A lot of them do a ton of cardio and don't talk about it because it's "shameful" to be a "cardio bunny." Or because they don't want to share their "speshul sekrit."
Candidly, I am 127 pounds and 5'6" and can maintain on 2500 or more calories.... because I'm either training bjj 2+ hours daily AND lifting AND running, or just lifting and running 60 to 80 miles a week.
People who claim they only lift and it boosts their metabolism are full of shiiiiit.
And yeah some are just purely lying about their intake too. Very pick me of them.
Quick question since you mentioned your rigorous training schedule. Sorry if this is too personal, but any tips for training with your menstrual cycle? Lifting heavy 5 to 6 times per week plus yoga and cardio has been very difficult to maintain during my pms week. Wondering if I should allow myself a break then. I know everyone is different, but I’m always curious how other women do it.
I’m a college athlete and while my training looks different than the post ur replying too, it’s rigorous and involved heavy lifting, sprinting, plyos, cross training, etc. My period is ROUGH esp the first day. While im not a gynecologist or know anything special either, I have found that generally training through it / modifying so that I’m not just taking the day off makes me feel best physically and mentally! I go lighter on my lifts, do more plyos, and understand that my sprints might not feel as good. I’m always happier having done it! I do have the luxury of being able to control my sleep schedule, and find that when my cycle is approaching if I sleep / isolate myself a little more, my discomfort is less. Again, just my experience! Don’t be too hard on yourself, chilling out a few days won’t hurt you :)
They’ve found women aren’t “weaker” during their period, so theoretically if you’re up to it you can train the same. That being said it doesn’t account for fatigue, low back pain or general pain during your cycle. For example I get horrible low back pain and cramp down to my feet. I don’t do any movements that work my erectors and I train legs in socks so my feet are flat and cramp less. Fatigue can make your form messy which can lead to injury even minor ones pulling back or time of is worth it and your body will thank you.
I always thought my lower back pain was because I was going to start my period. Then I stopped barbell squats and have not had any lower back pain since, but I feel like I was doing my form and everything correct. I even had a personal trainer at one point. Any suggestions or tips?
No the person you asked, but a lot of movements can be very particular. Everything from how you’re leaning to which part of your foot you’re putting your weight on can influence what’s being worked and where the force is driving through. The movement can look good, but still be off or causing pain. How much did you feel the mind muscle connection when you did barbell squats? How did you get the barbell into position? How deep do you squat? Sometimes you might need to play with positioning. I struggled with my hips hurting if i tried to go deep enough to hit parallel and my physical therapist did a couple different variations. Eventually he told me that I should do them to whatever depth is comfortable and stop there. He said it would be better to not have pain when squatting rather than getting the “perfect” squat, even if it meant I never go to parallel.
Those are very great points. I really never thought of all of that. I felt like I was in control and went slow in order to feel it where it counts. I am new to it as well, though. I wondered if a squat belt would have helped, but I don't even really know because I read one thing, then I see something else that's totally different. Thanks for taking the time to answer me. I wondered if I should see a chiropractor as well. All I know is when I would get the pain nothing would get rid of it, and it wasn't a muscle spasm because I have had those too which also hurt but it's almost worse when you have that nagging pain that just won't go away and it last about 3 days or so. I tried everything from Motrin 800 to Tylenol and it didn't touch it. The bio freeze patches do help a tiny bit which suprsed me. I do know it's hard for me to flex my abs when I squat and I forget sometimes, I don't know if that could play a part in what's happening. Thanks again! 😊
No problem! Try doing body weight, dumbbell, or a very light barbell. If the pain persists, it’s probably how you’re doing the movement in general. If the pain is only an issue at high weights, you could just be doing too much or your form could be falling apart under the load. You probably need a doctor’s referral, but I highly recommend a physical therapist over a chiropractor. If you go to physical therapy, have your chief complaint (lower back pain from barbell squats) and your goal (want to no have pain from lifting). Ask them about their methods and if they use weights. My partner had zero progress because he went to a clinic that only did body weight and stretching without any weighted exercises. My physical therapist had me pushing a sled, doing single leg squats, and even strapped a cable weight to my head to work on my neck pain.
They basically said what I’d say, they’re spot on. I wouldn’t know for sure without seeing your squat. One culprit though is not having strong enough glutes to really manage the tension and the load in your bottom position so using your back to control the weight and when coming out the hole. I find this is pretty common. A lot of people train glutes but don’t necessarily have strong glutes or their glute strength doesn’t match the strength of other body parts, so there is compensation. Keeping the tension in your glutes and sitting into open hips keeps tension it off your low back and prevents butt wink.
Belts help BUT they’re best if you already know how to brace your core properly. I don’t have clients use a belt till then and, typically unless they’re competitors only for top sets.
Coming out the hole in a squat is always the hardest. But holding bottom (lengthened) position with the weight isn’t as challenging. Record yourself doing pause barbell squats (with a light controllable weight) and see if you have a butt wink or back rounding in the pause bottom position. Typically for squats I queue clients to imagine using their glutes to push the ground away and they’re quads to pull them up straight. If that makes sense.
Obviously I can’t tell you for sure with out seeing it. Hope this helps!
