How to figure out Calorie needs.

B

babyd

Cathlete
Hi. I need some help figuring out how many calories to eat everyday. I workout with weights about three times a week and perform cardio at least 30 minutes a day. I would like to lean out and drop about 3-7 pounds. I am 25 years old as of yesterday and stand about 5'4". Please help me out. I hear a bunch of different things out there. I was thinking around 1500 a day. What do you think?
 
The Harris-Benedict Calculator is what finally worked for me and it was a true wake-up call. I had been hanging around too many fitness sites where well-intentioned people were posting about the need for 1700 - 2000 calories when working out 4-5 times a week. This resulted in weight gains for my particular age and activity level. The other thing I discovered is that I was using my workouts to justify an extra snack here or there. Since your activity level is drawn into the calculation already you cannot do that.

After sticking to what this has taught me I have been losing 1 pound a week for several months. If I cheat, I don't lose. Very simple: Calories in minus calories expended = what your weight does. Here's an online version for ya:

http://www.businessplanforthebody.com/plans_metabolism_women.asp
 
Great site! Thanks for sharing with us, I have a question, how did you determine how much to deduct from your calculation in order to lose weight? Thanks!
RS
 
Thanks for the reference to the site. I hope this will be helpful. It sounds like it was on target in your case.
 
One pound = 3500 calories. To lose a pound a week, I eliminate 500 calories a day from the total it gave me. If you're already pretty small you probably need to take it slower than that, like .5 to .75 lbs a week.

Glad you liked the site! To follow the rest of Karas's advice, I also started concentrating on the weightlifting vs. the cardio. I'd stubbornly hung on to my cardio for the past 3 years thinking that I needed to have the benefits of all the extra calories it burns. Instead it was slowing me down.

The other thing interesting in his book is how he explains plateas. He says your body doesn't plateau - your workout does. When that happens you need to switch things to shake things up again. IMO Cathe provides the absolute best variety of workouts to take care of that particular dilemma.
 
When I started I did the tank top rotation without the cardio days. I was afraid the scale would go up due to water-in-the-muscles bulking, but it didn't happen. I got definition by week 3 and was losing at the same time. I gradually threw in cardio as I started feeling less tired. The max cardio I've done is 2 hard Cathe's a week - StepWorks and the later, tougher videos - for a total of about 2 hours a week plus the weight work.

I've had a sinus mess the past week and haven't done anything. Taking a break every six weeks seems to "decondition" me so I don't plateau as easily or something. I don't get wigged out, either, if I have to leave town for the weekend and miss a couple of workouts. I think that probably puts me in the minority on this site! :D
 
Wow Lisa, thanks for putting that up. I just requested that book at the library. Sounds like a legitimate plan. ;-)

Julie
 
I never know what to say my activity level is. If you exercise 5-6 times per week for an hour, that automatically makes your activity level high?? I tend to not think so. I have a sedentary job, so I am always cautious about what level to check. Any thoughts??
 
I never know what to say my activity level is. If you exercise 5-6 times per week for an hour, that automatically makes your activity level high?? I tend to not think so. I have a sedentary job, so I am always cautious about what level to check. Any thoughts??
 
Hello

I agree with you that it's difficult to qauntify activity level. I have a very sedentary job - computing, so I would say that my overall lifestyle is not very active because my job takes up most of the day 5 days a week. Even exercising after work doesn't seem to make up for the time spent sitting down, if you know what I mean.

I just think the more I sit, the more i have to exercise and the fitter I get, the more energy I can expend in the time that I exercise. As I get fitter and I do more intense workouts, my activity level goes up even though I am not spending more time doing the work outs.

Does this make sense to people? I value your contributions.
 
Thanks for the info! I laugh to hear about your reluctance to give up cardio. I have the same phobia about NEEDING the cardio to burn calories, my sister is trying to convince me to add some of Cathe's combo tapes to my workouts so that I can get some strength work too. Your comments are VERY motivational for me, I am excited for your success!
 
So you guys go down to 4 days vs. your actual 5-6 days then? That seems like a good idea if you have a sit down job. This has been very helpful. I would still some input from Cathe.
 
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