Few questions about exercise

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vwooosh
vwooosh Posts: 5
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey guys, I have a few questions about exercise, so I think this is the right place for them.

Firstly, after ~4 years of not having a job, I just got a job as an overnight janitor. I do a TON of walking, pushing a broom, a floor scrubber, a buffer, etc. Last night I walked 11.39 miles. When I put in my walking into the exercise part of this site, it puts me into a 1500-2000 calorie deficit. I don't even put in pushing machinery around, or all the other cleaning I do when I am not walking. There is no way I could eat those calories, even if I wanted to (and I don't.) Are there any adverse health effects of having such a large deficit every day? I am still eating ~2000 calories a day.

Secondly, I need some advice for a good pair of walking shoes. A great pair of walking shoes. My current shoes have 0 support, and they leave my feet throbbing every morning when I come home from work. I am looking for a great pair that will last me a while, and cost under $200. I won't be able to buy any for a week until my check comes in, but when I do buy them, I want them to be great and last.

Thanks for all the help and advice.

Replies

  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
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    yes there are adverse health effects. that is way to big of a deficit, youre not getting near the nutrients your body needs. its tough, but you have to push through that urge to eat small amounts, you'll only do yourself harm. slow and steady wins the race. how much are you eating to put you at a 1500-2000 cal deficit though?

    as for the shoes, i cant really recommend anything, just go shopping around and walk around the store before buying. everyone has different feet so it will be hard to get a solid recommendation online
  • vwooosh
    vwooosh Posts: 5
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    I am eating the 2000 calories a day that this website recommends, but after I put in all the hours of walking for my job, it puts me at a massive deficit.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    You are likely not in a massive deficit, as you are not burning nearly that many calories.

    Yes, the extra movement and physical effort will increase your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), but the MFP amount you are citing is assuming a sustained and continuous effort--as if you walked the entire distance at one time on a treadmill.

    You will likely have to use a trial and error method, unless you want to invest in something like a fitbit. 2000 calories is a good chunk of food, so even a large deficit is unlikely to have any adverse effects if you are still significantly overweight. Or you could try increasing intake by 200-400 calories on work days and see what happens. People tend to overestimate the calorie burning effects of work and recreational activity, so I would not be in a rush to substantially increase intake. For one thing, the effort on a new job is likely making you more tired, so you are doing less other activity and less exercise. You have to think of the total picture.
  • mariabee
    mariabee Posts: 212 Member
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    I can't speak about men's shoes specifically, as I am a woman, but both my husband and I swear by Asics for support. I have plantars fasciitis and my $800 custom made orthotics didn't even alleviate the pain in my heels, only Asics runners did. My shoes are a tad cheaper than my husbands, but not by much, I think his latest pair ran about $80, but those were for running shoes.

    Good luck!
  • chadya07
    chadya07 Posts: 627 Member
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    do you have your lifestyle set correctly? if you have an active lifestyle like you are saying, you set it at active, then you dont necessarily track the everyday normal things you do, like go to work. just when you do things outside your normal routine.

    at least thats how i look at it.
  • vwooosh
    vwooosh Posts: 5
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    Thank you for the recommendation Maria, another friend of mine recommended Asics as well, so that's what I'm going to go shop for Thursday when I get paid.

    I have it set to Sedentary at the moment, because I haven't done anything for almost 4 years. I will change it, but I will likely not eat the 2800 calories a day that it recommends to me with an active lifestyle. I can barely eat about 1800-2000 a day as it is, and even then I feel like I am stuffing myself, forcing myself to eat.

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