Trying to get my calorie deficit right with exercise

smoovintel

LONG POST/QUESTION AHEAD

I’ve lost about 90 pounds over the last seven years between a nutrition change and adding exercise later. After about two years of maintaining/lifting I realized how much alcohol was limiting further weight and fat losses.

I’ve finally come to a plan:
Running 6 days a week (3-4 miles) and a muscle group of lifting for those same days (bands during quarantine). I’m doing a 40/40/20 of protein, fat and carbs six days a week and the total calorie intake is based off a sedentary activity level since I’m sitting if I’m not working out. On day seven (reset day), I weigh myself and reset my caloric deficit. I go on a walk for an active rest exercise and I eat whatever I want up to my maintenance calories. Also, all this is intermittent fasting on a 16/8 split.

Everything has been pretty good up to this point over the last 6 weeks. However, I’ve found it hard to fall/stay asleep and I’ve also felt more tired than usual. I have an Apple Watch and I realized that I might not be eating enough calories based on my exercising.

TDEE says that maintenance is 2296.
I eat at a 500 calorie deficit, so I top out around 1750 calories in. I burn around 350-400 calories in resistance training and another 500-700 in walking to and from the place I run at, plus my run. My Apple Watch shows a total calorie burn (active + rest) somewhere between, 3500 - 3700.

So, am I eating at too high of a deficit?

Stats: I’m still 210 pounds, male, at about 25% body fat and I’m 6’0”.

Duck_Puddle

Yes. You’re eating at way too high a deficit.

You should be aiming to lose .5-1% of your total body weight per week. So probably a pound a week-maybe 2 for a brief time.

That’s a 500-1000 calorie deficit per day.

You’re at 1750 minimum.

That’s far too high. It’s a little over twice the deficit you should be running.

smoovintel

Yeah that’s what I was thinking. I adjusted my workout plan but not the nutrition to go along with it.

Duck_Puddle

I’m using your Apple Watch numbers which correlate a lot more to what I’d think TDEE would be for a guy your size doing that much activity (a bit high but not not crazy).

2300 is only a little over my TDEE for that kind of activity (as a 5’4” 160 pound woman).

But the real question is how long have you been at these numbers and how much are you actually losing? Actual results trump any calculators.

smoovintel

I’ve been at these numbers since March 28th. I’ve lost 13 pounds and about 6-7% body fat (per my scale).

Lillymoo01

You said that TDEE maintenance is 2296. I am assuming that this is without any exercise and based at a sedentary level which you are far from. This number is ore likely to be your NEAT which is how much you burn before exercise is added. You have two options. Change your activity level to very active or stay at 1750 and add in all of those calories you burn through strength training and running etc. You are doing yourself no favours by undereating which I think you are realising.

On a side note, you seem to have a lot of rules. Do these work for you and could you imagine yourself doing them long term? By long term, I mean well into maintenance. If not you may want to reassess the best way for you to keep within your calorie allotment. This is a life long journey and not a sprint.

smoovintel

Yeah I’ve always had an issue trying to hone in on my activity level. The amount of resistance training has been steady, but the running is new. And I’ve been eating at a deficit for about seven years now (intermittent fasting for a year). Trying to get myself to a point that I feel comfortable to transition to maintaining and then building after that.

And dealing with the question “how active are you?” is frustrating. And I’ve seen plenty that have the same confusion. Which is why I started making sure I listen to my body. The lack of sleep is annoying and I know it’s gotta be something with my current plan.

Long story short, the rules do work. It’s been adding and subtracting things over the past few years.

Thanks for the insight.

AnnPT77

smoovintel wrote: »

I’ve been at these numbers since March 28th. I’ve lost 13 pounds and about 6-7% body fat (per my scale).

So, about 6 weeks, 13 pounds, so averaging a deficit slightly over 1000 calories daily, based on that sample. Only you know how many calories you ate during that time, including from your higher days and such, but the average deficit would be around that.

