Google Fit steps adds +500 cals a day, already struggling without tracking exercise?
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silico
Posts: 88 Member
After reading through lots of different advice I am confused about where to go with my counting, exercise and goals so would really appreciate some advice.
A few years ago at nearly 260lbs the weight fell off then slowed down until about 210lbs. Then I had to start regular cardio (Running/Rowing @ 30minutes) 3-4 days a week to bring it down to 195lbs where I am now. It’s a vast improvement from when I started but I’m still visibly overweight and my body fat % is still between 18-20%, where my ultimate goal is to get close to 13% (My pre-weight gain peak).
The issue is that for the last year I’ve been swinging between 195-205lbs, coinciding with stopping the regular cardio. “So do more exercise” my friends yell at me, but even if I really push it I’ve never been able to break through 195 for very long at all. The results are also not great from a BF% standpoint, I just seem to burn through muscle and get “Smaller” but not necessarily “leaner” which is more my goal at this point. So I think this and the plateau are linked somehow, but since this is as far as I’ve ever got I have no idea what to do beyond blindly follow the MFP goals (which has worked so far!).
So with that in mind, MFP is set to -1lb a week (sedentary) which means my goal is 1930 a day. (-500/-3500?)
I don’t track exercise, due to over estimating it and on some days missing my goal, so as an insurance policy mostly. The treadmill says it’s about -250cals a time but I don’t know for sure. I do it 3-4 times a week so at most it would be 4x250=-1000cals.
I also recently found out that my new phone can send pedometer data to MFP (Wow!) and that estimates an average of -500~cals a day. Again that seems way-over the top (double half an hour on the treadmill? Really?) so I do not count or eat back these calories. In my head, based on my job, I work it out to be 5.5x-500=-2750cals
So my logic is at the moment I’m eating -3500~ give some for over eating and take some for not counted cardio.
But MFP says that I’m eating (3500+1000+2750)=-7250cals a week (about -2.1lbs?). This could also bring my daily net to (1930-((1000+2750)/7=535))=1395cals.
“So what’s your problem? You either lose 1lb or 2lbs a week? Who cares your BF% will still drop?” The problem is never lose 2lb a week, I sometimes don’t even lose 1lb and if I do it doesn’t stay long. It makes no sense to me.
When I first ran into this problem I thought that I had maxed out what I could lose with just cardio and perhaps needed to start doing some strength training on top, but after looking at my numbers I don’t know if that will help at all.
Wow that turned into an essay, sorry about that.
A few years ago at nearly 260lbs the weight fell off then slowed down until about 210lbs. Then I had to start regular cardio (Running/Rowing @ 30minutes) 3-4 days a week to bring it down to 195lbs where I am now. It’s a vast improvement from when I started but I’m still visibly overweight and my body fat % is still between 18-20%, where my ultimate goal is to get close to 13% (My pre-weight gain peak).
The issue is that for the last year I’ve been swinging between 195-205lbs, coinciding with stopping the regular cardio. “So do more exercise” my friends yell at me, but even if I really push it I’ve never been able to break through 195 for very long at all. The results are also not great from a BF% standpoint, I just seem to burn through muscle and get “Smaller” but not necessarily “leaner” which is more my goal at this point. So I think this and the plateau are linked somehow, but since this is as far as I’ve ever got I have no idea what to do beyond blindly follow the MFP goals (which has worked so far!).
So with that in mind, MFP is set to -1lb a week (sedentary) which means my goal is 1930 a day. (-500/-3500?)
I don’t track exercise, due to over estimating it and on some days missing my goal, so as an insurance policy mostly. The treadmill says it’s about -250cals a time but I don’t know for sure. I do it 3-4 times a week so at most it would be 4x250=-1000cals.
I also recently found out that my new phone can send pedometer data to MFP (Wow!) and that estimates an average of -500~cals a day. Again that seems way-over the top (double half an hour on the treadmill? Really?) so I do not count or eat back these calories. In my head, based on my job, I work it out to be 5.5x-500=-2750cals
So my logic is at the moment I’m eating -3500~ give some for over eating and take some for not counted cardio.
