TDEE & BMR: What they are and what to do with them
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This helps, thanks!0
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I'm new to the group and I want to say thank you for helping me understand I need to eat. I'm not getting in all of my calories and have gained and lost same weight for year and half. I now have more to eat with you program, wish me luck.0
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I'm new to the group and I want to say thank you for helping me understand I need to eat. I'm not getting in all of my calories and have gained and lost same weight for year and half. I now have more to eat with you program, wish me luck.
You can do it! It's a slow process but so maintainable.0 -
Apologies for resurrecting this thread, but I'm new to this site and would really appreciate some advice! These are my stats:
Age: 25
Height: 157cm (~5'2")
Weight: 56kg (123.5lb)
BF: 28.7%
I want to get down to about 110lbs, but becoming healthier is far more important to me at the moment. My question is regarding my activity levels; I work a desk job and but have recently started weight training 3 times a week, along with 3 Pilates Classes and 1-2 Yoga classes as well. Other than that, my activity levels vary wildly from day to day.
On the scooby site I calculated my numbers using '1-3 hrs of light exercise' and 'Lose fat - 10% calorie reduction' and got the following numbers:
BMR: 1256
TDEE: 1727
Goal: 1555
Since my cardio activities are so different on different days, would it be ok if I had 1555 as a baseline number (to take into account the strength training and yoga/pilates) and ate back my exercise calories on the days I do extra activities (usually cycling, dance etc), so as to always end up with a NET of around 1555?
Many thanks!
Edit: Should probably add that the strength training sessions are about 1.5 hours and the yoga/pilates ones are about 45 minutes each. I put them down as light exercise because I'm thinking they don't actually burn that many calories?0 -
Apologies for resurrecting this thread, but I'm new to this site and would really appreciate some advice! These are my stats:
Age: 25
Height: 157cm (~5'2")
Weight: 56kg (123.5lb)
BF: 28.7%
I want to get down to about 110lbs, but becoming healthier is far more important to me at the moment. My question is regarding my activity levels; I work a desk job and but have recently started weight training 3 times a week, along with 3 Pilates Classes and 1-2 Yoga classes as well. Other than that, my activity levels vary wildly from day to day.
On the scooby site I calculated my numbers using '1-3 hrs of light exercise' and 'Lose fat - 10% calorie reduction' and got the following numbers:
BMR: 1256
TDEE: 1727
Goal: 1555
Since my cardio activities are so different on different days, would it be ok if I had 1555 as a baseline number (to take into account the strength training and yoga/pilates) and ate back my exercise calories on the days I do extra activities (usually cycling, dance etc), so as to always end up with a NET of around 1555?
Many thanks!
Edit: Should probably add that the strength training sessions are about 1.5 hours and the yoga/pilates ones are about 45 minutes each. I put them down as light exercise because I'm thinking they don't actually burn that many calories?
Link at top of this page you need to use. Lightly Active is not about the type of activity, but the time.
Would 8 hrs of walking, which is lighter intensity compared to running, mean lightly active? And then 2 hrs of running would be Very active?
And yes, the method of only planning a TDEE level on exercise that will be done, and then eating back other cardio done, is very valid.
How is the weight lifting 1.5 hrs though - is that a lot of waiting time for equipment, or talking. How long would it take if you really gave the 1-3 min rest between lifts and sets, and that's it? That's the time to consider.0 -
I am also new to this forum although I have used mfp briefly in the past. I've spent the last 2 hours reading this thread! I really want to check that I've got it right as Ive put my tdee-15% in the net calorie goal on mfp and it says I am going to gain weight!?
Age 28
female
height 177cm
weight 64.7kg
I am not interested in getting skinny I just want to lose body fat and tone up/gain muscle. I am always on my feet at work but I am only part time but I am often on my feet anyway. I try to go to the gym every day (where i do classes for 1-2 hrs) and I usually make it 6 times per week, or 5 at worst. I do body pump where i try to useweights that i am struggling to lift by the end of the track and body combat. I do each of these classes 2-3 times per week and i also do pilates 2-5 times a week. Less regularly i do spin or jog or do an interval training class (tabata).
