Calorie Burn
Hi, its Eric the volume addict again.
Anyway...I have been thinking a little about my mental instability when it comes to reduction in volume and had something of an epiphany. (I think I spelled that wrong but would rather tell you that than look up the correct spelling). Anyhoo...A few years back I was a pretty big dude. 6'2 and about 260lbs depending on when my BM was in relation to weighing myself.
Around that time I won a bike and got back into triathlons...and also watched a season or two of the biggest loser. I always knew the whole calorie in/calorie out process and how to lose weight...but I had never seen it done quite like they did it on the show. The one key thing I took away from that show is that you can improve athletically while dropping a lot of weight. Thus became my addiction to volume. Volume = calorie burn. I went from 260 to 220 in that first season. I watched everything I ate and my calorie burn.
Last season I started at 225 and quickly dropped to 200. This season I am sitting at about 202 or so and want to get to 185. I was at the doctor yesterday and they told me I was 6'3. Not sure how I snuck in that extra inch as I always thought 6'2 was a bit of a stretch for me. Anyway, I digress.
So back to the epiphany (sp?). I was going through WKO and my calorie burn data and quickly realized what I was doing last year to cause me problems. I was VERY focused on calorie burn. On a day with no workouts I burn through about 2600-2700 calories. On a normal workout day with 2 workouts (last season, not this OS) I would rip through 4000-4500 varying to a certain degree. I'd then focus on eating about 3,000 calories. That worked for a very long time as I dropped weight and improved quickly. (Is it possible to be anorexic and still eat 3,000 calories a day?) I'd have days with great calorie burns and then I'd crash and burn.
As I read through the OS I realized that in the back of my head I was counting calories on these workouts. One hour of hard effort on the bike = 800-1000 calories. That only puts me at a 3600 calorie burn *gasp*. Now, in all honesty I can make that work. I don't plan on having a 1,000 caloried defecit this OS because all the hard work. It is tough to maintain a bigger defecit while busting ass. But I'd like to be in the 700 range.
Anyhoo...if you're still reading this post I am sure the ramblings are starting to come together for you as I make my way to the 2 days off on this plan. First let me say this...I WILL FOLLOW THE PLAN AS WRITTEN. I AM NOT LOOKING TO ADD SWIM/BIKE/RUN VOLUME TO THE PLAN. I have been sipping the kool aid in the form of podcasts and reading for a couple weeks now, I get it. I promise. But I really REALLY believe in consistency. And I don't like the idea of 2 days with really low calorie burns. I also know I need to recover. So I am trying to think of things I can do that will burn some calories without burning me out.
Swimming came to mind, but I swam in college and don't need to in the OS. I also don't really want to as I know the RnP plan with regards to swimming is right on the money.
I was thinking about walks...but that is work for the legs. Plus I am in wisconsin and the cold winter cometh.
I was thinking about dancing lessons with my wife. That would buy me some brownie points. Not sure that is a recovery type thing. Especially since I suspect I'd fall on my face/ass.
I was also thinking about easy spinning on the bike. By that I mean this...next to my bike in the pain cave is a treadmill. I hate the thing, but my wife walks on it. So M&F I could do light spinning while she walks? That would buy me browning points and I can set the erg mode on the power meter to like 150 watts or something really low.
I'm trying to think of things that focus on upper body alone so I leave my legs to recover but am drawing a blank.
Any other ideas??
Comments
XC ski, ice climb. Plus, you're CRAZY!!!! Do you talk the same way you write, you crack me up man! Great story and keep up the hard work, you are going to be killing it by next season!!!
Dan
I am trying to become the class clown and have a long ways to go.
Seriously however...xc ski seems like it would take a toll on the legs.
Also...I'm accident prone. I won't use the word as it has been banned on slowtwitch...but do you remember the character "Ruprecht" from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. The scene where she asks "why is there a cork on his fork"....yeah...Just assume I'm like Ruprecht. Accident prone. That means ice climbing is out!!!
I am pretty sure that you are WAY over thinking all of this. I suggest deep breaths, follow the plan for a while and then reevaluate. Oh and I really doubt that you are burning 800-1000 calories for a hard hour on the bike. As for actually being an inch taller than you thought, that is down right strange.
I've found that at a reasonable power output (200-250) I am burning about 100 calories every 10 minutes. That is the number my CT gives me and the bodybugg typically confirms it. Going harder (300 watts) burns considerably more. SO...say 700-900 in an hour. EVEN WORSE!!!
Deep breaths...got it. Does that really burn a lot of calories??
haha my picture just came up as an avatar. It is the most aweful picture I had right after i finished racine, wanted to puke, and my wife put the camera in my grill. That was the - get out of my face or die look. Nice!!
