Too high tdee? Advice?

AlwaysWanderer

I've just calculated my tdee using this website
http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced

It's 3519cals!!! I'm 5'1" and 135lbs.
I do insanity, run 60mins most days, walk for an hour every day, and I'm a stay at home mum of a 7mo.
Also, I'm still breadtfeeding, so that's additional 300 cals.
Total 3819 cals.
I'm eating about 1500 at the moment, losing around 2lbs per week.
Is it even possible to have such a high tdee?

GuybrushThreepw00d

You're eating 1500 NET calories? That sounds fine. If you're only eating 1500 and doing all that exercise, then somethings wrong.

I prefer a simpler calculator.
http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

I i ran for an hour a day then that would be an extra 900 calories that i'd have to eat, taking my TDEE up to 3300 calories, add in the walking, etc... Then 3819 is easily correct.

madrose0715

yes, that TDEE sounds right...between breastfeeding and your workout regime, that makes sense. (My TDEE is approx. 3000-3300 and I have a super active/physical job plus I workout for 80-120 minutes per week divided equally between strength and cardio. In the last 5 weeks, my average intake has ranged between 2400-2500 calories per day and have lost just over 1 lb/week)

ETA: agrees with poster above that 1500 is hopefully your NET calories and not your total daily calorie intake.

AlwaysWanderer

I don't log any exercise, so these are my total calories. Maybe I should start eating a bit more...
But will I still lose 2lbs a week if I eat more?

chandanista

You are feeding a baby on your own calories? You must eat more. Eat back your exercise calories and you should be fine.

If you don't lose 2 pounds a week it's fine; with your calories too low, a good portion of the 2 pounds probably isn't even fat. You want to lose fat, not muscle; not hair; not have your body attack your own organs and dry up the milk supply.

Matt_Wild

I don't log any exercise, so these are my total calories. Maybe I should start eating a bit more...
But will I still lose 2lbs a week if I eat more?

Are you losing just fat or lean body mass?

If you are losing just fat, where is the problem?

If you are losing lean body mass, try upping your calories a couple of hundred a week until you stop losing fat and then drop it by 100-200. There you have your tipping point.... where you lose the fat you want without losing lean body mass.

Remember WEIGHT doesn't matter, it is body composition.

AlwaysWanderer

I don't log any exercise, so these are my total calories. Maybe I should start eating a bit more...
But will I still lose 2lbs a week if I eat more?

Are you losing just fat or lean body mass?

If you are losing just fat, where is the problem?

If you are losing lean body mass, try upping your calories a couple of hundred a week until you stop losing fat and then drop it by 100-200. There you have your tipping point.... where you lose the fat you want without losing lean body mass.

Remember WEIGHT doesn't matter, it is body composition.

How do I now if I'm losing fat it lean body mass?
My measurements are going down, and bf% on my scales is going down, but I'm not sure how accurate this is. Is there a way to tell?

Matt_Wild

Body fat calipers are the best you can use at home - bioimpedance scales can be effected by water levels, if you've just exercised etc etc.

If in general everything is going down well excluding lean body mass, you are fine. A good way of measuring whether you are losing muscle is crashing in strength compared to your normal lifting, if you do any or massive drop in power when doing cardio, altho that can be linked to energy levels of course.

luckynky

You should calculate your BMI, using measurements. There are lots of calculators you could use-- I'm not sure if there is a preferred reliable one (I see one on the CDC website that should be accurate). 2 lbs/week loss for breastfeeding mama sounds like a lot to me. If you want to continue breastfeeding in the future, I'd watch your milk supply closely.

AlwaysWanderer

Body fat calipers are the best you can use at home - bioimpedance scales can be effected by water levels, if you've just exercised etc etc.

If in general everything is going down well excluding lean body mass, you are fine. A good way of measuring whether you are losing muscle is crashing in strength compared to your normal lifting, if you do any or massive drop in power when doing cardio, altho that can be linked to energy levels of course.

Thanks, I'll keep an eye on my strength levels. My fitness level has improved dramatically since starting insanity 2 weeks ago, so hopefully that's a good sign.

Matt_Wild

There is no exact science i'm afraid beyond hydrostatic measurements to see what is going (e.g. fat or muscle) - which trust me, cost.... a lot LOL

WendyTerry420

I've just calculated my tdee using this website
http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced

It's 3519cals!!! I'm 5'1" and 135lbs.
I do insanity, run 60mins most days, walk for an hour every day, and I'm a stay at home mum of a 7mo.
Also, I'm still breadtfeeding, so that's additional 300 cals.
Total 3819 cals.
I'm eating about 1500 at the moment, losing around 2lbs per week.
Is it even possible to have such a high tdee?

YES! It's possibly. I burn about 2500 and am mostly sedentary. You run 60 minutes a day? You're gonna need fuel for that!

