Tips that I have learned on this journey
fiveohmike
Posts: 1,297 Member
Hey Guys,
Some of you have followed me from when I started until today. I think I am 6 weeks in this week. This week was a stale week (only lost .2lbs, and no inches) but I have attributed it to a few things that I will test out.
1. I recently upped my workouts, so I think I have netted under my BMR. So now I have re-adjusted my calculators and upped my calorie intake
2. I found that me, and it seems a LOT of people on here have a hard time "guesstimating" both their exercise and calories needs.
We all have the Scooby Calculator to find out our TDEE, however we have to be honest when we fill it out or we get incorrect numbers.
To me, and I am guilty of this, I think I have been doing the following:
1. Underestimating my activity level
2. Overestimating the amount of food I have eaten.
I finally came to the grips that I am more than light activity level (I do 3-5 hours of workouts a week, but have a sedentary job). However the Sedentary job does not matter as I am still doing 30-60 minutes of 120+ heart-rate workouts a week. That's considered moderately active.
So I think I have fixed #1.
To test my theory of number 2, I went to Target and bought a digital food scale, and a set of measuring scoops. Every meal, for the past 5 days I have either weighed or measured (unless its a single serving container).
After doing this for 5 days, I found that I was CONSISTENTLY underestimating my food intake by as much as 15%!! So instead of me thinking I was eating 3000 calories, I was in fact taking in roughly 2550 calories!!!! That IS my BMR. So adding that to exercise, I was netting below my BMR for a while it seems.
So now with those two tools, and being honest about my activity level I am finally consistent (starting today) with both my activity level and caloric intake.
I just wanted to share this with you for anyone who is "guesstimating" or "ballparking" their calorie intake, that you may be way off both low or high.
This really is a science, as you can measure pretty much every calorie going into your body.
To do this lifestyle change I STRONGLY urge everyone to do the following things:
1. Be honest with your activity levels
2. Get a digital food scale, and measuring cups/spoons/glasses
3. Be Ultra consistent
*Kiki ramble mode off*
Mike
Some of you have followed me from when I started until today. I think I am 6 weeks in this week. This week was a stale week (only lost .2lbs, and no inches) but I have attributed it to a few things that I will test out.
1. I recently upped my workouts, so I think I have netted under my BMR. So now I have re-adjusted my calculators and upped my calorie intake
2. I found that me, and it seems a LOT of people on here have a hard time "guesstimating" both their exercise and calories needs.
We all have the Scooby Calculator to find out our TDEE, however we have to be honest when we fill it out or we get incorrect numbers.
To me, and I am guilty of this, I think I have been doing the following:
1. Underestimating my activity level
2. Overestimating the amount of food I have eaten.
I finally came to the grips that I am more than light activity level (I do 3-5 hours of workouts a week, but have a sedentary job). However the Sedentary job does not matter as I am still doing 30-60 minutes of 120+ heart-rate workouts a week. That's considered moderately active.
So I think I have fixed #1.
To test my theory of number 2, I went to Target and bought a digital food scale, and a set of measuring scoops. Every meal, for the past 5 days I have either weighed or measured (unless its a single serving container).
After doing this for 5 days, I found that I was CONSISTENTLY underestimating my food intake by as much as 15%!! So instead of me thinking I was eating 3000 calories, I was in fact taking in roughly 2550 calories!!!! That IS my BMR. So adding that to exercise, I was netting below my BMR for a while it seems.
So now with those two tools, and being honest about my activity level I am finally consistent (starting today) with both my activity level and caloric intake.
I just wanted to share this with you for anyone who is "guesstimating" or "ballparking" their calorie intake, that you may be way off both low or high.
This really is a science, as you can measure pretty much every calorie going into your body.
To do this lifestyle change I STRONGLY urge everyone to do the following things:
1. Be honest with your activity levels
2. Get a digital food scale, and measuring cups/spoons/glasses
3. Be Ultra consistent
*Kiki ramble mode off*
Mike
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Replies
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Wow thanks Mike...I love ure honesty and thank you so much for ure tips!! :-)0
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lol Kiki ramble mode is always good!
Has it been six weeks already?? Wow... and you've come SO FAR!! Love it!
The tips are perfect and I couldn't be happier for you and the amazing progress you've done. Can't wait to see where you'll be in six more weeks!0 -
Ya I just hope everyone takes them to heart, as it should maximize the results
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*Kiki ramble mode off*
bwahahahahaha........
mike, good stuff there. i think we may have joined the same day. six weeks yesterday for me. good times.
eta: i have a set of measuring spoons and cups at each of my offices (and at home, of course). and i frequently have a tablespoon in my purse, lol. i don't play.0 -
Hit it right on the head for me...
1. Underestimating my activity level
2. Overestimating the amount of food I have eaten.
These 2 were my big problems too, so when I started getting serious I actually purchased this scale from amazon as it got the best reviews out of most of the ones I looked at and was affordable
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001N07KUE/ref=oh_details_o00_s01_i00
As well as getting an fitbit in the mail to get an idea of what I do for day use(its on its way), and also plan on getting a HRM in the near future as a lot of my workouts involve cardio as well.0 -
Great tips!! Thank you!! I tend to buy items in already-portioned sizes, so I haven't weighed or measured much. I'm going to be making pulled pork bbq in a few weeks, though, so I need to break out the scale. 0
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I'd go crazy trying to figure out how much I was eating without my scale!0
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Oh and this work the other way to, for underestimating.
