April Check in & Chat - Spring into the Squat Rack
Replies
-
Wow. If my TDEE is actually 2800 kcals then I've been way undereating, and what I thought was eating at maintenance for the past 2 weeks ... wasn't.
Eye opener. Thanks girl! :flowerforyou:
0 -
I'm not super fond of the "past 8 weeks' method for determining MAINTENANCE specifically, only because dieting tends to slow your metabolism, so if you lose 1lb/week eating 2000, your metabolism is probably more like 2600-2700 than 2500 due to spontaneous reduction in NEAT."
I have a BMF... On days I don't exercise (maybe just walking dogs), I'm around 2300/2400 calories burned. On days with lifting and walking dogs, 2600/2800.
Maybe I'm stupid..... But Now I'm just confused.... Figuring out how much to eat to lose BF shouldn't be this difficult or this frustrating... :-(
This is precisely why I need a break... All of this number crunching is paralyzing me. I have to walk the fine line between a deficit to create BF loss and hormonal changes. Due to a current goal, I can't have my body freaking out hormonally.0 -
I'm not super fond of the "past 8 weeks' method for determining MAINTENANCE specifically, only because dieting tends to slow your metabolism, so if you lose 1lb/week eating 2000, your metabolism is probably more like 2600-2700 than 2500 due to spontaneous reduction in NEAT."
I have a BMF... On days I don't exercise (maybe just walking dogs), I'm around 2300/2400 calories burned. On days with lifting and walking dogs, 2600/2800.
Maybe I'm stupid..... But Now I'm just confused.... Figuring out how much to eat to lose BF shouldn't be this difficult or this frustrating... :-(
This is precisely why I need a break... All of this number crunching is paralyzing me. I have to walk the fine line between a deficit to create BF loss and hormonal changes. Due to a current goal, I can't have my body freaking out hormonally.
Don't crunch then - just eat when you're hungry, whatever you are hungry for, and log what you eat.0 -
Don't crunch then - just eat when you're hungry, whatever you are hungry for, and log what you eat.
That's what made me fat to begin with.... (minus the logging, of course)
Please understand... I'm not fighting with you or your advice... I'm just trying to understand. :flowerforyou:
I thought I had a reasonable goal with 2032.... But if my TDEE is higher, that's too low... I have to have a number to work towards that will help me lose BF. I can't pick something that will be too low and cause me hormonal issues...0 -
hm. that puts me between 2500 and 3300!! even chair bound it has me at 1800...0
-
Don't crunch then - just eat when you're hungry, whatever you are hungry for, and log what you eat.
That's what made me fat to begin with.... (minus the logging, of course)
Please understand... I'm not fighting with you or your advice... I'm just trying to understand. :flowerforyou:
I thought I had a reasonable goal with 2032.... But if my TDEE is higher, that's too low... I have to have a number to work towards that will help me lose BF. I can't pick something that will be too low and cause me hormonal issues...
No it isn't. I mean, I don't know your exact situation but probably it isn't. Did you exercise regularly before this? Did you drink a lot of pure sugar beverages or do a lot of mindless eating or binge eating? Chances are THAT is how you got fat in the first place.
Mindful eating, eating when you are hungry, chosing 'real' food 80% of the time (and junk food the other 20% if you want it!) and MOVING YOUR BODY is how you stay fit.
I can tell you - I used to eat more or less EXACTLY the same as I eat now, but I didn't exercise or move around. I sat on my butt and played a lot of World of Warcraft, we ate entirely takeout (So there was never any cooking or cleaning activity, not that I think takeout makes you fat, its just one more way we were inactive), and I *never* exercised in any way, let alone lifting weights.
Now if you WERE very active before and didn't binge eat, or have a 6 soda a day habit like my husband, then we can talk about needing to restrict food, but you probably do NOT need to restrict as long as you are not going wild with junk food (eating whole bags of chips or candy several times a week) and as long as you continue to exercise.
LIke I said before, the media and diet industry have done a really good job of convincing us that we're fat because we're gluttonous pigs that eat too much or the wrong stuff (red meat! carbs! dairy!), but aside from some outlier situations (like binge eating I mentioned or maybe a medical condition) you should have no problem getting to a healthy body just with regular exercise and eating to your hunger. And that includes a diet that has some junk food in it.
You can take a look at my diary if it will make you feel better. Tuesday was kind of an anomaly but a day like this:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/tameko2?date=2013-04-13
would have been fairly typical for me when I weighed 210, except I might have had a handful of chocolate and 1/3 of the bag of peanut butter pretzels in the afternoon while I sat around playing world of warcraft.0 -
I had originally joined MFP with the thought of logging what I was normally eating to see what my habits were and making a plan from there.
That's not what happened. Somehow I let myself get jammed into a calorie bracket (EVERYONE WORSHIP TEH ALMIGHTY CALORIE) and now I'm an OCD calorie counter who thinks she's "failing" if the numbers are red at the end of the day.
Cripes, I dropped 20 pounds about 8 years ago just by walking regularly. The reason I gained it back is because I stopped walking. Simple as that.