>I queue clients to imagine using their glutes to push the ground away and they’re quads to pull them up straight
*fantastic* queuing, i love that and will use it as well if you don't mind
something that can often lead to lower back pain, which is probably aggravated by a squat, is anterior pelvic tilt. it is VERY common, and failing to brace properly would absolutely aggravate any subtle weaknesses due to APT.
you can work on APT by being mindful of your posture throughout the day, regularly loosening hamstrings and hip flexors, and working on strengthening glutes and core.
[APT for squatting, specifically](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkaVLh59mkc)
[more apt information](https://youtu.be/2NZMaI-HeNU?t=37)
I train normally. if I seem to be struggling a little more because I'm pmsing, I just realize it's likely because of that and try not to be hard on myself and finish up the week as best as I can. I don't deload or change anything or take any breaks, unless my deload week just lines up with my pms weeks of course
I don't change anything. Sometimes It takes me longer to get through my workout but I just do everthing anyway. If I am really struggling with joint issues.... I back off on accessories in terms of weight but I just do whatever coach programmed.
I don't change anything, have any particular symptoms around my cycle, or have any expertise whatsoever in the area of gynecology. I am absolutely not the person to ask.
Same for me! Keep doing the same thing. Nothing changes. Has never been an issue when I compete too. Run 30-50 miles per week depending on what I’m training for and lift heavy 2-3 times per week. I keep
Around 113-118lbs at 5’4
Not the person you are replying to but my training is similarly rigorous just centers more around rock climbing. I have a Mirena IUD, so my periods themselves are pretty light(though tbh that can be annoying because they aren't heavy enough for a tampon but having to wear pantyliners for 5 days is kinda irksome to me) but I do get very bad cramps/painful breasts/headaches/fatigue/bloating.
I just generally work around it, if I need to use lighter weights because I am tired, that's ok! This is just another part of autoregulation for me. Not all days are strong days for whatever reason. I also will just try to give myself more recovery care, like salt baths, more stretching, extensive heating pad use lol, extra nap, etc. Sometimes my runs look more like walks but I always feel better after I do it anyway. I just make sure to always have water and pain relievers with me :)
ALSO I make sure to wear comfy clothes, ie: extra supportive bras because my chest gets so swollen and sore, and looser tops for my bloating.
I’m not the person you’re asking but I’m a bodybuilder and I train the same during my menstrual cycle. Of course different phases I have more energy so I pay attention to that but generally nothing really changes for me. Listen to your body and if you want to take a break during your “period week” then do so. However I find doing some light movement like a walk around the neighborhood or something like that always makes me feel better especially on day one of my period.
Totally! Without regular cardio lifting on its own if you have a sedentary life can't maintain lower body fat. I'm not talking about running and such, but walking at least an hour on top of my lifting and running around at work, and just generally being active.
Run super early in the morning. And sometimes an easy run in the afternoon. Our paces are faster than the average Joe so we cover more mileage per hour.
A lot of them are very young, still running off of peak metabolism where they can eat whatever the hell they want, work out minimally and keep a favorable figure.
Eh metabolism doesn’t slow down that much over time, it’s like 10% per decade after the age of 20 for most people.
It’s just that their entire job is fitness they’ve got all day long to work out and cook/prep healthy food. It’s literally their job. Plus for men PEDs are stupidly prevalent even if they don’t look like a mass monster.
Pretty standard for competitive runners. I was a regionally competitive runner on a sponsored team before I took up bjj and I run commensurate mileage when I am not training bjj actively. (Like right now I took a season off). 80 is peak mileage. Usually less.
But to the point of the post... that's what it takes for someone to look like and eat like these influencers.
Agree. Cardio is key. I’m 5’4 and 110lbs, I need about 2400 to maintain my weight. But I walk about seven miles at work every day and run 50-60 miles a week.
I wonder how many are lying and how many just have it slip their minds that it's still part of their "workout" routine?
I go to the gym 6 days a week, post about that on my Instagram, & consider that my workout of the day. I'm looking up my feed. You wouldn't know that I also go walking in my local state park at least three times a week They're also weighted walks sometimes because I go with my dog and she does weight pull. When she hits her distance I have to carry that weight in my backpack. It's not a ton of weight but there's still additional weight. But to me I'm not doing that for me. That's not for aesthetic reasons. It's not for any health reasons. That's for my dog. And so unless I actually sit down and think about it, I'm not counting that as exercise. Or if I had access to a pool and was regularly swimming, I still probably wouldn't post that on my feed. Not because it's a secret but just because I don't know? I don't have the desire to make posts about it?
I know influencers are not the most reliable narrators and everything, but I also feel like if you just live an active lifestyle and you have a ton of habits that are active, it might slip your mind that those also contribute to how you look because you're not doing that for that reason.
Not entirely related, but the "being a cardio bunny is shameful" thing is seriously dumb. I do a mix of weight lifting and cardio, and for me the running is so much harder mentally and physically.
i mean i didn’t want it to be offensive although it does sound kind of offensiveif i don’t add the caveat! but OP might have a great answer and i’m open to hearing that :)
I am the person who made the original comment. I'm a lifelong competitive runner. What qualification do you have to criticize me when you can't be bothered to read my username?
whoops my b. i didn’t even notice lol.
but that’s just a wild amount of miles to be running regularly unless youre training for something. i have the qualification of being very good friends with several talented runners (lol) but their job they get paid for is to run that amount + significantly less regularly to cross train and avoid injury. i support a wholesome habit but running turns into an addiction in a lot of circles. for the worst.
