calorie burn second opinion?

affacat

five days a week, i do a 3 hour run/walk workout

time spent at each interval, plus MFP estimate

2.0 mph: 3 minutes, 9 cal
2.5 mph: 6 minutes, 20 cal
3.0 mph: 6 minutes, 44 cal
3.5 mph: 9 minutes, 39 cal
4.0 mph: 90 minutes, 510 cal
4.5 mph: 18 minutes, 129 cal
5.0 mph: 12 minutes, 109 cal
5.5 mph: 18 minutes, 178 cal
6.0 mph: 18 minutes, 204 cal
(almost exactly 13 miles in total)

(i'm using 2 programs on a treadmill, a 20 minute 'fast' one mostly at 5.5/6.0, then a 40 minute slow one mostly at 4.0, and cycle through each one 3 times each). no break between any of them. the fast ones work up a sweat. i have bad knees and am concerned about changing this routine due to risk of injury. i also do limited strength training m/w/f and am definitely gaining strength.

my machine tells me a ridiculously high number, but this site and others put my cal burn at around 1,242 cals per day.

does that seem like a reasonable estimate?

i ask because I seem to have plateaued for the past month and a half, despite holding to a very strict diet.

i believe my
BMR is: 1543
TDEE is: 2662
(mifflin/st. jeor second highest setting for 'strenuous')

i am 38, male, 65.5 inches tall, 150/151 pounds, large frame.

and eat around 1600-1800 cals in a day. i recently switched out some higher sugar items in my diet (like grapes) for low sugar replacements (blueberries) and decreased my dessert a bit and added a post workout cliff bar for protein... so today i'll be at 1700 cals and should hit that number every day because i never cheat on my regime and measure everything i eat to the gram.

typing this all out, i realize my cal intake is probably too close to my BMR (which i just figured out a couple days ago), but i'm basically eating food all day (including two huge salads with protein for double dinners)... and i'm hesitant to raise my cal intake because i'm not exactly losing weight. i'm concerned my workout estimate is way off.

i'm only trying to lose another 5-10 pounds, tops, but man, it's not going anywhere. i'm just stuck here despite putting 3 - 3.5 hours into my workout 5 days a week. i've dropped just over 20 pounds since starting. i've only been off diet for like 3 days in the past 5 months due to travel, but even then i wasn't far off.

is it possible my body is just so used to doing this workout that i 'can do it in my sleep' and now burn less cals?

affacat

bump?

phjorg1

that looks about right for calorie burn. Don't forget though you have about a 120-150cal/hour from BMR that has to be subtracted from that...

here's the thing though, body as a great ability to adapt to workouts an try to achieve stasis. Especially when you're right around a normal average weight and bodyfat level.

the only really ways to keep progress continuing is to continually challenge yourself further.

think of it this way, if doing the same old thing every day for lots of time mattered, then anyone doing heavy labour or people like mailmen should in theory be the fittest and lowest bodyfat people on the planet. Since they do it for 40+ hours a week. Obviously this is not true, they come in all shapes and sizes as well.. It's because they don't challenge themself, they just do the same routine daily.

_SABOTEUR_

Your muscles will certainly get used to the exercise and will not develop. The cardio burn will also decrease as you weight goes down.

Do you think you have perhaps lost muscle mass? Would you consider adding weight training and cutting the cardio back?

Also, curious as to why you believe you have 5-10lbs to lose? I realise I have set my goal as 11lbs away, but it gets pretty arbitrary when you are that close to goal and it might be better to just take photos of yourself and measurements.

MireyGal76

I'd cut back on the cardiovascular and incorporate some weights or resistance training. 3 hours is a long time to spend on the treadmill, and I can't imagine how you aren't bored with it yet. Even if you did an hour of cardio and an hour of weights, you'd likely see a difference.

And while they are not the be all and end all... Maybe try wearing an Hrm for a few workouts to see whether it's close to either of the estimates you're getting from MFP.

I'D HIGHLY ENCOURAGE VARIETY. Mix up what you're doing. Keeps things fresh for your body AND your mind.

Oh and push hard. If you were doing 4mph, bump to 4.5mph. Keep challenging yourself.

jofjltncb6

You run on a treadmill for 3-3.5 hours a day, 5 days per week?

