I think my #s are a lil bit off-- help appreciated!

roxy415

Okay so heres the scoop on me...
starting weight: 278
stall out weight: 178
goal weight: 160
height: 5'8
BF % (on f2f): 34.5%
BF % (on hand held impedence): 22.5%
^such a huge difference--- but because of consistency Ive been using the hand held...

I initially just increased protein and stopped eating junk--- somehow fell in love with working out-- started working out doing group fitness kettle bell routines and circuit training Tues/Thurs/sat with 1 hour of elliptical on alternating days-- usually took Sundays off. The weight seemed to just fall off -- fast!-- well 3 years into it I got down to 175 ish-- and I have not been able to budge for the last year and a half!! I still do those same training routines + a few bouts of cross fit during the last year and a half --- and I recently just added lifting-- i use heavy weights-- not quite to failure- but i do push my self to the burn---and backed the cardio/elliptical/treadmill to 30 min daily- or just do a zumba class for fun..... any way--- as for daily activity otherwise--- I go to school full time m/t/w/Th--- and Wednesday-- parking on campus is ridiculous so i choose to walk about a mile round trip-- and after school Im pretty much working out/ cleaning/ cooking or eating....and eventually sleeping..... not a bad gig--- well then......Friday I work an 8 hour shift in the OR and I am on my feet all but maybe 30 minutes of that day-- not constantly walking/running but a lot of times standing in the procedure -- but its 50/50 for movement vs standing in the same spot. Then I go ON CALL at the end of that 8 hour shift--- this typically extends my 8 hour shift into 10-12 hours of steady work for my friday. I remain on call until monday morning at 7 am -- which totally sux- because my actual work schedule varies.... but it has been looking like this: go to work in the OR at 12 am on saturday morning get off at 4 am sat morning--- go to work at 730am sat morning-- leave work 430pm on saturday--- go to work at 10pm on saturday get off at 230am sunday morning--- go to work at 0700 am on sunday morning and get off at 4 pm sunday---- go to work at 7 pm on sunday then come home at 10 pm on sunday---then if all goes well they LEAVE ME ALONE for the rest of the evening...... and during the weekends --- i literally do typically add my cardio-- 30 minutes maybe on saturday-- because i usually have to miss my kb routine on sat mornings now---but aside from this---I do nothing but work--- sleep--- and eat

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and this is when my diet falls all to hell-- i crave nothing but sugars and junk during the weekend--- mon-fri i feel so on point with eating healthfully.......

Well when I plugged my numbers into the f2f-- it was (not sure which one to use)-- I chose activity to be high-- i think -- is this wrong or?? what should i pick??

@34.5% BF
BMR: 1512
TDEE: 2640

@22.5% BF
BMR:1722
TDEE:3005

what should I consume? Not sure about macros either--- I think i just switched mine to bring more carbs back in -- as i have been very low low carb up until recently...I dont know which BF to use?? any and all help is and will be appreciated!!!

heybales

With a varied schedule like that I'd use the spreadsheet, and only need to roughly estimate your service trades standing time to couple hrs of accuracy. Which sounds like you can do.
And for that level of activity, standing and slow walking is about the same, so just count it all there.
Then add in your exercise and see what you get.
And I would do the measurements for bodyfat estimate, and whatever average is shown, add your handheld and get new avg and use that.

If all 3 calculated BF estimates are seperated by more than 5%, you'll just know current estimate is not correct, but best place to start.
As you lose inches, it'll tighten up usually. Though, looking at the list of measurements, you'll probably be able to guess which body part may be throwing 1 calc off compared to the others, and it may or may not lose much fat, you may know that body part is always bigger or smaller in proportion.

But what happens as it gets more accurate, your eating goes up or down to support that correction. So for avg of 3 calc's, it could even appear your BF goes up, when in reality it's just becoming more accurate. Or it goes down real fast too.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/813720-spreadsheet-bmr-tdee-deficit-macro-calcs-hrm-zones

roxy415

okay I did all of the above ---and the average BF was 28.5% --- I am pretty close with guestimating my activities--- i hope and it tells me:

BMR 1617
TDEE 2822
TDEG-- 15.8% deficit-- IDK - why it came up with that #--but:2376

but it says---- Carbs: 60%???? Protein: 20%??? Fat: 20%?? these seem like kinda crazy numbers?? 60% carbs? is that not too much?