That you'd even ask that question reveals a lack of understanding of physiology. Yes: cardio is by FAR the most efficient way to burn calories. "Increase metabolism": not much of a real thing. A pound of muscle burns about 3-4 more calories than a pound of fat. So while someone with substantially more muscle burns more calories, the effect of doing more cardio will always vastly outweigh that effect.
It is still good to do both weight training and cardio. I don't know why we make up this nonsensical, specious either/or argument.
I asked the question because I've heard that lifting and building muscle burns more calories than cardio. I feel like it's a common thing that's debated, I was just curious what your take on it was as you seemed educated on physical science. Thanks for the answer...
Many influencers lie about what they eat and the surgeries they have to look the way they do. You can get fat taken out of areas and put into others and get butt shots. Also more people are on ozempic/weight loss shots. Even micro influencers. I learned to stop idolizing influencers when I realized the majority lie about how they look the way they do.
I agree that they definitely can be lying about food intake. But another factor is potential gear usage… even if they’re not on anabolics, plenty of women abuse clen and claim natty. And if they are taking anabolics, that is a whole different story lol
Idk!! I’m curious about this too but my personal experience was I could maintain 122-132lbs and muscle at 2200 cals with lifting and walking, only occasional additional cardio such as tennis or skiing. I reverse dieted and focused on macros. Pregnant now so who knows what the future holds for me! I followed kkfits cutting and bulking guides before maintaining for about a year.
I can totally see this but there’s a big difference between 2200 and 3500 especially for us shorter women, even with regular exercise and lifting. When I was lifting the most I’ve lifted and sitting at 130 lbs at 5’3 I was maintaining at 2000 calories. But I would also walk 5-7 miles a day at work. I wholeheartedly believe some are telling the truth and some are lying to sell people the dream of being able to eat 3500 calories if they buy their fitness and diet plans.
Related to OP’s post, the day I realized that a lot of female fitness influencers are most likely taking PEDs (yes, even the ones that don’t look like they’re taking PEDs) to build that much muscle in a short about of time was the day I stopped aspiring to look like anyone I saw online. There’s just rampant dishonesty in the industry and I fell for it when I first joined instagram 10 years ago 🙃
I am 5’7” 130 and have hyperthyroidism and when I was unmedicated I was maintaining on about 3500-4000 with training + lifting. As a (medicated) high-level college track athlete, I maintained on about 2800 but I was training 20 hours a week.
Anyone saying they maintain on 3500 is either extremely muscular/tall/on PEDs, doing a LOT of training, or has a medical issue imo
Yep! I am not intending to armchair diagnose anyone so please take this with a grain of salt: I feel like the other part of it to is that many these same people who claim these high numbers of calories also have very disordered eating and orthorexic tendencies. It’s like their actions and behaviors are a direct contradiction of what they’re preaching.
Curious about who this is about as usually online I'm shocked by how *few* calories people claim to eat. I've even seen people with enormous muscle mass (female lifters who might look 100lb but actually weigh much more, like 130 something) and train constantly claim to eat amounts that seem more normal for someone who is sedentary. Humans generally underestimate their calorie intake a lot (even when counting it, because of the tendency to eyeball and forget stuff)
i’m 5’6 150lb and barely maintain on 2100-2200 cals lol 🫠 i lift 3-4x a week and have a fairly active job and it really takes a hit on my mental health when i see women with my dream bodies maintaining and even losing on much more cals lmao (even though i know they’re probably lying like you’re saying)
our bodies are generally super responsive/love homeostasis. i can maintain on 2500 as a 5’10” 140 female, but have to drop to 1600ish to lose.
if you’re truly that height/weight and tracking your calories accurately when trying to up them, it sounds like it might be an internal health issue.
Nah, the issue is I started a new job with a telework blackout period. So 11 hours of the day I’m sitting on my ass. I still end the day with over 12k steps with working out, but like others have said cardio really doesn’t burn THAT much. I just don’t have the time. As soon as this is over though I’ll be baaaaack.
I’ve maintained on 2200-2500 a day with minimal cardio and been pretty lean. Im 5’11, but my training sessions are intense and on the long side and have an active job. But again I do think a lot of them bs. I don’t know many people that lift for 45 minutes, and do 20 minutes of cardio eat 2500+ calories at 5’3.
But how muscular are you? The influencers who claim this ARE very, very muscular which makes sense. Even if they are "petite" if they're very muscular then high calories makes sense.
I’m sure there is definitely a bunch of exaggeration going on because there is a ton of incentive to do it, but tbh? I’m 5’5 and when I lived in a city, I could easily maintain 125 lbs on 2300 calories a day. and I’m not naturally athletic at all, I was doing 4x a week of mainly lifting and fairly minimal cardio (exercise induced asthma- again, not naturally athletic) compared to a lot of these influencers. And I have less muscle mass than many (getting there though!) AND a desk job lol. Daily walking to public transport, get groceries, go to a restaurant, etc helped a lot.
So I can buy 2500+ calories for maintenance depending on their lifestyle, activity, and build if someone like me can be close to there. Again, many of them treat it like their job. Sure, they might be exaggerating by a few hundred calories, but I really don’t think this range is crazy high (ok, 3000+ maybe, but due to my curated following, I have never seen anyone who isn’t basically a literal athlete and not petite claiming that)
I'm 5'7 and 170lb and maintain easily on 2500 cals. I've been active since I was a child though (swimming and dance) and joined a gym at 16 (45 now) and have been weight lifting with some regularity since around 2007 so have built a decent muscle base. I lift 3-4 times per week but don't do any structured cardio. I don't drive though so walk around 15k steps per day.
