My stats for a week. Am I doing enough?
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HappilyLifts
Posts: 429 Member
I have been inspired by fat2fit radio's calculators and have been counting calories and exercising to the recommendations I got for:
female, age 43, 205 pounds with a goal weight of 160 and body fat % (from my bathroom scales) of 39.8%
BMR around 1600
TDEE 2269 if moderately active
I have done 4 days of exercise this week (just over 3 hours worth) keeping my Polar FT7 HRM in the 'fitness' zone. I want to raise my metabolism so I do a mixture of strength, steady cardio, tabata and interval training.
I've been nerdy and done some number crunching and this is what I came up with:
calories consumed over 7 days 15084 (2154 per day on average)
net calories over 7 days 13468 (1924 per day on average)
calories burned with exercise over 7 days 2125
I am getting at least 6 glasses of water a day, plus fluid in coffee, squash, juices and herbal teas.
I am trying to eat at least 100g protein per day.
Sometimes I find it difficult to get above 2000 cals per day so am eating some processed foods to bump up the calories (and feed my sweet tooth so that I don't give up altogether).
I guess I am looking for reassurance from someone more experienced than me that I am doing the right thing to:
build muscle and boost metabolism
lose fat at the same time
I realise this may not be the quickest way, but I want a change for life, and I don't want to be thinner and flabby, so I am prepared for changes to take some time while I build a bit of muscle. On the other hand, I do get impatient when neither the scale nor the tape measure shows much change so it would be nice if I got some verbal feedback to keep me on track.
I haven't weighed after this week, nor taken measurements, so I have no idea if this has worked, as this week followed a week of not tracking anything (on holiday, yeah, I know, poor excuse!) and I have just finished my period so I am still feeling bloated and had put on a few pounds at the beginning of the week that I just number crunched.
So what do you think? Is there anything you would change? Am I eating enough, or should I eat a bit less?
Any advice gratefully received :flowerforyou:
female, age 43, 205 pounds with a goal weight of 160 and body fat % (from my bathroom scales) of 39.8%
BMR around 1600
TDEE 2269 if moderately active
I have done 4 days of exercise this week (just over 3 hours worth) keeping my Polar FT7 HRM in the 'fitness' zone. I want to raise my metabolism so I do a mixture of strength, steady cardio, tabata and interval training.
I've been nerdy and done some number crunching and this is what I came up with:
calories consumed over 7 days 15084 (2154 per day on average)
net calories over 7 days 13468 (1924 per day on average)
calories burned with exercise over 7 days 2125
I am getting at least 6 glasses of water a day, plus fluid in coffee, squash, juices and herbal teas.
I am trying to eat at least 100g protein per day.
Sometimes I find it difficult to get above 2000 cals per day so am eating some processed foods to bump up the calories (and feed my sweet tooth so that I don't give up altogether).
I guess I am looking for reassurance from someone more experienced than me that I am doing the right thing to:
build muscle and boost metabolism
lose fat at the same time
I realise this may not be the quickest way, but I want a change for life, and I don't want to be thinner and flabby, so I am prepared for changes to take some time while I build a bit of muscle. On the other hand, I do get impatient when neither the scale nor the tape measure shows much change so it would be nice if I got some verbal feedback to keep me on track.
I haven't weighed after this week, nor taken measurements, so I have no idea if this has worked, as this week followed a week of not tracking anything (on holiday, yeah, I know, poor excuse!) and I have just finished my period so I am still feeling bloated and had put on a few pounds at the beginning of the week that I just number crunched.
So what do you think? Is there anything you would change? Am I eating enough, or should I eat a bit less?
Any advice gratefully received :flowerforyou:
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Replies
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Hey Choccieaddict!
Well done!! It looks like you are making some great choices and doing so well on getting all of that excersize in! I am no expert by any means, but I would take a look at your sugar intake. Sugar is something that has really derailed me in the past, and the less I eat of it, the less I crave it. Simple carbs (anything with white flour) and starches are a no go for me as well, but everyone is different. I have found that a bit of dark chocolate gets ridi on my sweets cravings with less cals, less sugar and lots of yummy, lol. Frozen fruit (cherries!!! Nom!!!) is an awesome treat as well.
Keep up the hard work and keep learning about what works for you. Measuring often is a better gague of how you are doing than weight, and of course how you FEEL is the most important. You should be eating to feel energized, healthy, inspired and satisfied, not deprived. Good luck and feel free to add me if you want :flowerforyou:0 -
Excellent!!! Number crunching can be very useful even if not totally precise; it serves as a nice goal/reminder.
