Calorie Help

melissazarrella

I ended 2017 by reaching my weight loss goal down a total of 98lbs. I decided after that I wanted to try to build some muscle and tone up more. I've done some reading on how to configure your calories and macros for a weight training session, do you configure anything different for added cardio? I find myself having a hard time to give it up but my daily gym routine includes 1 hour of cardio and 45 minutes of weight training. I'm about 165 lbs now any advice on calorie intake ? I take in now 2150 and make sure I get 150g of protein

melissazarrella

Sorry 250g of protein

DaddieCat

That's a ton of protein.

What are your actual macro percentages?

Usual advice is around .8grams/lb of lean mass

melissazarrella

I am new at this but the reading I did said 1.5g per lb so my protein is right around 45 percent I try to do as low carb as possible I don't really have a fat goal or carb goal just whatever works with remaining calories

DaddieCat

Protein and fats are actually the important things.

General advice is actually around .8-1.0 grams of protein per lb of lean mass (not total weight), around .6 grams of fat per lb of lean mass to ensure enough for proper hormone production among other necessary bodily functions, and the rest can be carbs.

1.5 is likely more than your body will process and you'll just end up having overly expensive meals as protein is often the most expensive macro.

250 grams of protein is already 1000 k/cal. That's actually 46.5% which is generally considered very high protein and probably unneeded unless you just prefer to eat like that.

melissazarrella

Thanks for the advice , do you think it matters how many calories I burn during my workout to build muscle or it should be okay as long as I'm reaching proper protein and fat macros ?

DaddieCat

There is no real acurate way to measure calories burnt during lifting only really steady state cardio.

Are you doing MFP's NEAT protocol or are you using TDEE method?

melissazarrella

I've been doing the MFP so it says to compensate 15% per 45 minute weight workout . Which I do this. But I also do an hour of cardio every day which usually includes a 4 mile run on treadmil then 30 minutes on another cardio machine I do wear a fit bit it says i work usually burn anywhere from 800-1050 a workout. I dont currently add in any more calories for the added cardio

DaddieCat

If you see losses, fine. If not, then you'll still have to cut more calories. If you are seeing losses faster than a lb a week, consider eating back a percentage of your exercise calories as fater than that is generally considered unhealthy unless one has a larger amount to lose.

melissazarrella

Ahh okay so I still need the scale lol I was trying to give it up because I did gain 2 lbs once I transitioned into weight training and increasing my calories to build muscle instead of loose weight which was a mind trip considering I spent a long time working to loose but thanks for all your advice I'll worry less about the calorie number now and more about protein and fat grams

DaddieCat

The overall calorie number is still important. Weightloss is still goverened by CI<CO...

melissazarrella

Well as long as it's not over my 2150...right ?

DaddieCat

If 2150 is what causes you to lose.

bbell1985

I'm confused. Are you trying to gain muscle or lose fat?

melissazarrella

I'd lik3 to build muscle and loose fat

sijomial

melissazarrella wrote: »

I've been doing the MFP so it says to compensate 15% per 45 minute weight workout . Which I do this. But I also do an hour of cardio every day which usually includes a 4 mile run on treadmil then 30 minutes on another cardio machine I do wear a fit bit it says i work usually burn anywhere from 800-1050 a workout. I dont currently add in any more calories for the added cardio

I don't get what you are saying at all - can you expand?

"I've been doing the MFP so it says to compensate 15% per 45 minute weight workout "
The MFP method would be logging the duration of your workout (under CV part of your diary) as strength training to add some (not many!) calories to your daily allowance.
What is this 15% compensation???

" I dont currently add in any more calories for the added cardio"
So you aren't following the MFP method then - you would be eating back your exercise calories if you were.
How did you arrive at your calorie goal? From a TDEE site or from personal experimentation?

Are you trying to recomp? (Lose fat, gain muscle while keeping roughly the same weight.)
If yes, then suggest you read the very large recomp thread in the Maintaining Weight forum.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1

That 250g is a really excessive amount of protein by the way.

melissazarrella

Like I said I am new at this. Thanks for the article I will read this. So MFP said for me to maintain weight I should eat 1900cals so for weight training it said add in 15% but I didn't know what to do for the cardio calories currently I don't add any intake but your saying I should ?

Davidsdottir

melissazarrella wrote: »

Like I said I am new at this. Thanks for the article I will read this. So MFP said for me to maintain weight I should eat 1900cals so for weight training it said add in 15% but I didn't know what to do for the cardio calories currently I don't add any intake but your saying I should ?

A good starting place would be to take the TDEE your Fitbit gives you and use that for your daily intake goal. That way, you don't need to add your weight training or cardio in.

gamerbabe14

Great job on your loss!

DaddieCat

Davidsdottir wrote: »

melissazarrella wrote: »

Like I said I am new at this. Thanks for the article I will read this. So MFP said for me to maintain weight I should eat 1900cals so for weight training it said add in 15% but I didn't know what to do for the cardio calories currently I don't add any intake but your saying I should ?

A good starting place would be to take the TDEE your Fitbit gives you and use that for your daily intake goal. That way, you don't need to add your weight training or cardio in.

That's the issue. The Fitbit TDEE measure is going to be highly skewed by weightlifting. If I ate the calories my fitbit gave me as my TDEE, I'd be back to my original issue of double my current weight. Lifting is not acurately measured by a heart rate monitoring device or correctly accounted for by the Fitbit algorithms.

Davidsdottir

BecomingBane wrote: »

Davidsdottir wrote: »

melissazarrella wrote: »

Like I said I am new at this. Thanks for the article I will read this. So MFP said for me to maintain weight I should eat 1900cals so for weight training it said add in 15% but I didn't know what to do for the cardio calories currently I don't add any intake but your saying I should ?

A good starting place would be to take the TDEE your Fitbit gives you and use that for your daily intake goal. That way, you don't need to add your weight training or cardio in.

That's the issue. The Fitbit TDEE measure is going to be highly skewed by weightlifting. If I ate the calories my fitbit gave me as my TDEE, I'd be back to my original issue of double my current weight. Lifting is not acurately measured by a heart rate monitoring device or correctly accounted for by the Fitbit algorithms.

That's why I said as a starting place. If gain occurs, you dial it back. It's all a guesstimate as it is anyway.

melissazarrella

Thanks for the ideas everyone, I'm putting in a lot of work on this so I'd like to make sure I'm doing the right things they say diet is most important part