I figure with all the lifting I'm doing nowadays plus the cardio I've started to add in, I should probably just trust myself and relax and eat like I know how without being all OCD about it.
I'm about to say eff it and quit counting altogether and doing what I know, now that I've got the "get your butt moving regularly" under control and no longer have an issue drinking a bunch of water every day, plus what I've learned about paying attention to calories and nutrition labels in general without letting the details make me batsh!t crazy.
At what point do you learn to trust yourself and rely on common sense? When did something as basic and foundational as eating get so fricken complicated?
0 -
It took me 2 years I guess Dani. It wasn't just the eating, I also did a lot to train myself to be more active (Get up from my seat regularly, walk more, stand while watching tv, or at least get up and do some dishes or wipe the counters partway through a show). And I had to get to a point where I could really accept that where I'm at is pretty good, I don't NEED to lose more weight. I started here in May so ....I'm about a month away from my 2 year anniversary?
I think logging is really helpful. Every time I stop logging, I regret not being able to look back at my data. But people on here tend to forget that the actual numbers are all just based on population averages -- aka they are estimates based on research data. But still estimates. All the calculation does is say 1) "Across populations of this weight, age, and gender, what is the average BMR?" and then 2) "Across populations who say their work habits and exercise habits are X and Y, what is the average multiplier that should be applied to the BMR to determine TDEE?"
That's a LOT of 'averages' - and reliant on you reporting your work habits and exercise in a way thats comparable to how others reported it on average, and so on.0 -
^^AND they have to also be using averages for body compositions. Someone who has a lower muscle mass needs fewer calories - but if you are lifting, you need more just to function, and there isn't ANY way to tell MFP that. I find that very aggravating.0
-
Oh I think logging is helpful too, but unfortunately I'm still way too hung up on the numbers.
I'm at the point that if what I take away from MFP is a love for barbells, a generally better grip on my eating habings, and having had the pleasure to "meet" the ladies in this group, I'm going to call that a good time and be happy.
Not that I'm deactivating my account or anything ... just saying. Life is more than numbers. :flowerforyou:0 -
http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-classic
I used to think the number was wildly high but it seems to be coming out about right for me after loads of experimentation.
I will add the caveat that ALL of these calculators are not goingto take into account very high bodyfat, so if you are 200 lbs and 30% bf they're probably fairly on, but if you're 200lbs and 45% bf its going to overestimate quite a lot. Make sure you check the box for "female"
I'm sort of curious to know the margin of error. I get really hung up on numbers too. The calculator that Tameko posted doesn't give me anything different than every other one I've used. I get the same numbers from doing the roadmap thing and that takes into account your BF%. I'm toying with the idea of getting mine measured since I'm currently basing it on an average of some calculators and one of those hand-held things.
I skipped my workout today because neither my heart or head were in it. I might go tonight if I get off of work at a decent time. I didn't sleep well last night, but during my tossing and turning, I noticed that my legs are pretty hard. It made me happy. I'm incubating some sweet-*kitten* muscles in this fat cocoon. :drinker:0 -
Thank you, tameko, for sticking with me there for a moment. :-)
You're right... What made me fat was eating out all the time - and not exercising. I didn't really binge eat often - although, I did at times, I'm sure. I would rarely even walk the dogs with my husband. While I didn't drink much soda, I drank a lot of tea. Since I started this, I drink almost primarily water... and walk the dogs with my husband almost everyday. And, of course, SLs.
You are all making a lot of sense now.... I think a lightbulb went off in my head in the last five or so posts... lol. Now, I just need to determine how to process and implement this lightbulb. :-)
I'm with Dani..... When did eating get to convoluted? lol.0 -
rofl should be 77. It would be embarrasing if my ohp were so much more than my squat.
Oh.... lol... That's hilarious.
I kept wondering if your arms and shoulders are bigger or still just toned and what it must look like lifting a 177lb OHP. My mind was just having trouble grappling with 177lb OHP... :-) lol0 -
I log because if I don't, and sometimes even when I do, I go off the rails, back to poor portion control, too much bread and biscuits, and forget that I deserve to make good choices and am worth a healthy body. So I'm allowing myself this blip and a bit of a funk and a logging break for a couple of days, then haul myself back down the road of one decent decision at a time. Still going to the gym before my curry tomorrow but suspect I won't have done myself any favours with my eating today!0
-
because I'm on a 20% ish defecit, if I eat ''enough'' grams of protein I'm exhausted from being low on carbs but if i eat more carbs I'm anxious about losing muscle mass.
Yeah, I totally get this Fishlover, it's been very tricky for me, too. Plus getting enough fats is very important, too! I tried lowering my carbs and upping my fats on rest days and that didn't work at all, I was really grumpy Some days it feels like a tightrope to get 'enough' of everything. On those days, I just go over a little bit and don't worry about it. I don't think you have much fat to lose, so maybe a 20% deficit is too much for you now? Not that I would know, LOL, not having been in that position before!!