FWIW, I wouldn't trust the accuracy of the scale as a precision guide to body fat loss. BIA devices are . . . easily misled.

Yes, adjust your nutrition. Or more specifically, your calorie intake. The symptoms you report are likely a warning sign.

smoovintel

Thank you. The body never lies! Lol

Justin_7272

smoovintel wrote: »

I burn around 350-400 calories in resistance training

How are you calculating this? It seems very high; would take most 3 hours minimum...might help to shore-up your numbers here.

If sleep is your main concern I'd suggest altering from 16/8 IF - I'd try experimenting with meal timing to see if it effects your sleep. Worth a shot.

smoovintel

Justin_7272 wrote: »

smoovintel wrote: »

I burn around 350-400 calories in resistance training

How are you calculating this? It seems very high; would take most 3 hours minimum...might help to shore-up your numbers here.

If sleep is your main concern I'd suggest altering from 16/8 IF - I'd try experimenting with meal timing to see if it effects your sleep. Worth a shot.

I've used a fitbit blaze for about 4 years and transitioned to an apple watch right as the quarantines started. So the apple watch has only been used with resistance bands workouts at home. I've been focusing on making sure my resistance on concentric and eccentric movements are constant. The range I stated depends on what muscle group I'm working. Leg day being higher on the range.

Switching up my IF is an interesting suggestion. I currently eat 12p - 8p. What would you suggest? Maybe a 10am - 6pm?

Note: I added a couple hundred calories to my nutrition plan. Yesterday being my cheat day, I had a couple shots of whiskey. I was able to go to sleep pretty well but I still woke up in the middle of the night. I'll see if the additional calories and my workout tire me out enough to get better sleep tonight.

smoovintel

Adding pics for a little color.

AnnPT77

smoovintel wrote: »

Justin_7272 wrote: »

smoovintel wrote: »

I burn around 350-400 calories in resistance training

How are you calculating this? It seems very high; would take most 3 hours minimum...might help to shore-up your numbers here.

If sleep is your main concern I'd suggest altering from 16/8 IF - I'd try experimenting with meal timing to see if it effects your sleep. Worth a shot.

I've used a fitbit blaze for about 4 years and transitioned to an apple watch right as the quarantines started. So the apple watch has only been used with resistance bands workouts at home. I've been focusing on making sure my resistance on concentric and eccentric movements are constant. The range I stated depends on what muscle group I'm working. Leg day being higher on the range.

Switching up my IF is an interesting suggestion. I currently eat 12p - 8p. What would you suggest? Maybe a 10am - 6pm?

Note: I added a couple hundred calories to my nutrition plan. Yesterday being my cheat day, I had a couple shots of whiskey. I was able to go to sleep pretty well but I still woke up in the middle of the night. I'll see if the additional calories and my workout tire me out enough to get better sleep tonight.

300-400 is on the improbable side for one strength workout, unless quite lengthy. HRM is a sub-excellent way to track those.** But that doesn't really matter, as your weight loss rate is telling you approximately what your practical calorie deficit is, with your current routine. Just adjust based on weight loss rate, that'll work fine, for now. (It becomes more of an issue if you change to a different exercise regimen, since you may not know your NEAT calorie level as accurately.)

More importantly: If diet (composition, amount or timing) is affecting sleep, one day is probably not long enough to evaluate a change. That's doubly true if the alcohol isn't a regular thing, since it tends to help with falling asleep, but can be at cross purposes to staying asleep. Make a change, give it at least a few days or a week or so (if not longer) for your body to adjust, then evaluate. If there's anything going on here, it's as likely to be about hormonal balances as anything, so give it time to balance out just in case. (Sleep/appetite/stress hormones, not sex hormones, BTW.)


** Old, still true:

https://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/hrms-cannot-count-calories-during-strength-training-17698
https://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/the-real-facts-about-hrms-and-calories-what-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-an-hrm-or-using-one-21472