But MFP says that I’m eating (3500+1000+2750)=-7250cals a week (about -2.1lbs?). This could also bring my daily net to (1930-((1000+2750)/7=535))=1395cals.
“So what’s your problem? You either lose 1lb or 2lbs a week? Who cares your BF% will still drop?” The problem is never lose 2lb a week, I sometimes don’t even lose 1lb and if I do it doesn’t stay long. It makes no sense to me.
When I first ran into this problem I thought that I had maxed out what I could lose with just cardio and perhaps needed to start doing some strength training on top, but after looking at my numbers I don’t know if that will help at all.
Wow that turned into an essay, sorry about that.
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Replies
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I had the same issue with plateauing at 234, I was always doing endurance based workouts, so steady paced treadmill, long walks etc. I've kick started down to 223 with a month of HIIT and strength training. Try to careless about what the scale says (I can weigh 4 lbs heavier after a lifting session just due to build ups in musscle tissue as it heals) and focus more on keeping your exercise regime guessing and your diet on point.0
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Thanks for the answer Gary, my only worry is if I switch to HIIT and weight training I'll go under 1200 net a day and that doesn't seem to be working well now at 1400~.0
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Sorry I couldn't follow your post.
Could you be over thinking it? Over complicating it?
Are you weighing your food in grams?
Are you getting enough protein to helps obtain muscles?
How are you measuring your body fat percentage?
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Start weight training and just do a little bit of HIIT afterwards or on off days. I think you need to lift to preserve your lean muscle as you lose. If you get the time right, you could be at the same calories you are now while adding the lifting in, too.
Health effects of HIIT occur with short periods of it, so you don't need to do it for long amounts of time that way.
Do make sure your diet supports lean muscle, too. Watch your macros.0 -
Sorry I couldn't follow your post.
Could you be over thinking it? Over complicating it?
Are you weighing your food in grams?
Are you getting enough protein to helps obtain muscles?
How are you measuring your body fat percentage?
Yeah it did turn a bit rambling I'll give you that.
I am maybe, just trying to break my plateau. I get about 100g protein as per MFP recommendations. And I'm using a clip thing for the body fat.
cafeaulait7 wrote: »Start weight training and just do a little bit of HIIT afterwards or on off days. I think you need to lift to preserve your lean muscle as you lose. If you get the time right, you could be at the same calories you are now while adding the lifting in, too.
Health effects of HIIT occur with short periods of it, so you don't need to do it for long amounts of time that way.
Do make sure your diet supports lean muscle, too. Watch your macros.
Thanks that sounds like good advice! One question, is the HIIT and weights on top of my normal Cardio distance sessions?0 -
Sorry I couldn't follow your post.
Could you be over thinking it? Over complicating it?
Are you weighing your food in grams?
Are you getting enough protein to helps obtain muscles?
How are you measuring your body fat percentage?
Yeah it did turn a bit rambling I'll give you that.
I am maybe, just trying to break my plateau. I get about 100g protein as per MFP recommendations. And I'm using a clip thing for the body fat.cafeaulait7 wrote: »Start weight training and just do a little bit of HIIT afterwards or on off days. I think you need to lift to preserve your lean muscle as you lose. If you get the time right, you could be at the same calories you are now while adding the lifting in, too.
Health effects of HIIT occur with short periods of it, so you don't need to do it for long amounts of time that way.
Do make sure your diet supports lean muscle, too. Watch your macros.
Thanks that sounds like good advice! One question, is the HIIT and weights on top of my normal Cardio distance sessions?
I'd do weights and then either: short HIIT, or (if you have time and can also eat for it): your normal cardio distance sessions.
The lifting won't add much calorie burn, but it will take time. I think it will help a lot, so do prioritize it, imho 0
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