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CICO works!

TI30x
TI30x Posts: 25 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
So I started out 2. January with 65.6kg, and this morning I was down to 62.7.

So the loss is a bit too rapid, at 0.68kg per week (I set MFP to 0.25) so I guess my TDEE is quite a bit higher. I don't eat back exercise calories, but as I mainly do interval bodyweight workouts there's no way of knowing how much I really burn. I highly doubt it's such a massive amount in 20-40 minutes, about 430kcal per day additionally if I got this right. I usually assume Calisthenics, light, at home is about right.

Maybe I should start eating part of my exercise calories back. What do you think? My aim is to get to about 58kg at 169cm, 44 years old female.

edit: changed 'do' to 'don't' with regards to workout calories.

Replies

  • TravisJHunt
    TravisJHunt Posts: 533 Member
    Most people on here seem to say unless you know your exercise calories are bang on, eat back 50% of them to account for the normal higher logging of exercise calories.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I don't understand your post, you say you eat back exercise cals, and then ask if you should eat back exercise cals?
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,383 Member
    Congrats on your success so far! I personally like using a heart-rate chest band (and accompanying watch) to estimate my burns when I'm doing most workouts. I believe chest HRMs are more accurate than watch-only models (like Fitbits). Still, it's all a guessing game!

    The main things you should think about:
    - Make sure to hit at least 1200 net calories every day for general health
    - Judge how you feel - are you often very hungry? Do you feel weak and tired a lot? Bump up those calories!
    - Are you not progressing well with your workouts? Bump up those calories!

    If you feel great, your workouts aren't suffering, and you're eating at least 1200 cals, you sound like you're on the right track. Good luck.
  • batorkin
    batorkin Posts: 281 Member
    I don't eat back my exercise calories unless I am feeling very hungry that day.
  • TI30x
    TI30x Posts: 25 Member
    I don't understand your post, you say you eat back exercise cals, and then ask if you should eat back exercise cals?

    There's a 'don't' missing. Sorry.
  • TI30x
    TI30x Posts: 25 Member
    toxikon wrote: »
    Congrats on your success so far! I personally like using a heart-rate chest band (and accompanying watch) to estimate my burns when I'm doing most workouts. I believe chest HRMs are more accurate than watch-only models (like Fitbits). Still, it's all a guessing game!

    The main things you should think about:
    - Make sure to hit at least 1200 net calories every day for general health
    - Judge how you feel - are you often very hungry? Do you feel weak and tired a lot? Bump up those calories!
    - Are you not progressing well with your workouts? Bump up those calories!

    If you feel great, your workouts aren't suffering, and you're eating at least 1200 cals, you sound like you're on the right track. Good luck.

    Thanks a lot :)
    I feel great to be honest and my workouts are not suffering. My body feels much stronger and my posture is much better. Hey, I can feel different leg muscles.

    But yes, based on what I'm losing I'm either burning much more with my workouts, or my TDEE is much higher. MFP has me on 1340 per day to lose 0.25. But as I lose much more than predicted I should probably up my calories.
  • TI30x
    TI30x Posts: 25 Member
    Most people on here seem to say unless you know your exercise calories are bang on, eat back 50% of them to account for the normal higher logging of exercise calories.

    Yeah, I've been looking at the calisthenics, light workout. For 30 minutes it gives me 110kcal. I don't think I'm doing a vigorous workout, and bodyweight squats, lunges, pushups and the likes probably don't burn much calories. So it's probably safe to eat all of those.
  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
    tyrindor wrote: »
    I don't eat back my exercise calories unless I am feeling very hungry that day.

    Well, then there you go. Start eating them back if you don't want this rapid loss.
  • TI30x
    TI30x Posts: 25 Member
    tyrindor wrote: »
    I don't eat back my exercise calories unless I am feeling very hungry that day.

    Well, then there you go. Start eating them back if you don't want this rapid loss.

    That's not me.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    If you're losing too quickly, eat a bit more. Whether you want to eat back a portion of your exercise cals, or increase your activity level, or simply make a manual adjustment to your calorie goal doesn't much matter (just go by personal preference)... as long as you start eating a bit more.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    You have less than 10kg/22lbs to lose so 1lb/0.5kg a week is a good aim. Eat back those exercise calories :smile:
  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
    TI30x wrote: »
    tyrindor wrote: »
    I don't eat back my exercise calories unless I am feeling very hungry that day.

