Daily Calorie Goal, I should know this...but help

faithchange

OK. So, I've entered my information into the website scoobysworkshop.com for other calculations on my calorie needs per day. I wanted to see if what I started doing was wrong the past few days.

I'm a 40 year old female, 196.8 (water retention...of course)...but anyway. I'm 5'7 so 67 inches...

I workout 5-6 times a week. It is at least 60 min strength training some and some cardio other times. I put in moderate and it is coming up with 1984 in box 6 which is my calorie goal right?

If I put stuff into MFP it suggests 1800 I believe.

I want to start losing... I love working out and have to confess I think I wasn't losing before cause I wasn't weighing food or measuring it much

I have about 40-50lbs to lose overall.

Any ideas or suggestions....

I'm not eating exercise calories, but if ever it's a few meaning 25-50 of the exercise calories.

Thanks for your help!

erickirb

Both numbers are just estimates based on their calculation of your BMR and activity multiplier. Using the Scooby numbers you should not be eating back cals burned as they are accounted for in your goal.

I would suggest trying the scooby number without eating cals back and in 4-6 weeks if results are not what you expect, re-adjust either up or down. You could pick the next activity level up and go with that or somewhere in the middle too.

heybales

5 - 6 days x 60 min or more per day?

Moderately Active 3-5 hrs of just exercise, never mind increased daily activity above a sedentary desk job.

You being honest with yourself?

faithchange

Heybales......

I workout 60 min to 90 min daily YES! I'm doing JM Body revolution (weight training)...with some cardio mix ins through the week....whether that's Insanity, P90X, or other program thrown in. I don't do the secondary program as a whole though...just JM is my primary for 90 days.

I don't know why you keep saying I'm not being honest with myself. Do I need to say I'm sedentary? I have two kids and do other things daily.

Oh well.

erickirb

Heybales......

I workout 60 min to 90 min daily YES! I'm doing JM Body revolution (weight training)...with some cardio mix ins through the week....whether that's Insanity, P90X, or other program thrown in. I don't do the secondary program as a whole though...just JM is my primary for 90 days.

I don't know why you keep saying I'm not being honest with myself. Do I need to say I'm sedentary? I have two kids and do other things daily.

Oh well.

I think he was pointing out that that activity level is higher than moderately active, if it is truly what you are doing.

faithchange

Also... YES! I workout that much. I have a T1 diabetic child, whom I sometimes obsess and worry about a lot. Instead of emotionally eating at times, I get to working out more to burn the steam. I have worked out this much before having my children too. I enjoy working out, why is it impossible for you to believe that? I also utilize a HRM Polar FT4 to get adequate calorie burn. I lost 73 lbs initially when I started June 2010 up until I lost mom Oct 2012. I just had gained some back and needed a boost on getting back into my healthy eating habits again. That's it. My activity hasn't changed much! At times people may say I workout too much, but they don't understand anxiety or depression either. I'd rather be active then struggle with mood, ect.

Thanks for the help!

faithchange

Thanks Eric!

Yes. Many people think I'm over the average. I do allow myself "some" weeks an extra day off. But, my usual is 60 min to 90 for sure.

mlima14

I think that you should try it for a couple of weeks to see how it goes if it's not the weight loss you expect then lower the intake or adjust the activity level on MFP. You might have to run around two children but it also depends on your metabolism. There are other websites that you could check on the calorie intake for weight loss and they have more info on describing the activity level.

mlima14

http://caloriecount.about.com

check this website out.

kikicooks

.

I would suggest trying the scooby number without eating cals back and in 4-6 weeks if results are not what you expect, re-adjust either up or down. You could pick the next activity level up and go with that or somewhere in the middle too.

This

heybales

Heybales......

I workout 60 min to 90 min daily YES! I'm doing JM Body revolution (weight training)...with some cardio mix ins through the week....whether that's Insanity, P90X, or other program thrown in. I don't do the secondary program as a whole though...just JM is my primary for 90 days.

I don't know why you keep saying I'm not being honest with myself. Do I need to say I'm sedentary? I have two kids and do other things daily.

Oh well.

So your daily routine outside exercise is already Lightly Active because of family.
Your exercise by itself is much more than 3-5 hrs a week that is the description of Moderately Active.

How many hours a week are you exercising?

Now add exercise on to the daily routine.

The math on picking levels isn't being used at all. If you want to use that method, be honest with your math.

Now what is the TDEE level?

Not doing yourself any favors, unless you enjoy making it more difficult than it needs to be.

I'm trying to help you understand the principle of it. Taking a reasonable deficit from an estimated TDEE level. Honest on the high side estimated.

You are obviously already on the lower end right now, right? With what results?

faithchange

Thanks Heybales!

Makes sense. I exercise is at 6 hours already for this week...probably about another 1-2 hours added to that. But, on average week probably closer to 5-6 hours. I'll try your worksheet again. I'll let you know.

heybales

Good, now to make that estimate easier.

Thinking about your workout routine.

Exercise if done right tears the body down.
It's the rest, for recovery and repair that allows it to get stronger, if diet allows. In a diet recovery is harder already.

Where is your rest?

Do you actually want to get the most out of your workouts and get the most benefit from them and time and energy spent?

Or do you want them to mainly be just a calorie burn and not getting what you could get. And besides that turns in to just one big stress for the body.

Is the exercise for body improvement or weight loss?

Now, when I say rest, you could lift upper one day, and then lift lower the next day, resting the upper body. Or perhaps run the next day, still resting the upper body.
But would you do squats day after day? Why not? Same reasoning applies.

Even those DVD programs have set routines or recommendations as to when to do them, and if it is every day, they usually vary what they are working - or it's cardio so who cares, though in a diet that's still not as beneficial.

Just something to think about with 6 x a week 60 to 90 min you originally said. And if exercise is basically a medicine, that's fine too, just realize doing it wrong is nothing but extra stress on your body, never mind what it helps with your mind.
So you need to not take as much deficit.

So in the spreadsheet, all those DVD's are high cardio - NOT lifting.