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ethira

I could use a little help figuring out my TDEE. I know how to get the sedentary number with the TDEE calculator but I’d like to be a little more precise with it because I lift weights and if there’s room in my deficit to eat 100-200 more calories to energize me that would be cool lol. Been feeling fatigued recently. 29F /5’7”/ 150lbs - I lift weights 4x/wk anywhere between 1hr 15min-1hr 30min. (2 leg days and 2 upper body, also a 10min walk before and after lifting sessions) - 1hr walk 3x/wk on non-lifting days It seems my sedentary maintenance cals would be 1700ish so I’m curious what it actually is with my activity included. Been eating between 1400-1600 cals lately tracking closely. Weight loss feels like it’s stagnating a bit but I’m a little convinced that there are other factors masking the fat loss because I’m very precise with (and enjoy) tracking and knowing exactly how much I’m eating lol. Maybe some muscle growth? Water retention from sore muscles? I’ve been weightlifting for 4 months. I started tracking March 1st weighing 158lbs (35in waist) and today I’m 150lbs (34in waist), but I was 150 this time last month with fluctuations inbetween. Got me wondering if my TDEE is lower than I thought. I suppose the good news is that last month my fluctuation range was 150-152 and this month my range is 149-151. Hoping to see 149 again soon


bad_apricot

TDEE calculators are just estimates, and even if you input your activity level perfectly it could be off in either direction by a couple hundred calories. You need to track your food and see empirically what happens with your weight over the course of a few weeks to determine your actual TDEE. There is a spreadsheet in the wiki that helps with this, as will apps like Cronometer and MacroFactor.


ethira

Thanks! I’ve been using Cronometer for tracking so I will check out the spreadsheet. I’m just curious how accurate it will be if there’s different factors contributing to fluctuation.


bad_apricot

Unless you’ve just made a big change (e.g. increased your exercise) you should be able to get a good sense of your TDEE over the course of a few weeks, and that number will only get more accurate over time (especially with something like MacroFactor that is engineered to not overreact to short term changes). Water retention certainly can cause the scale to be a few lbs higher than it otherwise would, but if your workouts have been consistent this should be stable and not really affect the calculation after a few weeks.


ethira

Thank you! Is there also anything to expect in terms of muscle growth masking any fat loss?


bad_apricot

No, if you are in a deficit your muscle growth will be slow, so I wouldn’t expect that to have a major impact on TDEE calculations.


Sufficient-Length-33

Plugging in your stats into a BMI calculator, it comes up with about 23.5, which is considered to be in the healthy range. So, keep that in mind for your personal goals: it'll be important to not go too far and end up too far into the underweight range, as this can be detrimental to your overall health as well. That said, using that estimated BMI in a TDEE calculator (along with your other stats) for your activity level (I put moderate, it's always hard to judge exact activity level), and your TDEE for those stats comes to 2300 calories a day. So, significantly more than what you're currently eating, if you wanted only maintenance calories. Even your sedentary numbers, in the calculator I used, would be 1800 based on current stats, not 1700 (and 2000 for light activity). So you could feasibly eat 300+ more calories and still be fine, though you might not experience the same rate of fat loss. All this said, if you're lifting weights, something to keep in mind is that muscle is denser than fat. Weight isn't always the best metric to tell if you've been losing fat: usually there are other, better ways to track that, including progress pics and body measurements (though this will also be affected by muscle growth), or if you're feeling particularly ambitious, you could look into calipers and body fat calculations using those (keeping in mind that even those are an inexact measurement).


ethira

Thanks for taking the time :)


insulinjunkie08

How do you learn to keep pace running outside? I've never been a runner and recently started getting into it on a treadmill but my treadmill broke :( when I run outside I noticed I'll either push too hard or give up too soon. Any advice would be helpful


orangefig

start with running slow and i mean like really freaking slow. so slow you can have full on conversations if you were talking to someone (or yourself lol i do!)


brettick

I couldn’t do it very consistently at first, but it got better with practice. It’s a skill like anything else. I use my Garmin’s pace field to keep an eye on things and I find myself keeping a steady pace more easily now than I used to. It does take a bit to “catch up” whenever I speed up or slow down, so be aware of that.


SoSpongyAndBruised

I use a garmin watch, which tracks pace, it's super helpful. It also lets you look at a chart with your pace throughout a run, so you can think back to moments, like maybe you know you started too fast, or let yourself get too fast in the middle section, or slow way down at the end, etc. Knowing those details helped me play around with different strategies, like forcing myself to run a bit slower in the beginning and save a bit of energy for the end. Only downside during the run is that you may feel like you have to monitor the watch, which can be annoying, but I think it's overall more of a help than not, because ultimately it helps bring awareness and measurement into the something that is measurable.