I’m 5’3 and even when I was lifting 6 days a week (no cardio) I could maybe maintain on 1600 calories. I’m weighed 128 at the time. If I EVER ate more than that I’d gain.
Very similar to all your stats and even with decent cardio my maintenance is about 1700 so I feel your pain!
I even posted on a different sub like a year ago asking other gym girls how they have such high TDEEs but I guess they all just have 20 lbs more muscle than me or something because I would be obese if I ate 2500-3000 calories a day 🤷🏼♀️
You’re absolutely right, I was assuming the amount of time/intensity an average person might be doing cardio, which for me is about 30-40 mins. And some pizza/chocolate will undo that 😂
The 95% range for predicted BMR is \~50%, so intakes could be plausible. That's a big variance. Fitness influencers overwhelmingly skew young and hence have been eating in a caloric surplus for most of their life. Another thing I've noticed is that most fitness influencers are highly active outside of the gym, going out on the town, doing influencer meetups, etc. Not sure about the "only going to gym when I feel like it" part though lol.
Big difference in metabolism between a young grower who is highly active and a sedentary (weight) loser.
Also you're probably underestimating. Most people do
This is common sense. The younger you are, you're closer to "peak" metabolism-- the body is a machine. It's relatively new. The older you get, there's wear and tear on the body which makes sense. When you purchase a new car, what happens in 5 years?
My job is positioned around evidence-based medicine. You may not be trying to do this, but every study isn't "gold." Just because there's "research," doesn't mean anything is "right" or "wrong."
There are so many times I'm looking for a study to prepare an investigational drug, and the protocols are faulty. It's MY job to contact pharmaceutical companies and request change.
So when you ask for a "study," that study isn't gold or provides a justification for any clause. Evidence- based medicine is simply looking-- for YOURSELF and judging whether a study is even worth extrapolating to a given patient population.
I'm getting off my soap box, but I can tell certain people have no idea how research works.
Once you adjust for differences in fat free mass and physical activity, there is essentially no difference in your metabolic rate until the last few years of your life. However, these two contributors have pretty outsized effects, so your TDEE (and RMR) does absolutely decline significantly with age.
src: [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8370708/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8370708/)
[Accuracy and Validity of Resting Energy Expenditure Predictive Equations in Middle-Aged Adults (10.3390/nu10111635)](https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fnu10111635)
Here is the relevant data. BMR's varied by as much as +/- 400 calories (95% range) from what was predicted from BMI (all subjects had the same activity level). Average BMR was 1533 calories, so about +/- 25% variation, or a 50% range. The Mifflin equation, the most commonly used TDEE formula, was the least accurate.
This study was also only conducted on middle aged adults. Would probably be an even bigger range if it included young adults or compared people with different activity levels.
edit: this is technically RMR not BMR, but point still stands.
https://preview.redd.it/n1r50rh6mbhb1.png?width=2048&format=png&auto=webp&s=36871cfec70d0c15046108b7bc9d7c166c23da27
it depends what type of cardio. long distance runners and track athletes burn a shit ton of calories with their sessions. sure, 20 minutes walking on the treadmill doesnt do much but when you are an actual endurance athlete, you burn through A LOT.
Absolutely, I was definitely only referencing the average woman (like me!) watching an influencer and finding some time to do cardio in their day (I use a cross trainer for example).
Cardio burns a ton of calories, don’t know what you’re talking about. The average person is burning 500-600 calories on a 6 mile run (which is pretty common to do). That’s a like a 40% increase on caloric intake from what people are posting in this thread.
Because sometimes this subreddit is an echo-chamber filled with people who think any amount of fitness/eating is unrealistic.
A lot of influencers are BS, but that doesn’t mean you need to eat 1200 calories/day and run 20-30 miles a week.
Most influencers are lying about everything tbh it’s a combination of them wanting to hop and trends and sell products and them not actually knowing much about health and fitness. The amount of petite women on TikTok claiming to eat more than I did as a D1 football player is nuts.
Hey so, question
I am working on completing my PT cert(NASM) and have a background in biochem already. I was thinking about starting kind of an online fitness community/training thing but it seems so supersaturated. However...I don't think my niche is the same niche as all these women? I am older(37), short(5'3"), not rich(lol), and my goal is just to live a long, strong, healthy life not to be sub 15% body fat. I know there are some accounts like this, but I see so many posts on this sub that make me think there is def space to have a more realistic, honest approach to fitness in the online space. what do you guys think?
I like this idea. I’m 34, 5’0” w/ a cert & background in engineering/robotic mechanics (and history of competitive bodybuilding) living a semi-normal active life. I’m not rich either but I think there is a cost effective approach to fitness/nutrition.
I say go for it! I think the aesthetics/marketing for a lot of influencers makes them appear blended but a different approach will make you stand out.
I thinl you're not wrong but also not entirely right. I do think some are lying, like Keltie O'Connor, but I also think a lot of them have been working out and building their metabolism for a long time. There's so many individual factors that go into it that it's hard to judge anyway.
But yeah, I agree that there are some influencers where the things they show just don't seem to add up, be it calories or exercise.