I don't see any weight training in the mix, did I miss something? If you are not doing any of that - whether it is free weight or body weight training, you are missing out on an amazing opportunity to build muscles and feel uber strong..and burn calories even when resting.0 -
hi again :-)Excellent!!! Number crunching can be very useful even if not totally precise; it serves as a nice goal/reminder.
I don't see any weight training in the mix, did I miss something? If you are not doing any of that - whether it is free weight or body weight training, you are missing out on an amazing opportunity to build muscles and feel uber strong..and burn calories even when resting.
I do bodyweight strength training (planks, superman, side planks, press ups, squats and lunges) and 4kg dumbells for bi and tricep work. I mix that in with tabata, steady intensity and interval trianing on the cross trainer, rower, stationary bike and treadmill. I'm also starting out with NROL4W and have a meeting with my personal trainer tomorrow so I will try to get her to mix the NROL4W training in with whatever she thinks will help.0 -
You are right about my sugar intake, as you can probably tell from my username :blushing:Hey Choccieaddict!
Well done!! It looks like you are making some great choices and doing so well on getting all of that excersize in! I am no expert by any means, but I would take a look at your sugar intake. Sugar is something that has really derailed me in the past, and the less I eat of it, the less I crave it. Simple carbs (anything with white flour) and starches are a no go for me as well, but everyone is different. I have found that a bit of dark chocolate gets ridi on my sweets cravings with less cals, less sugar and lots of yummy, lol. Frozen fruit (cherries!!! Nom!!!) is an awesome treat as well.
Keep up the hard work and keep learning about what works for you. Measuring often is a better gague of how you are doing than weight, and of course how you FEEL is the most important. You should be eating to feel energized, healthy, inspired and satisfied, not deprived. Good luck and feel free to add me if you want :flowerforyou:
Can you track sugars as well as carbs on MFP? I haven't checked.
I must try dark chocolate, not as keen on it, but tastes change given enough time.
Some days I feel energised (usually post workout), other days I feel drained!
Thanks for replying.0 -
A little update.
I found the lunch I'd planned too much quantity and only managed about half the rice I'd allowed. That means I have to find something else to spend the calories on...or maybe not...would it really make that much difference?!0 -
Hey lady, I hope you are a part of the group "Eat More to Weigh Less" because there is so much helpful information..
Well, protein should be closer to like .8gr to 1gr per lb of body fat....especially when you are trying to build muscle. NROLW4W gives the complete breakdown of the "why's".
You cut value is fine for right now...eat that everyday and make sure on high burn days to net at least your BMR. Usually when low caling for a while it is good to just remain consistent with fueling your body so it "trusts" you again that you will feed it.
Again, that is really brief, but there is tons of info out there and over 1500 people that are walking through the process along with myself and Kiki:-) We know eating more to weigh less really does work:-)0 -
hi again :-)Excellent!!! Number crunching can be very useful even if not totally precise; it serves as a nice goal/reminder.
I don't see any weight training in the mix, did I miss something? If you are not doing any of that - whether it is free weight or body weight training, you are missing out on an amazing opportunity to build muscles and feel uber strong..and burn calories even when resting.
I do bodyweight strength training (planks, superman, side planks, press ups, squats and lunges) and 4kg dumbells for bi and tricep work. I mix that in with tabata, steady intensity and interval trianing on the cross trainer, rower, stationary bike and treadmill. I'm also starting out with NROL4W and have a meeting with my personal trainer tomorrow so I will try to get her to mix the NROL4W training in with whatever she thinks will help.
You have a personal trainer to guide you - that's awesome!!0 -
Really excellent goals, and the number crunching always can tell you mentally that even if no weight lost in a week, you obviously had a deficit so it means fat was lost and energy stores went up.
The only improvement you got now is examining the workout routine, to get the most out of your available time.
Things like:
When you strength train, don't do the same muscles the next day except for recovery zone aerobics (Polar's "fat-burning" zone) to get blood into the area.
Strong interval sessions should be the same.
Intense cardio days should be followed by less intense days.
You are truly to the point that you are feeding the workout great, if you are sleep well you are giving recovery there, and sounds like you have 2 days off each week, hopefully opposite each other, and hopefully following a strong weight training session.
So your biggest improvement will again be making the workouts smarter.
For instance, which you don't do, you could do 60 min of intense cardio every single day but 1. That will start having less bang for the buck. Your body can't recover, can't make stronger, you end up not going as hard though it feels like it.