May no one *ever* question your commitment. (If I do more than 20 minutes on a treadmill, I start imagining creative ways to injure myself/create a diversion so I can stop and escape.)

Oh, sure, they may question your approach, but certainly not your commitment.

jzammetti

five days a week, i do a 3 hour run/walk workout

time spent at each interval, plus MFP estimate

2.0 mph: 3 minutes, 9 cal
2.5 mph: 6 minutes, 20 cal
3.0 mph: 6 minutes, 44 cal
3.5 mph: 9 minutes, 39 cal
4.0 mph: 90 minutes, 510 cal
4.5 mph: 18 minutes, 129 cal
5.0 mph: 12 minutes, 109 cal
5.5 mph: 18 minutes, 178 cal
6.0 mph: 18 minutes, 204 cal
(almost exactly 13 miles in total)

(i'm using 2 programs on a treadmill, a 20 minute 'fast' one mostly at 5.5/6.0, then a 40 minute slow one mostly at 4.0, and cycle through each one 3 times each). no break between any of them. the fast ones work up a sweat. i have bad knees and am concerned about changing this routine due to risk of injury. i also do limited strength training m/w/f and am definitely gaining strength.

my machine tells me a ridiculously high number, but this site and others put my cal burn at around 1,242 cals per day.

does that seem like a reasonable estimate?

i ask because I seem to have plateaued for the past month and a half, despite holding to a very strict diet.

i believe my
BMR is: 1543
TDEE is: 2662
(mifflin/st. jeor second highest setting for 'strenuous')

i am 38, male, 65.5 inches tall, 150/151 pounds, large frame.

and eat around 1600-1800 cals in a day. i recently switched out some higher sugar items in my diet (like grapes) for low sugar replacements (blueberries) and decreased my dessert a bit and added a post workout cliff bar for protein... so today i'll be at 1700 cals and should hit that number every day because i never cheat on my regime and measure everything i eat to the gram.

typing this all out, i realize my cal intake is probably too close to my BMR (which i just figured out a couple days ago), but i'm basically eating food all day (including two huge salads with protein for double dinners)... and i'm hesitant to raise my cal intake because i'm not exactly losing weight. i'm concerned my workout estimate is way off.

i'm only trying to lose another 5-10 pounds, tops, but man, it's not going anywhere. i'm just stuck here despite putting 3 - 3.5 hours into my workout 5 days a week. i've dropped just over 20 pounds since starting. i've only been off diet for like 3 days in the past 5 months due to travel, but even then i wasn't far off.

is it possible my body is just so used to doing this workout that i 'can do it in my sleep' and now burn less cals?

I burned over 1500 calories running 11.5 miles so I do not think your numbers are off by much. Mine was done with an HRM.

I think you nailed it, however, when you said you may not be eating enough. I agree. I eat 2000 calories a day and I am female, 5'2", 125 pounds and workout hard 3 times a week, about 90 minutes each time HIIT and weight training. I run distance on my rest weeks from weight training.

jonnythan

five days a week, i do a 3 hour run/walk workout

time spent at each interval, plus MFP estimate

2.0 mph: 3 minutes, 9 cal
2.5 mph: 6 minutes, 20 cal
3.0 mph: 6 minutes, 44 cal
3.5 mph: 9 minutes, 39 cal
4.0 mph: 90 minutes, 510 cal
4.5 mph: 18 minutes, 129 cal
5.0 mph: 12 minutes, 109 cal
5.5 mph: 18 minutes, 178 cal
6.0 mph: 18 minutes, 204 cal
(almost exactly 13 miles in total)

(i'm using 2 programs on a treadmill, a 20 minute 'fast' one mostly at 5.5/6.0, then a 40 minute slow one mostly at 4.0, and cycle through each one 3 times each). no break between any of them. the fast ones work up a sweat. i have bad knees and am concerned about changing this routine due to risk of injury. i also do limited strength training m/w/f and am definitely gaining strength.

my machine tells me a ridiculously high number, but this site and others put my cal burn at around 1,242 cals per day.

does that seem like a reasonable estimate?

i ask because I seem to have plateaued for the past month and a half, despite holding to a very strict diet.

i believe my
BMR is: 1543
TDEE is: 2662
(mifflin/st. jeor second highest setting for 'strenuous')

i am 38, male, 65.5 inches tall, 150/151 pounds, large frame.

