Activity Level

[GettinCutup]

Alright fellas, I've never been confident about calculating my activity level multiplier. Katch-Mcardle has my BMR at 2100, but I'm always unsure how much I should multiply that by. I play basketball 3-5 times a week for 1.5 hours and I either swim or run for about 20 minutes 2-3 times a week. I also lift for 30 minutes or so about twice a week. Other than that I am not too active, but I've been either hitting golf balls at the range or playing golf about twice a week. I usually use a 1.6 multiplier which is right above moderately active. Should my multiplier be higher? Thanks.

Also I've been keeping track of my weight to try and measure that way, but even though I always weigh myself in the morning it is very erratic. I sometimes drop 4 pounds in a day then gain 3 back the next.

[deadliftdang]

30 minute lifting twice a week is pretty bad man you should really consider training more often. You aren't above moderately active with that activity level, in fact I'd say you probably are not even moderately active with that. 1.4 or so sounds about where you are if you truly are only lifting twice a week for 30 minutes.

[GettinCutup]

30 minute lifting twice a week is pretty bad man you should really consider training more often. You aren't above moderately active with that activity level, in fact I'd say you probably are not even moderately active with that. 1.4 or so sounds about where you are if you truly are only lifting twice a week for 30 minutes.

7+ hours of cardio per week is definitely above moderate. I don't want to gain any more mass, I'm only lifting to help keep from losing muscle.

[Vaylor]

Alright fellas, I've never been confident about calculating my activity level multiplier. Katch-Mcardle has my BMR at 2100, but I'm always unsure how much I should multiply that by. I play basketball 3-5 times a week for 1.5 hours and I either swim or run for about 20 minutes 2-3 times a week. I also lift for 30 minutes or so about twice a week. Other than that I am not too active, but I've been either hitting golf balls at the range or playing golf about twice a week. I usually use a 1.6 multiplier which is right above moderately active. Should my multiplier be higher? Thanks.

Also I've been keeping track of my weight to try and measure that way, but even though I always weigh myself in the morning it is very erratic. I sometimes drop 4 pounds in a day then gain 3 back the next.

Yeah that is pretty much how weight loss works:

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat...uishy-fat.html

[mavajo]

Yeah that is pretty much how weight loss works:

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat...uishy-fat.html

I'm going through a stop and start phase right now. I was 184 beginning of last week. Plumetted down to 180.2 by the end of the week, and rebounded back to 182.8 as of this morning. Calories stayed consistent throughout. The body is a crazy thing. Went through a similar thing about a month back when I was in the low 190's.

Coincidentally, I started a legitimate barbell weight-lifting program last week. I don't imagine that would account for fluctuations to the tune of 2-3 pounds though. I'm just chalking it up to the usual weight fluctuations. I anticipate being sub-180 in about a week. Planning a carb re-feed this week too -- interested to see what happens with that (it'll be my first one - cutting 2 lbs/week since May 1).

[Complex89]

7+ hours of cardio per week is definitely above moderate. I don't want to gain any more mass, I'm only lifting to help keep from losing muscle.

If you do a strength training routine, you won't gain "much" mass. But if what you're doing works for you and your goals, keep doing it.

And I'd say you're about moderately active. For a 24 hour day, you seem to only be active about 2.5 hours out of the day. And thats some days, according to you. Unless your job requires you to move around a lot, I'd say you're moderate.

As for the fluctuation in weight, thats common. Its really just water weight. I tend to weigh myself 3 times a week, always at the same time, under the same conditions.

As for the multiplier thing, I don't know squat about that.

[dmacdonal9]

Also I've been keeping track of my weight to try and measure that way, but even though I always weigh myself in the morning it is very erratic. I sometimes drop 4 pounds in a day then gain 3 back the next.

This is really the only way. You'll never pin it down with multipliers and formulas. Track weight every day for a couple weeks and look at the average change, not total change, over that period. Compare that to calories eaten and there's your TDEE, regardless of what any formula says.

[GettinCutup]

This is really the only way. You'll never pin it down with multipliers and formulas. Track weight every day for a couple weeks and look at the average change, not total change, over that period. Compare that to calories eaten and there's your TDEE, regardless of what any formula says.

Well I am exactly 4 pounds below what I was 2 weeks ago. I have been eating around 2200-2500 calories a day. This would be right on target for a 1.6-1.65 multiplier, but I don't think the sample size is enough to judge yet.

[dmacdonal9]

Well I am exactly 4 pounds below what I was 2 weeks ago. I have been eating around 2200-2500 calories a day. This would be right on target for a 1.6-1.65 multiplier, but I don't think the sample size is enough to judge yet.

Yeah, three weeks is better, and you need to discount the first few days of water weight loss.

[GettinCutup]

Yeah, three weeks is better, and you need to discount the first few days of water weight loss.

No, I've been cutting for well over a month. I just started weighing everyday 2 weeks ago