MinnieInMaine

I would try to eat a bit more if I was you, especially to support the breastfeeding and muscle retention. Fill your day with more calorie dense foods like eggs, nuts, seeds, meats, avocado, nut butters, healthy oils, full fat dairy, even dark chocolate. You can google for more ideas.

contingencyplan

You're already within the healthy weight range for your height. That means the kind of calorie deficit needed to see 2 lb per week weight loss is a horrible idea. Furthermore, you are breastfeeding. That makes it an even worse idea.

The kind of calorie deficit needed to see a 2 lb per week weight loss should only be attempted by overweight/obese individuals, which you are not. And because you're breastfeeding, you should not be eating at a deficit at all. Is it really too much to ask to focus on your baby first right now?

Whether you want to admit it or not you made a choice to put your rather extreme fitness goals on hold in breastfeeding the baby. You're already fit, healthy, and within a healthy weight range. To ask for anything more during a time when you're supposed to be putting the baby first, especially when it could come at a cost to the baby's nutrition, is selfish.

AlwaysWanderer

You're already within the healthy weight range for your height. That means the kind of calorie deficit needed to see 2 lb per week weight loss is a horrible idea. Furthermore, you are breastfeeding. That makes it an even worse idea.

The kind of calorie deficit needed to see a 2 lb per week weight loss should only be attempted by overweight/obese individuals, which you are not. And because you're breastfeeding, you should not be eating at a deficit at all. Is it really too much to ask to focus on your baby first right now?

Whether you want to admit it or not you made a choice to put your rather extreme fitness goals on hold in breastfeeding the baby. You're already fit, healthy, and within a healthy weight range. To ask for anything more during a time when you're supposed to be putting the baby first, especially when it could come at a cost to the baby's nutrition, is selfish.

For you to say that I'm not putting my baby first its so damn cheeky :explode:
I exercise when my baby is asleep, still breastfeed when none of my friends do, and everyone tells me to stop, weigh my baby regularly to make sure she's ok, and keep a close eye on my milk supply.
If you had an idea what you're talking about, you'd know that mothers diet doesn't influence milks nutritional content.
And btw, I'm not fit and healthy, I'm trying to get there. This is why I posted this.
Why am I even explaining myself to an idiot like you...

contingencyplan

You're already within the healthy weight range for your height. That means the kind of calorie deficit needed to see 2 lb per week weight loss is a horrible idea. Furthermore, you are breastfeeding. That makes it an even worse idea.

The kind of calorie deficit needed to see a 2 lb per week weight loss should only be attempted by overweight/obese individuals, which you are not. And because you're breastfeeding, you should not be eating at a deficit at all. Is it really too much to ask to focus on your baby first right now?

Whether you want to admit it or not you made a choice to put your rather extreme fitness goals on hold in breastfeeding the baby. You're already fit, healthy, and within a healthy weight range. To ask for anything more during a time when you're supposed to be putting the baby first, especially when it could come at a cost to the baby's nutrition, is selfish.

For you to say that I'm not putting my baby first its so damn cheeky :explode:
I exercise when my baby is asleep, still breastfeed when none of my friends do, and everyone tells me to stop, weigh my baby regularly to make sure she's ok, and keep a close eye on my milk supply.
If you had an idea what you're talking about, you'd know that mothers diet doesn't influence milks nutritional content.
And btw, I'm not fit and healthy, I'm trying to get there. This is why I posted this.
Why am I even explaining myself to an idiot like you...

If you are physically capable of completing Insanity workouts AND adding in an hour run a day, you are fit and healthy. I don't know what your measure of fit and healthy is, but that is a very high level of endurance, putting you at or near athlete level. You may not be at your goal as far as body fat % is concerned, but you are fit. The two do not mean the same thing. That being said, to assume that your milk production and your diet are not linked is just... wow. We're talking basic common sense here. The kind of stuff they teach nursing mothers. And if you're not even eating enough to support your own activity level, you definitely aren't eating enough to support proper nutrition for the baby as well. I'm not saying you can't or shouldn't exercise while breastfeeding. But I am saying that you are not significantly overweight enough to be able to safely maintain the kind of deficit needed to see a 2 lb per week loss. This is further compounded by breastfeeding.

Matt_Wild

Wow, you can surmise that from this post? Surely if she had any worries about milk production and child care she would stop?

She didn't ask for your opinion on baby rearing, she asked for diet/training specific help.

If she is in good health, has no issues and same for the baby, there is no need for this unrequited and insistent advice.

GuybrushThreepw00d

She didn't ask for your opinion on baby rearing, she asked for diet/training specific help.

^^^^ this!!

AlwaysWanderer

Wow, you can surmise that from this post? Surely if she had any worries about milk production and child care she would stop?