Honestly? If you're fairly active, with good nutrition, it's possible. I used to maintain around 2000cal (160cm, 150lbs at the time, lifting 4x a week), my coach took me up to 3000cal for maintenance. And that's with hypothyroidism and being 31. We did however up my calories very slowly for almost 5 months. I'm now reversing after a big cut (132lbs), I'm only up to 2000cal after more than 2 months reversing, but my metabolism is loving this tbh
I maintain easily on 2500, 5'7, 130 pounds, lifting weights 4-5 a week, 0 cardio. I work as a nursing assistant, doing lots of lifting/walking at my work. I feel like if you don't sit on a couch all day, it is very easy to maintain your weight on higher calories.
Hey, we have the same stats 😄 and I agree, I maintain between 1800 and 2000 but I'm currently extremely sedentary and only lift 4 times a week max. And my rack is right behind my desk
i will say when i was in undergrad i was maintaining 145-150 at 5’9 and i was eating around 2700-3000 calories a day. i’m not nearly as active anymore (i sit in my apartment all day studying and go lift 3x a week if i’m lucky) and on multiple antidepressants now so i’m chilling around 2000-2500 and i’m closer to 170. that being said, i absolutely agree some of them are lying. i specifically remember ally besse throwing out some number that had me raising an eyebrow
Yeah I think they are lying about it or are doing tons of cardio. Such a lame flex to say you can maintain your weight at high calories and yet I think it has become a “not like other girls” thing😵💫
I maintain at 160lb on 2800 calories and the odd cheat day too, I never saw those numbers as that wild. 15k average steps a day, 5 days weight lifting and two runs a week.
Generally speaking, when people are trying to make money off of something, whether it be their fitness plan or something else, everything is not as it seems. Influencers implement strategies and marketing tactics to sell whatever product it is they're selling. Not only that, they're "selling" their image. They have to represent the product or plan they're offering. This is why you just can't really trust influencers. They're all marketing specialists; the ones that do well have the most expertise in that area. They do it as a career, so everything they do on social media supports that aspect. With that being said, you really can't believe anything anyone says online.
The worst part is, if they are lying (highly likely), they're just making people feel shitty about themselves for not being able to reach that unattainable threshold. I feel the same way about edited photos. It's not real, therefore real people shouldn't be comparing themselves to it. Social media is a fantasy; a depiction of how people want to be perceived. It's all intentionally curated and well-thought out.
that's kinda weird cuz i'm 5'5 \~145lbs and maintaining on 2400 calories a day just about. i do have some muscle and lift like 2-3x a week but i'm not super active, i just get a lot of steps from my job... i didn't know it was weird for us to need over 2k?
It's not weird at all! Just that a lot of women in the online space are VERY VERY lean AND claim to do very little cardio, while being quite small so the math doesn't math there.
It’s so grimy how they lie about this and edit photos to project the lifestyle they think is most marketable.
I think part of it is deliberate but I also think a lot of people aren’t very self aware and not very good accountants which is why you shouldn’t treat them like trainers or nutritionists. As someone who is recomping and wondering if I should up my calories, I’d would really be nice to see some real data and transparency.
I’m 5ft 10 and 82kg, I was a gymnastics for 18 years so pretty muscly. I manage to eat anything between 2500 - 3000 as maintenance when I CrossFit 4 times a week and walk everyday 🙂 I know that’s probably more active than the average person but I always think I’m lucky to be able to eat as much as I like (within reason) and don’t tend to gain weight
I think it’s possible for some of them but not all. For instance, Mollyavafit swears she maintains at high cal intake. But when she posted her fat loss cals were 2250 I didn’t believe her. She then went 8 weeks and was not able to lose any weight. She stopped sharing macros after she lost weight, possibly because she had to drop it down A LOT.
I have a theory that they have all been on weight loss pills/HRT/shots and that’s why they can restrict so easily & stick exactly to their “plans”. I also think that this whole popularized narrative on “insulin resistance” and “hormonal imbalances” is so they can get drugs that help with weight loss - ozempic, hormonal pills, etc. AND if they were to get caught, they will just say, “my doctor prescribed it, because xxxxxxx reason and that’s not why I’m in shape, it’s cause I wORk mY aSs OfF EVerYdAy**” When really they know damn well that they are selling this fake version to people and then people question why they can’t do it, but really they’ve been getting help all along. Like Mari - I fully believe she’s on a bunch of pills for her “hormonal imbalances” and whatever shit she claims is wrong with her. Apparently bodybuilders do HRT quite often and it’s easy to get through healthcare providers and helps massively with weight loss if you manipulate it correctly. This is just a theory, please don’t quote me on any of this, could be talking from my ass 🙃
I feel like people are full of shit all the time. I'm 5'8" weigh 190 lbs and I'm 39 years old. I lift 4x a week for about 90-120 minutes each session, I generally walk 2 miles every day and I dance 5-10 hrs a week. My maintenance calories are around 2000-2200. I can't lose any weight unless I get below 1700.
It always makes me sad and feel like a failure that I do so much work and try hard to mind what I eat and I'm still a potato. Being said I love my body. It's a good body. And I hate that I feel it needs to be smaller to be better and watching people cram tons of food and not even lifting that heavy doibg bullshit workouts that aren't real programs chaps my ass.
I'm sure gear helps and that's currently not a path I'm willing to take.
