still be eating at a deficit or, worst case scenario, maintenance, but I seriously doubt it. You can always drop down to 3-5 level (or in-between the two) after testing out if you need to, but it seems to me with your workouts as described -seems more like 5-6 level to me. You want to be sure not to undereat. It sounds like you're in a great starting place!

Balance_Moderation

Jennbecca33 wrote: »

Hi Balance - so with your nitty-gritty breakdown of your exercise in your last post, I would easily see you falling into the 5-6 hour activity level. Sounds like a lot, but add it up - and then add on your daily activity outside of formal exercise. Even if you struggle with getting NEAT, unless you are completely sedentary, it does count, and being a mom of 4, I bet you move more than you give yourself credit for. And you're correct, you will not eat back any exercise calories when using the TDEE method. You eat to the same level everyday - but I wouldn't take any more than a 15% deficit like Heybales said - you don't have much to lose. You could even do 10% deficit. I understand you not wanting to overestimate calories burned, but don't be afraid to test it out with the higher calorie level (5-6 hr level) - you're not going to gain fat bc you will still be eating at a deficit or, worst case scenario, maintenance, but I seriously doubt it. You can always drop down to 3-5 level (or in-between the two) after testing out if you need to, but it seems to me with your workouts as described -seems more like 5-6 level to me. You want to be sure not to undereat. It sounds like you're in a great starting place!

So other question for you guys... how is a good way to even set my goal weight? I mean like seriously? I have always gone for 145 as my goal weight, but that was before I was really lifting. I am taking a lifting break but I did buy the EM2WL book and am thinking of trying that program. I was doing the NROL4W but I just didn't like it much. Is there a good method for setting a goal weight?

FRJM

To be honest - I don't know if I even have a goal weight anymore...I have a goal size! Everybody is different and as I'm swiftly learning, the number on that scale means nothing at the end of the day - proven by all the posts from people who have lost no weight or even gained but dropped several dress sizes. But, I am still learning and although I'm avoiding the scales for a while, I know that they are lurking in the background I will somehow need their approval for my size! xx

MandaLeigh123

I too am leaving the idea of "goal weight" behind after seeing pictures of people who look thinner than in their before picture but actually weigh more in their fitter, after picture. I have been in the process of doing a metabolism reset so trying to find my maintence level of calories... Weight has not gone up or down but pants and bra are looser :-)

heybales

Here is a nice site to run some average "healthy" weights for your height, and frame size.
But you may want to be more than average, in which case higher side of range is better.

http://www.cordianet.com/calculator.htm

Balance_Moderation

I am kind of thinking that using the scale moderately might not be bad for me either. I have a goal size of size 8 to 10 (it is a healthy size for my frame and height). Right now I am a 12. So I guess I really probably don't have much to lose. I have a size 8 skirt that I am using as kind of a guide for what I want to fit. I'll just keep rolling with things. Try out my new numbers for awhile and see where things go. Thanks again for the support and help!!

heybales

Just don't wash that skirt in hot water!

Nothing more annoying than having that test piece of clothing shrink on you - making you think something bad happened.

And no, I don't have that problem with skirts. That would be kilts, if I had one, and was Scottish.

Balance_Moderation

heybales wrote: »

Just don't wash that skirt in hot water!

Nothing more annoying than having that test piece of clothing shrink on you - making you think something bad happened.

And no, I don't have that problem with skirts. That would be kilts, if I had one, and was Scottish.

LOLOLOL! I love it! Alright, message received. I need to just let go and enjoy the process, right?

Neonbeige

Balance_Moderation wrote: »

heybales wrote: »

Just don't wash that skirt in hot water!

Nothing more annoying than having that test piece of clothing shrink on you - making you think something bad happened.

And no, I don't have that problem with skirts. That would be kilts, if I had one, and was Scottish.

LOLOLOL! I love it! Alright, message received. I need to just let go and enjoy the process, right?

Rofl!