Figuring out the correct activity level...

sradliff007

My story is pretty familiar. Was getting good weight loss with restrictive caloric intake and exercise, then the weight loss has stopped.

When I began on MFP, I went through their formulaic process and came to a number of calories to take in to lose 1lb per week. I had selected lightly active, even though I have a desk job, because I am a long distance bike rider. And all was good, until my training increased for my first century ride (eating back some of my exercise calories). Then I plateaued for a couple-three weeks. A week after my century ride (mid-June), I was dealing with my recovery cycle (no riding, or working out) and the plateau broke, and I dumped 10lbs in a week. And I followed MFP's recommendation to drop my intake to 2080, for my new weight.

After that week, I started to gear up for my next competition (a 12 hour Ultra Cycling race), and I had plateaued again. Even put a couple lbs back on. After the that race (I had to scratch at a tick over 100 miles due to a bad mix of electrolyte mix and I got a sodium overload), the scales tipped back up (as expected) and have fluctuated since then (mid-July). Putting me at 5 weeks (give or take) since the last drop in weight. All while trying to sustain a 2080 calorie intake and eating back my exercise. Well, as much as I can on those days I have burned upward 2000 calories on the bike.

Needless to say, frustration (constant scale watching to monitor hydration and sweat rate) had got the best of me and I reached out to a friend to look over my logs. Her recommendation was to eat more and to look into the TDEE - 15% method. However, I don't know what activity level I really should be following.

Calorie Burn Counter:

I use a Power Meter on my bike that tells me how many WATTS of energy I make and how many kJoules it took to generate those WATTS. Considered to be more accurate than a regular HRM method, and far superior to what MFP would come with using the minutes at speed and weight calculations. I trust this over all other method of calculating calories burned. In fact, my Garmin computer updates MFP with this value.

Resting HR was last tested at 48-51bpm

My current training cycle is 6 days of riding, and one day off. This can also be read as: more than I have been doing this year, up to the past couple of weeks.

Wed and Fri can be 90-150 minutes of recovery pace (HR average of 120bpm), each day.

On Tues and Thurs can be 150-180 minutes of mixed level riding.

Sat and Sun can be between 180 and 360 minutes of multi level workouts, each day, depending on what my coach has prescribed. Though if I have a 360 minute day, the next wouldn't be another 360 minute day. At least, not yet.

So, would that put me at a active or very active (according to MFP), or between moderate and strenuous effort (according to other TDEE calculators)? Right now, I chose the active level and the 2590 calories MFP says I should take in. But should it be the highest, for even more calories?

Needless to say, I am trying to improve my performance and lose weight (currently bouncing between 223 and 225lbs. Of course, the more weight I lose, the better the performance will become.

Thanks. And sorry for the diatribe.

heybales

So as you may have noticed reading around - those MFP activity levels have NOTHING to do with exercise, totally about daily life with NO exercise expected.

You were to log your exercise when done, and eat your adjusted goal.

So with that fact - do you have desk job with family that makes you more active in evenings/weekends? Even minus the time you are on the bike?

If so, lightly active on MFP is correct. It is NOT correct in the TDEE calculators that look at only exercise.

I'd suggest since you are burning so much, and it varies so much - the average weekly TDEE method is NOT a good idea for you.
You need the extra calories on the day you burned them, so you can have a good workout the next day.

MFP method is better for you.

So set MFP to Lightly Active if you do have kids, or Sedentary if it's only desk job, bike, and couch at home.
Set weight loss goal to maintain - because you'll manually change it anyway.

No look at how many calories you are given to eat on a day with no adjustments - that's your non-exercise TDEE. That will apply on those days.
Make a note of it.

Now go in to your Goals to set manually - and change eating goal to 15% less than the NE-TDEE from above.
Change protein so the grams hits 0.8 x current weight in lbs, rounding up if needed.
Fat to grams hits 0.3 x current weight in lbs, round up or down.
Carbs gets the rest.
Memorize the protein grams - since that will change as soon as you log workouts.
Done.

Now, when you get your better bike burn estimate, log it, but knock 15% off the total there too.

Eating goal just went up - meet your goal daily.

There, just took a 15% deficit off your total daily burn, with more accurate exercise burn.

Are you already getting in a good carb/protein snack/drink within 30 min post ride with ratio 4:1?
Since you are doing another hard ride tomorrow, you'll improve your muscle glucose uptake if you do.
You can skip that on day before rest day.
Another study showed increased performance the next day having protein shake 30 min before bed - gave the body something to repair with.

Also, you've likely heard how useful intervals are and why. Well, outdoor riding is almost that automatically at least, uphill, downhill, stop at light, take off, headwind, tailwind, ect.
Is your weekly routine structured that way?