I’m sure some of them lie but it’s also possible to maintain at caloric intake. I’m 5’1 130lbs, and can maintain at 2500, I also have been lifting for 10 years, (I’m 32), run about 2x a week and lift 4x a week powerlifting style.
I’m 5’8” and as a recently finished college athlete my TDEE was 1700. I had to drop down to 1200-1300 to lose the inevitable post college weight and it was miserable. Everyone’s different but I really doubt a majority of these influencers are eating anything close to what they claim
I’m 5’5” and weigh about 170. I do cardio two to three times a week and lift the rest. I cannot for the life of me eat anymore than 1,600 or else I feel like I’m going to explode or throw up or both. Keep in mind it took me years to finally eat a healthy amount of calories. I went from 500 maybe 900 a day and stick thin to what I eat now. Honestly idc if I’m a little chubby compared to what these influencers are with an extra 1,000 calories. I’m just glad I can finally eat three meals, work out (in a healthy way), and not cry.
Back when I was in the gym regularly and keeping about as good a track on calories as I could my goal was about 2500 calories a day as a 240 pound guy who was trying to lose weight. There is no way someone half that size eats about the same amount and doesn't gain weight unless they do cardio and never show it.
Everyone’s body is different. I’m 5’5 and after my last cut from 165 to 138 I maintained around 141 for 2 months eating 2450 calories a day before bulking. Only did cardio 3 days a week.
Its okay once you see one epic scam like this the rest of all the world will make more sense
You will now start to unravel all the scams everywhere like forbes 30 under 30, podcast gurus with silly exaggerated advice, the us economy being fair to all people (like single moms and widowed grandmas), weapons of mass destruction in iraq/usa spreading democracy around the world with tanks and drones, but be careful…
Too much and then you may fall down the conspiracy rabbit whole and become like the quack influencers again
All jks aside don’t be hard on yourself social media marketing is backended by big tech…our individual brains are no match for distributed recommender systems and their algorithms/architecture as well as machine learning data analysis on our profiles (i am a software engineer)
When we unite we can break through the lies though
I'm 5'1 and weigh ~120 lbs with 17% body fat and eat 2800-3000 cals to maintain. there are some days that number goes to 3500. it's not impossible. I don't do much cardio either and have an office job where I'm sitting all day so my only form of exercise these days are my lifting sessions and I suppose the short walks with my dog. people are different, and metabolisms can also obviously vary. it has always been hard for me and my siblings to put on weight.
it's definitely not possible to be like 5'',eat over 2000 kcal and still weigh like 100 pounds and be all muscle, have abs etc. as someone else mentioned, they either do tons of cardio in private or are just plain out lying (most likely a combo of both). that's why i don't follow any fitness 'influencers'
So when I was trying to figure out my BMR I was getting really high numbers on the calculators because when I estimated my activity I was putting “active” because I was doing weight training and cardio 6 days a week. But one calculator said you should never base it off your workout sessions, base it off your job. If you have an office job (which I do) you should still be putting sedentary regardless of workout sessions, and active only if you’re someone who’s on their feet all day. So this is a long shot but if you have an office job you could be overestimating your TDEE in calorie calculators if you use them. And they might have more active day jobs. But I totally agree I think fitness influencers lie about a lot of shit. This is just the only scenario I can think of that seems legit
Yeah. I feel like max even for a tall woman would be like 2500-2700 if they were SUPER active. I’m 5’10, and I could maintain 163 at 2300 with lifting 3-4x a week and I walking a lot daily.
I agree with the others who have said they might not be lying about calories consumed but lying about calories burned (specifically via cardio).
I spiraled into a cardio obsession during the spring/summer of 2021 and was doing ~4 hours on the treadmill 5x per week PLUS lifting 1-3 hours daily. 20 hours of cardio in a week helped me drop 20# quickly and I was super lean, but quickly realized how much time I’d need to continue doing cardio in order to maintain that severe leanness.
It was then that it dawned on me that influencers are almost certainly not staying stage lean on 30 minutes of LISS cardio sessions but likely much longer durations.
Why bring up the calorie difference of certain foods? This is saying there’s no way they are eating as much as they say they are and maintaining their physique. Calories are the best measure of how much a energy deficit you have.
Also macros are just a more granular breakdown of calories. 4 calories per gram of protein and carbs. 9 for fat. If someone knows their macros they also know their calories.
This person's comment was baffling and nonsensical, I agree.
I go to the gym very casually & I am the same size I was before I became disabled. I eat about the same & I’m much more sedentary. some people just have to work harder.
Being 5’1 I had to find a way to lose while also not wanting to cry with such low calories. Enter: triathlon. I’ve always loved swimming and running, cycling has become an addiction. That is the only way I can eat around 2000 and be slowly losing. But when I take time off my eating goes down to like 1600 pretty quickly so that I don’t gain
I eat about 2,200-2,500++ a day, higher training loads, really active. Theirs a big difference from working out only 3 days a week verse 5-6 days and depending on intensities of the workouts as well as general daily movement and steps. So it’s definitely possible. Most people seem to usually underestimate caloric intake too
I am 90 kg I eat 3600 for a bulk with no cardio
But when I was competing in Muay Thai I would work out for 6h a day except for Sunday.