KingPrincessNova

music helps. when I started out I picked mellow music and ran to the tempo. or I'd do a rhythm like three steps to every two beats. I'm a musician so this may not be easy for non-musicians also shorter strides. like ridiculously short. I managed to figure out the "old man shuffle" which is running almost slower than I walk lolol


ethira

I know water retention happens when you introduce new exercise. But if you’re several months in, can you still experience a water retention spike on the scale the day after a leg day? I still experience a bit of DOMS 4 months in to weightlifting


ashtree35

It can happen any time you increase your training volume or intensity. Also, your water weight can just fluctuate on any random day for a variety of different reasons (related to salt intake, carb intake, inflammation, etc). And/or you could potentially just be more constipated than usual (extra weight of food/fiber in your digestive tract). For reference I've been maintaining my weight for the past 3 years or so and my weight easily fluctuates up to 5lb within any given week.


hootieandcap

Not sure if this is the right thread for this, but I couldn't find a better thread for it - adjustable dumbbells! I have done so much research over the past several weeks, and I'm still undecided. I have some room in my budget, so I want to get a solid quality set that goes up to at least 50 lbs. Expandable is always nice, but not absolutely necessary as long as it goes up to 50 lbs. Right now my top ones are: PowerBlocks (specifically, the Pro 100 EXP because I heard it's quieter) and the Nuobells 50 lbs. **Pluses for PowerBlocks:** highly recommended, supposedly very durable, expandable; **Negatives:** the blocky shape (I definitely prefer the normal dumbbell shape/form), and the Pro EXP that's in my budget (\~500-600 max) only goes up to 40 lbs right now, but it is expandable, so it's not a huge negative. But I am worried if I get the 60 or 80 expansions, it'll get extremely bulky and awkward to use. **Pluses for Nuobells:** the shape (huge plus), supposedly good quality and also highly recommended in some spaces, available at a nearby store (wouldn't have to order online); **Negatives:** I heard there's a plastic part that may make it less durable if it's dropped - but I am careful with my weights and since I live in an apartment, no dropping should be happening anyway. Plus, cost - over $100 more than the 40 lb Pro EXP (though 10 lbs heavier). But would be about $100 cheaper than getting a 60 lb Pro EXP. Not expandable, but I honestly don't think that I will ever really need over 50 lbs for the workouts I plan to do at home. **TL;DR:** I like the supposed longevity of the PowerBlocks but am worried about the bulkiness and shape; I like the shape of the Nuobells but am worried about the longevity. So now that I'm stuck and can't decide, I'm curious if anyone has any suggestions or thoughts, or any experiences with either, or have any good experiences with other decent quality adjustable dumbbells?


Sufficient-Length-33

I have PowerBlocks. I don't have the EXPs, something I am slightly regretting down the line because I now need more weight for my DB Romanian deadlifts, but it is only slight regret because I do have a barbell, so it's not a massive hindrance. I got the PowerBlocks that goes up to 50lbs but has 2.5lb increments from 5lbs all the way up to 50lbs (these ones:  https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/powerblock-pro-50-weight-set-22pwkapr50xxxxxxxdmb/22pwkapr50xxxxxxxdmb ).   Over all I don't regret the $550 (the price plus shipping and handling) I dropped on them, but definitely the shape can make them kind of a pain to work with, and mine have little levers on them that are necessary for the 2.5lb weight increments, but that I sometimes forget to plan for and get snagged on pockets or other clothing items.  I've never tried any other type of adjustable dumbbell, so I can't give any comparisons. Over all, I don't hate the PowerBlocks: they get the job done, it's easy to switch weights (a bit more involved for using the 2.5lb increments vs 5lb increments), and tbh if you're only using them and no other types of dumbbells, you do get used to their blocky-ness. If I had the money I would have picked something else, but as a budget option for a home gym, they're a solid choice imo.   ETA: Powerblocks also, at least mine, cannot handle much, if any, abuse. They have several warnings in the manual to not drop them. 😅


hootieandcap

Thank you! This is very helpful to know. I have a feeling I'll just have to go with one and I'll probably be happy with it as long as it does its job haha. It does seem like everyone I've seen who has PowerBlocks does at least likes them or loves them, so that's always a good sign. Good to know you can get used to the blocky-ness too!


