How to know for sure: strength training

aganey

First, I want to make sure I'm understanding correctly. In order to lose fat, you have to burn more calories than you take in (so I read and hear). This may seem like a stupid question to most but I'm going to ask anyway to better my own understanding. My fitness pal set my calories at 1300 based on my current weight and goal. Does this mean that if I eat 1300 calories then I will need to burn at least 1300 calories that same day to lose weight?

Second, if I'm doing a lot of strength training as well, how do I know for sure how many calories I'm burning? I sweat quite a bit when pushing weights so I know I'm burning calories, but when I log the exercises it doesn't show calories burned. So how do I know for sure?

Strength training is new to me. I was tired of doing just cardio without getting the results I wanted. So I'm trying to better understand how all this works.

Thanks in advance for your help!

zoeysasha37

If mfp gives you 1300 cals, it means you should eat 1300 cals. Your body burns calories just from being alive. There's some people here who don't work out at all and these people still lose weight . weight loss comes from a calorie deficit ( eat less then you burn ) your body burns calories even if you where just sitting around all day. Mfp calorie goal already has your deficit built in . so you could do no exercise at all and still lose weight eating that calorie goal. ( I hope I answered your question, if I did not please say so I can try to reword it or I can tag someone else that may be able to explain it better )

As far as strength training calories burnt, I can't help you. I never logged them here because I follow a written program. It doesn't burn a ton of calories but is soo very important. I'm glad you decided to take up some strength training instead of tons of cardio. You'll thank yourself later !

malibu927

MFP sets you up to lose weight without exercise, as you burn well over 1300 calories just living your life. That's why it's expected that you eat some of your exercise calories back, to keep your deficit consistent.

If you want to get an estimation of calories burned lifting, you have to log strength training under cardio. However, many people don't because it's difficult to get an accurate estimation. It doesn't know the weight you lifted, reps, sets, rest time, etc. Sweat doesn't necessarily equate to calories burned.

Dgydad

Go "instinctive". Stay with the 1300 cal/day target for at least 2 to 4 weeks, keeping your desired training regimen as well. See what happens in terms of your overall mood, weight, and measurements. I think that last criterion is critical in strength training. If you are adding lean muscle mass, you may well not see a dramatic decrease in your weight. You should see a detectable change in your shape profile, though. Since we are all uniqie creatures, you have to find your own particular best practices.....................

CodyQuinlan

I would try to hit at least 2000 calories a day of you are doing strength training and you're day is semi active, reason being you'll want to minimize muscle mass loss when cutting weight because going to 1300 is drastic your body will shed muscle and fat when dropping weight. I say do 2000 and see if you get a change look for about 1-2lbs a week

cwolfman13

aganey wrote: »

First, I want to make sure I'm understanding correctly. In order to lose fat, you have to burn more calories than you take in (so I read and hear). This may seem like a stupid question to most but I'm going to ask anyway to better my own understanding. My fitness pal set my calories at 1300 based on my current weight and goal. Does this mean that if I eat 1300 calories then I will need to burn at least 1300 calories that same day to lose weight?

Second, if I'm doing a lot of strength training as well, how do I know for sure how many calories I'm burning? I sweat quite a bit when pushing weights so I know I'm burning calories, but when I log the exercises it doesn't show calories burned. So how do I know for sure?

Strength training is new to me. I was tired of doing just cardio without getting the results I wanted. So I'm trying to better understand how all this works.

Thanks in advance for your help!

No...not with deliberate exercise anyway. First off, your target is based on your stated goals...your target is for weight loss...meaning you eat that and you lose weight. You have to understand that you "burn" calories 24/7. Most of your "burn" is you merely existing...like I "burn" 1800 - 1900 calories merely by existing...I would "burn" that if I did nothing but sleep for 24 hours.

