IIFYM and exercise calories

laureleberl1
laureleberl1 Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I figured out my macros and total number of calories that I should be taking through the IIFYM calculator. I workout 5-6 times a week and currently weigh 142 lbs and am looking to lose 12 lbs. I set my weight loss at the 20% Aggressive setting under the calculator. That puts me at about 1555 calories a day. Is that number supposed to include my exercise calories? Meaning, I eat 1555 no matter what I do for exercise?

I guess it seems as though it might be low. I run 5-6 miles 3x week and then do about 20 minutes of interval cardio for warmup and another 25-30 minutes of strength training/bodyweight exercises the other 2-3 days. I guess I wonder how IIFYM can guessimate your calories burned by just saying you exercise 5x a week? I just don't want my metab to shut down because I'm going too low. I have actually had plenty of energy for my workouts with the calories I'm taking in, but I'm still not sure if I'm doing it right. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Replies

  • EvanKeel
    EvanKeel Posts: 1,903 Member
    I figured out my macros and total number of calories that I should be taking through the IIFYM calculator. I workout 5-6 times a week and currently weigh 142 lbs and am looking to lose 12 lbs. I set my weight loss at the 20% Aggressive setting under the calculator. That puts me at about 1555 calories a day. Is that number supposed to include my exercise calories? Meaning, I eat 1555 no matter what I do for exercise?

    I guess it seems as though it might be low. I run 5-6 miles 3x week and then do about 20 minutes of interval cardio for warmup and another 25-30 minutes of strength training/bodyweight exercises the other 2-3 days. I guess I wonder how IIFYM can guessimate your calories burned by just saying you exercise 5x a week? I just don't want my metab to shut down because I'm going too low. I have actually had plenty of energy for my workouts with the calories I'm taking in, but I'm still not sure if I'm doing it right. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

    If you included your exercise as part of the calculation, the no. Do not eat back your exercise calories. If you don't feel that number is high enough to fuel workouts, etc, then eat slightly more for a month or so and see what kind of results you get. Or not.

    It make take some trial and error to get the right number.

    As to how it can come up with a number by saying you workout so many days per week, usually calorie burn estimators will include some sort of request of workout intensity as input.

    EDIT: Your metabolism won't "shut down" at that range. I'm sure people probably can cause some hormonal imbalances while eating in VLCDs but you're not eating in that level.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    It is low because you don't have a lot to lose...

    If you properly set your activity level, you would include exercise in that activity level...and thus that activity would be accounted for and you wouldn't eat back exercise calories. You only do that with MFP because MFP doesn't include your exercise in your activity level...you account for it after the fact when you log it.
  • samamps88
    samamps88 Posts: 52
    This is why TDEE is crap! Use the sedentary setting and then eat back your exercise calories simple as that.

    One persons idea of highly active may be different to anothers
  • cmeiron
    cmeiron Posts: 1,599 Member
    This is why TDEE is crap! Use the sedentary setting and then eat back your exercise calories simple as that.

    One persons idea of highly active may be different to anothers

    :huh:

    The TDEE method is logical and simple to employ. Your TDEE is not, however, determined with 100% accuracy by any online calculator. That said, by tracking your intake and weight loss, you can easily come up with a very accurate idea of your TDEE, which you can also easily adjust as needed if your activity level changes significantly. If your activity level is very inconsistent week-to-week, the TDEE - method may not be ideal and the eat-back-your exercise approach might be easier.
  • EvanKeel
    EvanKeel Posts: 1,903 Member
    This is why TDEE is crap! Use the sedentary setting and then eat back your exercise calories simple as that.

    One persons idea of highly active may be different to anothers

    And when your "estimates" for how much you've burned when you log your exercise don't reflect reality, you've run into an accuracy problem as well. Subjectivity is a red herring.

    It's all trial and error.
  • laureleberl1
    laureleberl1 Posts: 4 Member
    I like that idea. And, I tend to underestimate my exercise calories just to be safe. I typically eat back 1/2 of my calories when I was just using straight MFP calcs...

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