Scoobys workshop gives me
Bmr 1453
tdee 2507
-15% 2131
does this seem correct? I put in 5-6 hours of strenuous exercise. would that be right? So as i understand it my mfp goal is 2131 GROSS every day if possible, but definitely no less than 1453 GROSS especially on workout days. if i think i have burned more than 680 cals then i should eat more to top it up to 1453 GROSS minumum? Will this still pan out with the exercise I am doing?
thanks in advance!0 -
I am also new to this forum although I have used mfp briefly in the past. I've spent the last 2 hours reading this thread! I really want to check that I've got it right as Ive put my tdee-15% in the net calorie goal on mfp and it says I am going to gain weight!?
Age 28
female
height 177cm
weight 64.7kg
I am not interested in getting skinny I just want to lose body fat and tone up/gain muscle. I am always on my feet at work but I am only part time but I am often on my feet anyway. I try to go to the gym every day (where i do classes for 1-2 hrs) and I usually make it 6 times per week, or 5 at worst. I do body pump where i try to useweights that i am struggling to lift by the end of the track and body combat. I do each of these classes 2-3 times per week and i also do pilates 2-5 times a week. Less regularly i do spin or jog or do an interval training class (tabata).
Scoobys workshop gives me
Bmr 1453
tdee 2507
-15% 2131
does this seem correct? I put in 5-6 hours of strenuous exercise. would that be right? So as i understand it my mfp goal is 2131 GROSS every day if possible, but definitely no less than 1453 GROSS especially on workout days. if i think i have burned more than 680 cals then i should eat more to top it up to 1453 GROSS minumum? Will this still pan out with the exercise I am doing?
thanks in advance!
So you want to body recomp and lose fat.
That means you need body improvements, while dropping fat.
That means you need less of a deficit.
Other fact while you think about your schedule.
Exercise if done right tears the body down.
It's the rest for recovery and repair that actually build it up stronger and more muscle if diet allows.
Where is your rest in your schedule?
Body pump the method you do it is the only thing there asking the body to improve by making itself stronger. But is the body getting a chance to do so?
Even the right exercise type done wrong, or with no recovery, will lead to no or little improvements compared to doing it right.0 -
sorry, i didnt really phrase it right. what i meant to say was that i aim to get to the gym every day but i never actually manage to go 7 days per week, it is always 5-6 times per week. is that too much? i am still learning how to do everything right so maybe I need to adjust things. i do sleep 7-8 hours every night and i rest during the day too, before i go to the gym i normally chill out for an hour or so. or is that not what you mean? sorry if this sounds stupid. the last few days since i wrote the last post i have been eating a lot more (and it works out as 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fats) - i hope i'm getting it right. is the following part of my previous post correct?........
Scoobys workshop gives me
Bmr 1453
tdee 2507
-15% 2131
does this seem correct? I put in 5-6 hours of strenuous exercise. would that be right? So as i understand it my mfp goal is 2131 GROSS every day if possible, but definitely no less than 1453 GROSS especially on workout days. if i think i have burned more than 680 cals then i should eat more to top it up to 1453 GROSS minumum?
thank you for your time and sorry to be a pain0 -
Bumping0
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sorry, i didnt really phrase it right. what i meant to say was that i aim to get to the gym every day but i never actually manage to go 7 days per week, it is always 5-6 times per week. is that too much? i am still learning how to do everything right so maybe I need to adjust things. i do sleep 7-8 hours every night and i rest during the day too, before i go to the gym i normally chill out for an hour or so. or is that not what you mean? sorry if this sounds stupid. the last few days since i wrote the last post i have been eating a lot more (and it works out as 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fats) - i hope i'm getting it right. is the following part of my previous post correct?........
Scoobys workshop gives me
Bmr 1453
tdee 2507
-15% 2131
does this seem correct? I put in 5-6 hours of strenuous exercise. would that be right? So as i understand it my mfp goal is 2131 GROSS every day if possible, but definitely no less than 1453 GROSS especially on workout days. if i think i have burned more than 680 cals then i should eat more to top it up to 1453 GROSS minumum?
thank you for your time and sorry to be a pain
Familiar with intervals? Hard effort, easy effort, repeat. Simple concept. Applies to big picture too.
Why is there an ability to go hard? Because you had an easy effort.
You can probably imagine what would happen to the hard effort if the easy effort was not there but instead another hard effort.
