New plan Q - Upping calorie goal?? Don't want to undereat!

Nicholey4
Nicholey4 Posts: 5
edited February 26 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone,

I am a long time forum browser. New to posting :) There is so much great information here! I feel like I am starting to understand better my realistic body needs to meet my goal of building lean muscle and losing fat/weight. However, I have been going by the plan below for 2 weeks now and haven't seen any change in the scale or how clothes fit. I use the IIFYM.com calculators to figure out BMR and TDEE and try to meet micro and macro nutrient goals using a food log, ~160g protein, 115g carb, 55gfat. I try to include balance in my meals, although it seems kinda like a moving target! I can get by on a range of calories (was doing fine at 1200, love eating more, too). I do have an uncalculated/free day once per week, sometimes I eat within my calorie limits and other times I go out to eat or order in food and go over. This often includes 1-4 alcoholic drinks. I like a day without paying attention to calories/grams. Also, I enjoy exercise and mix this up regularly. Examples include bicycling, walking, jogging, intervals, hiking, elliptical.

I have a history of under-eating with weight loss success. About five years ago I restricted to 1000-1200 calories/day and did not eat back 4-5x/wk exercise calories. I lost from 190 to 150 lbs in about 4 months, but was always tired and weak. Over the past five years I have gained back to my current weight of 175 and now want to make sure I have a grip on my plan going forward. I've stayed at this weight for at least one year without trying to actively restrict my calories, monitor nutrition, or follow a minimum exercise routine. I keep reading that net 1200 is too few calories for someone of my size and activity level, but net 1600 seems like too much!

I will include below my stats and exercise regimen. I would love any advice or suggestions for changes as I want a reasonable, healthy plan for getting to my goal weight.

Height: 70in/5'10"
CW: 175
GW: 155
BMR: 1659
TDEE (set at sedentary due to desk job plus a varying exercise schedule): 1990
Daily calorie intake: 1600 + all exercise calories
Exercise: 4-5x/wk 30-65min cardio + 3x/wk 20min weights (average 300-700 cals per session)

I believe this will result in a 400 calorie/day deficit; losing 1 lb every 9 days or so. I would like to lose more quickly, but don't want to jeopardize lean muscle mass that I'm building through strength training.

How does my plan look? For the past year I've eaten about 1500 cals most days. I wasn't trying to under eat, I just would do a green protein smothie for breakfast, lean meat salad for lunch, a snack or two, and a healthy/leaner dinner. Do I need to slowly build up to a higher daily intake? Thank you for any input you can offer!!

Replies

  • Nicholey4
    Nicholey4 Posts: 5
    Bump -- anyone?
  • RedArizona5
    RedArizona5 Posts: 465 Member
    Your not eating enough. I would be as active as you can but at least 1,500 calories minimum. I have my goals at 1,300 but i know i usually go over so i'd rather end up at 1,500 not more. Be consistent. Today I went way over and all i did was stand at work all day-ok that is not helping me. i eat more quality foods than i have back in high school(things like candy bars, soda, and junk all day long!!) and now i weigh LESS now then i did back then but still enjoy some of those things some times ...and i was a hottie too, but, my point is that if you build some muscle you won't need to cut calories because the muscle will be the fire in the oven. don't have to go all extreme muscle mania meat head-ish but definitely get some pushups in girl and lots they are good for your chest and for a strong core and general strength! You just have to be consistent is the best advise I can give as well as to me trying to shred my last stubborn 15 it is crazy hard. I am at healthy weight but its a personal choice and just hope i gave some good advice.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    your exercise is included in your TDEE. try averaging out your workouts (i know for a fact the IIFYM calculators does that for you) so that you're eating the same amount every day. what I do is assume that I will be working out 4-5 days a week, took the calorie suggestion from IIFYM and manually changed that and the macro info on MFP. that way you dont have to hit a moving target, you have the same goals every day regardless if you workout that day or not provided that for the week you are getting the # of workouts done you said you would

    i'm also doing IIFYM but doing a piss poor job of it since I need to get to grocery store. :laugh:

    in any case how it was explained to me was to focus more so on getting your protein goals (which will more than likely put you close to your fat) then spend the rest of your calories getting carbs and fiber.
  • jasonctyler
    jasonctyler Posts: 40
    Hey Nicholey4,

    Everything looks good on my screen, but... As far as I'm aware, using IIFYM, you don't eat back your exercise calories... they are factored in already. TDEE includes exercise.

    A few things to remember/consider as well:

    • Weight loss isn't linear, so if you're truly at a deficit you'll lose eventually, your body just hasn't responded yet.

    • How accurately do you log? Do you use a food scale for solid items and measuring cups for fluids?

    • How do you know you're burning that many calories for your workouts? (This tends to be the biggest culprit for people with a stringent eating plan and accurate food logging habits, they burn less than they think, and eat more, negating their deficit.)

    • At a 400 calorie per day deficit, (2,800 cals per week right?) with a cheat day that isn't monitored at all, you could be undoing any work you've done. I have cheat days too... I still log them accurately as possible, that way I know where the blame lies and I don't have any questions I can't answer by viewing my dairy. Shoot, at 2800 calories with a cheat day I don't log... 1 trip to Burger King could ruin all my hard work and I'd be hungry a few hours later without a clue as to why I didn't lose any weight that week. For my cheat day I generally allow myself 500-1000 calories extra to use throughout the day... not criticizing your choices, just saying. Doing it how you said, that'd make it way to easy for me to fail at that or really any deficit.

