Eating back calories or not?

suzyloveskoalas

I'm 5'3 at 127lbs..I want to have less body fat and be stronger, but I'm not sure if I'm doing it right. According to the Scooby Calculator: BMR 1350, I workout 3-4 times per week, TDEE 2094, caloric daily goal -20% is 1675 . My goal is to be stronger with less body fat. I enjoy jogging and working out in my home gym. If I'm bored and don't feel like jogging, I'll lift weights and do some type of cardio between sets (high knees, jumping jacks, jump rope, etc.) to get my bpm up. Yesterday I didn't feel like doing any cardio and I just did a 45 min leg day consisting of deadlifts, squats, step ups, leg extensions, leg curls, and calf raises..342 calories on my Polar...and today I'm too pooped to do anything. Other days could be cardio for 30 mins and then dumbell rows, flys, raises, OHP, other presses, etc.

According to my HRM, I'm averaging about 160+ bpm, on average 300ish calories/workout. I'm eating my calories back when it starts digging into my BMR, but mostly with an intake of about 1800 calories per day. I can't help but look at the scale almost daily and the scale is fluctuating (I also weigh my food on a scale). Should I just go ahead and eat pretty much eat my TDEE, eat less, eat more and lift heavier or lighter? I guess I just don't know what to expect my body to be in the next few weeks or months even at this rate. My.Diary.Is.Now.Open...and I'm feeling very vulnerable at the moment. You're thoughts and comments are very appreciated, thanks!

Camo_xxx

If you are lifting to add muscle you need to be in a calorie surplus. If you are lifting while in a calorie deficit to maintain muscle mass then just eat to your TDEE based on the deficit you decide on.

If you are lifting to increase strength you may want to get a bit more focused and use a proven routine. Seems unlikely you will see much strength gain with such a ramshackle routine.

12_oz_Curls

you have two choices... very simple:

1. Eat at TDEE and just see where it leads and adjust accordingly, or...

2. Eat according to BMR and includes calories... and adjust accordingly.

It's that simple. If you're gaining weight by either method, then adjust, if you're losing, then adjust. I know that I am going through a similar time now. I have found that the scale is no longer my judge. The tape is what I argue with now. (and if it makes you feel better, I argue with the damn tape all the time and it wins, not me! ;-) )

suzyloveskoalas

Thanks, I'll keep sticking out the TDEE and see what happens without the scale over the next few weeks. I guess I just needed that validation that anything under my TDEE doesn't matter as long as I'm active and not under BMR.