What is your daily routine through the week, and what is the effort of that workout?0 -
Oh, I was going to mention too, the great thing about eating more to keep the metabolism high, you can put in that chocolate every day if desired and if still under your daily goal.
You are obviously getting your nutritional needs in already at less calories, so now it's just about energy. And while good food is better, this also allows you to plan on things, and enjoy things.
If you have 1 serving of chocolate each day, how prone to splurge when you know you get some tomorrow? No need to, more tomorrow.0 -
Oh, I was going to mention too, the great thing about eating more to keep the metabolism high, you can put in that chocolate every day if desired and if still under your daily goal.
You are obviously getting your nutritional needs in already at less calories, so now it's just about energy. And while good food is better, this also allows you to plan on things, and enjoy things.
If you have 1 serving of chocolate each day, how prone to splurge when you know you get some tomorrow? No need to, more tomorrow.
I like this thinking
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bump0
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Is that a 2415 calorie deficit of your TDEE. So it's less than the 3500 to get a weight loss of 1 pound per week or have I got it wrong? So if you consumed 2000 calories daily instead of 2154 you would get the 3500 deficit??0
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Is that a 2415 calorie deficit of your TDEE. So it's less than the 3500 to get a weight loss of 1 pound per week or have I got it wrong? So if you consumed 2000 calories daily instead of 2154 you would get the 3500 deficit??
Math-wise you have it correct.
Reality-wise her TDEE is more than that, those estimates generally seem to be low, as she'll discover when weight loss is more than math would say.
TDEE 2269 if moderately active figure, that is goal weight TDEE from the fat2fit method she did. Current weight TDEE is probably more around 2722 daily burn.
So current TDEE 2722
Avg eat 2154 (hopefully working up to 2200)
Avg deficit - 569
So that is the deficit aspect, and is about 1lb a week, anything more than this regularly lost means her TDEE is in reality higher. If less than that, it's harder to say, because with exercise and eating enough come body improvements that add on LBM, not fat. So fat is still dropping while that is going up.
And then the other aspect of the numbers, eating enough.
Avg eat - 2154
Avg burn - 304
Avg net - 1851
So above the BMR she was wanting to be above so metabolism is as high as possible.0 -
Is that a 2415 calorie deficit of your TDEE. So it's less than the 3500 to get a weight loss of 1 pound per week or have I got it wrong? So if you consumed 2000 calories daily instead of 2154 you would get the 3500 deficit??
Math-wise you have it correct.
Reality-wise her TDEE is more than that, those estimates generally seem to be low, as she'll discover when weight loss is more than math would say.
TDEE 2269 if moderately active figure, that is goal weight TDEE from the fat2fit method she did. Current weight TDEE is probably more around 2722 daily burn.
So current TDEE 2722
Avg eat 2154 (hopefully working up to 2200)
Avg deficit - 569
So that is the deficit aspect, and is about 1lb a week, anything more than this regularly lost means her TDEE is in reality higher. If less than that, it's harder to say, because with exercise and eating enough come body improvements that add on LBM, not fat. So fat is still dropping while that is going up.
And then the other aspect of the numbers, eating enough.
Avg eat - 2154
Avg burn - 304
Avg net - 1851
So above the BMR she was wanting to be above so metabolism is as high as possible.
Thanks for the explanation.0 -
Hi Lucia, thanks for replying, yes, I am part of that groupHey lady, I hope you are a part of the group "Eat More to Weigh Less" because there is so much helpful information..
Well, protein should be closer to like .8gr to 1gr per lb of body fat....especially when you are trying to build muscle. NROLW4W gives the complete breakdown of the "why's".
You cut value is fine for right now...eat that everyday and make sure on high burn days to net at least your BMR. Usually when low caling for a while it is good to just remain consistent with fueling your body so it "trusts" you again that you will feed it.
Again, that is really brief, but there is tons of info out there and over 1500 people that are walking through the process along with myself and Kiki:-) We know eating more to weigh less really does work:-) I don't get as much time as I'd like to read all the threads but I do dip into it every few days.
I will continue to try and up my protein, I don't want to be flabby skinny so anything that helps build muscle will help.
I like the idea that being consistent with my calorie intake will persuade my body that starvation isn't around the corner so it can give up some of its fat. That makes sense.