and eat around 1600-1800 cals in a day. i recently switched out some higher sugar items in my diet (like grapes) for low sugar replacements (blueberries) and decreased my dessert a bit and added a post workout cliff bar for protein... so today i'll be at 1700 cals and should hit that number every day because i never cheat on my regime and measure everything i eat to the gram.

typing this all out, i realize my cal intake is probably too close to my BMR (which i just figured out a couple days ago), but i'm basically eating food all day (including two huge salads with protein for double dinners)... and i'm hesitant to raise my cal intake because i'm not exactly losing weight. i'm concerned my workout estimate is way off.

i'm only trying to lose another 5-10 pounds, tops, but man, it's not going anywhere. i'm just stuck here despite putting 3 - 3.5 hours into my workout 5 days a week. i've dropped just over 20 pounds since starting. i've only been off diet for like 3 days in the past 5 months due to travel, but even then i wasn't far off.

is it possible my body is just so used to doing this workout that i 'can do it in my sleep' and now burn less cals?

I cannot imagine what makes you think you have to exercise that much. It also seems you're running ridiculously big calorie deficits.

Open your diary.

affacat

that looks about right for calorie burn. Don't forget though you have about a 120-150cal/hour from BMR that has to be subtracted from that...

here's the thing though, body as a great ability to adapt to workouts an try to achieve stasis. Especially when you're right around a normal average weight and bodyfat level.

the only really ways to keep progress continuing is to continually challenge yourself further.

think of it this way, if doing the same old thing every day for lots of time mattered, then anyone doing heavy labour or people like mailmen should in theory be the fittest and lowest bodyfat people on the planet. Since they do it for 40+ hours a week. Obviously this is not true, they come in all shapes and sizes as well.. It's because they don't challenge themself, they just do the same routine daily.

i kind of feared this possibility. my worry is that generally speaking, every time i change my workout i risk knee/ankle injury due to previous issues. fitness wise i know i could up a significantly more rigorous routine, but ankle/knee wise i'd be risking putting myself out of commission for weeks. not definite, but a definite risk.

Hezzietiger1

buy a polar ft7 on amazon for $70..

jofjltncb6

that looks about right for calorie burn. Don't forget though you have about a 120-150cal/hour from BMR that has to be subtracted from that...

here's the thing though, body as a great ability to adapt to workouts an try to achieve stasis. Especially when you're right around a normal average weight and bodyfat level.

the only really ways to keep progress continuing is to continually challenge yourself further.

think of it this way, if doing the same old thing every day for lots of time mattered, then anyone doing heavy labour or people like mailmen should in theory be the fittest and lowest bodyfat people on the planet. Since they do it for 40+ hours a week. Obviously this is not true, they come in all shapes and sizes as well.. It's because they don't challenge themself, they just do the same routine daily.

i kind of feared this possibility. my worry is that generally speaking, every time i change my workout i risk knee/ankle injury due to previous issues. fitness wise i know i could up a significantly more rigorous routine, but ankle/knee wise i'd be risking putting myself out of commission for weeks. not definite, but a definite risk.

Wha??? I'm not a doctor, but I'd guess your running 3-3.5 hours per day 5 days per week is the number one suspect if/when you have any knee/ankle issues.

ETA: But I'll acknowledge that I might just be bitter since I'm sidelines with patellar fasciitis because I increased my mileage/elevation too quickly and then thought I could work through the "stiffness" for a few weeks. /maybenotbitter

DavPul

I rate this thread 8.9 DAFUQs.

Cardio should not require a multi-page spreadsheet.

affacat

I cannot imagine what makes you think you have to exercise that much. It also seems you're running ridiculously big calorie deficits.

Open your diary.

Diary Open. Today and yesterday should be used. I only joined recently and previous days were entered as i was getting used to the system. Now I enter exactly what i eat, having added entries for everything. My diet is pretty much exactly the same every day, with negligible variance. This week I also added a cliff bar to up my cals/protein and lowered my dessert.

My 'dinner' is actually eaten in two sessions (split down the middle), a couple hours apart.

RE: why. Well, I started slow and added. I've kept to pretty much the same diet since the beginning, with minor alterations (such as recently adjusting my sugar intake). At this point, I'm fit. Just still have a (small) gut... i can feel iron abs underneath, but it's a gut nonetheless.