How many hard efforts would you get at the same level of hard, what would start to happen to the hard effort? (never mind it may "feel" the same when pushing hard, but based on speed say)
If you can't picture it - go do it, it'll be evident really quick. Run as fast as you can for 30 seconds, then again, then again, then again - you know what will happen to the speed.
The body can only give a hard effort if there is an easy effort.
Again, exercise if done right tears the body down. The rest builds it back up stronger. If you kept trying to make each effort max, eventually the exercise would not be done right and tear the body down, you'd just be at a maintaining level because body isn't being asked to improve, and when it was asked earlier, it was never given the time or diet to do so (even harder when in a deficit).
Look at your schedule, 7 days, or even 5-6 days can be done poorly.
Where is the hard day, where is the easy day (which could include a day off, if proceeding day was really hard, or next day will be)?
Sleep will help with recovery, resting an hr before going again won't. But the recovery from lifting correctly can last 24-36 hrs, longer when in a deficit.
In a deficit your body is already going to have problems with recovery as best it could from a hard effort, meaning lifting in this case.
So the only reason I mention this is you do have only 1 thing that is going to help with your goal of more muscle - the lifting class as you do it. The other stuff won't.
But some of the other stuff can interfere with getting the best results from that lifting class.
You go in to that class tired from a hard spin class the day before, or interval tabata - you won't lift as much as you could otherwise. And it's ONLY the overload nature of lifting that asks the body to improve by building more.
Or you do the lifting class well, and then kill the repair process the next day by having another hard effort with same muscles.
So with above info, you should be able to look at your schedule and figure it out. This is a bigger deal to you, because those classes with lifting in it won't give the same results as normal lifting would. Still beneficial, but you'll have to get the best results from the effort spent at the class.
That is indeed the correct method of doing TDEE deficit method.
But, since you said more muscle and not much weight to lose, only fat, you need less deficit, 10 or 5% only.
More deficit means less lifting improvement, less body changes.
Less deficit means more lifting improvement, more body changes.
You might also use this to assist in guessing which of the 5 levels is right. Best to start with Katch BMR, incase you have more or less Lean Body Mass than expected for your age, weight, height.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1018770-better-rough-tdee-estimate-than-5-level-chart
The eating aspect is correct, gross eating goal, unless you do an extra workout from what you included in your TDEE estimate, extra workout would be total eatback. Miss an hour workout would be skipping 100 calories that day.
The trying to NET BMR (not gross BMR, not correct on that aspect) on bigger burn days I disagree with, as that assumes you have an accurate calorie burn, you've subtracted the calories that were accounted for already during that time so using calorie burn only above what was planned, and that your body stops dealing with calories at midnight (which it doesn't).
But it can be telling if you selected the right TDEE level.
If every single day is under BMR - you chose poorly.
If rest days are well above, mild workout days are slightly above, and big workout days are slightly below - then you got it right.0 -
Thank you for taking the time to give me all that info. I found your website as well and that was helpful. You'll be pleased to know that I did proper lifting for the first time ever on friday, then had 2 days off!! Progress! Lol and I lifted again today and I'll have a lovely day off tomorrow! Ive still got a lot to figure out but I will read it all in time. Iam also eating a lot of good food! Thank you0
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BUMPY0
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Bump!0
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bump0
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Bumpity bump bump!0
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I"ve been trying my best to eat the 1700 calories for the TDEE. I work out about 6 days a week/45 minutes and doing some weights.
I haven't changed weight on the scale or size in clothes. I cannot figure out what I'm doing wrong. I'm so frustrated...0 -
hello everyone!
newbie here trying to understand. here are my #'s
bmr 1826.95 x activity (1.55 for moderate = 2831.75 to maintain my weight.
goal is to lose up to 2 lbs a week so with that being said, i think my new bmr is 1831.75 on days i work out and 1461.56 on days i dont. SO million dollar question.... Do I set my mfp daily goal at 1461.56 and days i work out eat up to 1831?
help!!0 -
hello everyone!
newbie here trying to understand. here are my #'s
bmr 1826.95 x activity (1.55 for moderate = 2831.75 to maintain my weight.
goal is to lose up to 2 lbs a week so with that being said, i think my new bmr is 1831.75 on days i work out and 1461.56 on days i dont. SO million dollar question.... Do I set my mfp daily goal at 1461.56 and days i work out eat up to 1831?
help!!