Actually I found xc skiing obviously low impact, but very aerobic and not too taxing at all, sorta like swimming. Enjoy yourself and your surroundings and make it a pleasure day.
@Chris: do you usually find that your kJ=calories burned? That always seemed pretty close for me.
My only experience with the calorie count/burn thing is that if I were to actually eat as many as it says I could based on the estimated amount burned using the values from the PM, livestrong data etc is that I would be the size of a house. I have had good luck drastically reducing those numbers, like cutting them in half.
I completely agree with you here chris. my take on it is simple...if you actually lost weight you wouldn't need their product any more. So they inflate the burn numbers a touch so you won't lose it as fast. causing frustration.
The numbers I am using are based on several things. First off, I did get an RMR test...it said I burn 2700 on an easy day. I have a CT which measures wattage and calories based on that. I have a body bugg that also measures my calorie burn based on several factors including motion, body temp, and some other items. I've also gone to sites like fitday.com and seen their general rules for calorie burn.
In almost all cases I underestimate my calorie burn and over estimate what the amount I eat. I've found it to be pretty accurate. If I want to burn 2lbs in a week, a 1,000 defecit will do it and I come pretty close. That worked well when I was heavier. I don't have any science behind it but I suspect some of the fat cells that are a bit older and have been around since my highschool days (I was a bit of a porker) - well those little bastard fat cells are a little more stubborn and hard to burn. We'll find out. At 185 I'll be below 10% BF for the first time since I was born. probably not even then!
But I do want to be clear...I am trying to find things that are fun and won't jeopardize my training. I've been reading how tough this OS plan is and just want to be sure I don't overdo it. Although really the plan looks easy and I think all you guys are pansys.
THAT WAS A JOKE!!!
I think dancing lessons on a mon/fri evening might be a winner if I can find them. If I can turn my two left feet with no toes into normal feet it might help prevent me from hitting the deck so much.
I'm totally doing this too actually, but more for the flexibility and dynamic strengthening benefits. Thinking it will make the OS more fun too! (I mean 2.5/2.5s are sooooo fun, but in a sadistic I'm a triathlete way, not in an I'm a normal person way!)
FWIW, my vote is for dancing lessons. SAUs, a few calories, all sorts of possible benefits . . . When the weather is decent, I take my wife out on the tandem. I spin easy on the front, she takes in the scenery on the back.
If you just can't take it easy, there's always the 100 push-up challenge. There's a thread here somewhere . . .
The push-up thing may not be a bad idea. Something upper body related. I sent my wife the dancing link...we'll see what she says.
But did I understand you right...on an off day you only eat 1,060 calories. What's your RMR?? My theory is this...and it is from the biggest loser. You can lose a lot of weight quickly and still maintain performance just so long as you are eating enough calories to maintain your basic metabolism. So if your basic metabolism requires 2,000 calories, I eat that at a bare minimum...otherwise you risk illness. Unless you are a little person, 1000 calories for a dude sounds pretty dang low. You are a dude, right??
I take it a step further...I make sure to eat 2700 calories a day because that is what I burn on a non-workout day. Unless there is a brownie nearby...then I eat more calories. Sweets are the bane of my very existance. My wife is shocked at my ability to ingest sugar. When we met we hit a gas station, I got a box of sweet tarts and started chomping. She had one right away and asked for another about 30 minutes later.
what sweet tarts? did we buy sweettarts?? 
I use my workout calorie burn as my method of weight loss. Which is why I'd like to be somewhat active on either Monday or Friday. (not both). I just don't want to crash and burn.
Alluding to a previous Slowtwitch post of the year...I can only masterbate so much...and the calorie burn doing that is limited anyway.
I crack myself up some times!
Yup, but a hair under 5'8", and not big-boned. And 51 years old. I've never done an RMR test, but I can eat 1500 - 1800 calories a day and not lose anything if I don't work out, so it has to be low. If I eat what LoseIt calculates it takes to maintain my present weight (145) I put on a pound a week. It all changed in my late thirties. Used to eat 2500 calories+ a day even on days I didn't run and I had a race weight of around 125 without any problem. Got busy with work and family, quit paying attention, and got up to 180 in early 2009. I'm working toward 132 in mid-December.
And, regarding the Slowtwitch post of the year . . . I'm known around my family as something of a smart-ass. But I got nothin'. (Where are those yellow smiley icons anyway?)
X2. Stuff like this rocks. Theoretically I'm supposed to learn how to surf this winter from my hubby. We'll see if I can stand being in the water!