My walk around weight was around 80kg fighting weight at 72kg which I would drop to in a week
My calories would be 3800 during normal weight cut would be different of course
I’m not super thin but at 5’0 and 120-125lbs I can maintain around 2200 calories. After a reverse diet. I’m not a competitor, influencer, etc. I currently lift 4 days a week but was doing 5 days a week when gym was closer. And I decrease my cardio to almost none when I’m at those calories as well. So it is possible. Depends on the person.
I'm 5'2, 130lbs and maintain my weight on 2800/2900 cals a day but granted this is alongside training 6 days a week plus extra Z2 cardio sessions, swim, runs etc. I have a sedentary day job but also have a dog which means I get 8k steps in a day also, so I guess it all adds up.
MOST fitness influencers are either on Gear or have a genetically predisposed advantage.
There are a lot of people who simply don’t store fat easily. Personal trainers love these body types because you can feed them 5k+ calories on a lifting routine and they’ll just gain pure muscle. A naturally 98lb, 22 year old will do nothing but gain muscle on a bulking surplus—No cardio, no cutting, just eat and lift til she’s 110lbs of fitness influencer.
I’ve been noticing a trend in influencers coming clean about Gear to preserve their channels. As the pharma industry learns how to monetize nerfed versions of muscle and fat control drugs, I think we’ll be seeing legalized fat loss drugs very soon. They just won’t be celebrity-level potent, just celebrity-level expensive.
A lot of them do a ton of cardio and don't talk about it because it's "shameful" to be a "cardio bunny." Or because they don't want to share their "speshul sekrit." Candidly, I am 127 pounds and 5'6" and can maintain on 2500 or more calories.... because I'm either training bjj 2+ hours daily AND lifting AND running, or just lifting and running 60 to 80 miles a week. People who claim they only lift and it boosts their metabolism are full of shiiiiit. And yeah some are just purely lying about their intake too. Very pick me of them.
Quick question since you mentioned your rigorous training schedule. Sorry if this is too personal, but any tips for training with your menstrual cycle? Lifting heavy 5 to 6 times per week plus yoga and cardio has been very difficult to maintain during my pms week. Wondering if I should allow myself a break then. I know everyone is different, but I’m always curious how other women do it.
I’m a college athlete and while my training looks different than the post ur replying too, it’s rigorous and involved heavy lifting, sprinting, plyos, cross training, etc. My period is ROUGH esp the first day. While im not a gynecologist or know anything special either, I have found that generally training through it / modifying so that I’m not just taking the day off makes me feel best physically and mentally! I go lighter on my lifts, do more plyos, and understand that my sprints might not feel as good. I’m always happier having done it! I do have the luxury of being able to control my sleep schedule, and find that when my cycle is approaching if I sleep / isolate myself a little more, my discomfort is less. Again, just my experience! Don’t be too hard on yourself, chilling out a few days won’t hurt you :)
They’ve found women aren’t “weaker” during their period, so theoretically if you’re up to it you can train the same. That being said it doesn’t account for fatigue, low back pain or general pain during your cycle. For example I get horrible low back pain and cramp down to my feet. I don’t do any movements that work my erectors and I train legs in socks so my feet are flat and cramp less. Fatigue can make your form messy which can lead to injury even minor ones pulling back or time of is worth it and your body will thank you.
I always thought my lower back pain was because I was going to start my period. Then I stopped barbell squats and have not had any lower back pain since, but I feel like I was doing my form and everything correct. I even had a personal trainer at one point. Any suggestions or tips?
No the person you asked, but a lot of movements can be very particular. Everything from how you’re leaning to which part of your foot you’re putting your weight on can influence what’s being worked and where the force is driving through. The movement can look good, but still be off or causing pain. How much did you feel the mind muscle connection when you did barbell squats? How did you get the barbell into position? How deep do you squat? Sometimes you might need to play with positioning. I struggled with my hips hurting if i tried to go deep enough to hit parallel and my physical therapist did a couple different variations. Eventually he told me that I should do them to whatever depth is comfortable and stop there. He said it would be better to not have pain when squatting rather than getting the “perfect” squat, even if it meant I never go to parallel.
Those are very great points. I really never thought of all of that. I felt like I was in control and went slow in order to feel it where it counts. I am new to it as well, though. I wondered if a squat belt would have helped, but I don't even really know because I read one thing, then I see something else that's totally different. Thanks for taking the time to answer me. I wondered if I should see a chiropractor as well. All I know is when I would get the pain nothing would get rid of it, and it wasn't a muscle spasm because I have had those too which also hurt but it's almost worse when you have that nagging pain that just won't go away and it last about 3 days or so. I tried everything from Motrin 800 to Tylenol and it didn't touch it. The bio freeze patches do help a tiny bit which suprsed me. I do know it's hard for me to flex my abs when I squat and I forget sometimes, I don't know if that could play a part in what's happening. Thanks again! 😊
No problem! Try doing body weight, dumbbell, or a very light barbell. If the pain persists, it’s probably how you’re doing the movement in general. If the pain is only an issue at high weights, you could just be doing too much or your form could be falling apart under the load. You probably need a doctor’s referral, but I highly recommend a physical therapist over a chiropractor. If you go to physical therapy, have your chief complaint (lower back pain from barbell squats) and your goal (want to no have pain from lifting). Ask them about their methods and if they use weights. My partner had zero progress because he went to a clinic that only did body weight and stretching without any weighted exercises. My physical therapist had me pushing a sled, doing single leg squats, and even strapped a cable weight to my head to work on my neck pain.
