Question re: Scooby calculator

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j99li
j99li Posts: 421 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone!

I just used the scooby calculator to find out what I should be eating as I feel like my weight has stalled.

Here are the stats:
I am 177lbs, 5'7, female, and 23 years old (LOL this sounds like dating stats)

I do weight training (5x5 three times a week) and then spinning on Tues and Thurs. I rest on sat and sun. (I chose 1-3hrs/ week of light activity). Currently 5x5 hasn't gotten extremely challenging yet so I do some elliptical cardio after.

My options are: 1) lose weight - 20% method or 2) gain muscle, lose weight.

If I choose option 1, it says that in order to achieve my goals, I need to eat 1,788 calories a day.

If I choose option 2, it says that I need to eat at my TDEE, which is 2,235 per day.

Does this seem correct? it appears that gain muscle lose fat has no calorie deficit...

Also, I feel like my activity choice isn't correct but I dont want to "overcalculate" my expenditures.

Thanks in advance!

Jie

Replies

  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    The "gain muscle, lose fat" is a body recomp option and puts you at maintenance calories as you cannot gain muscle at a calorie deficit (only maintain with proper work/diet). If you want to lose weight, you should do TDEE-20%.
  • j99li
    j99li Posts: 421 Member
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    bump
  • j99li
    j99li Posts: 421 Member
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    anyone?
  • Brizoeller
    Brizoeller Posts: 182 Member
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    The answer someone already provided was correct. Not much more to say :)
  • j99li
    j99li Posts: 421 Member
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    based on my activity, what "activity level" should I choose? Lightly active or moderatly active?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    The "gain muscle, lose fat" is a body recomp option and puts you at maintenance calories as you cannot gain muscle at a calorie deficit (only maintain with proper work/diet). If you want to lose weight, you should do TDEE-20%.

    ^^^this.

    I'd start with your activity level right where you have it...light active. If you're losing faster than you want to then you can incrementally up your calorie intake. This isn't an exact, BAM...here's your calories. It takes some trial and error.
  • husseycd
    husseycd Posts: 814 Member
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    I would probably average the two and go from there. I'm 5'5", 130 lbs, and 37 years old. I have a desk job but work out every day and according to my Body Media, my TDEE is about 2200 calories. Which I believe is exactly where the Katch formula puts me using my body fat (20%) and light/moderately active.

    I usually eat around 1800 calories/day. Sometimes more, sometimes less. I've been maintaining at this calorie content for a month or so, but I've always heard people usually underestimate calories. I'd err on the low side myself.
  • csheltra26
    csheltra26 Posts: 272 Member
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    Calculate at moderate activity and try that for 4 weeks and see how it works. Adjust from there. But based on working out 5 days a week, with 2 days being spin and 3 days of weight lifting, I think moderate is a better option for you.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    The activity level you pick will really depend a lot on what you do aside from working out, unfortunately. It's what I dislike about Scooby, you really can't base your activity level on the exercise you do. I picked something in between lightly active and moderately active (closer to lightly active) and it's what my fitbit agrees with, I work out one hour every day (weights or walking) but doesn't move much the rest of the time.

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