    EDIT*** I also use IIFYM, and don't even bother to log exercise because when I set it up I told it I exercise X amount of days per week, and I'm such and such active with Y% body fat. That information is to used calculate your estimated total calories burned in your IIFYM deficit. If you're tracking calories and eating them back... you're not at a deficit with the IIFYM equation. Correct me if I'm wrong anyone, please. I'd love to start eating more... lol.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    At four calories per gram, 160g of protein and 115g of carbs plus 55g of fat (9 calories per gram) add up to 1595 cals, not 1200

    Eating a flat 1600 calories per day (no eating back exercise calories if you're doing TDEE method) seems about right for your size, IMO
  • jasonctyler
    jasonctyler Posts: 40
    Double checked my previous statements for accuracy, Nicholey4, if you'd like you can give this a read; it explains everything you need to know.

    http://iifym.com/do-i-add-back-calories-i-burn-during-exercise/
  • Nicholey4
    Nicholey4 Posts: 5
    Wow thank you everyone for the responses! I will go read the article linked. I weigh much more than I did in HS, Red - congratulations on your improved health! I do think I should up my strength training.

    Really what I get confused about it what to "net" per day. BMR? TDEE? BMR + exercise? TDEEx.8? I may be overthinking it, though. I like eating back any exercise calories earned. However, it sounds like factoring in a weekly # of workouts and using the TDEE number is better since it is more consistent day to day. I think I will give that a try if I don't see any change at next weigh in this weekend.

    Thanks so much for the help, everyone! I appreciate the info and find it very motivating.
  • Nicholey4
    Nicholey4 Posts: 5
    To answer a few of those Qs --

    I try to log accurately (who doesn't, I suppose). I enter recipes into a calorie log and use measuring cups and ounces during prep. I eyeball some things, such as salad dressing and fruit, as I have a fairly good idea of a tablespoon and a half cup. Not a big deal for some items, but things like olive oil and nuts or seeds could add up quickly with misjudgment. I haven't really looked into a food scale before - thank you for that suggestion!

    I use a Polar HRM with a chest band and log only my workout, not the "after burn." I HOPE this is a decent way of logging cals since it's set with my stats, but would welcome any suggestions for interpretation or tweaking. I do think I may be negating my weekly loss with a cheat day. I may look at a weekly number and allow myself to have a greater deficit the other 6 days to make up for not tracking on that Saturday or whatever day I don't log, but this would put me below BMR... ugh why can't I just do things the way I want and have, and get different results? ;)
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    I'd think you'd want to "net" TDEE * .8 for a 20% deficit. Net in quotes because TDEE already includes your exercise calories, so you're not eating back exercise calories as explicitly as MFP lays it out.
  • Nicholey4
    Nicholey4 Posts: 5
    So using the TDEE (factoring in exercise 4x/wk) x .8 method, I could be doing 30 min walking 4x/wk or 60 min running 4x/wk and still eat the same # of cals per day? It seems like TDEE (sedentary) x .8 + exercise cals specific to the day would be more accurate? Thoughts?
  • jasonctyler
    jasonctyler Posts: 40
    Not really. Here's an example: My sedentary TDEE is 2600, I use 25%. My deficit is 1875... I eat that, and then I factor in just the exercise I did that day which netted around 750 calories (taking the last workout I logged into consideration). I've just eaten 2625 calories worth of food, which is more than my body was able to burn so instead of being in a deficit I'm in a surplus.

    I didn't lose anything. I'm eating AT or ABOVE my bodies MAINTENANCE requirements.

    My suggestion is if you enjoy eating back exercise calories, IIFYM simply isn't for you. Re-calculate your goals on MFP, follow those, and add in exercise, then you'll get to eat those calories back and still see results.

    TDEE includes exercise, if you add it back you're not going to end up in a deficit.

    BMR = what your body does consume, without exercise or work or any activity. Based on your preferences you want to use your Basal Metabolic Rate minus your Deficit as a starting point for where you should eat. That way you can log all your exercise, eat it back too, and still be at a deficit.

    Example: My BMR is 1800 I want to lose roughly 1lb per week, so I create a 500 calorie deficit.

    My goal calories are 1300.

    Now I add my 750 calories of exercise I burned off, and need to eat 2050 calories. I'm still at a 500 calorie deficit, and got to eat what I wanted.

    Make sense?

    Using TDEE and logging exercise you'll easily negate your deficit, and then having a cheat day, it's a wonder you aren't gaining weight instead.

    If you really want to eat back those calories, just use MFP the way it's set up already. There's nothing wrong with it. I lost my first 30lb that way.


    So to recap:

    TDEE = Lazy man's way to eat at a deficit. Don't have to obsess over exercise and eating back those calories, it's taken care of for you.

    BMR minus your Deficit = MFP. Log your exercise calories and eat them back. The more you workout, the more you get to eat, and still lose weight. More tedious logging involved though.

    As part of my new lifestyle, IIFYM just makes more sense for me right now. Only reason I switched.
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