Am I over eating for my workouts?

suzyloveskoalas
suzyloveskoalas Posts: 20 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm 5'3 at 127lbs..I want to have less body fat and be stronger, but I'm not sure if I'm doing it right. According to the Scooby Calculator: BMR 1350, I workout 3-4 times per week, TDEE 2094, caloric daily goal -20% is 1675 . My goal is to be stronger with less body fat. I enjoy jogging and working out in my home gym. If I'm bored and don't feel like jogging, I'll lift weights and do some type of cardio between sets (high knees, jumping jacks, jump rope, etc.) to get my bpm up. Yesterday I didn't feel like doing any cardio and I just did a 45 min leg day consisting of deadlifts, squats, step ups, leg extensions, leg curls, and calf raises..342 calories on my Polar...and today I'm too pooped to do anything. Other days could be cardio for 30 mins and then dumbell rows, flys, raises, OHP, other presses, etc.

According to my HRM, I'm averaging about 160+ bpm, on average 300ish calories/workout. I'm eating my calories back when it starts digging into my BMR, but mostly with an intake of about 1800 calories per day. I can't help but look at the scale almost daily and the scale is fluctuating (I also weigh my food on a scale). Should I just go ahead and eat pretty much eat my TDEE, eat less, eat more and lift heavier or lighter? I guess I just don't know what to expect my body to be in the next few weeks or months even at this rate. My.Diary.Is.Now.Open...and I'm feeling very vulnerable at the moment. You're thoughts and comments are very appreciated, thanks!

Replies

  • alanabanana86
    alanabanana86 Posts: 21 Member
    REALLY interested to hear a response, I'm in a similar place. 5'2", 124lbs, Similar BMR etc. Looking for the same thing, fat loss and strength, plus muscle definition.

    I set mine to follow MFP so eat at 1200 and then eat back all workout calories minus a bit. I roller skate for 5 hours per week and have 3x 30min high intensity strength sessions with a pt.

    Interested to know if I'm on the right track- I worry about eating back cals etc. To do more strength as I eat back cals anyway, I guess I'm worrying that I'm putting in what feels like a lot of effort and I want to know that I'm doing it right!

    Good luck for you, well done for doing something about it! :)
  • suzyloveskoalas
    suzyloveskoalas Posts: 20 Member
    Glad to hear I'm not the only one feeling like this! So I actually double posted this topic onto another board because I wasn't sure if this was the appropriate place, and I got 2 responses: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1442122-eating-back-calories-or-not

    Today I saw someone who works out a lot for the first time in about a month, and the good news is that he said that I've lost weight! Kinda cool, especially when I weighed more today than yesterday. If I'm visibly smaller even with a few more added pounds, why change what I'm doing right? I guess the only other thing that I'll work towards doing is finishing a workout routine.

    BTW, I think it's awesome that you roller skate because I love rollerblading! I wish more people would do that as part of their cardio routine every once in a while because it's so much fun! I would love to hear your progress and good luck!
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  • suzyloveskoalas
    suzyloveskoalas Posts: 20 Member
    I just checked my TDEE using the link you sent, which is basically what I eat on a daily basis since working out of 1802. I use my HRM mostly to try and keep my heart rate above a certain number so that I don't get lazy during some steady state cardio activity, but not as an accurate caloric expenditure on MPF. So either way, I'm still eating TDEE and a little less at times.

    Also, I thought the purpose of knowing your BMR is because it's needed to maintain the minimum calorific requirement needed to sustain life in a resting individual, which is why I thought I should worry about it, right?
  • alanabanana86
    alanabanana86 Posts: 21 Member
    Great reply thank you :)

    Using the link you gave it works out approximately the same as when I start with 1200 and add my exercise calories. Maybe even a little more calories on average so I'll give this a try. Losing 2lbs per week is really not possible for me unless it's in the first week or so of cleaner eating so I'll see how this goes thanks.

    Can I check something- you say add 200 for strength training, is that on top of the calories? So an extra 600 per week for me? Slightly confused.

    As for skating- YES :) I play for derby team here in the UK so I train with them twice per week and also take my children to our local rink for a couple of hours mid week, SO much fun!
  • mymodernbabylon
    mymodernbabylon Posts: 1,038 Member
    You are in a healthy weight range so trying to do a -20% is really quite aggressive. I would do -15 at the most, OR, do what many lifters do, eat at TDEE and see the body change versus the scale.

    If you are using the TDEE method, you don't eat back your workout calories. And if you want to lose fat, then lift heavy weights. The Stronglifts 5x5 or Starting Strength programmes are good for that.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    You are in a healthy weight range so trying to do a -20% is really quite aggressive. I would do -15 at the most, OR, do what many lifters do, eat at TDEE and see the body change versus the scale.

    If you are using the TDEE method, you don't eat back your workout calories. And if you want to lose fat, then lift heavy weights. The Stronglifts 5x5 or Starting Strength programmes are good for that.

    this - i would have said TDEE -10%!
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