Frustrated- need a little help with calories
natini
Posts: 347 Member
I need a little help because I am starting to feel frustrated.
A little background on myself. I started lifting in June. I lift 3 days a week (NROL4W) and take a spin class 1 or 2 days a week. I have been trying to eat around 1900 calories because every calculator I use says that would be my 15% cut. I am 42, 5'7" and currently weight 167. I have found that I have gained about 5lbs ever since lifting. All of my clothes still fit but some pants are feeling a little snug in the tummy area.
I decided to put my BMF back on for a week and this is what I burned each day.
Sunday 3116 (lifted)
Monday 2482 (rest day)
Tuesday 2801 (lifted)
Wednesday 2325 (rest day)
Thursday 2611 (lifted)
Friday 2939 (spin class)
Saturday 2504 (rest day)
Ever since I started lifting I think I am burning more calories. Should I eat around 2100-2200 to see some movement on the scale or measurements? I have been working so hard and feel like I have gone no where.
A little background on myself. I started lifting in June. I lift 3 days a week (NROL4W) and take a spin class 1 or 2 days a week. I have been trying to eat around 1900 calories because every calculator I use says that would be my 15% cut. I am 42, 5'7" and currently weight 167. I have found that I have gained about 5lbs ever since lifting. All of my clothes still fit but some pants are feeling a little snug in the tummy area.
I decided to put my BMF back on for a week and this is what I burned each day.
Sunday 3116 (lifted)
Monday 2482 (rest day)
Tuesday 2801 (lifted)
Wednesday 2325 (rest day)
Thursday 2611 (lifted)
Friday 2939 (spin class)
Saturday 2504 (rest day)
Ever since I started lifting I think I am burning more calories. Should I eat around 2100-2200 to see some movement on the scale or measurements? I have been working so hard and feel like I have gone no where.
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Replies
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Give it a try and see. Theres no harm in upping the cals to see what happens.. From the looks of it, you should be:)0
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If you use your average TDEE from your BMF numbers, you TDEE is 2682 calories a day. A 15% cut would be 2280 calories a day. That's what I would eat if I were you! Since you have a BMF, you don't have to go with the online calculators.0
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Thanks! I don't know why it freaks me out to up my calories. I wore my BMF for a week. I just don't want to gain anymore.0
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Thanks! I don't know why it freaks me out to up my calories. I wore my BMF for a week. I just don't want to gain anymore.
Just a note to help you out with that fear. Your BMF gives you your TDEE, if you do not eat over your TDEE, you will not be gaining fat. It takes a calorie surplus of 3500 to gain one pound of fat.0 -
Thanks! I don't know why it freaks me out to up my calories. I wore my BMF for a week. I just don't want to gain anymore.
Just a note to help you out with that fear. Your BMF gives you your TDEE, if you do not eat over your TDEE, you will not be gaining fat. It takes a calorie surplus of 3500 to gain one pound of fat.
^^ This. You're certainly not eating enough to gain at 1900 calories yet the scale shows a gain--that's water weight. It's the winter season and clothes are a bit more forgiving--now is the best time to figure this out!0 -
Thanks! I don't know why it freaks me out to up my calories. I wore my BMF for a week. I just don't want to gain anymore.
not to be a downer...but i *gained* 5lbs wearing a BMF.... just didn't work for me. it said my average burns were around 2700+ (easy) yet i was eating 1500/1600+/- and gaining. sold it on eBay about a year ago.0 -
Thanks! I don't know why it freaks me out to up my calories. I wore my BMF for a week. I just don't want to gain anymore.
not to be a downer...but i *gained* 5lbs wearing a BMF.... just didn't work for me. it said my average burns were around 2700+ (easy) yet i was eating 1500/1600+/- and gaining. sold it on eBay about a year ago.
It is indeed great at estimating daily activity burn based on walking type movement.
Walking and slow jogging is decent too.
But you could have very great arm movement with little leg movement, and show huge calorie burn that just didn't happen.
Weight lifting could be along those lines with upper body stuff.
You indeed have to be careful.
Plus, it has to start with a foundational number somewhere, and that would be your BMR, based on Harris formula. Which is more and more inflated the more overweight you are.
I've seen many examples where the Harris BMR is 250 - 400 over the more accurate Katch BMR estimate.
So adjust that foundation based on your sleep temp. Now that RMR value is used for sleep and all non-movement or little movement time.
And as the basis for the MET values that all other activity is calc'd from.
How many hrs a day is that? 12-16 perhaps not-moving?
It can indeed be easy to get way off with those combo of reasons.0 -
As pp said-raise the cals. A deficit of 200-300 is best.0
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I am going to try and eat 2100-2200 a day and see how that goes. I know that BMF's and heart rate monitors are tools. I simply wore mine for a week because I had a feeling that I wasn't eating enough at 1900 calories a day. My suspicion was validated.0
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Thanks! I don't know why it freaks me out to up my calories. I wore my BMF for a week. I just don't want to gain anymore.
not to be a downer...but i *gained* 5lbs wearing a BMF.... just didn't work for me. it said my average burns were around 2700+ (easy) yet i was eating 1500/1600+/- and gaining. sold it on eBay about a year ago.
I keep seeing your posts, and it's time I commented. Your burns were 2700 and you were eating 1500??? That is a deficit of 1200 calories. Your body is easily in a famine state with those numbers. No way you were netting BMR. Of course your body was going to hold onto fat, it is saving it because of the hard times.
Did you ever try eating, say 2200 with a more reasonable cut to see what happened? This is EM2WL, we preach and practice small calorie deficits to keep our metabolisms firing and maintain LBM whilst losing weight.
Until then, please please stop putting doubts in people's heads.0 -
Thanks! I don't know why it freaks me out to up my calories. I wore my BMF for a week. I just don't want to gain anymore.
not to be a downer...but i *gained* 5lbs wearing a BMF.... just didn't work for me. it said my average burns were around 2700+ (easy) yet i was eating 1500/1600+/- and gaining. sold it on eBay about a year ago.
I keep seeing your posts, and it's time I commented. Your burns were 2700 and you were eating 1500??? That is a deficit of 1200 calories. Your body is easily in a famine state with those numbers. No way you were netting BMR. Of course your body was going to hold onto fat, it is saving it because of the hard times.
Did you ever try eating, say 2200 with a more reasonable cut to see what happened? This is EM2WL, we preach and practice small calorie deficits to keep our metabolisms firing and maintain LBM whilst losing weight.
Until then, please please stop putting doubts in people's heads.
seriously!
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not to be a downer...but i *gained* 5lbs wearing a BMF.... just didn't work for me. it said my average burns were around 2700+ (easy) yet i was eating 1500/1600+/- and gaining. sold it on eBay about a year ago.
Did you ever try eating, say 2200 with a more reasonable cut to see what happened? This is EM2WL, we preach and practice small calorie deficits to keep our metabolisms firing and maintain LBM whilst losing weight.
Until then, please please stop putting doubts in people's heads.
Agreed! the way our society has taught and ingrained us, particularly us women, to eat like sparrows, it is already hard enough for many of us to up our calories. This type of attitude does nothing to help those of us struggling to trust the eat more process!
Agree with Lulu unless you are giving the process a fair go, over a period of time, please don't bother with your Pretend attitude of "not to be a downer" knowing thats exactly what you are doing!0