I started all this w/o resources. I just chose a diet i knew i could stick to, and started exercising and lost around 22 pounds. Now I'm researching and trying to finish the job.

Do you think you have perhaps lost muscle mass? Would you consider adding weight training and cutting the cardio back?

Also, curious as to why you believe you have 5-10lbs to lose? I realise I have set my goal as 11lbs away, but it gets pretty arbitrary when you are that close to goal and it might be better to just take photos of yourself and measurements.

I haven't lost any muscle mass, I've definitely gained. Yes, I'd consider adding some weight training but all i have available is a resistance machine (w/pulleys) and some hand weights.

I'm guessing at 5-10 pounds. I have a big build for a short guy, and I'm at 150 now. Most resources say i should weight 135 or so, but i know that's ridiculous for my build. Somewhere in the 140-145 range is my guess as to where I need to be. My scale claims my current bf% is 20%, so dropping that 5% to 15% would be 7.5 pounds. I care more about the mirror than the scale, but they do have correlation.

You run on a treadmill for 3-3.5 hours a day, 5 days per week?

May no one *ever* question your commitment. (If I do more than 20 minutes on a treadmill, I start imagining creative ways to injure myself/create a diversion so I can stop and escape.)

Oh, sure, they may question your approach, but certainly not your commitment.

Lol, Yea, 3 hours no problem. I used to bike all the time for longer than that. The other half an hour or so is my limited non-treadmill activity m/w/f. I should probably up that, based on postings here, but my goal was only to retain muscle (and i'm actually gaining it).

I rate this thread 8.9 DAFUQs.

Cardio should not require a multi-page spreadsheet.

Sorry man, I posted what I do. Seemed to make the most sense.

ValerieMomof2

I am just going to be blunt. There is NO WAY you should be eating that little for that amount of activity.
A lot of people who are struggling losing or have hit a plateau find that when the INCREASE their calories, the weight starts to come off. You are being very strict and almost obsessive

DavPul

I rate this thread 8.9 DAFUQs.

Cardio should not require a multi-page spreadsheet.

Sorry man, I posted what I do. Seemed to make the most sense.

let's not over complicate this. there's no reason to do that much cardio, there's no reason to track it by speed per 5 minute intervals, there's no reason to have a deficit this big. i strongly suggest you rethink things.

EVERYTHING

DopeItUp

(If I do more than 20 minutes on a treadmill, I start imagining creative ways to injure myself/create a diversion so I can stop and escape.)

Yup. I usually shoot for 30 minutes. By minute 15 I'm pondering setting fire to the house so I can find something better to do. By minute 25 I'm wondering if I can lynch myself from the joists in the ceiling as I'm still running. For the last 5 minutes I'm staring at the timer, begging it to move faster.

Crankstr

(If I do more than 20 minutes on a treadmill, I start imagining creative ways to injure myself/create a diversion so I can stop and escape.)

Yup. I usually shoot for 30 minutes. By minute 15 I'm pondering setting fire to the house so I can find something better to do. By minute 25 I'm wondering if I can lynch myself from the joists in the ceiling as I'm still running. For the last 5 minutes I'm staring at the timer, begging it to move faster.

watch something stimulating.

jofjltncb6

(If I do more than 20 minutes on a treadmill, I start imagining creative ways to injure myself/create a diversion so I can stop and escape.)

Yup. I usually shoot for 30 minutes. By minute 15 I'm pondering setting fire to the house so I can find something better to do. By minute 25 I'm wondering if I can lynch myself from the joists in the ceiling as I'm still running. For the last 5 minutes I'm staring at the timer, begging it to move faster.

watch something stimulating.

Uh, Crank, he was talking about running on a treadmill.

Sounds like you thought he was talking about something else.

DopeItUp

(If I do more than 20 minutes on a treadmill, I start imagining creative ways to injure myself/create a diversion so I can stop and escape.)

Yup. I usually shoot for 30 minutes. By minute 15 I'm pondering setting fire to the house so I can find something better to do. By minute 25 I'm wondering if I can lynch myself from the joists in the ceiling as I'm still running. For the last 5 minutes I'm staring at the timer, begging it to move faster.

watch something stimulating.

I record Destroyed in Seconds but that only holds my attention for about 20 minutes, tops. Without that I'd be even worse!

affacat

let's not over complicate this. there's no reason to do that much cardio, there's no reason to track it by speed per 5 minute intervals, there's no reason to have a deficit this big. i strongly suggest you rethink things.