You need to reread the topic, you got some points right, but then totally off on others that shows you might not understand the principle correctly.
2lbs a week may be reasonable, but likely is not reasonable for weight loss goal.
For instance, reread your sentence above. What is BMR again?
Only wanting to help you understand, because without understanding you will not be willing to follow through with what is better for you, and you won't be able to make required changes when that time comes.0 -
I"ve been trying my best to eat the 1700 calories for the TDEE. I work out about 6 days a week/45 minutes and doing some weights.
I haven't changed weight on the scale or size in clothes. I cannot figure out what I'm doing wrong. I'm so frustrated...
How long have you been eating at TDEE of 1700?
You do realize that if really eating at TDEE, that is maintenance, you should indeed NOT gain or lose.
You might need to reread the topic too.0 -
thanks for the response. i'm not understanding how to calculate. when i added my weight, height, and age 1826.95 is what i was given as bmr. i believe that will change as i lose. with that # i multiplied it with my excercise activity (1.55) and got 2831.75 - I am lost trying to understand what to do after. I took the 2831.75, multiplied it by days of the week (7) and subtracted 7000 (2 lbs) and then divided by 7 to get 1831.75 on days i work out. on days i dont work out, not sure if i calculated correctly. do i take 2831.75 and multiply by 1.2? i did and used that same formula (multiplied it by days of the week (7) and subtracted 7000 (2 lbs) and then divided by 7 ) and got 2098.33 - where am i off track? ( i am 5'6, 237 lbs, f, 36yr)
this is the site i used
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/0 -
thanks for the response. i'm not understanding how to calculate. when i added my weight, height, and age 1826.95 is what i was given as bmr. i believe that will change as i lose. with that # i multiplied it with my excercise activity (1.55) and got 2831.75 - I am lost trying to understand what to do after. I took the 2831.75, multiplied it by days of the week (7) and subtracted 7000 (2 lbs) and then divided by 7 to get 1831.75 on days i work out. on days i dont work out, not sure if i calculated correctly. do i take 2831.75 and multiply by 1.2? i did and used that same formula (multiplied it by days of the week (7) and subtracted 7000 (2 lbs) and then divided by 7 ) and got 2098.33 - where am i off track? ( i am 5'6, 237 lbs, f, 36yr)
this is the site i used
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/
Sorry, I was asking more if you understood what BMR represented, because you said your new BMR is this on workout days and this on rest days. That's not BMR.
BMR may or may not change as you lose. If you can retain muscle mass, it will lower very little.
No, you don't multiply stuff by an activity factor 2 times. This is what I mean by you don't really understand the principle of what you are doing, evidenced by you really don't understand what the terms mean.
You must understand that, or you will be fouled up.
Read the forums even in this group, and even ones that do understand what those things mean get fouled up by short-term results sometimes. If you are in the dark about , imagine how bad that will be.
First, don't use that site, that's the worst BMR to start with when overweight, it's inflated. Your real BMR is lower than that estimate. Enough so that if you actually have lost muscle mass because of past diets, you may not really have a deficit to lose weight.
Use the spreadsheet on my profile page, stick to the Simple Setup tab. It's asking for all the stats you already have memorized, and some measurements you hopefully already have been getting anyway.
Some have said everything clicked when they saw the numbers change based on what they entered. It may help you.0 -
thanks for the response. i'm not understanding how to calculate. when i added my weight, height, and age 1826.95 is what i was given as bmr. i believe that will change as i lose. with that # i multiplied it with my excercise activity (1.55) and got 2831.75 - I am lost trying to understand what to do after. I took the 2831.75, multiplied it by days of the week (7) and subtracted 7000 (2 lbs) and then divided by 7 to get 1831.75 on days i work out. on days i dont work out, not sure if i calculated correctly. do i take 2831.75 and multiply by 1.2? i did and used that same formula (multiplied it by days of the week (7) and subtracted 7000 (2 lbs) and then divided by 7 ) and got 2098.33 - where am i off track? ( i am 5'6, 237 lbs, f, 36yr)
this is the site i used
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/
Sorry, I was asking more if you understood what BMR represented, because you said your new BMR is this on workout days and this on rest days. That's not BMR.
