Okay, so I have been gradually lowering my calorie intake. This week my plan was to get about 1300 calories a day. Over the past 2 days, I ate a bit extra (and also started calculating on fitday.com which seems to over-estimate)... but anyway, these past two days, I've gotten a bit over 1400 calories and I feel a lot better than I was before. So the question is, how can I accurately estimate my caloric needs? I used this which told me that my BMR is 1395.8. So does that mean that I have been eating to little? Is that why I feel so much better today? Should I slightly increase my caloric intake? Should I be getting at least my BMR worth of calories? Help, please!
Sport Help! how many calories do I REALLY need?
- Thread starter Angelkae
- Start date
Sport Fitness
The BMR Calculator will calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR); the number of calories you'd burn if you stayed in bed all day
Taken right off the website. You're lifestyle is definitley more active than this, so you're body is looking for the fuel. If you take into account that you've increased your Lean body mass (reduced bf %), your body is burning calories like crazy. You could easily be burning over 1600+ calories on any given day.
I would assume that you feel better eating more calories, I dont recommend anything lower than 1500 to anyone. If you feel light headed or have have headaches, chances are you need to eat more. Try to stay around 1450-1650 and see what happens.
Taken right off the website. You're lifestyle is definitley more active than this, so you're body is looking for the fuel. If you take into account that you've increased your Lean body mass (reduced bf %), your body is burning calories like crazy. You could easily be burning over 1600+ calories on any given day.
I would assume that you feel better eating more calories, I dont recommend anything lower than 1500 to anyone. If you feel light headed or have have headaches, chances are you need to eat more. Try to stay around 1450-1650 and see what happens.
I just used this , which is based on the Mifflin-St Jeor equations, and it gave me these results:
Calorie Restriction Calculator
Height: 5 feet 4 inches
Weight: 126 pounds
Age: 23 years
Sex: Female
Level of Activity: moderately active
Activity Factor: (1.550)
Actual Calories/day: 1300
Your Body Mass Index (BMI): 21.7
Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): 1312
Your BMR times Activity Factor: 2034 (Estimated Calories)
Your Percentage of Calorie Restriction: 36.5%CR
Anyone have input on this? I'm definitely increasing my calories to 1500. No wonder I've had such headaches lately.
Calorie Restriction Calculator
Height: 5 feet 4 inches
Weight: 126 pounds
Age: 23 years
Sex: Female
Level of Activity: moderately active
Activity Factor: (1.550)
Actual Calories/day: 1300
Your Body Mass Index (BMI): 21.7
Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): 1312
Your BMR times Activity Factor: 2034 (Estimated Calories)
Your Percentage of Calorie Restriction: 36.5%CR
Anyone have input on this? I'm definitely increasing my calories to 1500. No wonder I've had such headaches lately.
Angelkae said:
Your cutting calories
A very loose, general guideline is 15xBW for maintenance, 12XBW for cutting, 18xBW for bulking. And then anything in between you'll have to play w/.
Loose, general guidelines because many factors affect that...if you are already extremely lean you're going to need more calories, if you are extremely overweight you might need to work off LBM instead of total body weight. As well as how long someone's been dieting, etc.
And of course, if you already have been tracking your calories and your progress then that's most ideal because you know what to adjust when progress stalls.
In your case...going by that general guideline...it looks as if you've been under eating and you might benefit from more calories.
Of course it's a bit more complicated than that but it'll get you started at least
wild said:...12XBW for cutting... Loose, general guidelines because many factors affect that...if you are already extremely lean you're going to need more calories, if you are extremely overweight you might need to work off LBM instead of total body weight. As well as how long someone's been dieting, etc.
And of course, if you already have been tracking your calories and your progress then that's most ideal because you know what to adjust when progress stalls.
In your case...going by that general guideline...it looks as if you've been under eating and you might benefit from more calories.
Of course it's a bit more complicated than that but it'll get you started at least
I'm at about 17%bf now. 125.5 pounds. 5'4". I'm definitely not extremely lean, but I certainly don't think I'm fat either... I've been watching my diet for a coouple of months now. I used to just write everything down and total the cals, but this week I've started using fitday.com so I can track macros.