EVERYTHING

i think you don't understand what i posted. i just broke down the minutes per speed of the treadmill program i do, rather than just say 'well, it ranges from 4.0 to 6.0'. i was trying to get an accurate cal count, and if i wasn't specific, how could anyone answer me?

as for the deficit, i had no idea i had such a deficit until only a couple a days ago when i joined this site. i started this diet months and months ago, and am never hungry. i started with 40 minutes on the treadmill, and upped it as i regained my fitness. i was losing weight at what seemed a fairly consistent, safe rate (around 1.5 pounds a week) and since i never felt hungry, i saw no reason to add food. my dinner is huge. i mean, i can eat a ton normally and the salads i eat are gigantic and filling. at no point during the day am i even remotely hungry.

as i said in my original post, i realize i'm eating too little, but i only realized that because of this site. so um, maybe be a little more chill about it? i'm posting here because i'm TRYING to get everything in line. your posts seem more aggressive than helpful.

affacat

so, i added about 370 cals to my breakfast starting today. steel cut oats, some berries, etc.

i also switched up my run to 60 minutes at 6mph. (plus a couple minutes warmup/cooldown)
however, i could easily do another 30 minutes to hour at that rate... i just finished my hour and feel like i should do more... some of you seem to think 3 hours is too long... is an hour and half or two hours?

i mean, i'm used to going 13 miles and i've only gone 6. so. yea. i feel underwhelmed. however, between lowering exercise (estimated 680 cals burned) and upping my breakfast, my cals seem more in line with recommendations.

(i'm at 2059 cals, my tdee is 2662, my workout is 680, my recommend goal at 20% = 2129, and i feel like i'm eating a huge breakfast/dinner and a reasonable lunch).

so... sound better? or does 90 minutes at 6mph sound even better? can i go to 2 hours at 6mph or does that sound like too much?

ValerieMomof2

I would cut back the cardio and add in strength training. You certainly do not need 90+ min of intense cardio. Are you training for anything in particular? If you are training for a half or full marathon then that's one thing, but if not, you should mix up your routine and add in strength or HIIT. You are really putting yourself at risk for overtraining.

affacat

I would cut back the cardio and add in strength training. You certainly do not need 90+ min of intense cardio. Are you training for anything in particular? If you are training for a half or full marathon then that's one thing, but if not, you should mix up your routine and add in strength or HIIT. You are really putting yourself at risk for overtraining.

i'm not training for anything. my original (non-researched) goal was to cut my excess weight, get back to thin, and then find a maintenance plan that worked. lost around 22 pounds, and then plateaued, so joined this site to figure it out.

as i mentioned in the previous post, i only did 60 min today. i'd rather do 90, but if 60 seems sufficient to everyone, i guess i can do 60. i will increase my strength training, though honestly i'm already happy with my strength/musculature. i just have a small tire round my belly and sides (not back), and a little under my armpits that won't go away. due to my build, if i have a shirt on i'm sure anyone looking would think i'm just fine, but without, i definitely have a (small) gut.

i upped my intake cals, increased intensity of my workout, lowered time spent, and will add to strength m/w/f and see where it takes me. i fear i'll likely add a couple pounds first due to increasing my breakfast while decreasing my total cals burned, but if tdee is to be believed, long term it should work.

i'm not really sure how much to add to my strength training, but given i now have a couple more hours per day, i'll probably add in another 40 minutes or so m/w/f.

ValerieMomof2

Strength training will be better for getting rid of the body fat since muscle increases your metabolism. I don't want to keep harping on it and honestly, you should do what makes you happy, but since joining this site, I have learned a lot. All cardio and nothing else is not going to get you where you want. It will help you lose, yes. No doubt it will help you get started but MANY MANY people post about how strength training has benefited them in decreasing body fat% . Good luck to you

dkhuff1

Go get the book New Rules Of Lifting. Most Libraries and Varnes and Noble have it. Read the part about metabolic training. It is well documented that long distance runners lose muscle massnas they trAin and have to really work at keeping their lean muscle mass. Do less cardio and kore weight training and interval training-- and constantly mix it up. The weight will come off. And I would eat more protein--small amounts of lean protein every 4 hours or so except when sleeping. It will help. Good luck.