lifting and losing

heybales

When you are at maintenance and only then starting to lift do you eat more than your TDEE? Anyone? I start lifting in the first week of December and think I might be at maintenance then.

Well, TDEE is maintain really, so you would eat at your TDEE, but I think I know what you are asking.

But it really depends.

Are you dropping some exercise you are doing now that requires more calories, and doing the lifting instead?
Are you totally adding the lifting on top of other stuff you are doing?

So from your weight loss right up to the end, you'll know exactly what your avg deficit must have been, and know how much more to eat for maintenance, it is maintenance for that level of activity that caused your deficit.

Since that will change in some way when you start lifting, it could mean eating more or less.

Lifting takes less calories during the actual session. So if replacing cardio, you'll eat less.
But it burns more fat during the repair process. So just as commented here, eating at correct maintenance, you would be losing inches while LBM goes up, and hopefully muscle too, slowly but surely.

astrampe

When you are at maintenance and only then starting to lift do you eat more than your TDEE? Anyone? I start lifting in the first week of December and think I might be at maintenance then.

Depends on what your goals are....I am still eating at a small deficit, and I definitely have build "newbie" muscles - and ya,ya,ya, the experts will tell me its impossible, thanks...

But you will see differences in you body inches wise even at maintenance - I still cant get over the completely different shape everything looks......
I don't think it's a good idea to immediately start "bulking" above your TDEE if you have not lifted before....Start doing it at maintenance and take time to see what it does to your body....

mockchoc

When you are at maintenance and only then starting to lift do you eat more than your TDEE? Anyone? I start lifting in the first week of December and think I might be at maintenance then.

Well, TDEE is maintain really, so you would eat at your TDEE, but I think I know what you are asking.

But it really depends.

Are you dropping some exercise you are doing now that requires more calories, and doing the lifting instead?
Are you totally adding the lifting on top of other stuff you are doing?

So from your weight loss right up to the end, you'll know exactly what your avg deficit must have been, and know how much more to eat for maintenance, it is maintenance for that level of activity that caused your deficit.

Since that will change in some way when you start lifting, it could mean eating more or less.

Lifting takes less calories during the actual session. So if replacing cardio, you'll eat less.
But it burns more fat during the repair process. So just as commented here, eating at correct maintenance, you would be losing inches while LBM goes up, and hopefully muscle too, slowly but surely.

Thanks Heybales. I power walk about 7 days a week and was thinking to drop it to maybe 5 days plus do 3 days of weights. I use a fitbit and at the moment eat back 10% less than I burned total the day before so I was going to get rid of the 10% deficit at maintenance and work out how much I burn lifting either through what MFP says or buying a heart rate monitor. Think I should get one? I'd like to be able to eat more, love my food so I guess I should keep walking 7 days plus do the lifting. I'll have a gym pass then so will end up using cardio machines there.

heybales

Thanks Heybales. I power walk about 7 days a week and was thinking to drop it to maybe 5 days plus do 3 days of weights. I use a fitbit and at the moment eat back 10% less than I burned total the day before so I was going to get rid of the 10% deficit at maintenance and work out how much I burn lifting either through what MFP says or buying a heart rate monitor. Think I should get one? I'd like to be able to eat more, love my food so I guess I should keep walking 7 days plus do the lifting. I'll have a gym pass then so will end up using cardio machines there.

MFP estimate of lifting will actually be your best bet.

FitBit formula's for movement are useless for lifting, basically non-movement for some of it, way too much for others.
HRM calorie calc's are only valid for steady-state aerobic exercise, useless for anaerobic like lifting is.

I have a HRM valid for lifting, because it basically just doesn't log the anaerobic high HR part, and the MFP estimate has always been within 25 calories of that when I've measured.

And this with no aerobics being thrown in between the lifts thinking it's helping something, which it doesn't. Except help make your lifts weaker from lack of recovery between them.

That level of walking is just fine for recovery, as long as HR is staying in the Active Recovery HR zone, incorrectly called fat-burning zone. If it's higher than that, just slow down a tad.
And walking after the lifting would be fine too. But before could just leave you weaker for stronger lifts.

FitBit is very valid for calories for walking. I'd agree on 5 days. And even with that drop, you'll still be able to eat more at maintenance.

And actually, as your LBM improves and fat drops more, even with no weight changes, you will be able to eat more.

Now that's where the FitBit is perhaps going to fail and give underestimated calorie counts. It's purely going on bodyweight, with no knowledge of having higher metabolism because the weight is LBM.

But you'll know as soon as you lose weight, you can eat more. Should only lose inches.

wmagoo27

Slow and steady. Make small changes and give it a couple of weeks to adjust. I'd wait a couple more weeks where you are at, and then start making adjustments to the amount of cardio you do. Add a cardio session, wait a few weeks and see what happens. It will take some time to find the right balance of lifting, cardio, calories, rest, etc.

mockchoc

Astrampe, yes I can't wait to see the changes in my body!

Haybales, Ok shall do the 5 days walking and won't bother with the HR monitor also will keep in mind about the fitbit when I have more LBM. Great advice as always