"Weekend Warrior" - how to add the right number of extra calories?

mgjean

I'm 57, female, currently around 260 pounds, down from 292. I have a full time desk job, although I walk at lunch and make a point to go up and down the office stairs several times a day. I've set my exercise to "sedentary" because, generally, I am and I have no problems with that 1500/day calorie level during the week. Then comes the weekend. We had a wildfire go through our neighborhood a few years ago and, though our house was spared all our landscaping was burned and we're rebuilding. Weekends I spend doing "yardwork."

I'm not talking about puttering in the rose garden, raking a postage-stamp sized lawn, or potting a few petunias. I'm rototilling, moving granite boulders to build new flower beds, crawling on hands and knees pulling major weeds, raking and bagging dozens of contractor-sized bags of debris, weed-whacking a quarter acre of our 1-1/4 acre lot at a time, hoeing, raking, planting, watering a 1200 sq. foot vegetable garden. I don't say all this looking for compliments, but to give an idea of the level of work. Usually 6 - 8 hours a day on the weekends is spent this way. I scared myself this past weekend, as I nearly passed out under the tomato plants! It's obvious that I need to eat more calories on these days, but the MFP calculator comes up with (as it's been noted before) a ridiculous amount of extra calories at this level.

What is the best way to add the RIGHT amount of calories back into my diet on those days so I'm not found facedown outside somewhere? Or, where I don't feel like I'm stuffing a stupid amount of food in my face and screwing up my daily calorie deficit so I continue to lose at the right rate? There must be a balance somewhere!

jemhh

I would start by logging your time as "gardening, general." Eat a portion of those calories. I'd start with 50% and then decide if that was enough or not enough to keep me feeling okay and still losing weight.

slaite1

Most people on here recommend eating back 1/2-3/4 of your exercise calories bc of how overstated they are. I typically use more of a TDEE method, but would still add some extra calories in those days.

If I was in your position I would simply try a couple hundred extra calories on the heavy days and see how I feel/track my progress. Adjust accordingly. A good start could be the suggested 50% of exercise calories . Try it for a few weeks and add or remove calories every few weeks based on progress.

NikolaiImhof

Between 1800-2000 Cal a day should be good to keep you on your feet throughout the day, working as much as you would be doing that. But this also depends on what you would be eating, and also if your drinking enough water.

I would say eat more protein in the morning, but also eat more meals throughout that day. Especially since you are home it will be easier to eat 5/6+ during that day. While staying around the cal mark, I personally would eat most of the cals in the morning and during the noon hour, just to keep up the energy.(would say someone else can explain what it eat better then me)

But for the water, drink extra water the day before. Not too much to where you won't be able to sleep that night, but enough that in the morning you are already more hydrated. Also, drink a decent amount more water during the day of the work. I personally drink about a 12 cups of water a day, or at least try to. Because I have been working more outside lately and have to bike to get anywhere.

mgjean

Thank you all for the suggestions! I did the night-before hydration (welcome because I was working in the sun in 90° heat), added 50% back of my exercise calories, and went protein-heavy at breakfast. I'm pleased to report I got through the weekend's work on my feet, feeling strong, and still had a 2.5 pound loss for the week!

kshama2001

That's awesome!

I do a lot of gardening and log the full actual time if it's work like what you described. If I'm just standing around holding a hose, I may not log any of it. I almost always have calories left at the end of the day from logging exercise, so I'm not eating all of them back.

Yay for the rain! It's been two months since we had a good rain.