MFP's targets assume no exercise...when you set your activity level, it doesn't include exercise...so if you ate to your target and did no exercise, you'd lose weight. Exercise is additional and unaccounted for activity which is why MFP gives you additional calories to eat when you do it. You're not trying to create your energy deficiency with exercise with MFP...your deficit is built into your calorie target.

malibu927

CodyQuinlan wrote: »

I would try to hit at least 2000 calories a day of you are doing strength training and you're day is semi active, reason being you'll want to minimize muscle mass loss when cutting weight because going to 1300 is drastic your body will shed muscle and fat when dropping weight. I say do 2000 and see if you get a change look for about 1-2lbs a week

We don't know how much she has to lose, so that could put her above her TDEE

Ws2016

I Googled that very question yesterday. Here's one view:

According to this exercise list from Harvard Medical School, a general 30-minute strength training session burns an average of 90 calories (180 calories per hour) for a 125-pound person, 112 calories (224 calories per hour) for a 155-pound person and 133 calories (266 calories per hour) for a 185-pound person.

aganey

This is all very interesting advise. Thank you to everyone that has responded. I understand now about the calorie setting and how exercising comes in to play. I never knew if the calorie setting included how much you planned to exercise or not. That's why I was wanting to figure out how much pushing weights burned. I realize it's not really necessary to know as long as I stay within my calories.

Just a little background: I eat very healthy (lots of lean meats, fresh veggies, healthy fats and carbs). I have an 8 month old baby and I had gestational diabetes while pregnant with her. So I had to make myself eat right and educated myself to no end in nutrition. I've stayed with the diet, but I've just hit a plateau. I work in the accounting department at a credit union, so I'm sitting all day. I know this is part of why. I lost 37 pounds so far and currently weigh 32 pounds less than before I was pregnant. My body is just not getting toned in any kind of way. I've been working out most days for the past two months with no changes in body image or weight doing only cardio. I just started strength training and am so excited for when I start seeing results. I already feel better about my choice to strength train because I feel stronger when I leave the gym instead of exhausted. I'm only about 25-30 pounds away from my "goal weight". I say it like that because honestly I know the image I have in my mind for my body outweighs the number on the scale for me. I'm just shooting to be in a healthy bmi range (about 2 points away) and be strong, fit and lean.

aganey

Also, what is TDEE? I keep seeing it but can't figure it out.

codsterlaing95

aganey wrote: »

Also, what is TDEE? I keep seeing it but can't figure it out.

The calories needed to maintain your bodyweight. Eat -500 less, lose 1 lb/per week; eat +500, gain 1 lb per/week. 3500 calories in a pound.

markrgeary1

MFP has calorie burn estimates for strength training, oddly, they're under "Cardio/strength training". Are they correct? Well I just started using them so who knows. They seem reasonable in that they give less calories burned then the same time on a treadmill or elliptical. I'm following the standard advice of not eating more than 1/2 back.

Give the strength training a couple of months and you'll be pleasantly surprised. It works!

ironhajee

I'm not sure what works for you. However here in MFP if you go into

Exercise
---> Cardiovascular

---

> Strength Training

There is an option for strength training to be logged and it gives you a rough estimate of how much you burn. Not sure on accuracy but at least you get a range to better gauge your nutrition strategy

lorrpb

To address the other question, which I didn't see when skimming the replies, you do not to have the exact deficit each & every day. Most people strive for a weekly deficit because each day is a little different.

aganey

Thanks for the help in logging my exercises! I will do that tomorrow. Also makes sense about the weekly deficit.

middlehaitch

TDEE is Total Daily Energy Expendature.
This includes the energy it takes to be alive, complete your normal daily activities, and exercise.
So the calories you are given by a TDEE calculator include all the calories you need in a day.
You can either do a 10 or 20% deficit of the number you are given, or
250 cals less = .5 lbs a week loss and you can do multiples of that.

NEAT, Non Exercise Activity Thermogenisis is the method MFP uses. You log and eat back calories from exercise. It is not included.

If you have started lifting to improve your musculature while losing, it would benefit you to lose at a lower rate as more LBM Lean Body Mass will be retained. Try to eat between .64-.84 grams of protien for each pound body weight.

Although lifting while losing will not increase your muscle mass, it will help you retain the muscle you have, strengthen the muscle you have, and, depending on the weight lifted, improve your endurance. It will also help re scot your body. A win win.

If your exercise is consistent work from your TDEE and losing no more than 1 lbs a week. Personally I would do just .5 for better results lifting.

Cheers, h.
ETA. A good TDEE calculator-
http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

aganey

Thank you middlehaitch!! That is very helpful! What you described is exactly what I'm trying to do. I just started reading Thinner, Leaner, Stronger by Michael Matthews and ironically TDEE came up in the chapter I read last night. How you explained it makes perfect sense. The calculator was way different than mfp. It told me 1837. So which is more accurate?

