Need suggestions for cals

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alanabeehave
alanabeehave Posts: 65
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all :)
I should probably start with my stats. I'm 5'2, 149lbs, 29 year-old female.
I've been going hard with a PT for about 7 months now with average progress (15lbs) We were training (calisthenics, hiit, weights, tabata, crossfit-style) 3-4 times a week. On off days I would stay active most of the day and bike either to work (16km) or around the city, just for fun (sometimes 20km) I waitress 4-5 days a week in a really busy diner, walk my dog twice a day and always walk or bike to run errands. On average I'm full of energy and am always looking for ways to deal with it.
The problem is, I've felt the effects of overtraining three times now where I could barely leave my bed for two weeks. The mere though of biking repulsed me! I really want to keep up with being active without this happening. I try to fit rests days but they're still pretty active with my job, commuting and such.. I've been twiddling with my cals but have not noticed a significant difference. All I know is if I dip lower than 1600, I don't have the energy to function. I hardly lose 1/2 pound per two weeks.
So my new plan is to cut down on the activity. I'm going to work with my trainer 3/week and try to bike long distances maybe twice. My diet is pretty healthy and I try to stay within my macros. But I'm wondering how many calories should I really eat?? This is what confuses me the most. I'm constantly questioning if I'm eating too lil to sustain my lifestyle or too much to achieve weight loss. I'm wondering if I should eat low on non-training days and a bit more on training days? Or if I should eat the same amount regardless of activity? Ive tried so many ways, I'm starting to get frustrated because I haven't found what works for me.
My goal is 135lbs, for now, so 14lbs more pounds until I reach my first big goal which would be a total of 29lbs.
Any thoughts of suggestions?

Replies

  • nikkicarter13
    nikkicarter13 Posts: 231 Member
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    I just checked out your diary. I noticed you aren't logging in calories burned. Are you eating enough?
  • Flawless_K
    Flawless_K Posts: 42 Member
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    This seems odd?!? With all the activities you are doing, I would expect a bigger weekly weight loss. I am not by any means an expert or anything but I am interested in hearing some possible reasons why this is happening.
  • alanabeehave
    alanabeehave Posts: 65
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    Im recovering from over training right now, so my activity levels have gone down for the past week and a half. I've been walking a lot but nothing too aggressive. I meet with my trainer tonight tho. Before, I had my cals set at 1500ish and logged biking or calisthenics and on some days my calories requirements were nearing 2800! I would try to eat some back but my deficit would still be too low.I couldn't stomach that much food. So, I tried leaving it at 1800, (- 15% of my tdee, which I wasn't sure was accurate to begin with) and not logging my exercise. Right now, it's set for 1600 which I try to meet every day during this recovery but I know once I start exercising again, this will be too little.. Sometimes I throw in an extra 200 or take away 100 just to switch it up.
  • kellicci
    kellicci Posts: 409 Member
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    For your size (very similar to mine) 1600 is probably closer to maintenance calories however you are a lot more active so this is probably about right. Putting you in the moderatly active group I get TDEE for you around 2200. So 1600-1800 NET is a good estimate for you. I see a lot of quick add calories so I have to ask do you measure your food? You could be underestimating.

    Also a couple days I saw maybe 200 calories of exercise logged. I'm sure you burn more than that. When I do boot camp which is probably a lot like your Hiit or tabata days I burn 400-550 calories, and in one 30 minute walk at a good pace I burn 150...and this is with a HRM so I'm not guessing. So on workout days you probably need more like 2000 calories. You have to jsut try things out until you find what works for you.
  • alanabeehave
    alanabeehave Posts: 65
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    Yup! I usually weigh or measure. But if I know I'm under my def, once In a blue moon, like once a month, I'll quick add my cals for one meal. I studied nutrition some have a very good grasp on calories estimating. I tried not tracking my for a couple of days about a month back to see what would happen and on cheat days, I don't track. I still eat well, but I just don't stress over logging. My maintenance calories come up as 1700-2200! I think thats the confusing part is that I get different results and never know which to believe. My BMR is about 1500. I've been tracking for over 100 days now, I was hoping to find what works by now :s
    Thanks for the Suggs.
  • kellicci
    kellicci Posts: 409 Member
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    You are so active you may want to invest in a HRM just so you know what your actual claories burned is. It could be that even at 1600 you're still too far under.It sounds like you switch up your exercise a lot have you tried switching up your macros? I switched mine to higerh protein and that seemed to help keep things going in the right direction.
  • alanabeehave
    alanabeehave Posts: 65
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    You are so active you may want to invest in a HRM just so you know what your actual claories burned is. It could be that even at 1600 you're still too far under.It sounds like you switch up your exercise a lot have you tried switching up your macros? I switched mine to higerh protein and that seemed to help keep things going in the right direction.

    I will try that!!
  • CarlyEHey
    CarlyEHey Posts: 4
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    Hi! I was having similar problems and I saw a lot of people recommending this guy's post. Maybe it can help you. I was eating way to few calories and I'm not nearly as active as you are. I just started adjusting my calories, so I can't say yet if it's definitely going to work, but a lot of people swear by it. Good luck!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
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    I'm the same height as you and no where near as active. You are for sure not eating enough and that could be why you are having issues. I eat around 1700 on days when I only do about 30 mins fast walks but I am close to goal so am only eating 10% below TDEE.
  • alanabeehave
    alanabeehave Posts: 65
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    1600 cals. Account for calisthenics and cycling, which usually works out to 450ish cals. Net between 1200-1300. Does that sound right to anyone??

    Thanks for the replies!!!
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

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