Day 3...A little rough around the edges!

Okay, before I get into describing how I came up with my calorie requirements, I need to tell you all that I have already had my first little hiccup.  Yea that's right...its only day three!  You see, eating at the fire station is a little difficult due to the fact that not everyone is interested in eating healthy.  The colder-than-normal climate here in Phoenix prompted my fellow fireifghters to want to make chili for dinner tonite .  Now chili can be made in a pretty unhealthy manner by adding stuff like hamburger, sausage, bacon, etc. but I was able to talk tonights 'chef' into making chicken chili, so at least it was lower in calories (but probably higher in steroids!) and somewhat healthier.  Of course, with chili comes cornbread!  My vow not to partake in the cornbread fiesta soon faded, as I tried to justify having just a small portion.  My second little hiccup occured when I decided it would be okay to go back for a second helping of chili...just a small one though.  All in all, I figure I exceeded my caloric intake by about 250 kcal.  Better luck next time.  I honestly think that I am going to have to opt out of our 'cookshack' dinners, and bring my own food for a while.

Yesterday I mentioned that I created a food log, tracking my calories using an online program called My Fitness Pal.  After three days of logging my food...Oh by the way, when you do this, don't modify your diet while you're counting your calories...just eat like you normally do...believe me, three more days of eating like crap isn't gonna kill ya!  So anyway, after three days of calorie logging, I determined that my average daily intake was about 3000kcal per day...not too bad, except that a good portion of those calories fell into the 'empty calorie' category.  Unfortunately wine falls into this category, and I LOVE wine, but at an average of 90kcal per glass, and 2-3 glasses a night...you see where I'm going right?

Third grade math tells me that by reducing my caloric intake by 500kcal per day, I should be somewhere around 2500kcal for my initial reduction.  I say initial because I may slowly work my way down to about 2000kcal depending on my progress and my ability to sustain high level workouts.  Remember, if I were to reduce my caloric intake by 1000kcal per day right out of the gate, my metabolism would crash, which means my factory would not be operating very efficiently. 

REE (resting energy expenditure)

How many calories does your body burn while at rest?  REE is a major player in the realm of metabolism.  There are other terms out there that describe similar concepts such as BMR (basal metabolic rate) and RMR (resting metabolic rate)...each of which describes relatively the same thing...how much energy (kcal) does my body require while at rest, or simply to stay alive?  Thanks to science, some fairly simple calculations are available to determine the answer to this question.  I use the REE formula....Why?  I just like it I guess, and it works!  Simple.

So here's how it works...

The formula varies by gender and age, and can be found in its entirety on line by typing "resting energy expenditure formula" into a search field.  My formula however is...

REE = (11.6 x BW in kg) + 879   To find your body weight in kilograms, simply divide your weight in pounds by 2.2.  Using this formula I can see that my REE = 1901kcal.  This means that my body requires a minimum of 1901kcal per day just to stay alive...this does not include any activity what so ever.  Once the REE value is determined, I must then factor in my activity level.  Typical activity-factor multipliers are 1.6 - 2.4...what the heck does that mean?

It means that I need to find a range of calories to consume, based on my level of activity each day.  Let's face it, some days we exercise hard, some days not so hard, and others...well, not so much!  The same will hold true for me during my training plan.  Some days are going to be high intensity days, while others must be lower intensity....some days will be designated purely as recovery days.  Keep in mind that as exercise intensity varies, so too do the body's caloric demands.  Simply put, to manage my 857kcal daily deficit correctly, I will have to vary my food intake based on what my workout is for the day.  Are you still with me?  Great, lets move on!

Here's the math...I hate math!

REE = 1900 (I rounded down to an even number)
Activity Factor 1.6 - 2.4
Daily Caloric Intake Range = 3040 - 4500kcal per day

What the heck?!  I told you I hated math!  These numbers dont add up do they?  I told you I was consuming about 3000 kcal per day, and that I would have to derease by 500 to facilitate weight loss.  So what happens when these numbers dont match?  This is where a little guessing (mixed with science and a little education) can be used. A little common sense must be applied as well.  Think about it...if I am taking in 3000kcal/day right now, and I am not losing weight, or I am gaining weight (body fat most likely) than there is no way I will come anywhere near 4500kcal during my weight loss phase of training.  Remember, this range was determined using multipliers based on one's level of activity.  This is where the guessing comes into play...

Check back in to see how I plan to manage this little caloric predicament I have gotten myself into.

And as always....PLEASE become an official FOLLOWER of my blog.