BMR may or may not change as you lose. If you can retain muscle mass, it will lower very little.
No, you don't multiply stuff by an activity factor 2 times. This is what I mean by you don't really understand the principle of what you are doing, evidenced by you really don't understand what the terms mean.
You must understand that, or you will be fouled up.
Read the forums even in this group, and even ones that do understand what those things mean get fouled up by short-term results sometimes. If you are in the dark about , imagine how bad that will be.
First, don't use that site, that's the worst BMR to start with when overweight, it's inflated. Your real BMR is lower than that estimate. Enough so that if you actually have lost muscle mass because of past diets, you may not really have a deficit to lose weight.
Use the spreadsheet on my profile page, stick to the Simple Setup tab. It's asking for all the stats you already have memorized, and some measurements you hopefully already have been getting anyway.
Some have said everything clicked when they saw the numbers change based on what they entered. It may help you.
thank you!0 -
Hi all. Thank you for the informative post. I noticed that OP suggested we ask for help if we're already at week 6 with no progress whatsoever.
I'm at week 6 (since beginning of January) and have not lost weight or inches so I'm quite desperate now. Could anyone please help me review what I've been doing to see whether I've done anything wrong? I've opened up my diary so that everyone can have a look. My stats are as follows:
Height: 5 feet 1
Age: 22
Current weight: 116lbs (same since mid December)
Goal weight: 105lbs
Body fat %: 25% according to fat2fit
I eat as cleanly as possible and hardly eat out. I log what I eat and measure my food using a scale. I only drink green tea and water. Of course, I do have the occasional treats like cookies so that I don't feel deprived. I'm looking to lose those last 10 pounds of fat. I'm aware that I'm at a healthy weight but I look squishy and chubby. I've always been that fluffy kid in pictures and I want to shed that image once and for all.
As for exercise, I work out 4~5 times a week which puts me under 'moderately active', but I set my activity level to lightly active instead because I'm sedentary for the rest of the day. My bum is literally glued to the chair. So I get a tdee of 1564 from http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ if I set my activity level to 1-3 hrs of light exercise. 1564 is quite high for me since I've always been eating at 1200~1350 net. Occasionally I do eat 1500~1600. I don't usually eat back my exercise calories, even when I was eating 1,350 cals so I might have been eating below my BMR sometimes. I know that's not healthy. Lastly, I did have some cheat days where I don't log my calories. I logged once and I reached 2000cals! I got shocked. Now, I am trying to eat around 1,350, which is calculation I got from fat2fit at a 20% deficit.
I don't mind not losing any pounds if I'm losing inches all around my body, so please help, anyone. Thanks!0 -
Hi all. Thank you for the informative post. I noticed that OP suggested we ask for help if we're already at week 6 with no progress whatsoever.
I'm at week 6 (since beginning of January) and have not lost weight or inches so I'm quite desperate now. Could anyone please help me review what I've been doing to see whether I've done anything wrong? I've opened up my diary so that everyone can have a look. My stats are as follows:
Height: 5 feet 1
Age: 22
Current weight: 116lbs (same since mid December)
Goal weight: 105lbs
Body fat %: 25% according to fat2fit
I eat as cleanly as possible and hardly eat out. I log what I eat and measure my food using a scale. I only drink green tea and water. Of course, I do have the occasional treats like cookies so that I don't feel deprived. I'm looking to lose those last 10 pounds of fat. I'm aware that I'm at a healthy weight but I look squishy and chubby. I've always been that fluffy kid in pictures and I want to shed that image once and for all.
As for exercise, I work out 4~5 times a week which puts me under 'moderately active', but I set my activity level to lightly active instead because I'm sedentary for the rest of the day. My bum is literally glued to the chair. So I get a tdee of 1564 from http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ if I set my activity level to 1-3 hrs of light exercise. 1564 is quite high for me since I've always been eating at 1200~1350 net. Occasionally I do eat 1500~1600. I don't usually eat back my exercise calories, even when I was eating 1,350 cals so I might have been eating below my BMR sometimes. I know that's not healthy. Lastly, I did have some cheat days where I don't log my calories. I logged once and I reached 2000cals! I got shocked. Now, I am trying to eat around 1,350, which is calculation I got from fat2fit at a 20% deficit.
