Can someone take a look and let me know if this looks like a reasonable plan?

ReneePerle
ReneePerle Posts: 9 Member
edited December 1 in Food and Nutrition
Reposting here as I think I used the wrong board before:


Hello all - so I'm back after some time away and trying to get back in the swing of things. I'd really appreciate some input on my plan of action.

I started back Monday at 147lbs, 5'5'' trying to lose around 14lbs of fat.
37 year old female.

I work from home so am extremely sedentary. I have never been fit in any way and find losing weight very difficult. Some days I don't do anything other than couch - shower - sofa - toilet - couch - bed.

My exercise plan is:

M: C25K (so around 30 mins walk / run)
T: full body dumbells - heavy - 20 mins
W: C25K
T: full body dumbells - heavy - 20 mins
F: C25K
S: rest
S: longish walk - around 10,000+ steps

At the moment I'm eating at 1350 calories per day regardless of exercise, and only having alcohol twice a week on days where I have the room in my calories(boohoohoo). I'm not one to track macros intently unfortunately. I tried that and it puts me off. :-S

Question is - should I be eating more calories at this level of exercise? I'm happy enough at this level but I don't want to undereat if it will harm my progress.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks

Replies

  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    1357 is probably okay if you don't exercise but you should eat some of the calories you earn from exercise. A lot of people eat half of their exercise calories.
  • LazSommer
    LazSommer Posts: 1,851 Member
    edited May 2016
    Depends on what full body dumbells entails. Also with that much make 1350 your net amount vs total unless you want to crash in a week or two.
  • ReneePerle
    ReneePerle Posts: 9 Member
    My routine is 20-30 minutes of mainly full body compound lifts with dumbbells at 5-7kg.

    I don't really want to eat exercise calories back as such - I'm hoping to find an even daily calorie level.

    Can anyone recommend a good site for assessing that?

  • ReneePerle
    ReneePerle Posts: 9 Member
    The IIFYM calculator that folk tend to recommend states BMR 1350 and TDEE 1712 - they recommend eating 1350 every day regardless of exercise. This is 20% off my TDEE.

    "Now that the IIFYM Calculator has provided your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure), it is time set the amount of calories you will be consuming while following IIFYM for fat loss or muscle gain. In order to lose weight (burn fat), you need to consume less calories than your body needs. A deficit of 15-20% off of your personal TDEE is a safe caloric deficit to shoot for to insure fast fat loss without burning up your hard earned muscle. To build muscle, you need to consume slightly more calories than your TDEE. 5-10% is a safe caloric surplus of to consume to encourage muscle growth without packing on too much unwanted body fat. This is where the IIFYM Calculator shines!"

    Though not sure I can take them seriously as they used "insure" instead of "ensure"...
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
    Forget sites and calculators and look at real world data. Also forget eating back exercise calories, it's imprecise and pointless, use a TDEE method.

    Pick a number, accurately track intake and monitor trends in weight using trendweight/libra/whatever over a 4 week period.

    Adjust as necessary.

    PS. You'll be adjusting up from 1350 calories if your are exercising as above.
  • ReneePerle
    ReneePerle Posts: 9 Member
    That's what I'm trying to do - use a TDEE method.

    Also - "If" I am exercising as above? Are you suggesting I'm not? Haha.
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
    Are you weighing all your food?
  • ho11y4271
    ho11y4271 Posts: 32 Member
    ReneePerle wrote: »
    Reposting here as I think I used the wrong board before:

    Question is - should I be eating more calories at this level of exercise? I'm happy enough at this level but I don't want to undereat if it will harm my progress.

    Any other suggestions?

    Thanks

    It won't harm your progress as you're eating less calories than you burn, so you should continue to lose weight and as you stated you're happy doing this, so if it's working why change it. If you feel you get more hungry on exercise days then try upping your calories, but again as you asked it won't harm your progress (remember starvation mode is a myth)
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