[Under1Rule]

Hi guys,
I have been calorie counting for a couple of weeks now and have seen a little bit of progress, though I did go off-plan one day and am still making up for it.

My question is how I should calculate my calorie intake based on BMR and the level of activity I do? I am confused because although I excercise vigorously at least 5 days a week for 30 min. each time, the rest of my day I am mostly sitting. Taking this into account, should I set my calorie intake based on sedentary or based on moderate activity, though I am not "active" the whole day through, just 30-40 mins.

I use livestrong.com for my calorie counting and I really love the set-up. But, they only ask for my activity EXCLUDING excercise. With this, I should eat only about 1100-1200 calories to lose 1 lb per week.

What do you all think? Should I eat more or keep it at 1150, which I have been doing? What would you do (especially asking "expert" calorie counters who have lost weight)

Thanks!
p.s. I realize that I have asked something like this before, but I am still confused!

[astrophe]

I don't know about livestrong --- I like the calculator at

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

I pick advanced and do the formula that includes bodyfat%.

That's closer to my reality.

A.

[H82Sweat]

This is why I love this calculator!

http://www.sheerbalance.com/nutritio...n-calculators/

it tells you to back down a level if you exercise but are otherwise sedentary throughout the day

[christine123]

Originally Posted by H82Sweat

This is why I love this calculator!

http://www.sheerbalance.com/nutritio...n-calculators/

it tells you to back down a level if you exercise but are otherwise sedentary throughout the day

Thank you for posting! This is almost exactly accurate, up to the last calorie for me. Every other calculator I have used has over estimated how much I need to eat in order to lose. I've know I need around 1500-1600 to maintain and this calculator indicated that. Every other site has said I need 1800-2000 to maintain and I already know for a fact that I'll gain at that range.

[Under1Rule]

That calculator was awesome H82Seat!
Here is what I got:

Burning at rest (Daily BMR) 1360
Total Daily Energy Expendeture (TDEE) 1871

So, my question is: Should I be eating more than the 1100-1200 calories I have been? Apparently, if I eat even 1300 calories, that will still be 500 calories below my TDEE. The site says that there should be a deficit of 500 calories from the TDEE in order to lose weight. Right now, according to these stats, my deficit is more like 700.

Thoughts and suggestions? What would you do?

Thanks again, that was an awesome calculator!

[Esofia]

Since you're small, how about starting with a deficit of 500, giving it a few weeks, and seeing how you get on? You can always increase the deficit, but starting with too few calories is more likely to make you hungry and discouraged.

[H82Sweat]

My reply went who knows where so here goes again

If I were in your situation I would drop 15-20% from my TDEE, probably alternating days between the two, and increase my activity level slightly by adding more weight or more reps to my lifting and increasing speed and incline on treadmill... that sort of thing