Thanks for the response
it's nice to know it isn't just me! I still don't really understand what my %BF actually is... Navy circumference has me at 29.52 and Covert Bailey has me at 22.85, which to me is a huge difference! I used heybale's spreadsheet which has me at a 21% deficit, unless i underestimated my activity level.
Lady, you are awesome, you just reminded me why I'm doing all this!!I'm at the point that if what I take away from MFP is a love for barbells, a generally better grip on my eating habings, and having had the pleasure to "meet" the ladies in this group, I'm going to call that a good time and be happy.
Going to try not to be soooo crazy about trying to find the 'perfect' numbers for cals, macros, workouts, etc, and instead enjoy my stronglifts and eating delicious healthy-ish foods that make my body happy.
Have I mentioned lately how wonderfully supportive and helpful this group is? :flowerforyou:0 -
All of this talk about calories and food made me decide that I want a piece of bread with butter and jam.
Take that sh!tty day! :laugh:0 -
Fish - I've done the Army version and have a scale that does bio-impedance and the BF% difference is like 5-7% between the two. At one point in the not so distant past I was down to about 20-22% BF and the scale was the closest. On the Eat, train, progress group they have an estimation thread that you can post to or just PM SideSteel your pictures and they can do a visual estimate.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/826435-bodyfat-estimation-thread
Well, I thought I hit my Bench press goal for April, but I have one number on my profile and a different one on the goals thread here. Good thing they are only 5 lbs apart! SO I did hit the 5x5 @ 110 goal on my profile and should get the 5x5 @ 115 goal for here soon. I also got up to 75 lbs front squat with no hip flexor issues. Row was steady at 105. I will probably try for 110 next round.0 -
this group
I loved reading today's discussion, Thanks especially go to Tameko. I have a question, though. Did you mean that NEAT automatically tends to go down when you eat at a deficit? Because that is definitely what happened to me in January when I started trying to lose weight, I stopped feeling motivated to do anything and started going to bed early, etc.
Anyways, talking about lifting is more fun LOL. Today I squatted 100, benched 63, and worked on learning power cleans. It was a great workout, none of the weights felt heavy. Doing more warmup sets and less work sets is definitely helpful for me in my situation.
I think I am going to have a bruised neck and shoulders from the power cleans!! :laugh: If that ain't badassery I don't know what is!
I decided to start working on just jumping without weight every day. I think I see a jump rope in my future. Just a couple of minutes each day should be very helpful.0 -
Squats felt great today at 145! One big thing I figured out was that I actually need to breathe while doing reps instead of taking one big gulp at the beginning and hoping for the best by rep 5. Oops.
Deadlifts I'm really feeling in my lower back and a little in my *kitten*. Most of the guys who I see deadlifting are bringing their rears down quite far (like thighs parallel or below) before popping up in almost a squat looking thing. Is this normal?? I've been bending my knees enough to grab the bar and mostly opening my hip joint to lift it.. ?_?
And hate OHP. :sad: Stupid upper body.
Interestingly, my jeans have not been fitting very well at all in the thighs after workouts (down to normal the next day). It's amazing how much I can swell up! :laugh:
Going back to cardio on off days to get ready for a 5k next month. Will be so exciting!:drinker:0 -
Really interesting discussion on numbers. I am occasionally frustrated with all the logging, especially as I used to just be able to eat to maintain without thinking about it. I continue to log for a few reasons:
1) I'm trying to change my balance to regularly hit 90-100g protein, and I can't keep track of that instinctively yet. I need the numbers in front of me.
2) I still underestimate the calories in "treat" foods, so I need to log to make sure I've got room for them
3) I fundamentally don't trust myself not to get fat again. I'd like to get to the point where I don't rely on MFP logging to maintain, but right now I can't face regaining the weight I've worked so hard to lose.
For me, I guess, the trade off is still in favour of macro and cal counting, at least for now.
Today's workout - finally got back to workout B on 3x5
Squats - stuck at 35kg/77lb I'd intended to go up and 30kg just felt so hard in warm-up that I repeated my last weight again
OHP - 2x5 at 15kg/33lb and 1x5 at 20kg/45lb (new PR)
Deadlift - 55kg/121lb, a 5lb deload from my PR
I'm trying to swap back to low-bar squats instead of high bar, because I feel like they work my full lower body better. My stupid scoliotic shoulder blade gets in the way though because it pokes out and the bar bruises it when I'm unracking and reracking each set. The sets themselves are fine, it's the straightening up slightly to use the rack that's the issue. Any ideas?
Oh, and OHP from within the power rack. No need to clean the bar each set. Awesome!
I'm still trying to learn that workouts don't have to leave your exhausted. PE at school and hiking with cadets, plus competitive tennis all taught me that if you're not practically dropping dead when you stop, you haven't worked hard enough. Running and weights are slowly teaching me that there's a happy medium where you feel like you've done stuff but can still function, and that's still a good workout rather than slacking off. It's hard though. My body loves the 3x5 volume and the way I feel after, but my mind is still telling me off for "cheating" by not doing 5x5 any more. Ugh.0