Thanks for your help btw!!

heybales

So the handheld 22% must have been a bit lower than the % the 2 calc's came up with if avg is still at 29%.
So the handheld may always be off, or that will tighten up in accuracy. Avg still better than an extreme one way or another.
I'd suggest if over 10% difference, you measure every 2 weeks. If over 5% difference, every 3 weeks. If within 5%, monthly probably good enough, unless weight is dropping 5 lbs, in which case do it then if desired.

Deficit % was selected because you only have 18 lbs to go. Less to lose should be less deficit to help retain muscle mass.
And if not doing any real lifting that will help retain muscle mass, you get less deficit too.

The protein and fat recommendations are based on LBM, you can always go over those and lower amount of carbs.
But their % is already rounded up to nearest 5%.

So for your LBM, you can hit your TDEG with 60% carbs, and you'll be hitting your recommended protein and fat grams.

You can go to the Macros tab to see the actual numbers played out, and see how much they are rounded up.

You are indeed active. Must be a bit of walking around on those shifts then.

roxy415

yeah its alot of short distance back and forth running around--- basically running in circles lol-- but i definitely don't feel like i am "working out" while I am at work--- i mean my feet typically are sore by Monday-- but and muscle pain I attribute to my work outs throughout the week--- I really am unsure of how to get a solid lifting routine down--- if its not group oriented ie-- cross fit -- i feel kind of lost when it comes to free weights-- I have read a few different things about different routines and styles --and have narrowed it down to 2-3 full body weight training routines throughout the week + (not too demanding) cardio sessions after wards...again--- I feel like my form is really good when i do lift but I'm still trying to get past the awkwardness of being the only girl in the weight room --i know that is lame, but im working on overcoming it........ So I end up doing a lot of the machines.....not to failure but at probably 85% of max @ 3 sets of 8 -and for every movement I try to an alternate (ie push/pull)

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not sure if any of that makes sense or is even the "correct" way to do it--- but for me its all a learning experience

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As for macros--- I did plug the 60% carbs in mfp actually on 4/1-- (i was using the 23 % BF tho) -- but i haven't been able to hit that mark yet -- even on my completely way overboard on sugar day (Sunday-- i was so exhausted from work-- and felt as though i could eat anything caked in sugar)-- I am going to leave them as is --just lower the cals-- (although not by much- even with the 29% bf) --- I will definitely be keeping up with this -- im interested in seeing how this works! Thank you so much!

What do you think about the crazy eating crapful weekends?? just the awkward schedule? too much calorie deficit-??-- why is it primarily SUGAR that I want-- but i do fine throughout the week with more strenuous workouts???

heybales

Stress to your body with that schedule.
Since diet is a stress too, eating more reduces one of them at least.
And it may very well be with that kind of schedule, if snacks are wrong or meals awkward times, you are getting low blood sugar making you crave that.
Is diet meals or macros for the meals different on the weekend? Sleep occurs when with that schedule.

I learned long ago working night shift, you can always make up for sleep with food, for a time.

roxy415

yes definitely snacks are wrong and macros are way different-- only because i literally have no idea when my pager will go off-- and even if i prep the food in advance when i wake up at 2am to the page-- i have a 30 minute response time and honestly at that hour im doing good to brush my teeth let alone go to the refrigerator before i walk out the door- lol-- and unfortunately the lounge at work is well stocked with high carb-- i guess healthier alternatives-- ie nutrigrain bar/pb crackers/ and yogurts--- but once i start on that stuff i seem to lose sight of my off button-- totally frustrates me and stresses me further! im a lil bit ocd about diet--- its weird Im like all or none kind of person-- im working on changing that a too -- just a tough process for a recovering obese, out of control, binge eater! as for sleep--- it is always interrupted and its usually 2-4 hours at a time..... except when they leave me alone on sundays -- then its like---eat eat eat....zonk...... until monday

roxy415

just thought i would let you know -- I appreciate your help and your sheet-- i havent measured or anything yet but i feel more structured....and i am not quite sure what is going on with my hospital call-- but this weekend has been the BEST in over a year--I have actually had uninterrupted sleep 6-7 hours during the night-- so between that and the structured calorie intake I feel fantastic!

roxy415

well its only been a little over a week and I have not officially weighed and measured--but when I weighed on Friday I was 173.8.....which is pretty freaking awesome--- but I thought I would recheck after the weekend just to see how it would look-- it was 174-- freaking awesome!! I think upping and really tracking might work!!! Today is my birthday and I "planned" out my day-- I am hoping to follow pretty closely -- but not too too worried about it! I am excited!!