Cardio and Cals

[EdMan2]

I have been doing cardio 3-5 days a week for 30 min in the morning on an empty stomach. My first question is, for this amount of cardio, I have been using the multiplier of 1.55 for BMR. Is this relatively correct? Second, I am now going to step up the cardio to 5-7 days a week at 45-60 minutes in the am. Should I use 1.725, or 1.9 for multiplying my BMR?

[xtinaunasty]

are you lifting as well?

[Jakspro]

what are your goals?

[Panzerfaust]

Post your dietary approach and fill us in on your weight training split.

[EdMan2]

I started off at the end of August at about 187 and probably in the 25% bf range. I have been using a 50/30/20 split of protein/carbs/fat, eating (at the beginning) roughly 2100 calories. The meals are split into 6 meals throughout the day. I do morning cardio 3-5 days a week (ususally 5) and I weight train 3 times a week with chest/tris/traps, back/bis, legs/abs/shoulders. I have gotten great results thus far. I am now at 169 and my strength and muscle mass have stayed the same. I definitely see a difference, I am noticably leaner, and more vascular all around. I am at about 18% now.

I have gradually dropped my calories so that now I am getting about 1800 per day in the above mentioned split. Basically now I am trying to add in more cardio in the mornings, and want to be sure to calculate my BMR correctly.

[xtinaunasty]

judging from your stats (i looked at your profile) 1857 is your estimated BMR. With moderate activity your total calorie expenditure came up 3521. But I think you might be able to get a more acurate reading if you enter in some more specific info here (http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/CalRequire.html). There are instructions below the calculator.

Either way though, I would say you need a lot more calories...especially if you're planning on adding more activity.

[usualsuspect]

I agree with Xtina. I'd add more calories as well. As long as you are eating the right foods, at the right times and in the right amounts while doing your morning cardio on a daily basis, you should have no problem making steady progress. If go to low on daily cals, you'll quickly find yourself spinning wheels. Instead bump up your cals, stay focused on cardio, weight training and clean foods - and everything will take care of itself. Dropping the cals is not the way to go imo. Keep us updated.

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[EdMan2]

Xtina, thanks for that site. I did the calculation and my BMR is about 1850, after activities this becomes about 2800. Is 1800 really too low? thats about 1000 cals a day, which roughly equals 2 pounds lost a week does it not?

The thing is, everything I have lost to now I am pretty sure has been all fat. My strength on my lifts has stayed about the same, and even increased here and there. Normally I would aim for only a 500 deficit, but for some reason, maybe because of my high starting bf% my body is favoring burning fat above anything else.

[xtinaunasty]

you dont want your metabolism to get used to such a calorie deficit too fast. that will make it harder when you get down in BF %. I would suggest reducing your calories slowly. The weight will come off, just need patience. Also, the slower you lose the weight...the less likely it is to come back.

[bigsd67]

personally i got down to 6% without going lower than 2100 cals and i dont dip below 1900 until 2 weeks out from a contest (in other words keep your calories as high as you can)...i'd rather keep cals high and increast activity, this will keep your metabolism high and your sanity intact.

[Panzerfaust]

What is the actual amount you take off total calories to lose weight? Is'nt it 1500?

[EdMan2]

What is the actual amount you take off total calories to lose weight? Is'nt it 1500?

I think it's something like for every pound of fat you need to be at a 3500 calorie defecit (per week). So 500 calorie defecit a day would put you at losing 1lb per week.

So do what do you all recommend I bump it up to? I'm thinking I'll go up to 1900 for a few weeks to see how that works, or is that still too low? I think one thing I should point out is I'm not in amazing shape as many of you here are. I'm not trying to go from 12% to 9% but more like 25+% to 10-15%. I look at this as a long term thing (already 2.5 months into it). My ideal goal is 10% but if I can make it to 12 or 13% by the end of january then I will go into a clean bulk phase.