It appears to be if reading that right. Good for coach!

There was a study on why recreational bikers have such slow progress compared to other sports in improvements or pro-coached riders, especially when done daily.
They found it was because precisely it was done almost daily, and with mostly group rides, where they went as hard as they could each day. Putting the hammer down.

A good workout tears the body down.
But it's the rest for recovery and repair that actually allows building it back up stronger and better, to actually benefit from the workout.

And as hard as you can each day in a group ride ain't going to allow that to happen. So just encouragement to allow hard group rides to truly be hard by having recovery level rides the between days as it appears you are scheduled.

Curious what PM you got, I've been waiting on a couple models that glue to pedals, but both delayed. Sounds like Garmin Vector since you said that updates MFP.
You can correct that auto-update after the fact with the 15% less.

sradliff007

But following the MFP model is what got me to this level (stalled out). Burning 700-2500 calories per day (recovery sessions to a fast century), then trying to eat them all back (many days without success because it is too much to try to eat cleanly), and still staying at the same weight, or even gaining.

I was looking to set my daily allowance based on a weekly TDEE, without eating anything back. Only using MFP as a logging tool to account for EATEN calories. Or as the woman to looked at my logs says "You have to eat like an athlete, not a dieter. You are taking in way to few calories each day."

To be honest, the whole grams of protein, carbs and fats as it equates to real food is black magic to me. And I just give up on sodium intake monitoring since I have to replenish, on the bike. Since I am the one also doing the cooking, I just adjust my portions for the calories I need. Making sure to get as much vegi/fruit as I can.

I am trying to resist the urge to cut the calories again (sub 1800), because I know that it chews up my muscles, starting with my heart.

I have a full rest day (off of the bike) on Mondays. Wed and Friday are all at 50-60% FTP, right into the recovery zone.

I don't get much group riding in these days, for a couple of reasons. 1) I crossed wheels with someone last season and ended up tearing my rotator cuff, fracturing the scapula and dislocating my collar bone. So, I am now on a recumbent. (gotta say I do enjoy it.) and 2) I am doing Ultra training, following a prescribed interval session and it doesn't mix well in a group setting.

Sounds like you are waiting on the Brim Brothers Speedplay power meters. Word is that they will not be in anyone's hands until next year. I am running a 2013 PowerTap G3 paired with a Garmin 510. Relatively cheap on Ebay.

heybales

Was it following the MFP method with a reasonable deficit - or how much did you take?
Sounds like you may have to redefine "cleanly" also when that many calories are needed.
You've set restrictions on your eating that may or may not be needed - but obviously it's not beneficial for your goals so far.

Because both methods with the same deficit are going to end up being the same, viewed as weekly totals.

If the eating the same number daily seems easier for you, then merely add it up, let one week, or rolling average - be the guide for the next week coming up.

You didn't comment on your daily life outside of work/exercise.
So if 45 hr commute/deskjob, no kids - sedentary.
Deskjob with kids - Lightly Active.
Set MFP to maintain.
See what your daily goal with no adjustments or exercise added. That's your non-exercise TDEE.

Make Monday the start of your week, Sunday night add up the prior week workout calories in total / 7 days.
Perhaps take 2 weeks exercise calories / 14 days might be better.
Add that to non-exercise TDEE.

There is your average TDEE.

Take 15% off.

Make that your daily eating goal for coming week.

Make Tue morning your valid weigh-in day to adjust weight.
Since you make goal manual - you will have to go in to your Settings to adjust weight, so you can see the new non-exercise TDEE based on new weight.

So eating to single number, some days you will have a big deficit, some days (rest day) you will be eating over your literal TDEE for that day.
It'll average out.
Watch the workouts for effect of those big deficit days. I still don't think it'll work as good, from experience.

The suggestion of the protein is to help keep that muscle mass as best you can with deficit. Sodium really doesn't matter unless you have high-blood pressure issues.
So you might need to get more knowledge so it's not black magic to you. Doesn't need to be, you are logging anyway, hopefully by weight for accuracy, what you eat.
May be as simple as figuring out a few places to add some protein.
Shoot, 30 min post-ride recovery drink of 2% milk and enough chocolate syrup to make the carb:prot ration 4:1 adds some protein.

The speedplay PM wouldn't work for me - they don't allow any of the extras and I have lift on one side, and the speedplay optional plates to allow going farther back.
It was Wabeem or such, glue it to crank arm, then static weight test with spring to calibrate. I'll have to look on eBay, my fear was something more delicate like that could be ruined by tinkering with it - something like what I'd do.