I don't mind not losing any pounds if I'm losing inches all around my body, so please help, anyone. Thanks!
Which fat2fit BF% calc did you use? The 1 or 2 measurement method can be about useless.
Avg the Covert and Military that use several measurements.
Did you use that BF% on the scooby site for Katch BMR?
Because you aren't doing yourself any favors reading the scooby site wrong.
Even at rough 5 levels you are guestimating to be on the safe side - has it helped?
Be honest, how many hours of exercise a week is Sedentary?
How many hours a week of exercise are you doing?
Did you see anything in those level descriptions concerning daily life outside exercise?
No. That is MFP, that only deals with daily activity without exercise - just opposite.
Sounds like you are saying you are almost skinny fat then, healthy weight range but more fat than desired and noticeable.
That usually comes from bad choices losing weight, which ends up being muscle mass, not just or primarily fat.
Don't risk doing it again, unless you just want a lighter version of current self.
So with little to lose, you should be trying to lose little. 10% deficit max for last 10 lbs. And an honest TDEE estimate, which you aren't being.
Or use the spreadsheet on my profile page and be honest there too with your activity levels for the exercise.0 -
Hi all. Thank you for the informative post. I noticed that OP suggested we ask for help if we're already at week 6 with no progress whatsoever.
I'm at week 6 (since beginning of January) and have not lost weight or inches so I'm quite desperate now. Could anyone please help me review what I've been doing to see whether I've done anything wrong? I've opened up my diary so that everyone can have a look. My stats are as follows:
Height: 5 feet 1
Age: 22
Current weight: 116lbs (same since mid December)
Goal weight: 105lbs
Body fat %: 25% according to fat2fit
I eat as cleanly as possible and hardly eat out. I log what I eat and measure my food using a scale. I only drink green tea and water. Of course, I do have the occasional treats like cookies so that I don't feel deprived. I'm looking to lose those last 10 pounds of fat. I'm aware that I'm at a healthy weight but I look squishy and chubby. I've always been that fluffy kid in pictures and I want to shed that image once and for all.
As for exercise, I work out 4~5 times a week which puts me under 'moderately active', but I set my activity level to lightly active instead because I'm sedentary for the rest of the day. My bum is literally glued to the chair. So I get a tdee of 1564 from http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ if I set my activity level to 1-3 hrs of light exercise. 1564 is quite high for me since I've always been eating at 1200~1350 net. Occasionally I do eat 1500~1600. I don't usually eat back my exercise calories, even when I was eating 1,350 cals so I might have been eating below my BMR sometimes. I know that's not healthy. Lastly, I did have some cheat days where I don't log my calories. I logged once and I reached 2000cals! I got shocked. Now, I am trying to eat around 1,350, which is calculation I got from fat2fit at a 20% deficit.
I don't mind not losing any pounds if I'm losing inches all around my body, so please help, anyone. Thanks!
Which fat2fit BF% calc did you use? The 1 or 2 measurement method can be about useless.
Avg the Covert and Military that use several measurements.
Did you use that BF% on the scooby site for Katch BMR?
Because you aren't doing yourself any favors reading the scooby site wrong.
Even at rough 5 levels you are guestimating to be on the safe side - has it helped?
Be honest, how many hours of exercise a week is Sedentary?
How many hours a week of exercise are you doing?
Did you see anything in those level descriptions concerning daily life outside exercise?
No. That is MFP, that only deals with daily activity without exercise - just opposite.
Sounds like you are saying you are almost skinny fat then, healthy weight range but more fat than desired and noticeable.
That usually comes from bad choices losing weight, which ends up being muscle mass, not just or primarily fat.
Don't risk doing it again, unless you just want a lighter version of current self.
So with little to lose, you should be trying to lose little. 10% deficit max for last 10 lbs. And an honest TDEE estimate, which you aren't being.
Or use the spreadsheet on my profile page and be honest there too with your activity levels for the exercise.
I used the military one on fat2fit and it gave me around 25% body fat, so I used that on the scooby site.
I really don't know how many hours of exercise a week is considered Sedentary. I just know that I'm glued to my chair most of the day except when I work out. Whenever I work out, I try to exercise 45 ~ 60 minutes so that makes it around 3~4 hours of exercise a week. It may be less if I only manage to work out 30 minutes a day. My workouts are of varying intensities. They range from light to moderate. I do HIIT on my stationery bike for cardio.
