How do you account for your lifting calories?
threnjen
Posts: 687 Member
So I DID use the search but you guys know how it sucks. And I looked it up in Google. But I want to know what people HERE do for logging calories for the workouts, for Stronglifts and similar programs in particular.
I wear my HRM when I exercise and my routine involves a 15min run to the gym, SL 5x5, MAYBE some accessories if I have any energy left, brisk walk 20min home. I KNOW the HRM is very inaccurate for lifting. So I usually take my total and log 75%. I'm becoming worried that this is too high.
What do you guys do?
My personal calorie tracking method is to eat a baseline and then eat back exercise calories. So I eat more on days that I exercise, and less on days that I do not. I might switch to TDEE; more and more I'm thinking that is the way to go with all the lifting. It's a tough transition though because I'm going on 5 months now with my current method which I really like. I like being able to EAT ALL THE THINGS on lifting day. It makes me sooooooooo hungry.
I wear my HRM when I exercise and my routine involves a 15min run to the gym, SL 5x5, MAYBE some accessories if I have any energy left, brisk walk 20min home. I KNOW the HRM is very inaccurate for lifting. So I usually take my total and log 75%. I'm becoming worried that this is too high.
What do you guys do?
My personal calorie tracking method is to eat a baseline and then eat back exercise calories. So I eat more on days that I exercise, and less on days that I do not. I might switch to TDEE; more and more I'm thinking that is the way to go with all the lifting. It's a tough transition though because I'm going on 5 months now with my current method which I really like. I like being able to EAT ALL THE THINGS on lifting day. It makes me sooooooooo hungry.
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I do TDEE method less 20% and I count my lifting workouts as 1 cal burned.
If I do cardio I account for those calories and sometimes I eat them back and sometimes I don't. I use a HRM for tracking this.
I have the opposite problem and on lifting days I am not as hungry on my non-lifting days.0 -
I just enter it into the database and round down slightly. For an hour of strength training, it gives me 170 burned so I make it 150.
Some people use the TDEE method and don't subtract calories from exercise. Good at least to know your TDEE so you don't end up going wildly over or under on days you exercise.0 -
I wear a BodyMedia FIT. :smokin:0
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Yep I know my TDEE from tons of sources and such. I'm a big spreadsheet nerd so I try to keep on top of my numbers and my weekly average per day is around my TDEE-20%. I guess my method doesn't matter when I pay such close attention anyway.
It also doesn't really matter what I log my lifting at either I guess. If my weight loss is not falling in line as expected, I adjust down.
Was just curious how other people handle it
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For me, TDEE -20% is just easier than all the other math. I log all my exercise as 1 calorie and just don't worry about it otherwise.0
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For me, TDEE -20% is just easier than all the other math. I log all my exercise as 1 calorie and just don't worry about it otherwise.
This is me. I don't log strength in MFP at all (though I like the one calorie idea). I log it in Fitocracy because POINTS!!!!!!, but I don't eat back exercise calories as a rule.0 -
laceynwilliams wrote: »For me, TDEE -20% is just easier than all the other math. I log all my exercise as 1 calorie and just don't worry about it otherwise.
This is me. I don't log strength in MFP at all (though I like the one calorie idea). I log it in Fitocracy because POINTS!!!!!!, but I don't eat back exercise calories as a rule.
If you do TDEE - 20% you don't eat back your exercise calories anyway as they're already included in the TDEE calculation.
I'm also a spreadsheet geek threnjen - so I monitor my intake, my weight, my mood, then adjust accordingly0 -
I use the fitbit entry for weightlifting. But really the 400 extra cals that I get from it won't have that big of an impact on my overall trend.0
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I'm a fitbit user too - I log it on fitbit as 30 mins of weight lifting - however long it takes me (never less tann 30 mins - anything upto an hour). I suspect fitbit over estimates the burn during exercise time - which is why i do this. But i know it'll underestimate the after burn - so I figure this has me covered.
But I'm big - I can have a large deficit without bad side effects. So I'm not currently micro managing things. I believe that will change as it lighter.0 -
I used to eat back my exercise calories as well. I liked being able to reward my efforts with food, and I was worried that if I didn't have the numbers to strive for, I wouldn't push as hard. Well, that wasn't the case!
I did a lot of research ahead of time because I was concerned about not getting the right number to start with. Turns out, my TDEE - 20% was about 1900 calories, and on the weeks I was losing weight and eating back my exercise calories, I was averaging 1900 calories a day! So there was my number.
Now, instead of eating 1350 on some days or 2800 on others (!!), I simply eat a consistent 1900. I'm able to have desert every day. Yum! I still work out as much as I was before and anything extra is a bonus.0 -
I'm so envious of your 1900, dang!
I can only eat 1550 daily if I switch to TDEE-20% method. I just can't decide if I want to do that, or if I like eating 1350 some days and 1750 on others.0 -
MissHolidayGolightly wrote: »I just enter it into the database and round down slightly. For an hour of strength training, it gives me 170 burned so I make it 150.
Some people use the TDEE method and don't subtract calories from exercise. Good at least to know your TDEE so you don't end up going wildly over or under on days you exercise.
Can anyone give example on what's in the data base? When I looked up the exercises in the SL 5x5 program I got 0 calories for all of them
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Under cardiovascular exercises, enter "strength" and choose the strength training/weight lifting option. If you enter the specific exercises under strength rather than cardio, you won't get any calories. Only good if you like tracking your routines that way.0
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"IllustratedxGirl wrote: »I did a lot of research ahead of time because I was concerned about not getting the right number to start with. Turns out, my TDEE - 20% was about 1900 calories, and on the weeks I was losing weight and eating back my exercise calories, I was averaging 1900 calories a day! So there was my number.
Now, instead of eating 1350 on some days or 2800 on others (!!), I simply eat a consistent 1900. I'm able to have desert every day. Yum! I still work out as much as I was before and anything extra is a bonus.
IllustratedxGir - did you find that you started losing more after you switched to TDEE? And, how long did you give the new method before you started seeing any changes?
I find myself switching back and forth between eating back exercise calories (using my Fitbit as a guide) and TDEE. I just can't seem to decide which one is better, and I've been stuck for about the past 6 weeks.
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