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No idea how to calculate exercise calories

christadiehl
christadiehl Posts: 15 Member
edited December 19 in Social Groups
Hi everyone! I'm fairly new to this group, been slowly upping my calories for several weeks now, but just recently found this group and set a specific amount to work towards. I'm eating my TDEE each day, and trying to make sure I NET my bmr...which is proving difficult with the mfp exercise calculations. Anyone have any method they use to determine how accurate the calories used? Some background if it might help:

I'm 5"4'
CW: 150 lbs
GW: 125-130 lbs (more going for bf% than anything, but this is a number to work towards)
TDEE-15%: 1956 (at moderate activity)
BMR: 1484

Aside from my exercise, I am only lightly active each day...currently unemployed soooo not too much going on during my day. As for exercise, I do 3 days of BodyPump (50 minutes of weights...I use heavy weights and go up every few classes) and 3 days of 30 minutes of cardio (I am doing the C25K app, almost done, then will transition to the 10k version or something similar in intensity). I also add in 30 minutes of light yoga/pilates one day a week to stretch everything out. I have a complete rest day on Sundays and eat to TDEE.

My question (yes I have one after all that rambling), I am not sure how to calculate my exercise calories. I need to make sure I NET my BMR ATLEAST each day, or I get awful headaches the next day (and get awful cranky...whole other ball game). What is the best way you guys have found to estimate this? Up to now I've been using the mfp calculations, but only input maybe 75% of the actual time and hope it's close enough.

I can't currently purchase any HRM or other calorie counting device. I own a Bodybugg, but can't afford the membership right now....so that's out. Just have to find a way to use my old noggin :) Any advice or tips would be great! Thank you all so much, I'm learning SO much information in this group, and have already sent my husband to the grocery store 2x this week to stock up on more food...for me...I guess I'll share with him :)

Replies

  • scottc561
    scottc561 Posts: 329 Member
    Hi everyone! I'm fairly new to this group, been slowly upping my calories for several weeks now, but just recently found this group and set a specific amount to work towards. I'm eating my TDEE each day, and trying to make sure I NET my bmr...which is proving difficult with the mfp exercise calculations. Anyone have any method they use to determine how accurate the calories used? Some background if it might help:

    I'm 5"4'
    CW: 150 lbs
    GW: 125-130 lbs (more going for bf% than anything, but this is a number to work towards)
    TDEE-15%: 1956 (at moderate activity)
    BMR: 1484

    Aside from my exercise, I am only lightly active each day...currently unemployed soooo not too much going on during my day. As for exercise, I do 3 days of BodyPump (50 minutes of weights...I use heavy weights and go up every few classes) and 3 days of 30 minutes of cardio (I am doing the C25K app, almost done, then will transition to the 10k version or something similar in intensity). I also add in 30 minutes of light yoga/pilates one day a week to stretch everything out. I have a complete rest day on Sundays and eat to TDEE.

    My question (yes I have one after all that rambling), I am not sure how to calculate my exercise calories. I need to make sure I NET my BMR ATLEAST each day, or I get awful headaches the next day (and get awful cranky...whole other ball game). What is the best way you guys have found to estimate this? Up to now I've been using the mfp calculations, but only input maybe 75% of the actual time and hope it's close enough.

    I can't currently purchase any HRM or other calorie counting device. I own a Bodybugg, but can't afford the membership right now....so that's out. Just have to find a way to use my old noggin :) Any advice or tips would be great! Thank you all so much, I'm learning SO much information in this group, and have already sent my husband to the grocery store 2x this week to stock up on more food...for me...I guess I'll share with him :)

    Hi, check this site out http://www.self.com/calculatorsprograms/calculators/
    Just select your exercise and it will give you an estimate of calories burned based you your weight and duration.

    Also I notice today you added 692 calories from exercise. That is alot, can you say what you did to earn that and I could probably tell you if that is high estimate or not as an example.

    Also you said above that you eat your tdee, are you doing a reset? Or was that a typo?
  • christadiehl
    christadiehl Posts: 15 Member
    Sorry for the typo, I eat the TDEE-15% each day is what I meant. Also, today I did Bodypump for 50 minutes, a bike ride for 30 minutes (light effort) and I'm moving, so packing/moving boxes, etc. (the extra activity will be done this week, so the amount will be less in the future) which is how I came up with the amount of exercise calories. I used mfp calculator for these numbers and didn't input as much time that I actually did to keep it more realistic. I've even gone as far as using bodybuilding.com estimates, and averaging the numbers to see what that does. Obviously it's all a mess right now!

    I'm also still working up to TDEE-15%. I'm about 150 calories shy and next week I'll up it up to the actual amount of TDEE-15%. I just make sure each day to NET either my amount set or at least my bmr depending on the activities. Today, since the calorie from exercise was so high, I ate to net my bmr, which put me at around 2100 calories, and I stopped there.

    Hope this makes sense, it does in my head anyways. :) Thank you for your help, I really appreciate it! If you notice anything I said that is wrong, or doesn't quite follow what this "program" encourages, please feel free to tell me! I'm still learning all the ins and outs of this process, and trying to go day by day.
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