Newbie help :)
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rebeccadavis88
Posts: 40
Hey there :flowerforyou:
I am hoping some of you more experienced EMTWL peeps can help me out.....
I have been using MFP for about 18 months now and have really changed my perspective during my journey - its gone from being a quick fix to lose some weight to really wanting a sustainable way of living a healthy lifestyle (and looking good at the same time!). I've lost about 40lbs during this time and lots of inches :happy:
I started on my journey eating 1200 calories (or slighlty less) and not generally eating back my exercise calories -obviously this is not sustainable and would lead to binges because I would get starving. During my time on MFP I've upped and lowered my calories at various points depending on how motivated I am at the time and what my exercise routine is.
I am really interested in the EMTWL theory and can see how it makes sense for life. Recently I upped my calories to 1500 per day, not eating back my exercise calories even though this has taken me below my BMR on occasions (although if you look at my diary, I have had a crazy few days, 5 to be exact!, and have really made some bad choices and not exercised!!) But over this time, I gained a couple of pounds and then lost 3lbs, but inches are definetly down. My weight now flutuates by about 3-4lbs depending on what I have eaten....
My info is: 5ft 2", age 34, currently anywhere weigh between 136- 140lbs. I am aiming for a goal weight of about 125lbs - but am more focusing on inches lost than the number on the scale. I work full time with a desk job, but have 3 children so am on my feet cooking, cleaning, playing etc when I am at home. I do 4-5 sessions of exercise a week including circuits classes, a bit of cardio (jogging or cross trainer in the gym) and strength training (although there is no barbell in my gym, so I tend to do all of my lifting with dumbells and squats on the smith machine).
I had a few questions and I am hoping you can help me out.
1. According to Scooby, I think my TDEE is about 2100, so with a 20% cut my about 1650. Does this really seem right? I put n moderate activity, do you think this is accurate? Should I be cutting 20% or should it be less?
2. I am never consistent over the week with calories, I always end up eating a few more over the weekends (socialising etc). I try and balance this by eating a little less in the week so it adds up at the end. Have people found that this impacts when they up their calories - can you do this if you are not consistent eater - i.e. 1650 calories every day?
3. In general, I make good food choices and can easily feel really satisfied from 1500 calories - however if I am stressed, tired, TOM etc I can make bad choices - does it matter if your calories come from not such good sources...is it still a case of calories in versus calories out....??
4. What happens if you don't manage to get all of your excercise sessions in a week (i.e. stuck at work, injury etc) do you lower your calories for the day, week??
Sorry for the essay
Becky x
I am hoping some of you more experienced EMTWL peeps can help me out.....
I have been using MFP for about 18 months now and have really changed my perspective during my journey - its gone from being a quick fix to lose some weight to really wanting a sustainable way of living a healthy lifestyle (and looking good at the same time!). I've lost about 40lbs during this time and lots of inches :happy:
I started on my journey eating 1200 calories (or slighlty less) and not generally eating back my exercise calories -obviously this is not sustainable and would lead to binges because I would get starving. During my time on MFP I've upped and lowered my calories at various points depending on how motivated I am at the time and what my exercise routine is.
I am really interested in the EMTWL theory and can see how it makes sense for life. Recently I upped my calories to 1500 per day, not eating back my exercise calories even though this has taken me below my BMR on occasions (although if you look at my diary, I have had a crazy few days, 5 to be exact!, and have really made some bad choices and not exercised!!) But over this time, I gained a couple of pounds and then lost 3lbs, but inches are definetly down. My weight now flutuates by about 3-4lbs depending on what I have eaten....
My info is: 5ft 2", age 34, currently anywhere weigh between 136- 140lbs. I am aiming for a goal weight of about 125lbs - but am more focusing on inches lost than the number on the scale. I work full time with a desk job, but have 3 children so am on my feet cooking, cleaning, playing etc when I am at home. I do 4-5 sessions of exercise a week including circuits classes, a bit of cardio (jogging or cross trainer in the gym) and strength training (although there is no barbell in my gym, so I tend to do all of my lifting with dumbells and squats on the smith machine).
I had a few questions and I am hoping you can help me out.
1. According to Scooby, I think my TDEE is about 2100, so with a 20% cut my about 1650. Does this really seem right? I put n moderate activity, do you think this is accurate? Should I be cutting 20% or should it be less?
2. I am never consistent over the week with calories, I always end up eating a few more over the weekends (socialising etc). I try and balance this by eating a little less in the week so it adds up at the end. Have people found that this impacts when they up their calories - can you do this if you are not consistent eater - i.e. 1650 calories every day?
3. In general, I make good food choices and can easily feel really satisfied from 1500 calories - however if I am stressed, tired, TOM etc I can make bad choices - does it matter if your calories come from not such good sources...is it still a case of calories in versus calories out....??
4. What happens if you don't manage to get all of your excercise sessions in a week (i.e. stuck at work, injury etc) do you lower your calories for the day, week??
Sorry for the essay
Becky x
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Replies
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1. A 15% cut would be better for you with little to lose. Then as you get closer drop cut to 10%
2. Not sure, I eat the same everyday when I go out to eat I try to fit it in calorie wise
3. Cals in vs cals out but obv the more healthy the more volume.
4. I usually still eat at my goal as the ranges for mod activity is 3-5 hrs so if I still miss acworkout or two but still fall within tht range then its biz as usual0 -
1 - Impossible to answer TDEE level question, you didn't say how much time doing the activities.
As you can imagine, there is a difference between 1 hr of walking, running, and lifting.
Just as there would be a big difference between 30 min daily, and 90 min daily.
2 - If you are always having lower calories during the week with the workouts, then your body doesn't have much to work with to actually make improvements from the workouts. If extra on weekend is without a workout, it's just excess. While the weekly numbers do avg out daily correctly, it can make a big difference on exercise actually do more than merely burning calories.
3 - It is, and the difference between them is the stress on the body, bigger deficit, more stress, less good results. Other stresses on the body will have the same effect, anxiety, lack of sleep, over exercising, food your body doesn't handle well, not getting nutrition in. You can easily throw enough small stresses on the body to get same negative results.
4 - Using TDEE deficit method, miss a planned workout, skip 100 calories per hr. Make it up, add 100 that day.
You mentioned netting below your BMR on occasion, as long as you have balance in 48 hrs not that bad. Constant until the weekend isn't great, especially not for benefiting from the exercise to the max.0 -
Thank you both so much for your replies, they are both so helpful.
My workouts are: 50-60 mins of Circuits class 2 or 3 per week which include jogging, sprinting, light weights, press ups, squats, burpees, star jumps etc and my gym sessions include 20-30 mins cardio either jogging at speed 9 or cross trainer and then 45 - 60 min weights, 1or 2 times a week.
I'd never really thought about my calorie intake re: workouts and that really does make sense - Thank you Haybales.
Ok - I am so ready to do this, thank you for all of the advice guys
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So daily activity enters the TDEE level too. if daily activity is more than sedentary desk job for 40 hrs, and good 5 hrs sitting commuting, and evening just sitting, then you likely are starting at Lightly Active without exercise. That just causes an increase in level.
So tread the hrs for the days. 5-6 hrs is one level, 3-5 hrs is another.0
