Intake Question

kr1stadee

Hi!!

This is my first time posting a topic here, yaaay!!

I have an question about my intake, and I've posted it in another group, but I would also like to get feedback from you guys!

FTR - I've lost almost 60lbs in the last year, and the most part it was at 1200-1400 calories per day, but after Christmas, I started eating more, and I've recently started Stronglifts.

If it's ok, I'm going to copy and paste my original post (it's kind of wordy, sorry, I ramble).. Open for suggestions!! Thanks so much!!

Hi, me again!

I've been eating 1775 calories for the last 5 weeks (before that was ~1500 for 2 months, before that was ~1800 for a good while). Weight is sllloooooowly going down, and that's fine. My taekwondo classes are going back to the fall schedule next week so I will be picking up more exercise.

I am just looking to see if this all sounds about right.
I'm 5'3 (1/2 .. the half is important lol)
I weigh 161lbs

I work at a desk Monday to Friday 9-4:30.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, my kids have TKD classes and I'm at the dojang from 5 until 7:30, but I'm just sitting for the most part.

For me, Monday, Wednesday and Fridays (but may become Saturdays) are Stronglifts days (roughly 30 minutes per session, not counting the time between sets)
.
Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday are women's TKD classes (which ends up being 60 minutes of exercise, 15 minutes of technique). I am planning to add 2 Friday classes per month which will be 1.5 hours of forms and technique.. sooo..

90 minutes of strength per week
225 minutes some weeks of fitness/TKD classes
315 minutes other weeks of fitness/TKD classes

(5.25 hours one week, 6.75 hours the next week)

With Scooby's calculator at 3-5 hours of moderate exercise, and a 15% cut:
BMR - 1578
TDEE - 2446
-15% - 2079

Sound ok? Suggestions? Thanks!!

SideSteel

What rate are you losing weight on this intake and what is your goal?

kr1stadee

I just went through my Reports and in the last 90 days, I've lost 3lbs.
After looking at my measurements for the same amount of time, I've lost 4 inches.

My goal is to lose fat. I'd like to lose 15-20 lbs more, but the final numbers depend on looks rather than scale

SideSteel

Can you set your diary to public please?

kr1stadee

Done!

SideSteel

Your average intake for August.

1799kcal
176 c
70f
103p

If I were in your position I would set my intake as follows

1650kcal
130p
60f
145c

kr1stadee

Lower, although next week I'll be adding more classes to my weeks? Seems a little counteractive where I lift 3x a week, take classes twice and next week I'll be adding 1 more each week and another every 2nd week..

I feel bad questioning your method, this is your group and I did ask the question.. but everything I've read about suggests upping the cals when the exercise increases

**Edit - August was also filled with a week camping, a trip across the border and a week-long Summer Games festival, so I know my intake was higher than usual a lot of days, kind of comes with the summer, for me.

SideSteel

Lower, although next week I'll be adding more classes to my weeks? Seems a little counteractive where I lift 3x a week, take classes twice and next week I'll be adding 1 more each week and another every 2nd week..

I feel bad questioning your method, this is your group and I did ask the question.. but everything I've read about suggests upping the cals when the exercise increases

**Edit - August was also filled with a week camping, a trip across the border and a week-long Summer Games festival, so I know my intake was higher than usual a lot of days, kind of comes with the summer, for me.

If you want, you can leave intake as is and see what happens to your rate of weight loss the following month to see if the increase in activity is substantial enough to increase your rate of fat loss.

If it doesn't, then I'd just follow what I wrote out above.

The way I read your post I assumed the additional activity amounted to the two extra Fridays of activity/month.

SideSteel

I feel bad questioning your method, this is your group and I did ask the question.. but everything I've read about suggests upping the cals when the exercise increases

This is context dependent. In your situation I certainly wouldn't add calories.

Right now your rate of weight loss could increase fairly significantly which is why I suggested a reduction in intake. I don't think your increase in activity will be enough but as of now it looks like I'm misunderstanding the amount at which your activity is going to increase.

I wouldn't increase calorie intake though. If you want to leave it as is, increase your activity and monitor rate of loss for a month, that's certainly reasonable. If it doesn't pan out, pull calories down a bit per what I've recommended.

kr1stadee

I'd be more comfortable leaving it there as opposed to cutting the calories. I don't own a HRM, but with the amount of work that I do in one 75 minute class, I'm sure the calorie burn is decent. As of next week (when the fall schedule is released), my week:

Monday - Stronglifts
Tuesday - Fitness/TKD (75 minutes)
Wednesday - Stronglifts
Thursday - Fitness/TKD (75 minutes)
Friday - TKD (90 minutes)/rest day every 2nd Friday
Saturday - Stronglifts
Sunday - Fitness/TKD (75 minutes)

kr1stadee

I feel bad questioning your method, this is your group and I did ask the question.. but everything I've read about suggests upping the cals when the exercise increases

This is context dependent. In your situation I certainly wouldn't add calories.

Right now your rate of weight loss could increase fairly significantly which is why I suggested a reduction in intake. I don't think your increase in activity will be enough but as of now it looks like I'm misunderstanding the amount at which your activity is going to increase.

I wouldn't increase calorie intake though. If you want to leave it as is, increase your activity and monitor rate of loss for a month, that's certainly reasonable. If it doesn't pan out, pull calories down a bit per what I've recommended.

Thanks. I will not increase, I'll hold off and reassess at the end of September.

The increase in activity will amount to 4 Sundays and 2 Fridays a month

SideSteel

Then it sounds like you've got a plan. If you don't start seeing what you consider reasonable progress in 2-4 weeks of the new schedule I would reduce per what I've outlined. I would expect about 1lb/week loss.

Best of luck!

Sarauk2sf

Tagging and to re-iterate SideSteel's recommendation. 6 days a month extra will not be that much extra burn but should nudge your losses up a bit, but I would not expect it to increase it that much. An additional decrease in calories should give a rate that is quicker but still reasonable. As SideSteel says, give the additional exercise a go. If your rate of loss is not as fast as you would like still, you can always drop your cals to his recommendation.