    Well, then there you go. Start eating them back if you don't want this rapid loss.

    That's not me.

    Oops! Sorry about that!

    But, from *your* OP:
    TI30x wrote: »
    I don't eat back exercise calories, but as I mainly do interval bodyweight workouts there's no way of knowing how much I really burn.

    So... eat them back?
  • TI30x
    TI30x Posts: 25 Member
    TI30x wrote: »
    tyrindor wrote: »
    I don't eat back my exercise calories unless I am feeling very hungry that day.

    Well, then there you go. Start eating them back if you don't want this rapid loss.

    That's not me.

    Oops! Sorry about that!

    But, from *your* OP:
    TI30x wrote: »
    I don't eat back exercise calories, but as I mainly do interval bodyweight workouts there's no way of knowing how much I really burn.

    So... eat them back?

    Yep, that's what I wrote above. Half an hour comes down to about 110kcal. That certainly won't hurt.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    TI30x wrote: »
    Most people on here seem to say unless you know your exercise calories are bang on, eat back 50% of them to account for the normal higher logging of exercise calories.

    Yeah, I've been looking at the calisthenics, light workout. For 30 minutes it gives me 110kcal. I don't think I'm doing a vigorous workout, and bodyweight squats, lunges, pushups and the likes probably don't burn much calories. So it's probably safe to eat all of those.

    again, in your first post you say you're burning around 400cals per workout, and now you're saying 110? big difference?
  • TI30x
    TI30x Posts: 25 Member
    TI30x wrote: »
    Most people on here seem to say unless you know your exercise calories are bang on, eat back 50% of them to account for the normal higher logging of exercise calories.

    Yeah, I've been looking at the calisthenics, light workout. For 30 minutes it gives me 110kcal. I don't think I'm doing a vigorous workout, and bodyweight squats, lunges, pushups and the likes probably don't burn much calories. So it's probably safe to eat all of those.

    again, in your first post you say you're burning around 400cals per workout, and now you're saying 110? big difference?

    Geez, not everybody is a native English speaker, and that I use cm and kg probably means that I'm not from the UK or US.

    No, I said that I'm losing the equivalent of 430kcal faster per day than expected. I don't this is due to a 30 minute workout with lots of breaks. Hence it must be due to a higher than expected BMR. I'm otherwise sedentary and sit at my desk for most of the time, thus I'm also not underestimating my activity level.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,158 Member
    edited February 2018
    TI30x wrote: »
    TI30x wrote: »
    Most people on here seem to say unless you know your exercise calories are bang on, eat back 50% of them to account for the normal higher logging of exercise calories.

    Yeah, I've been looking at the calisthenics, light workout. For 30 minutes it gives me 110kcal. I don't think I'm doing a vigorous workout, and bodyweight squats, lunges, pushups and the likes probably don't burn much calories. So it's probably safe to eat all of those.

    again, in your first post you say you're burning around 400cals per workout, and now you're saying 110? big difference?

    Geez, not everybody is a native English speaker, and that I use cm and kg probably means that I'm not from the UK or US.

    No, I said that I'm losing the equivalent of 430kcal faster per day than expected. I don't this is due to a 30 minute workout with lots of breaks. Hence it must be due to a higher than expected BMR. I'm otherwise sedentary and sit at my desk for most of the time, thus I'm also not underestimating my activity level.

    I am from the UK and like plenty of other British people use KG & CMs so people aren't going to assume that means you're not a native English speaker.
  • TI30x
    TI30x Posts: 25 Member
    Ok, excuses for being not clear. This is the best English I can manage.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    edited February 2018
    TI30x wrote: »
    Ok, excuses for being not clear. This is the best English I can manage.

    You're fine, don't let them get to you.


    You're exactly right with this post:
    TI30x wrote: »
    toxikon wrote: »
    Congrats on your success so far! I personally like using a heart-rate chest band (and accompanying watch) to estimate my burns when I'm doing most workouts. I believe chest HRMs are more accurate than watch-only models (like Fitbits). Still, it's all a guessing game!