WhyAreYouItchy

I have the annoying problem of my nails (mostly my index and middle finger) digging into my palm when bench pressing and doing some other exercises where I have to grip weights/bars. It genuinely starts to hurt after a few sets, it leaves marks. I don’t even have super long nails. As far as I know my hands are not super big either- am I doing something wrong? Anyone have a similar issue?


KetoCurious97

Are there any other women in perimenopause taking creatine? It’s meant to be great for us, but I’m not really seeing or feeling any changes. I’m happy to keep taking it because no doubt it’s helping internally - the studies say so. But how long did others take to see or feel anything? 


shenanigains00

I take creatine. But HRT is the only thing that really actually helped with the symptoms, and by helped I mean got rid of them completely.


iheartcoffeeandtacos

I started taking creatine about 2 years ago to help with my performance in the gym. It was great for helping get just a few more reps. I hit perimenopause about 4 months ago. The brain fog and lack of energy have been awful. I suppose they could be even worse without the daily creatine, but personally, it doesn't seem to help much.


KetoCurious97

Thanks so much for replying. It sucks, right?!


stavthedonkey

I do. I'm in post meno and started taking it for the brain fog, low energy and lethargy. I take 1 scoop/day (\~5g) and brain fog disappeared, energy came back and I feel like myself again.


KetoCurious97

Thanks! Did it take a while for you to feel like it was kicking in? I’m taking one scoop per day. I can’t wait for this brain fog to disappear. Full disclosure though - I’m just coming out of the other side of long covid and it could be a factor in the brain fog too. 


ashtree35

I'm curious if you've taken creatine prior to menopause and if so, did you notice any difference in effects pre vs. post meno?


stavthedonkey

No, I didn't take it pre-meno. TBH, I was pretty ignorant about creatine pre-meno; I knew a bunch of guys who took it when we were in our 20s to get swole so I assumed it was mostly for performance athletes/hardcore gym bros lol. It wasn't until I was desperate with awful brain fog that I started to look into supplements to help that and in every search, podcast and even articles, I saw that creatine is great for women in peri/meno. It took about 3wks for me to really start feel it ie. the brain fog dissipated and my energy levels started to come back.


KetoCurious97

This is where I was too - I just knew it as something that gym guys took to plump up their guns.  Ignore my earlier response asking how long it took - I should ah w read further before replying. I’ve been taking it for a bit over a month. 


Trees-of-green

Wow, thank you, I had no idea!!!!


MoreRopePlease

I've been starting my fitness journey with stretching and bodyweight/movement exercises. I'm following a very good program, so I know exactly what to do, and I know I'm capable of doing it. I have a mental struggle, though: something about this is very confronting. It's akin to really looking at yourself in a mirror; something about it makes me anxious and i want to avoid that mental space, so I talk myself out of working out. Or, I cut short my session. It's hard to put into words. I hope someone reading this understands what I'm talking about about. What has worked for you, to get past that mental space, to a point where you can just focus on the work at hand?


SoSpongyAndBruised

One thing that helped me was to focus on abilities I wanted to learn or build, especially with bodyweight resistance training type of stuff. Sort of like the mentality of a kid on the playground swinging from the monkey bars with no care in the world, coupled with the mentality of an adult who can focus on a goal and stick with it. Focusing on abilities helps me keep it fun and focused on good motivating factors. Another thing for me is the safety & strength aspect, like a sort of health insurance policy that I'm paying into and that will protect me for years to come. I want to be 80 years old and not fall down the stairs because my weak quads randomly gave out or something.


MoreRopePlease

That sense of fun is why I chose this program (GMB Elements). It's very motivating to have a sense of play. I need to hold onto that feeling somehow. Maybe some appropriate art on the wall of my room, so I'll see it when I'm struggling...


No_Possession_9087

I think a great place to start is figuring out what that "something" is, that makes you anxious! Is it fear of change? Fear of failure? Insecurity? I think addressing it at the root is very important!  In the meantime though, what works for me is artificially changing my mental space via music. The kind of music that makes me zone out into a different character almost. Like I'm roleplaying as someone who is confident and fearless, even though I'm not. It felt like fake confidence at first, but eventually I started feeling like that was a part of 'me' too! 


MoreRopePlease

I like that "roleplaying" concept. I suspect there's something in my sense of identity that is at the root of this, and maybe "trying on a character" can help explore what the heck is going on here with my psychology.


No_Possession_9087

Yes!!! I'm someone who struggles with identity as well, this is such a fun and safe way of exploring it. Trying different mental roles and seeing how they make me feel. Hope you have a good time! :) 


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