Fueling strength training at 1200 calories
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airbent
Posts: 150 Member
I know that it's difficult to estimate calories burned in strength training/that it might be counterproductive to attempt to log it at all. But I'm worried that at 1200 cal/day if I don't log my stronglifts workouts somehow, I won't be fueling them properly or eating enough to recover. Recently I've been just using my HRM and then recording half of whatever it says I burned, but I know this probably isn't good either.
Anyone else eating 1200 calories have experience with this? Do you feel that's enough to strength train? I've been thinking of setting my calories to TDEE and not logging any exercise, but changing my routine makes me a little nervous.
Anyone else eating 1200 calories have experience with this? Do you feel that's enough to strength train? I've been thinking of setting my calories to TDEE and not logging any exercise, but changing my routine makes me a little nervous.
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Replies
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The thought of eating 1200 calories while strength training makes me want to poke my finger through my eyeball and swirl it around in my brain. I tend to think that using TDEE (less a certain percentage) is easiest once you start lifting weights. Alternatively, you can log the exercise calories by using the strength training entry in the exercise section.0
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First, HRM and weight training flat out doesn't work. Don't do that.
Second, proper training requires proper fueling, which is the opposite of having the biggest allowable deficit.
You only get to pick one. If you want to train hard, eat at a smaller deficit. If you want to lose fast, drop training to a relatively low level.
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You probably don't need to be eating so little. What are your stats?0
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TavistockToad wrote: »You probably don't need to be eating so little. What are your stats?
I'm 5'4" with about 50 lb to lose. In the 40 days that I've been logging again I've lost about a pound a week. I've definitely been thinking that I should be eating more, but the first 30lb that I lost was done at 1200 so I'm nervous. Probably just need to bite the bullet and change my goal.
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First and last thing...
Get off of 1200 calories.0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »You probably don't need to be eating so little. What are your stats?
I'm 5'4" with about 50 lb to lose. In the 40 days that I've been logging again I've lost about a pound a week. I've definitely been thinking that I should be eating more, but the first 30lb that I lost was done at 1200 so I'm nervous. Probably just need to bite the bullet and change my goal.
Do you weigh everything with scales? Are you very sedentary outside of your workouts?0 -
First, HRM and weight training flat out doesn't work. Don't do that.
Second, proper training requires proper fueling, which is the opposite of having the biggest allowable deficit.
You only get to pick one. If you want to train hard, eat at a smaller deficit. If you want to lose fast, drop training to a relatively low level.
May I ask why you think HRM and weight training doesn't work? If your heart rate is up, you are burning calories. So why would this not be the same for weight training?
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TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »You probably don't need to be eating so little. What are your stats?
I'm 5'4" with about 50 lb to lose. In the 40 days that I've been logging again I've lost about a pound a week. I've definitely been thinking that I should be eating more, but the first 30lb that I lost was done at 1200 so I'm nervous. Probably just need to bite the bullet and change my goal.
Do you weigh everything with scales? Are you very sedentary outside of your workouts?
I weigh almost everything solid, the only thing I fall short on is things that are individually packaged when I buy them like yogurts, granola bars, stuff like that. I weigh the ingredients into my recipes as well. M-F I work in a lab, which isn't super active but involves occasional walking across campus and going up and down 2 flights of stairs several times, and on the weekends I wait tables for the breakfast shift at a restaurant, so I don't think I'm very sedentary overall.0 -
1200 calories is too little, you won't recover as well. Been there done that, burnt out. I'm 5'5" and I eat 1550 on rest days (3 days) and 1800 on strength days (4 days) and lose a pound a week, I just dropped my cals after a few weeks recommended by my coach to 1450 and 1700, so we'll see where that goes now. My protein is close to 1g per lb and I try to cycle carbs (higher on workout days, lower on rest days). This is the best "diet" I have ever been on. Consistent weight loss and no feelings of hunger. Also, I have a desk job.0
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First, HRM and weight training flat out doesn't work. Don't do that.
Second, proper training requires proper fueling, which is the opposite of having the biggest allowable deficit.
You only get to pick one. If you want to train hard, eat at a smaller deficit. If you want to lose fast, drop training to a relatively low level.
May I ask why you think HRM and weight training doesn't work? If your heart rate is up, you are burning calories. So why would this not be the same for weight training?
No. You heart rate goes up when you are scared, or nervous too but that doesn't mean being scared burns calories. When you are doing aerobic activity you can relate the calories burned to your heart rate with a mathematical equation. However this equation doesn't work with weight lifting, or if you are doing aerobic activity bu are on medication that raises (asthma inhalers, caffeine) or lowers (high blood pressure medicine) heart rate.0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »You probably don't need to be eating so little. What are your stats?