    The main things you should think about:
    - Make sure to hit at least 1200 net calories every day for general health
    - Judge how you feel - are you often very hungry? Do you feel weak and tired a lot? Bump up those calories!
    - Are you not progressing well with your workouts? Bump up those calories!

    If you feel great, your workouts aren't suffering, and you're eating at least 1200 cals, you sound like you're on the right track. Good luck.

    Thanks a lot :)
    I feel great to be honest and my workouts are not suffering. My body feels much stronger and my posture is much better. Hey, I can feel different leg muscles.

    But yes, based on what I'm losing I'm either burning much more with my workouts, or my TDEE is much higher. MFP has me on 1340 per day to lose 0.25. But as I lose much more than predicted I should probably up my calories.

    MFP is just an estimate (actually, pretty much all of this is a collection of estimates)... feel free to make small changes here or there as necessary.
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    TI30x wrote: »
    TI30x wrote: »
    Most people on here seem to say unless you know your exercise calories are bang on, eat back 50% of them to account for the normal higher logging of exercise calories.

    Yeah, I've been looking at the calisthenics, light workout. For 30 minutes it gives me 110kcal. I don't think I'm doing a vigorous workout, and bodyweight squats, lunges, pushups and the likes probably don't burn much calories. So it's probably safe to eat all of those.

    again, in your first post you say you're burning around 400cals per workout, and now you're saying 110? big difference?

    Geez, not everybody is a native English speaker, and that I use cm and kg probably means that I'm not from the UK or US.

    No, I said that I'm losing the equivalent of 430kcal faster per day than expected. I don't this is due to a 30 minute workout with lots of breaks. Hence it must be due to a higher than expected BMR. I'm otherwise sedentary and sit at my desk for most of the time, thus I'm also not underestimating my activity level.

    Ah, I understand now! (The sentence "I highly doubt it's such a massive amount in 20-40 minutes, about 430kcal per day additionally if I got this right" is unclear in English, but you cleared it up). I do similar workouts using an apple watch and generally log 100-150 calories per half hour, so I think your estimate isn't way off right now and eating back some of those calories should slow your rate of loss a bit.

    That said, since you said you're feeling great right now and you only started a month ago, I think you should wait another couple of weeks before you change how much you're eating. It's not uncommon to lose faster than usual in your first month because the changes to your diet can change the amount of water you're retaining. The next couple of weeks might be a more accurate estimate of how much you're eating and burning. Whatever you choose to do, good luck!
  • HavtaLose
    HavtaLose Posts: 59 Member
    TI30x wrote: »
    So I started out 2. January with 65.6kg, and this morning I was down to 62.7.

    Weight loss is always high the first month, and it slows down after that as a lot of it is also just water weight. I'd suggest don't increase calories yet and continue what you're doing unless you're feeling hungry- which your body would definitely let you know if your deficit was v high.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    If it were me I would just change your activity level up one and not worry about exercise calories, since you say it’s hard to estimate.
  • MissyCHF
    MissyCHF Posts: 337 Member
    TI30x wrote: »
    TI30x wrote: »
    Most people on here seem to say unless you know your exercise calories are bang on, eat back 50% of them to account for the normal higher logging of exercise calories.

    Yeah, I've been looking at the calisthenics, light workout. For 30 minutes it gives me 110kcal. I don't think I'm doing a vigorous workout, and bodyweight squats, lunges, pushups and the likes probably don't burn much calories. So it's probably safe to eat all of those.

    again, in your first post you say you're burning around 400cals per workout, and now you're saying 110? big difference?

    Geez, not everybody is a native English speaker, and that I use cm and kg probably means that I'm not from the UK or US.

    No, I said that I'm losing the equivalent of 430kcal faster per day than expected. I don't this is due to a 30 minute workout with lots of breaks. Hence it must be due to a higher than expected BMR. I'm otherwise sedentary and sit at my desk for most of the time, thus I'm also not underestimating my activity level.
    The UK uses kg and cm too but I bet a few like me think in St & lbs plus Ft & ins. :smile:
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 10,111 Member
    I am in the UK but am not British. I'd not know what to do with stones, inches, gallons and the likes. Even mph still confuses me.
  • Poisonedpawn78
    Poisonedpawn78 Posts: 1,145 Member
    What does your loss look like if you ignore the first week water weight drop?
  • TI30x
    TI30x Posts: 25 Member
    What does your loss look like if you ignore the first week water weight drop?

