Calories

sophieamhaley
sophieamhaley Posts: 85
in Food and Nutrition
Good morning all,

I'm starting to weight train 3 x a week (20 mins per session), jog 3 x a week (again 20 mins) and hopefully, if I can fit it in, yoga 2 x a week for half an hour a time.
I'm unsure of what I should be eating calorie wise. I'm not aiming to lose weight, just change shape. Is it going to be trial and error with regard to calories? Or is there a way I can work it out?

Thank you

Replies

  • sheepysaccount
    sheepysaccount Posts: 608 Member
    You should get a heart rate monitor to know exactly how many calories you've burned.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    use a calorie calculator like Katch McArdle or Harris Benedict, and use that. If you don't want to lose weight, just get fitter and "tone up" then you should eat your TDEE number (i.e total daily energy expenditure, your number with the above calculators including the activity factor)

    there's a thread on here "Your guide to sexypants" which explains it much more clearly. The main point is that for losing weight you subtract a percentage from your TDEE number, to stay the same weight, you don't subtract this percentage, you just eat your TDEE calories
  • Dewymorning
    Dewymorning Posts: 762 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • sophieamhaley
    sophieamhaley Posts: 85
    You should get a heart rate monitor to know exactly how many calories you've burned.

    As far as I can gather HRMs are no good for exercise that isn't cardio.
  • Dewymorning
    Dewymorning Posts: 762 Member
    You should get a heart rate monitor to know exactly how many calories you've burned.

    As far as I can gather HRMs are no good for exercise that isn't cardio.

    I have never bothered with a heart rate monitor.

    To a real extent you just have to see.

    I don't know what your weight loss goals are, but online calculators are a good place to start to get an estimate of your daily energy expenditure. Then you can adjust depending on whether or not you are losing/maintaining/gaining as you want.
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    You should get a heart rate monitor to know exactly how many calories you've burned.

    As far as I can gather HRMs are no good for exercise that isn't cardio.

    Correct.

    TDEE calculators are your best option. It will always be trial and error but it's a good starting point. Stay at a certain eating level for 4 weeks. If you've gained weight, adjust slightly down and reassess. If you lose weight, adjust upwards.

    Remember that when you add strength training there may be a few lbs water weight gain initially. Similarly, avoid weighing in the day after strength training as water retention in the muscle can skew the results.


    Edited for typo.
  • sophieamhaley
    sophieamhaley Posts: 85
    Thanks for your answers. I've done a few TDEE calculators and got generally within the 2000-2100 range so I will start at 2000 and see how I go from there.
    Feeling really excited about starting weight training, done all my measurements and "Before" pics, hopefully by the time I get married in August I will be a powerhouse :wink:

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