TDEE activity level

britneyy32

I have been bulking for a few months and I plan to cut now, so I am trying to calculate how many calories I should eat to do so. I am trying to do it based off of my TDEE using Scooby's calculator. What would my activity level be considered if I lift about 5 times a week, and do kickboxing & boxing 3 - 5 times a week?

Also, would it be more beneficial for me to exclude my activity level from my TDEE calculation and just eat back exercise calories instead, because I do get pretty busy so it's hard to keep my workouts consistent, for example one week I might exercise a ton, but then another week I will just do a more moderate amount of exercise.

Sarauk2sf

I would use your own TDEE. What were you eating at and what rate did you gain at. Work out your maintenance from that, and cut from there.

TavistockToad

if you have been bulking, you must know your current TDEE? surely that wont change much when you cut?

littleburgy

I wondered about this as well. I often do more than the "moderate" level, but I'm not sure if it's enough to constitute the "strenuous" level. I took an average of the two calculated numbers and am going to see how that works out.

britneyy32

if you have been bulking, you must know your current TDEE? surely that wont change much when you cut?

Well, I just chose a calorie amount that seemed like it would be high enough for a bulk, so I didn't base it off of my TDEE. But I gradually increased my calories to this amount.. I think I probably was bulking at around 2300 net calories or so, not completely sure since I wasn't accurately calculating how many calories I was consuming. But I gradually increased my calories up to this amount from a calorie deficit. But I'm not sure when I started to gain weight, since I didn't weigh myself at all until recently, so I don't know what is maintenance for me.. I guess I can just choose an amount that seems right for a cut and see how it goes.

TavistockToad

if you have been bulking, you must know your current TDEE? surely that wont change much when you cut?

Well, I just chose a calorie amount that seemed like it would be high enough for a bulk, so I didn't base it off of my TDEE. But I gradually increased my calories to this amount.. I think I probably was bulking at around 2300 net calories or so, not completely sure since I wasn't accurately calculating how many calories I was consuming. But I gradually increased my calories up to this amount from a calorie deficit. But I'm not sure when I started to gain weight, since I didn't weigh myself at all until recently, so I don't know what is maintenance for me.. I guess I can just choose an amount that seems right for a cut and see how it goes.

so you dont know how much weight you have put on while bulking? if you did you could work out how much of a surplus you are in by how long it took you to put the weight on?

britneyy32

I know I gained 5 lbs. But like I explained earlier, I didn't start immediately bulking.. I slowly increased my calories until I got to around 2300 net calories, and I didn't weigh myself until recently so I'm not sure when I started to gain weight, therefore I am not sure what would be considered maintenance and a surplus for me.. because I could have started to gain weight at 1800, or 2000, etc. but I don't know since I wasn't weighing myself.

TavistockToad

I know I gained 5 lbs. But like I explained earlier, I didn't start immediately bulking.. I slowly increased my calories until I got to around 2300 net calories, and I didn't weigh myself until recently so I'm not sure when I started to gain weight, therefore I am not sure what would be considered maintenance and a surplus for me.. because I could have started to gain weight at 1800, or 2000, etc. but I don't know since I wasn't weighing myself.

so thats maybe 1lb of muscle and now you're ready to cut?

EvgeniZyntx

Any calculator is not worth getting your own data set. Track accurately for at least three weeks at a consistent level and use that.
Weigh yourself to assure you have sufficient data points.

britneyy32

My body fat % has not increased, but my overall weight has increased so I'm pretty certain I didn't gain just a 1 lb of muscle. Regardless I wasn't intending on building a ton of muscle, I only started bulking to give my body a break from being in a calorie deficit, so that's why I'm not bulking for any longer because I would rather focus on getting leaner right now.

TavistockToad

My body fat % has not increased, but my overall weight has increased so I'm pretty certain I didn't gain just a 1 lb of muscle. Regardless I wasn't intending on building a ton of muscle, I only started bulking to give my body a break from being in a calorie deficit, so that's why I'm not bulking for any longer because I would rather focus on getting leaner right now.

5lbs over a 'few months' is pretty slow, so it might be that theres more than 1lb of muscle, though as you dont know your numbers its more likely you have just replenished your glycogen after being in a deficit, which can be up to 5lbs itself.

also theres no need to bulk to 'give your body a break'. eating at miantenance is sufficient.

britneyy32

My body fat % has not increased, but my overall weight has increased so I'm pretty certain I didn't gain just a 1 lb of muscle. Regardless I wasn't intending on building a ton of muscle, I only started bulking to give my body a break from being in a calorie deficit, so that's why I'm not bulking for any longer because I would rather focus on getting leaner right now.

5lbs over a 'few months' is pretty slow, so it might be that theres more than 1lb of muscle, though as you dont know your numbers its more likely you have just replenished your glycogen after being in a deficit, which can be up to 5lbs itself.

also theres no need to bulk to 'give your body a break'. eating at miantenance is sufficient.

Okay I really don't care to argue about how much muscle I've built or not. And yes I realize that eating maintenance is fine to give your body a break, but I thought I would take advantage of eating more and build some muscle if I was going to eat more calories, therefore I decided to bulk, instead of just halting my progress all together by simply eating maintenance calories. You can stop endlessly lecturing and questioning me now, I didn't come here to get questioned by you, I just wanted help figuring out my activity level so I could figure out my TDEE.

TavistockToad

My body fat % has not increased, but my overall weight has increased so I'm pretty certain I didn't gain just a 1 lb of muscle. Regardless I wasn't intending on building a ton of muscle, I only started bulking to give my body a break from being in a calorie deficit, so that's why I'm not bulking for any longer because I would rather focus on getting leaner right now.

5lbs over a 'few months' is pretty slow, so it might be that theres more than 1lb of muscle, though as you dont know your numbers its more likely you have just replenished your glycogen after being in a deficit, which can be up to 5lbs itself.

also theres no need to bulk to 'give your body a break'. eating at miantenance is sufficient.

Okay I really don't care to argue about how much muscle I've built or not. And yes I realize that eating maintenance is fine to give your body a break, but I thought I would take advantage of eating more and build some muscle if I was going to eat more calories, therefore I decided to bulk, instead of just halting my progress all together by simply eating maintenance calories. You can stop endlessly lecturing and questioning me now, I didn't come here to get questioned by you, I just wanted help figuring out my activity level so I could figure out my TDEE.

Just wow.....