I'm 5'4" with about 50 lb to lose. In the 40 days that I've been logging again I've lost about a pound a week. I've definitely been thinking that I should be eating more, but the first 30lb that I lost was done at 1200 so I'm nervous. Probably just need to bite the bullet and change my goal.
Do you weigh everything with scales? Are you very sedentary outside of your workouts?
I weigh almost everything solid, the only thing I fall short on is things that are individually packaged when I buy them like yogurts, granola bars, stuff like that. I weigh the ingredients into my recipes as well. M-F I work in a lab, which isn't super active but involves occasional walking across campus and going up and down 2 flights of stairs several times, and on the weekends I wait tables for the breakfast shift at a restaurant, so I don't think I'm very sedentary overall.
I'm surprised you're not losing more weight if you're only on 1200 cals. Are you eating back all your exercise cals from your HRM?0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »You probably don't need to be eating so little. What are your stats?
I'm 5'4" with about 50 lb to lose. In the 40 days that I've been logging again I've lost about a pound a week. I've definitely been thinking that I should be eating more, but the first 30lb that I lost was done at 1200 so I'm nervous. Probably just need to bite the bullet and change my goal.
You can definitely eat a bit more but I get your hesitation. I'm the same height and my BMR isn't very high. One thing to keep in mind is that your goal isn't really about losing pounds quickly, right? If you're lifting, you understand to at least some small extent that simply shedding pounds isn't the ultimate answer; we want to retain muscle and lose fat. This takes more time than simply losing weight by eating the smallest amount of calories possible but the end result is definitely worth it.0 -
tephanies1234 wrote: »1200 calories is too little, you won't recover as well. Been there done that, burnt out. I'm 5'5" and I eat 1550 on rest days (3 days) and 1800 on strength days (4 days) and lose a pound a week, I just dropped my cals after a few weeks recommended by my coach to 1450 and 1700, so we'll see where that goes now. My protein is close to 1g per lb and I try to cycle carbs (higher on workout days, lower on rest days). This is the best "diet" I have ever been on. Consistent weight loss and no feelings of hunger. Also, I have a desk job.
Thanks for commenting! This looks like the type of routine I want to have. I think part of the reason I quit for a while was because 1200 wasn't sustainable for me and I don't want to sabotage myself this time.0 -
tephanies1234 wrote: »1200 calories is too little, you won't recover as well. Been there done that, burnt out. I'm 5'5" and I eat 1550 on rest days (3 days) and 1800 on strength days (4 days) and lose a pound a week, I just dropped my cals after a few weeks recommended by my coach to 1450 and 1700, so we'll see where that goes now. My protein is close to 1g per lb and I try to cycle carbs (higher on workout days, lower on rest days). This is the best "diet" I have ever been on. Consistent weight loss and no feelings of hunger. Also, I have a desk job.
Thanks for commenting! This looks like the type of routine I want to have. I think part of the reason I quit for a while was because 1200 wasn't sustainable for me and I don't want to sabotage myself this time.
But you don't not lose weight because you're eating too little....0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »You probably don't need to be eating so little. What are your stats?
I'm 5'4" with about 50 lb to lose. In the 40 days that I've been logging again I've lost about a pound a week. I've definitely been thinking that I should be eating more, but the first 30lb that I lost was done at 1200 so I'm nervous. Probably just need to bite the bullet and change my goal.
Do you weigh everything with scales? Are you very sedentary outside of your workouts?
I weigh almost everything solid, the only thing I fall short on is things that are individually packaged when I buy them like yogurts, granola bars, stuff like that. I weigh the ingredients into my recipes as well. M-F I work in a lab, which isn't super active but involves occasional walking across campus and going up and down 2 flights of stairs several times, and on the weekends I wait tables for the breakfast shift at a restaurant, so I don't think I'm very sedentary overall.
I'm surprised you're not losing more weight if you're only on 1200 cals. Are you eating back all your exercise cals from your HRM?
I'm kind of surprised too
Before when I was losing, it was at a really steady clip, 2lb a week on average, and at the time I wasn't even weighing my food! I was heavier then so maybe I had a drastically higher BMR because of that, or maybe my metabolism slowed in the year since I stopped tracking. I also wondered if some noob gainz or water retention are offsettiing things temporarily because I've only been lifting heavy for 2 weeks.
I'm sort of over my disappointment about this though--as long as I'm trending downward I'll be okay. I AM scared that raising my calories will ruin this trend, but mathematically it just doesn't make sense that it would. I guess the only way to know is to try it.0 -
First, HRM and weight training flat out doesn't work. Don't do that.