I was just making a PBJ sammich, and tested it out....I slapped out what I thought was 2 TBsp of Peanut butter (2 servings) and 1 serving of Jelly
Well I was under by .7 servings on the PBJ and over by 1 serving on the jelly.
Just goes to show. You gotta measure that. From a guys perspective....you gotta think of you body as a hot sexy badass sports car....im sure a **** guaranteeing you I measure EVERYTHING I put into it cause I want to maximize its power and longevity.0 -
Good stuff!!!! Scales rule....My batteries ran out the other day and I just about was rocking and shaking till I got new ones! Yip I'm a self confessed OCD eater. It also interesting if you weigh a tablespoon of something like peanut butter vs a scooped tablespoon....can add a few cals just there.0
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Such great tips!! I was definitely underestimating my food until I got a digital food scale! And I find that weighing in volume is soooo precise. I used to measure out my sunflower seeds in a 1/4 cup but when I began measuring in grams, I found I wasn't eating a full serving!
Keep up the great work and sharing the awesome tips!!
BTW, I didn't realize you were in Livermore! I'm in the San Joaquin valley!!0 -
Such great tips!! I was definitely underestimating my food until I got a digital food scale! And I find that weighing in volume is soooo precise. I used to measure out my sunflower seeds in a 1/4 cup but when I began measuring in grams, I found I wasn't eating a full serving!
Keep up the great work and sharing the awesome tips!!
BTW, I didn't realize you were in Livermore! I'm in the San Joaquin valley!!
Nice! Feels like most people are east coast...feel like a loner on the west coast 0 -
Great tips Mike. I have my scale and I use it ALL THE TIME it drives my family crazy. I figured out that weighing my shredded cheese gives gives me 1 oz. unlike 1/4 cup.
I am having a hard time figuring my activity level,:
1. NROLFW MWF
2. Walking 3 miles on Saturdays, at 4 mph
3. Breastfeeding an 11 month old.
4. Mom to 6 children, 5 of which are boys.
I am set at lightly active.0 -
Awesome post! And I'm sure I'm either over or under estimating as I try to eyeball everything. And I have NO excuse as I have a digital scale and measuring spoons! I'll take your advice as a slap on the hand and get to measuring!0
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Great tips Mike. I have my scale and I use it ALL THE TIME it drives my family crazy. I figured out that weighing my shredded cheese gives gives me 1 oz. unlike 1/4 cup.
I am having a hard time figuring my activity level,:
1. NROLFW MWF
2. Walking 3 miles on Saturdays, at 4 mph
3. Breastfeeding an 11 month old.
4. Mom to 6 children, 5 of which are boys.
I am set at lightly active.
#4 alone would make it at least moderately active IMO!
Wow you are busy!
Seriously though, lightly active is probably not correct....but I'm not an expert...anyone??0 -
GREAT stuff Mike and like everyone else, I can't believe it's been SIX weeks for you!!:drinker:
I'm good with measuring after YEARS of Weight Watchers so food is not an issue for me.
But ya got me thinkin' about how accurately I rated my exercise.......I just added up my average week of exercise and came up with 10 hours! I used lightly active for my TDEE.
I'm going to keep an eye on things..... I used Light because I usually "rest" all afternoon to recover from all this exercise (due to MS). I can't quite imagine eating MORE but we shall see......
Thanks for the eye-opening!! And sincerest Congrats to my freakin' hero (now my badass hero!!)
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Zukkiz, you are moderately active AT LEAST! Running after all those boys and doing their laundry ranks you there I would bet!! I sit at a desk 8-10 hours a day, and work out hard for 60-90 minutes to burn at total of 2500 cals. On a Saturday, just doing errands, laundry and unloading the dish washer...without a strenuous work out at all, I burn 2500 cals. And that is based on my BodyMediaFIT.0
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kiki would be proud hehehe
Well done ... i realised that same about exercise and upped mine and also the scales ... i was over estimating a lot of stuff ... I think half the time I was so happy to eat that i would put more on and think in my head that that is about right ... so not!!!
Thanks heaps Mike0 -
So I went to scooby and it gave me 2309 for my TDEE, Which is 255 more. So with adding my 300 for breastfeeding, that would be 2609. 2609. I usually eat a total of 2354 a day including bf.
One day I over ate and came in with about 2550 calories. My milk production the next day was phenomenal.
I am a little nervous to up because I am down 2 since being at my current TDEE. That's in 3 weeks. I am losing inches too. Hmm.0 -
Bit the bullet and upped them. I was starving for the second day in a row.0
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Bit the bullet and upped them. I was starving for the second day in a row.
Good job!
Thanks for all the comments guys! I just want everyone to be successful at this.
I hope me hitting a wall, and then doing mad research will help everyone figure out if they are missing targets, not eating enough, eating too much, underestimating exercise ect.
For both of the people on here who asked about their activity level, definitely sounds like moderately active!0