Yes, I can agree with you that I am skinny fat and I also agree that I don't have much weight to lose, only stubborn fat. I can see some nice abs beneath my belly fat when I flex my muscles so I'm really looking forward to losing some body fat.
Okay, so I went back to the scooby site and inputted 3-5 hours of moderate exercise as my activity level and got 1866 cals. It's much higher than what I'm used to eating on average, but if it will help, then I will definitely do it.0 -
I used the military one on fat2fit and it gave me around 25% body fat, so I used that on the scooby site.
I really don't know how many hours of exercise a week is considered Sedentary. I just know that I'm glued to my chair most of the day except when I work out. Whenever I work out, I try to exercise 45 ~ 60 minutes so that makes it around 3~4 hours of exercise a week. It may be less if I only manage to work out 30 minutes a day. My workouts are of varying intensities. They range from light to moderate. I do HIIT on my stationery bike for cardio.
Yes, I can agree with you that I am skinny fat and I also agree that I don't have much weight to lose, only stubborn fat. I can see some nice abs beneath my belly fat when I flex my muscles so I'm really looking forward to losing some body fat.
Okay, so I went back to the scooby site and inputted 3-5 hours of moderate exercise as my activity level and got 1866 cals. It's much higher than what I'm used to eating on average, but if it will help, then I will definitely do it.
Might use both calcs for an average BF%.
Also, that link you provided has no place to input BF%, so I don't know if you got the Katch BMR that even uses it.
http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
So it sounds like you went back and read the actual descriptions of the exercise levels then. See, it said how many hours in there. This is your body you are talking about, don't be haphazard, that can work at the start with a lot to lose and with perhaps few negative results, but that's bad later on.
So HIIT, if done correctly, is not moderate, should be intense. Those TDEE descriptions are not about what the exercise it, but the time per week doing them.
Most would appreciate that walking 10 hrs daily light intensity for 3-4 mph would NOT be Lightly Active. But neither would 1 hr of walking equal 1 hr of running.
Hence the suggestion to use the spreadsheet if you want best estimates to get closest to estimated TDEE.
While close to 1900 eating may be higher than what you were doing - how does it compare exactly to what you ate when you weren't exercising and weren't on a diet?
To the workouts, you are doing the HIIT because of fat burn compared to steady state cardio right?
Well, what allows you to push so hard on the hard part?
The rest in-between, right.
So look at your weekly schedule - you aren't doing HIIT every day, right? Where's the easy part so the intense day can be really intense for maximum effect?
To the HIIT, proper usage would be 15-45 seconds of increased tension and faster cadence for all out push, and then 3 x as long so 45 to 135 seconds of low tension and slightly slower cadence to recover. Do about 8-10 sets, start and end with warm-up and cooldown. Not every day as I mentioned above.0 -
I used the military one on fat2fit and it gave me around 25% body fat, so I used that on the scooby site.
I really don't know how many hours of exercise a week is considered Sedentary. I just know that I'm glued to my chair most of the day except when I work out. Whenever I work out, I try to exercise 45 ~ 60 minutes so that makes it around 3~4 hours of exercise a week. It may be less if I only manage to work out 30 minutes a day. My workouts are of varying intensities. They range from light to moderate. I do HIIT on my stationery bike for cardio.
Yes, I can agree with you that I am skinny fat and I also agree that I don't have much weight to lose, only stubborn fat. I can see some nice abs beneath my belly fat when I flex my muscles so I'm really looking forward to losing some body fat.
Okay, so I went back to the scooby site and inputted 3-5 hours of moderate exercise as my activity level and got 1866 cals. It's much higher than what I'm used to eating on average, but if it will help, then I will definitely do it.
Might use both calcs for an average BF%.
Also, that link you provided has no place to input BF%, so I don't know if you got the Katch BMR that even uses it.
http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
So it sounds like you went back and read the actual descriptions of the exercise levels then. See, it said how many hours in there. This is your body you are talking about, don't be haphazard, that can work at the start with a lot to lose and with perhaps few negative results, but that's bad later on.
So HIIT, if done correctly, is not moderate, should be intense. Those TDEE descriptions are not about what the exercise it, but the time per week doing them.
