Checking in

3furballs

So I've been gradually increasing my calories and I just upped it tonight to 1900. Since early January I've lost about 5.5lbs. Slow but steady. Still wanting to lose another 5 lbs though. I worry about stalling on the weight loss though since before EM2WL I was eating about 2000 calories but then deducting my workout calories which are about 500-800 a day so netting the mfp amount. So eating 1900 net total seems about the same and I wasn't losing weight before and currently that's my goal. So I guess I just want to check and see if I'm on the right track.

heybales

It depends on how accurate those calorie burns are to be eating back.
What is giving those estimates?

That's why the weekly average TDEE deficit method is nice - don't need to know the calorie burn exactly, once a TDEE is found for your workouts (which of course can change and ruin that figure), you merely eat less daily.

So what is your BMR such that you were eating 2000 but burning 500-800 daily off the top merely for the exercise?

3furballs

My BMR according to Scooby is 1388. That 2000 cals I was eating was based on then deducting my exercise cals (so I was eating those calories back) and getting to the MFP calories.

I've used the Scooby to calculate a TDEE of 2394 and then 15% deficit to get to just over 2000. I do 1 hour kickboxing classes (really 45 min when you figure in stretch/warm up) 4 times a week, 30 min kettlebell classes 3 times a week and walk to and usually from work, which is about 25 minutes at a fast pace, 5 times a week and I have a fairly active home with three kids. But during the day I'm at a desk. I based the calculations on the 5-6 hour strenuous exercise a week choice.

Jennbecca33

That's a lot of activity - I'd say you need to move up to the highest activity level on Scooby. Daily activity counts too, not just formal exercise.

3furballs

I tend to forget daily activity, seems like I sit on my butt all day and then on the couch, but I guess realistically I don't sit down on the couch until 7pm and then I'm up and down the stairs tucking various monkeys into bed.

Jennbecca33

Yes, it does add up to a lot, especially when you think about all of it over the course of an entire week. Your workouts alone are at the upper end of 5-6 hr activity level, so I think easily it pushes you up to the highest level. Unless someone is completely sedentary all day, most people are already at lightly active before adding any exercise.

heybales

4 x 45 = 180
3 x 30 = 90
5 x 25 / 2 = 62 (walking time, half calorie burn as most cardio, so half time)
7 x 180 / 8 = 158 (home life time, standing/slow moving time smallish burn, so less time)

180 + 90 + 62 + 158 = 490 / 60 = 8.2 hrs

(Weekly movement hrs x 0.0875) + 1.2 = Activity Factor you multiply your BMR by
8.2 x 0.0875 + 1.2 = 1.92 x 1388 BMR = 2661 TDEE estimate

Tad over off the charts.

3furballs

Man you are way more mathematically minded than me! Thanks for the help. I've bumped to 1900 and will stay here for a couple of weeks and then bump up again.