Counting calories in physical therapy

Options
rosebette
rosebette Posts: 1,659 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've begun doing physical therapy for my shoulder injury, and the therapy is about 1/2 hour of exercises with light weights and high reps (40 reps per exercise). Can I count this as strength training? I'm small, so 1/2 hour of strength training burns between 80-90 calories for me. I finished my first session today and was actually starving afterwards , despite eating a good breakfast.

Replies

  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    Options
    I personally wouldn't...because it's not purposeful exercise to lose weight. I don't log mowing, gardening, moving a friend out of an apartment etc. I only log exercise I do on purpose but that's me...
  • jessicapk
    jessicapk Posts: 574 Member
    Options
    Base this on whether it's above and beyond the activity level that you have set up on MFP. I have mine set to sedentary so I log pretty much anything, even though I try not to eat all those calories back.
  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,659 Member
    edited April 2015
    Options
    I have my calorie base set to 1000 and then log exercise calories on top of that. My BMR is only 1136 (I'm 56 and only 5'1.5"), so I want to have some deficit but eat enough to account for my activity. I use a tracker to count calories burned with walking and other step-related activity and usually log strength training according to the calories assigned by MFP.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,459 Member
    Options
    No. Physio exercises usually burn almost zero calories. You're not doing them for a burn; you're doing them, hopefully, with mindful intention (so, kind of slowly).
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,459 Member
    Options
    You're not just eating your bmr, I hope. Because it sounds like youre looking for reasons to eat more, probably because you're not eating enough
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
    Options
    rosebette wrote: »
    I have my calorie base set to 1000 and then log exercise calories on top of that. My BMR is only 1136 (I'm 56 and only 5'1.5"), so I want to have some deficit but eat enough to account for my activity. I use a tracker to count calories burned with walking and other step-related activity and usually log strength training according to the calories assigned by MFP.

    If your calorie base is that low then yeah, log the exercise
  • urloved33
    urloved33 Posts: 3,325 Member
    Options
    Of course
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    Options
    rosebette wrote: »
    I have my calorie base set to 1000 and then log exercise calories on top of that. My BMR is only 1136 (I'm 56 and only 5'1.5"), so I want to have some deficit but eat enough to account for my activity. I use a tracker to count calories burned with walking and other step-related activity and usually log strength training according to the calories assigned by MFP.

    I think you need to recalculate your BMR...if it's 1136 your are 105lbs given other stats but your ticker says 120...so thinking more along the lines of 1200...and that's what you need to eat if you don't move at all...ever.

    (BMR); the number of calories you'd burn if you stayed in bed all day.
  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,659 Member
    edited April 2015
    Options
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    rosebette wrote: »
    I have my calorie base set to 1000 and then log exercise calories on top of that. My BMR is only 1136 (I'm 56 and only 5'1.5"), so I want to have some deficit but eat enough to account for my activity. I use a tracker to count calories burned with walking and other step-related activity and usually log strength training according to the calories assigned by MFP.

    I think you need to recalculate your BMR...if it's 1136 your are 105lbs given other stats but your ticker says 120...so thinking more along the lines of 1200...and that's what you need to eat if you don't move at all...ever.

    (BMR); the number of calories you'd burn if you stayed in bed all day.

    The BMR was measured when I had a fitness assessment in my gym last fall. It was done using a scale that used my weight and lean body mass to calculate it. I usually eat more than 1136 a day because I exercise. My actual intake is usually between 1200-1500 a day, depending on activity. I exercise and also work at a large university where I'm walking around 2 miles a day; I wear a pedometer with a calorie tracker and just add those calories at the end of the day. Also, although I weigh 120, I actually should weigh less, maybe 110-115, so I probably should be eating the BMR of what I should weigh, rather than what I weigh now.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    Options
    rosebette wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    rosebette wrote: »
    I have my calorie base set to 1000 and then log exercise calories on top of that. My BMR is only 1136 (I'm 56 and only 5'1.5"), so I want to have some deficit but eat enough to account for my activity. I use a tracker to count calories burned with walking and other step-related activity and usually log strength training according to the calories assigned by MFP.

    I think you need to recalculate your BMR...if it's 1136 your are 105lbs given other stats but your ticker says 120...so thinking more along the lines of 1200...and that's what you need to eat if you don't move at all...ever.

    (BMR); the number of calories you'd burn if you stayed in bed all day.