Most would appreciate that walking 10 hrs daily light intensity for 3-4 mph would NOT be Lightly Active. But neither would 1 hr of walking equal 1 hr of running.
Hence the suggestion to use the spreadsheet if you want best estimates to get closest to estimated TDEE.
While close to 1900 eating may be higher than what you were doing - how does it compare exactly to what you ate when you weren't exercising and weren't on a diet?
To the workouts, you are doing the HIIT because of fat burn compared to steady state cardio right?
Well, what allows you to push so hard on the hard part?
The rest in-between, right.
So look at your weekly schedule - you aren't doing HIIT every day, right? Where's the easy part so the intense day can be really intense for maximum effect?
To the HIIT, proper usage would be 15-45 seconds of increased tension and faster cadence for all out push, and then 3 x as long so 45 to 135 seconds of low tension and slightly slower cadence to recover. Do about 8-10 sets, start and end with warm-up and cooldown. Not every day as I mentioned above.
Sorry, it seems I used the wrong website. I redid it with the link you gave and the scooby site gave me 1623cals which sounds more accurate to me.
And since you mentioned this: "While close to 1900 eating may be higher than what you were doing - how does it compare exactly to what you ate when you weren't exercising and weren't on a diet?" ... if I were to think about it, I can easily hit that mark when I think about how I used to eat when I hadn't started the diet. So I guess it was just my overreacting and self-doubt.
I really appreciate your help heybales. I will up my calories and stick with it a little longer.
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There ya go.
Might also confirm, with so little to lose, confirm you are selecting 10% deficit.
That way you'll also get the most benefit from the exercise. During good hard exercise, body would of course love to have a surplus of calories to work with.
Maintenance can still do some changes though slower.
During a deficit even less changes and much slower.
Since you have more body recomp you want to do, weight isn't bad, the heavier the weights can be for improving strength and body to make more muscle, the better.0 -
There ya go.
Might also confirm, with so little to lose, confirm you are selecting 10% deficit.
That way you'll also get the most benefit from the exercise. During good hard exercise, body would of course love to have a surplus of calories to work with.
Maintenance can still do some changes though slower.
During a deficit even less changes and much slower.
Since you have more body recomp you want to do, weight isn't bad, the heavier the weights can be for improving strength and body to make more muscle, the better.
Noted. I'm feeling much better already. I'm actually happy that I get to eat more. Thank you heybales! 0 -
Heybales, I have a similar problem to the previous member who posted, except that I've plateaued longer..... Been stuck at the same weight since December last year. I'm looking to lose another 10~15lbs because I look puffy and 'soft'. I have a pear-shaped body so all my excess fat sit stubbornly on my hips and thighs, thus making my body look disproportionate. I am 5 feet 2 and 128 lbs.
My biggest confusion is on estimating the activity level. I don't work in an office so I don't walk to my car or up and down stairs in the office. I'm always seated at my desk at home and I hardly walk. For example, I'll only get up to walk to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. I fidget quite a lot and I use many hand gestures and I speak. I currently work out 5 times a week, but I set my activity level to lightly active considering how sedentary I am when I am not working out.
I became quite desperate to lose weight in January and ate about 1250~1300 calories a day (gross) and did not eat back exercise calories, putting me under my bmr sometimes. I go over 1400 2-3 times in a week so I thought it was still okay to be undereating sometimes as long as I average out fine at the end. I also increased my workout days from 3 to 5 and also increased the duration from 30 minutes to 60 minutes. Intensity is also moderate. My ratio of strength training to cardio is currently 3:2. Was I overworking my body? I made sure my muscles were not sore when I worked out and if they still were, I would take a day off.
Now, I'm wondering whether it's because of the severe calorie restriction and increase of exercise that I didn't manage to lose any weight OR INCHES, since being at such a deficit should have produced some results by now if I were to follow the simply calorie-in, calorie-out logic of losing weight.
Please help me shed some light. I'm considering upping my calories to 1450~1500cals after reading this topic, but I'm a bit afraid that my actual tdee is lower than scooby's site and I wasn't able to lose weight previously because I had been eating too much. For your information, I do log my food and use a scale to measure. Scooby's site gives me 1514cals to lose weight at only 10% reduction after I put in my body fat %.0
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