    There was no first week water weight drop. I was already working out for a while, thus there was not workout water retention either. Though I'd not really retained water from starting to work out regularly. Been running for years, but stopped for now due to the weather. I started the body weight exercises in my flat about 4 weeks before starting to count calories, and have slowly up'ed the frequency. No water retention from cycle either as I'm taking the pill in long-term cycle. It's just a fairly linear loss overall, with minor water retention in the later part of the week (too much office work) that I lose over the weekend again.
  • TI30x
    TI30x Posts: 25 Member
    MissyCHF wrote: »
    TI30x wrote: »
    TI30x wrote: »
    Most people on here seem to say unless you know your exercise calories are bang on, eat back 50% of them to account for the normal higher logging of exercise calories.

    Yeah, I've been looking at the calisthenics, light workout. For 30 minutes it gives me 110kcal. I don't think I'm doing a vigorous workout, and bodyweight squats, lunges, pushups and the likes probably don't burn much calories. So it's probably safe to eat all of those.

    again, in your first post you say you're burning around 400cals per workout, and now you're saying 110? big difference?

    Geez, not everybody is a native English speaker, and that I use cm and kg probably means that I'm not from the UK or US.

    No, I said that I'm losing the equivalent of 430kcal faster per day than expected. I don't this is due to a 30 minute workout with lots of breaks. Hence it must be due to a higher than expected BMR. I'm otherwise sedentary and sit at my desk for most of the time, thus I'm also not underestimating my activity level.
    The UK uses kg and cm too but I bet a few like me think in St & lbs plus Ft & ins. :smile:

    Fair enough <3 Sorry for claiming the English speaking world mostly uses imperial measurements.
  • TI30x
    TI30x Posts: 25 Member
    hesn92 wrote: »
    If it were me I would just change your activity level up one and not worry about exercise calories, since you say it’s hard to estimate.

    That would give me 1540kcal instead of 1340. Hmm.. difficult. I think I'll first try to eat back my estimated workout calories and see what that does.

    On one hand I want to get rid of the excess weight as I got it in a year longer phase of depression and want to close out that part of my life. On the other hand I know I don't have a lot to lose and should not rush things. I'll certainly listen to by body, and if I find I'm fatigued, hungry, cannot do my workouts or progress I'll up my food more than just the workout calories.
  • MissyCHF
    MissyCHF Posts: 337 Member
    yirara wrote: »
    I am in the UK but am not British. I'd not know what to do with stones, inches, gallons and the likes. Even mph still confuses me.
    Stick to kg etc. I must admit the Imperial measures are complicated, best ignored especially if your young, they're just not needed here anymore. :)

  • MissyCHF
    MissyCHF Posts: 337 Member
    TI30x wrote: »
    MissyCHF wrote: »
    TI30x wrote: »
    TI30x wrote: »
    Most people on here seem to say unless you know your exercise calories are bang on, eat back 50% of them to account for the normal higher logging of exercise calories.

    Yeah, I've been looking at the calisthenics, light workout. For 30 minutes it gives me 110kcal. I don't think I'm doing a vigorous workout, and bodyweight squats, lunges, pushups and the likes probably don't burn much calories. So it's probably safe to eat all of those.

    again, in your first post you say you're burning around 400cals per workout, and now you're saying 110? big difference?

    Geez, not everybody is a native English speaker, and that I use cm and kg probably means that I'm not from the UK or US.

    No, I said that I'm losing the equivalent of 430kcal faster per day than expected. I don't this is due to a 30 minute workout with lots of breaks. Hence it must be due to a higher than expected BMR. I'm otherwise sedentary and sit at my desk for most of the time, thus I'm also not underestimating my activity level.
    The UK uses kg and cm too but I bet a few like me think in St & lbs plus Ft & ins. :smile:

    Fair enough <3 Sorry for claiming the English speaking world mostly uses imperial measurements.
    Hug. :)

This discussion has been closed.