    The BMR was measured when I had a fitness assessment in my gym last fall. It was done using a scale that used my weight and lean body mass to calculate it. I usually eat more than 1136 a day because I exercise. My actual intake is usually between 1200-1500 a day, depending on activity. I exercise and also work at a large university where I'm walking around 2 miles a day; I wear a pedometer with a calorie tracker and just add those calories at the end of the day. Also, although I weigh 120, I actually should weigh less, maybe 110-115, so I probably should be eating the BMR of what I should weigh, rather than what I weigh now.

    @Rosebette Bolded part makes me even more skeptical of it...I am not trying to be argumentative I just hate to see people probably following information that isn't correct.

    and again BMR is the calories you need if you never leave your bed..not just purposeful exercise add to that number, eating, drinking, going to the bathroom, doing dishes etc all add to that number so it's good to hear you are eating more than what you were told your BMR is (again I don't think it's accurate) and who said you should weigh 110-115? I weigh about 155 and wear the same size as my sister who is shorter and less weight than me...weight really isn't the end all to be all.

  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,659 Member
    Options
    110-115 was my lowest weight in my late 20s early 30s. I also have 31% bodyfat, which gives me the impression that I need to still drop a few pounds. I think around 1200 + exercise calories is maintenance for me because at that point, my weight stabilizes, I don't lose.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    Options
    rosebette wrote: »
    110-115 was my lowest weight in my late 20s early 30s. I also have 31% bodyfat, which gives me the impression that I need to still drop a few pounds. I think around 1200 + exercise calories is maintenance for me because at that point, my weight stabilizes, I don't lose.

    Dropping weight doesn't always mean it's fat...ie your bf% may not go down with 5-10lbs weight loss...as we age we do lose precious muscle (esp as women) if we aren't careful with our intake...I am not saying you are but...the statistics say you are esp with 1k calorie in your diary.

    I noticed tho in your diary you aren't using a food scale (at least your entries don't reflect it) which means you are probably eating more than you think...

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    My first 4 weeks here I didn't use one..I lost 1/2lb a week when the diary said it should have been 1lb...bought a food scale found out I was eating a lot more than I thought, started using it all the time and bam 1lb a week gone easy. I used it while eating at maintenance this past 8 months as well (trying to get Christmas/vacation weight off now) and it helps a lot.
  • cardbucfan
    cardbucfan Posts: 10,396 Member
    Options
    I'm doing PT for a torn rotator cuff and while it hurts like the dickens I can tell you the calorie burn is insignificant. I wear a fitbit and get zero bump for the time at PT and I bet we are doing very similar exercises. Sorry.
  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,659 Member
    edited April 2015
    Options
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    rosebette wrote: »
    110-115 was my lowest weight in my late 20s early 30s. I also have 31% bodyfat, which gives me the impression that I need to still drop a few pounds. I think around 1200 + exercise calories is maintenance for me because at that point, my weight stabilizes, I don't lose.

    Dropping weight doesn't always mean it's fat...ie your bf% may not go down with 5-10lbs weight loss...as we age we do lose precious muscle (esp as women) if we aren't careful with our intake...I am not saying you are but...the statistics say you are esp with 1k calorie in your diary.

    I noticed tho in your diary you aren't using a food scale (at least your entries don't reflect it) which means you are probably eating more than you think...

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    My first 4 weeks here I didn't use one..I lost 1/2lb a week when the diary said it should have been 1lb...bought a food scale found out I was eating a lot more than I thought, started using it all the time and bam 1lb a week gone easy. I used it while eating at maintenance this past 8 months as well (trying to get Christmas/vacation weight off now) and it helps a lot.

    I actually do use a food scale. If you notice my entry for Wednesday, I have many of my foods weighed in ounces. I use measuring cups for yogurt, cereal, cottage cheese, rice, pasta, etc. I've been with MFP for over a year. I started at 126 and got down to around 120, gained back over the holidays, and just got down to 120 again. I haven't been able to break the plateau yet, probably because I like to eat out occasionally (as I did tonight and I didn't behave, I admt). In any case, MFP has never had me set to lose more than 1/2 lb. a week because it's impossible for someone of my size to eat at enough of a deficit to lose more than that.

    No doubt I have lost muscle mass because I'm older; however, I have been doing strength training and yoga to maintain my muscle. My injury has been a major setback in upper body work, unfortunately.

    Anyway, I decided not to count the PT, even if it is exercise. If I'm burning only 88 calories in a 1/2 hour of regular strength training, as other posters have said, the amount I'm burning in PT is probably negligible.

Categories