Thanks again!0 -
yes, and I'm thankful. I don't know how long I will have access to her for, maybe another 6 months. When I went to my doctor last summer they identified that I was obese and put me on a free local programme for a year which gives me monthly visits to a nurse to talk about diet and lifestyle changes, a reduced fee to my local gym, which includes seeing a trainer every month for a program. I would never have set foot in the gym if it wasn't for their persuasion. The thought of exercising with strangers was very scary, but I'm ok now. I just stick my earphones in and get the job done :-)
hi again :-)Excellent!!! Number crunching can be very useful even if not totally precise; it serves as a nice goal/reminder.
I don't see any weight training in the mix, did I miss something? If you are not doing any of that - whether it is free weight or body weight training, you are missing out on an amazing opportunity to build muscles and feel uber strong..and burn calories even when resting.
I do bodyweight strength training (planks, superman, side planks, press ups, squats and lunges) and 4kg dumbells for bi and tricep work. I mix that in with tabata, steady intensity and interval trianing on the cross trainer, rower, stationary bike and treadmill. I'm also starting out with NROL4W and have a meeting with my personal trainer tomorrow so I will try to get her to mix the NROL4W training in with whatever she thinks will help.
You have a personal trainer to guide you - that's awesome!!
Two hours til I see her and get my new program. I know it's going to be hard all over again, but I must be getting stronger! Last time she changed the program I wanted to give up but I stuck it out and it's gradually got a little easier.0 -
Really excellent goals, and the number crunching always can tell you mentally that even if no weight lost in a week, you obviously had a deficit so it means fat was lost and energy stores went up.
The only improvement you got now is examining the workout routine, to get the most out of your available time.
Things like:
When you strength train, don't do the same muscles the next day except for recovery zone aerobics (Polar's "fat-burning" zone) to get blood into the area.
Strong interval sessions should be the same.
Intense cardio days should be followed by less intense days.
You are truly to the point that you are feeding the workout great, if you are sleep well you are giving recovery there, and sounds like you have 2 days off each week, hopefully opposite each other, and hopefully following a strong weight training session.
So your biggest improvement will again be making the workouts smarter.
For instance, which you don't do, you could do 60 min of intense cardio every single day but 1. That will start having less bang for the buck. Your body can't recover, can't make stronger, you end up not going as hard though it feels like it.
What is your daily routine through the week, and what is the effort of that workout?
thanks, I like your idea that I can use my number crunching to remind me that I'm doing the right thing even if the scale and tape measure doesn't tell me that!
Thus far (as of January, when I started making exercise a regular thing) I have exercised on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the gym, or with a DVD, sometime on a Sunday I will get in a brisk walk or gentle bike ride with my husband. Weekdays are my sweat days though. No messing. I'm there to work hard and get done in 45 minutes. I sweat buckets and my HRM always registers average HR of around 165 and maximum of 183, in the 'fitness' zone rather than 'fat burning' zone.
This might change from today though. I'm seeing a trainer and she will be changing my plan. At the moment in 45 minutes I do:
4 minutes tabata on the cross trainer
2 sets of 15 lunges (getting better at these, trailing knee is almost to the floor) and 15 squats (thighs are parallel to the floor, proud of!)
4 minute 1000m row, aiming to get faster, but at the moment I am maintaining at 4:48 (previously I was doing 500m in 2: 17, twice with a minute to recover)
20 secs of plank, then side planks then superman. 2 sets.
8 minutes interval training on the bike (working up a hill then back down, changing up/down resistance every minute with two minutes at the 'top'/hardest) or treadmill power walk 1 minute flat: 1 minute incline
2 sets of 12 bicep curls and shoulder press with 4kg dumbells followed by 12 tricep extensions overhead
Plus warm up and cool down of course.
I would like to change it up as I'm getting less motivated with that now and find myself skipping a minute here and there sometimes, although most of it is still challenging.
Other than that I am pretty sedentary in my work as I tutor and mark exam papers. Always rushing though after my family and mentally beat by the end of the day.0 -
my philosophy exactly. I could argue this one til I'm blue in the face with my 18 year old son who thinks I should just give it up completely. It does work, I haven't gorged since last summer!If you have 1 serving of chocolate each day, how prone to splurge when you know you get some tomorrow? No need to, more tomorrow.0 -
Hi Choccieaddict,
Yes you can track sugar with MFP. Go in to the Food tab, then Settings (just under the row of tabs) and you can choose among a good range of nutrients to track.
Good luck.0 -
ok, that's great thanks. All I need to do now if figure out how much is too much :laugh:Hi Choccieaddict,
Yes you can track sugar with MFP. Go in to the Food tab, then Settings (just under the row of tabs) and you can choose among a good range of nutrients to track.
Good luck.0
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