Packerjohn

aganey wrote: »

First, I want to make sure I'm understanding correctly. In order to lose fat, you have to burn more calories than you take in (so I read and hear). This may seem like a stupid question to most but I'm going to ask anyway to better my own understanding. My fitness pal set my calories at 1300 based on my current weight and goal. Does this mean that if I eat 1300 calories then I will need to burn at least 1300 calories that same day to lose weight?

Second, if I'm doing a lot of strength training as well, how do I know for sure how many calories I'm burning? I sweat quite a bit when pushing weights so I know I'm burning calories, but when I log the exercises it doesn't show calories burned. So how do I know for sure?

Strength training is new to me. I was tired of doing just cardio without getting the results I wanted. So I'm trying to better understand how all this works.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Sure you're burning calories when you exercise, but the amount of sweat doesn't have anything to do with it.

stealthq

aganey wrote: »

Thank you middlehaitch!! That is very helpful! What you described is exactly what I'm trying to do. I just started reading Thinner, Leaner, Stronger by Michael Matthews and ironically TDEE came up in the chapter I read last night. How you explained it makes perfect sense. The calculator was way different than mfp. It told me 1837. So which is more accurate?

The amount MFP told you to eat had your calorie deficit to lose factored in. You said it told you to eat 1300. I'm guessing your goal is 1 lb/wk (-500 cals/day), so MFP calculated your TDEE to be 1800 cals. Pretty close to the other calculator.

If my guess is wrong and your goal was different, I'd probably try http://scoobysworkshop.com/calories-burned/ and use it as a first estimate. Keeping in mind that all of these calculators are estimating and not perfect, after 6 wks or so assess your progress vs. what you expected and make adjustments.

SezxyStef

aganey wrote: »

First, I want to make sure I'm understanding correctly. In order to lose fat, you have to burn more calories than you take in (so I read and hear). This may seem like a stupid question to most but I'm going to ask anyway to better my own understanding. My fitness pal set my calories at 1300 based on my current weight and goal. Does this mean that if I eat 1300 calories then I will need to burn at least 1300 calories that same day to lose weight?

Second, if I'm doing a lot of strength training as well, how do I know for sure how many calories I'm burning? I sweat quite a bit when pushing weights so I know I'm burning calories, but when I log the exercises it doesn't show calories burned. So how do I know for sure?

Strength training is new to me. I was tired of doing just cardio without getting the results I wanted. So I'm trying to better understand how all this works.

Thanks in advance for your help!

First bolded part no...in order to lose weight you eat less than you burn...don't confuse fat for weight.

1300 eaten.

Log it under "cardio" search for strength training but do not eat them all back it is inflated for most.

Exercise is not the key to weight loss...eating less than you need is. Buy a food scale to be sure of the CI part.

Sweating is not a good indication of calories burned...I barely sweat benching 125lbs...or running 5k...but I am burning calories.

paulandrachelk

Tried estimating lifting calories- frustrating. Used HRM-great! Lots more calories.

blues4miles

paulandrachelk wrote: »

Tried estimating lifting calories- frustrating. Used HRM-great! Lots more calories.

HRM is not a good way of estimating calorie burn from weight lifting. Calorie burn from steady state activity comes from more than just your heart beating fast. It'd be like scaring yourself and using an HRM to measure heart rate and therefore speculate that you burn lots of calories when you keep getting startled.

cgvet37

thorsmom01 wrote: »

If mfp gives you 1300 cals, it means you should eat 1300 cals. Your body burns calories just from being alive. There's some people here who don't work out at all and these people still lose weight . weight loss comes from a calorie deficit ( eat less then you burn ) your body burns calories even if you where just sitting around all day. Mfp calorie goal already has your deficit built in . so you could do no exercise at all and still lose weight eating that calorie goal. ( I hope I answered your question, if I did not please say so I can try to reword it or I can tag someone else that may be able to explain it better )

As far as strength training calories burnt, I can't help you. I never logged them here because I follow a written program. It doesn't burn a ton of calories but is soo very important. I'm glad you decided to take up some strength training instead of tons of cardio. You'll thank yourself later !

That's actually false. Weight training burns quite a few calories. The more muscle you have, the more efficiently your body will burn calories as well.

aganey

Thanks for the advise and replies. All great stuff.

Also I realize you burn calories even if you don't sweat. I guess I figured people would understand what I meant and not take everything I said too literal. I meant I'm getting a good workout by strength training enough to make myself sweat. Even more than I did with cardio alone. So I know I'm burning something. I just didn't know how to log it.