What are the downfalls of under eating? Obviously, I felt like crap, but what else?
wild said:
Thanks for the advice.
So, do I have to start doing more cardio if I'll be eating more? Granted, I will be adding healthy calories, not junk, but I was just wondering about that. I used to do a lot of cardio but lately have exchanged what I used to do (averaged about 45 minutes of moderate intensity cardio daily) for a 20 minute HIIT session, 4 times a week. I now use the extra time to lift more. I'm not a bodybuilder by any means, but I do lift a lot more weight and go to the gym more often than my former workout buddies. I'd rather keep lifting than go back to being a cardio princess...
Angelkae said:
No....because you'd be defeating the purpose of adding the calories in. A deficit is a deficit...it can be made by not eating enough food or by doing too much work.
BTW...I think 4 HIIT a week is a bit much.
...and congrats on not being a cardio bunny...you will have better progress than your friends.
Given you just started about two-three months ago, I think you're getting a bit too worried. You've seen 15 pounds come off, now you just gotta find a reliable diet and exercise plan. Stick with something for a little while, it will eventually happen.Angelkae said:
If you eat too few calories per day, your body could enter into a starvation mode where it will actually slow your metabolism and slow your ability to lose weight.ANGELKAE said:
To lose weight correctly and keep it off, you need to consume less than you burn each day--but not enough to trip this mechanism.
ref:
wild said:
I've just started something new... this is what I'm wanting to do 3x weekly (M-W-F). Just started this yesterday.
3x10@50 bb chest press,
3x10@50 bb squats,
3x10@50 bb bent-over rows,
3x10@15 db shrugs,
3x10@15 db shoulder press,
tricep/bicep superset (3x10@15 hammer curls, 3x10@15 oh tricep extensions),
3x10w/10#plate 45-degree hyperextensions,
3x10 hanging knee raises,
3x10@70 abdominal machine,
4x10@40 torso rotation machine,
3x10@70 hip abductor machine,
3x10@70 hip adductor machine,
3x10@20 db lunges,
3x10@100 rotary calf machine.
Then on the other days, the cardio. 20 minutes HIIT on the elliptical, usually. I was thinking of not doing anything on Sundays, though.
I'd like to know your opinions on what needs changed, Wild.
I may be jumping in on a thread that does not need any more imput, but it may help a little... if you are truly at 17% body fat... then you goal should not be fat loss (unless you plan on competing). You goal should be on muscle gain and keeping (slightly lowering) overall body fat %.
You should be eating around 1800 calories per day and doing varying cardio intensities throughout the week. I'd also rather see you do a split routine than all of that at once. I'd also rather see a Pyramid routine that 3 sets of X. Some of the exercises you can ditch altogether.
At 17% body fat it is about tweaking things here and there. I am glad you changed things up and went on a new routine. That should be done every 4-6 weeks or so.
I may be jumping in on a thread that does not need any more imput, but it may help a little... if you are truly at 17% body fat... then you goal should not be fat loss (unless you plan on competing). You goal should be on muscle gain and keeping (slightly lowering) overall body fat %.
You should be eating around 1800 calories per day and doing varying cardio intensities throughout the week. I'd also rather see you do a split routine than all of that at once. I'd also rather see a Pyramid routine that 3 sets of X. Some of the exercises you can ditch altogether.
At 17% body fat it is about tweaking things here and there. I am glad you changed things up and went on a new routine. That should be done every 4-6 weeks or so.
Trainer Lynn said:
Thanks Lynn, for your input. I do appreciate it. I got my bodyfat tested by the PT at my gym, so I hope it's accurate. I want to lose a few more pounds, because I'm not quite happy with my abs. I know that abs are made in the kitchen- I'm working on that, too.
Thanks for the advice on the cardio.
Why a split routine? Just wondering. The reason I chose to do the same thing each time is so I don't have to keep track of several different workouts, when to do what, etc. I just thought it would be easier for me to remember, lol.
Can you elaborate on the pyramid routine? And, which exercises do you think I should ditch, and why? I am a complete beginner at this, so any advice is good. I was just trying to include each muscle group in my plan...
Thanks again for the advice.