She didn't ask for your opinion on baby rearing, she asked for diet/training specific help.

If she is in good health, has no issues and same for the baby, there is no need for this unrequited and insistent advice.

Thank you x1000!!!
And there is no link between nutritional content of milk not milk production. If there was, non of the mothers in third world countries would be able to breastfeed. Now sod off.

moment_to_arise

http://www.livestrong.com/article/541315-what-is-a-safe-calorie-deficit-while-breastfeeding/

".... Most nursing mothers know that good nutrition is essential during breastfeeding..."

that is all. also, how about instead of blowing up at someone who offered advice and calling them an idiot when you know nothing about them, either ignore it (if you don't agree) or thank them and kindly point out that their advice wasn't the answer you were looking for. it is entirely unnecessary to react that way to someone and call them an idiot, even if their advice wasn't asked for... (even though you posted a question in a forum looking for advice...)

BostonStrong617

I am going to respond to OP in a moment but first I want to ask why others are acting like pointing out concerns about the health of her baby is overstepping... are we simply supposed to IGNORE the fact that she is a Mother whose health/nutrition is very important for the health/nutrition of her child? She chose to include that she is breast feeding, and that is an EXTREMELY important detail because breast feeding Mother's are told to follow certain diets in order to keep themselves and their babies healthy. If someone who was diabetic was posting we wouldn't ignore that when giving responses because it is an important detail that effects her health/diet...it's not like he was jumping on her for being a bad mother...I think his point was brutally honest and perhaps a bit harsh but not completely unwarranted. No she didn't ask for opinions about breast feeding but what she is doing to her body (basically starving herself) will negatively effect her child. And if an assumption was made that weight loss is more important than providing nutrition for your child, you might assume the person is selfish. I see his line of thinking even if the jump as a bit extreme It might be harsh but I don't think the intention was to be rude.
OP, do you have a history of an eating disorder? This type of behavior is rather extreme and indicates a potential psychological problem. I read your profile and it said you do a lot of yo-yo dieting. I am a yo-yo dieter as well with a history of an eating disorder. However, I can tell you that the reason many people yo-yo diet, myself included, is we tend to be too extreme with out diets. At the most basic level, we overexercise and under eat. It is impossible to maintain such an extreme diet without getting sick or worse. Chances are before you reach this point however you will gain back some or all of the weight you lost. The faster you lose weight, the more likely you are to gain it back. This is especially true when you are already at a healthy weight.
Your goal weight need to be healthy for your age/height etc, you cannot safely maintain an unhealthy weight. Not to mention if you goal is too low you will lose muscle/organ tissue to reach that weight.
You need to have a goal that is healthy. My guess is 110 pounds is too low for you. How tall are you? I think you should speak to your doctor or a nutritionist/dietitian. She what THEY recommend since they are more qualified to give advice. See what they suggest you set your weight goal at and the best way to reach it. I am sure they will also tell you the importance of getting proper nutrition while breast feeding. Considering there are warnings on medications/drinks etc warning breast feeding mothers I find it impossible that your health and diet doesn't effect your baby while breast feeding. However, I am not going to pretend to know this for a fact because I don't really, I am just assuming. But a medical professional would be able to tell you that for sure..since your health and you babies health are important I would make an appt to speak with someone about this issue.
Your exercise schedule is extreme and you're risking injury ESPECIALLY if you're not eating enough, and as a new Mom you probably don't get as much sleep as you would like so that might make you more susceptible to sickens as well. Breast feeding burns 300-500 calories a day from what I understand, therefore Mothers are required to eat more while breast feeding. 1500 calories MIGHT be enough for someone who is doing NO exercise but even THAT is likely to be too low for a Mom who is breast feeding.
Your exercise schedule/training for a half marathon requires you eat more, particular carbs for energy. Your running training will be negatively effected if are not providing your body with proper nutrition. Your profile says you want to run a half marathon however if you are starving your body this goal will not be able to be accomplished. Runners require more calories than most because it is very easy to under-eat while running so frequently.
You need to start logging your exercise calories to get a better idea of what your true net intake is. If your net intake is below 1500 then you ARE starving your body. From your post it sounds like you're probably netting close to ZERO calories a day which would pretty much be equivalent to a sedentary person not eating at all.
Speak to a doctor, see what they suggest for breast feeding Mom's/runner it is vital to your healthy/your babies that you get enough nutrition. Also in order to actually keep the weight off and not lose muscle that is vital for your goal, you need to lose weight slowly. Anything more than half a pound a week is too much for someone already at a healthy weight.
I know it's tempting to resort to this kind of weight loss especially when you're seeing the number go down on the scale however is detrimental to your healthy and your metabolism as well. Underrating is not the way to get in shape or reach a weight which you can maintain