Second, proper training requires proper fueling, which is the opposite of having the biggest allowable deficit.
You only get to pick one. If you want to train hard, eat at a smaller deficit. If you want to lose fast, drop training to a relatively low level.
May I ask why you think HRM and weight training doesn't work? If your heart rate is up, you are burning calories. So why would this not be the same for weight training?
HRMs use an equation that accounts for heart rate as a determining factor of oxygen usage during aerobic activity. This oxygen use is what determines calories burned. During anaerobic exercise like lifting oxygen is not used the same way so using heart rate as a measure would be highly inaccurate.
They're designed for steady state cardio only.0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »tephanies1234 wrote: »1200 calories is too little, you won't recover as well. Been there done that, burnt out. I'm 5'5" and I eat 1550 on rest days (3 days) and 1800 on strength days (4 days) and lose a pound a week, I just dropped my cals after a few weeks recommended by my coach to 1450 and 1700, so we'll see where that goes now. My protein is close to 1g per lb and I try to cycle carbs (higher on workout days, lower on rest days). This is the best "diet" I have ever been on. Consistent weight loss and no feelings of hunger. Also, I have a desk job.
Thanks for commenting! This looks like the type of routine I want to have. I think part of the reason I quit for a while was because 1200 wasn't sustainable for me and I don't want to sabotage myself this time.
But you don't not lose weight because you're eating too little....
No I know, but I can't lose if I don't stick with it either, and ultimately, for whatever reason I didn't stick with it the first time even though I was losing.
I've spent a lot of time being mad at myself for this and I guess this time I'm trying to think of ways to do it better. 0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »tephanies1234 wrote: »1200 calories is too little, you won't recover as well. Been there done that, burnt out. I'm 5'5" and I eat 1550 on rest days (3 days) and 1800 on strength days (4 days) and lose a pound a week, I just dropped my cals after a few weeks recommended by my coach to 1450 and 1700, so we'll see where that goes now. My protein is close to 1g per lb and I try to cycle carbs (higher on workout days, lower on rest days). This is the best "diet" I have ever been on. Consistent weight loss and no feelings of hunger. Also, I have a desk job.
Thanks for commenting! This looks like the type of routine I want to have. I think part of the reason I quit for a while was because 1200 wasn't sustainable for me and I don't want to sabotage myself this time.
But you don't not lose weight because you're eating too little....
No I know, but I can't lose if I don't stick with it either, and ultimately, for whatever reason I didn't stick with it the first time even though I was losing. I've spent a lot of time being mad at myself for this and I guess this time I'm trying to think of ways to do it better.
We all go through cycles of being dedicated to losing or maintaining our weight and not being. Don't be too hard on yourself. If it were easy to maintain a healthy weight no one would be obese. It sounds to me like this time around you're focused on doing things the right way.
By the way, weight lifting will definitely cause your muscles to retain some water for repair. After a tough session my rings and shoes are usually a bit tight.0 -
Thanks for asking this airbent.... I am in a similar situation.. but I haven't tried weight lifting yet, due to still having belly fat to lose. I am seriously looking at recomp, which takes a long time on the weight loss area... (if I am understanding correctly).
currently, f, 5'4",125,50yrs, lost 25lbs.
Have you decided what to do?0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »You probably don't need to be eating so little. What are your stats?
I'm 5'4" with about 50 lb to lose. In the 40 days that I've been logging again I've lost about a pound a week. I've definitely been thinking that I should be eating more, but the first 30lb that I lost was done at 1200 so I'm nervous. Probably just need to bite the bullet and change my goal.
Do you weigh everything with scales? Are you very sedentary outside of your workouts?
I weigh almost everything solid, the only thing I fall short on is things that are individually packaged when I buy them like yogurts, granola bars, stuff like that. I weigh the ingredients into my recipes as well. M-F I work in a lab, which isn't super active but involves occasional walking across campus and going up and down 2 flights of stairs several times, and on the weekends I wait tables for the breakfast shift at a restaurant, so I don't think I'm very sedentary overall.
This is pretty much as sedentary as it gets for the average person, sorry. Sedentary does not mean in bed all day.
And you are not eating 1200 calories, you are eating about 1600 on average based on your past entries. Which is perfectly fine since you are losing at a steady pace, but definitely you do not need to eat more. Personally, for your lifestyle and workouts, I would get rid of the HRM, figure out what is the average these last weeks, 1500, 1600, 1700? and aim for this, not adding back exercise. As you lose, or if exercise increases, adjust as needed, lower or higher.0
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