Calculating Cals Burned & Compensating

Ptah182
Ptah182 Posts: 13
in Health and Weight Loss
Last time I started going to the gym to supplement my keto diet I gained weight. Most likely because I was over estimating my burns. So I did more research, and decided to go back. This is what I'm doing:

Elliptical Example:

MyFitnessPal will say that 60 minutes = 1000 cals burned based on my info.
Using my average heart rate calculation around 600 cals per hour

I use the lesser of the two. So 600 cals burned, but rather than put that into MFP I reduce it by 20% for margin of error. So I would log 480 cals burned and then eat those cals later to compensate.

I have been using this type of equation for the past week, and have not noted any loss in weight. In fact there's been slight gains. I need to verify that I am doing the right thing, as I always seem to gain when working out, and muscle isn't going on due to a deficit in cals. My food log is accurate, so it must be my math or my body retaining water.

Should I continue the course and hope that its water retention, or do I need to adjust to a different plan? The diet portion I have down, the exercise seems to screw it up for me, and I'm getting to a point where I need to eat more than allotted for the day in order to keep my 1000 cal reduction safely.

Replies

  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I would stay the course as long as you are accurating logging intake which means weighing food and choosing the correct entries...ie USDA entries, non * entries, no generic and no homemade.

    You body will retain water and glycogen stores for up to 3 weeks after starting a new exercise routine.
  • nikibean123
    nikibean123 Posts: 81 Member
    I personally would stop all the maths and just log what you do. You might be gaining muscle weight so measure your waist, chest, thighs etc to better gauge fat loss. I think kind of logging it but skewing the numbers might be confusing things. Good luck :)
  • Ptah182
    Ptah182 Posts: 13
    I'm definitely on key for the entries. If there isn't an entry I find accurate enough I'll make my own. I heard that starting weight gain might be from water retention around repairing muscles and glycogen stores. I'm assuming that me being on a keto diet I deplete all my glycogen during my workouts.

    I was worried about my calculations being too inaccurate and not eating enough and going into a starvation mode if I was really lowballing my workout and maintaining the 1000 cal deficit for the day, then tacking on however much I lowballed the workout estimate.

    I can commit to 3 weeks before freaking out I think. Just concerned. I do measure now, and I feel thinner if that makes any sense.
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    If your in a deficit you're not gaining any muscle so you can rule that out. It's possible that it's water retention from added exercise, but it is more likely that you are eating more than you think or as you said you are not burning as much as you think.

    I have seen people on this site go for months on end complaining that they are not losing weight and sometimes even gaining weight while "thinking" they are doing it right. The simple fact is if you're not losing weight, and you are trying to, you are not in a calorie deficit. It should not take more than a week to start to see results from a deficit if one is in fact in place.

    Why you're not in a deficit is something you will have to step back and figure out, but the only thing required for weight loss to occur is a calorie deficit. Keep that in mind when everyone is telling you to eat more carbs, or less carbs, or log your exercise this way or that way, or my personal favorite "you're gaining muscle which is offsetting the fat your losing".

    In other words don't over complicate it...

    Good luck! :drinker:
  • Ptah182
    Ptah182 Posts: 13
    I think I just need accuracy. I'm a man of science... the diet itself works fine, but I need to start working out. If I have accurate data to work with, I'm good. I can put all my faith in it. I suppose what I need is... how do I get the most accurate data about my cals burned?

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