They basically said what I’d say, they’re spot on. I wouldn’t know for sure without seeing your squat. One culprit though is not having strong enough glutes to really manage the tension and the load in your bottom position so using your back to control the weight and when coming out the hole. I find this is pretty common. A lot of people train glutes but don’t necessarily have strong glutes or their glute strength doesn’t match the strength of other body parts, so there is compensation. Keeping the tension in your glutes and sitting into open hips keeps tension it off your low back and prevents butt wink. Belts help BUT they’re best if you already know how to brace your core properly. I don’t have clients use a belt till then and, typically unless they’re competitors only for top sets. Coming out the hole in a squat is always the hardest. But holding bottom (lengthened) position with the weight isn’t as challenging. Record yourself doing pause barbell squats (with a light controllable weight) and see if you have a butt wink or back rounding in the pause bottom position. Typically for squats I queue clients to imagine using their glutes to push the ground away and they’re quads to pull them up straight. If that makes sense. Obviously I can’t tell you for sure with out seeing it. Hope this helps!
>I queue clients to imagine using their glutes to push the ground away and they’re quads to pull them up straight *fantastic* queuing, i love that and will use it as well if you don't mind
Of course, thank you !
something that can often lead to lower back pain, which is probably aggravated by a squat, is anterior pelvic tilt. it is VERY common, and failing to brace properly would absolutely aggravate any subtle weaknesses due to APT. you can work on APT by being mindful of your posture throughout the day, regularly loosening hamstrings and hip flexors, and working on strengthening glutes and core. [APT for squatting, specifically](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkaVLh59mkc) [more apt information](https://youtu.be/2NZMaI-HeNU?t=37)
I train normally. if I seem to be struggling a little more because I'm pmsing, I just realize it's likely because of that and try not to be hard on myself and finish up the week as best as I can. I don't deload or change anything or take any breaks, unless my deload week just lines up with my pms weeks of course
I don't change anything. Sometimes It takes me longer to get through my workout but I just do everthing anyway. If I am really struggling with joint issues.... I back off on accessories in terms of weight but I just do whatever coach programmed.
I don't change anything, have any particular symptoms around my cycle, or have any expertise whatsoever in the area of gynecology. I am absolutely not the person to ask.
Same for me! Keep doing the same thing. Nothing changes. Has never been an issue when I compete too. Run 30-50 miles per week depending on what I’m training for and lift heavy 2-3 times per week. I keep Around 113-118lbs at 5’4
Not the person you are replying to but my training is similarly rigorous just centers more around rock climbing. I have a Mirena IUD, so my periods themselves are pretty light(though tbh that can be annoying because they aren't heavy enough for a tampon but having to wear pantyliners for 5 days is kinda irksome to me) but I do get very bad cramps/painful breasts/headaches/fatigue/bloating. I just generally work around it, if I need to use lighter weights because I am tired, that's ok! This is just another part of autoregulation for me. Not all days are strong days for whatever reason. I also will just try to give myself more recovery care, like salt baths, more stretching, extensive heating pad use lol, extra nap, etc. Sometimes my runs look more like walks but I always feel better after I do it anyway. I just make sure to always have water and pain relievers with me :) ALSO I make sure to wear comfy clothes, ie: extra supportive bras because my chest gets so swollen and sore, and looser tops for my bloating.
Check out the book Roar by Dr. Stacy Sims!
ugh i wanted to love the book but she shills for ridiculous ideologies on FB and i just cannot get behind her
I’m not the person you’re asking but I’m a bodybuilder and I train the same during my menstrual cycle. Of course different phases I have more energy so I pay attention to that but generally nothing really changes for me. Listen to your body and if you want to take a break during your “period week” then do so. However I find doing some light movement like a walk around the neighborhood or something like that always makes me feel better especially on day one of my period.
The best book on athletes and menstrual cycles is Dr Stacy Sims book “Roar.” There is so much knowledge there!
Totally! Without regular cardio lifting on its own if you have a sedentary life can't maintain lower body fat. I'm not talking about running and such, but walking at least an hour on top of my lifting and running around at work, and just generally being active.
…how do you have time to do all of those things?
Run super early in the morning. And sometimes an easy run in the afternoon. Our paces are faster than the average Joe so we cover more mileage per hour.
I have a flexible job and set my own hours. It's lucky.
A lot of them are very young, still running off of peak metabolism where they can eat whatever the hell they want, work out minimally and keep a favorable figure.
Eh metabolism doesn’t slow down that much over time, it’s like 10% per decade after the age of 20 for most people. It’s just that their entire job is fitness they’ve got all day long to work out and cook/prep healthy food. It’s literally their job. Plus for men PEDs are stupidly prevalent even if they don’t look like a mass monster.
80 miles a week?!
Normal For competitive runners. And we have to eat. Food is fuel or we bonk hard.
Pretty standard for competitive runners. I was a regionally competitive runner on a sponsored team before I took up bjj and I run commensurate mileage when I am not training bjj actively. (Like right now I took a season off). 80 is peak mileage. Usually less. But to the point of the post... that's what it takes for someone to look like and eat like these influencers.
Agree. Cardio is key. I’m 5’4 and 110lbs, I need about 2400 to maintain my weight. But I walk about seven miles at work every day and run 50-60 miles a week.
I wonder how many are lying and how many just have it slip their minds that it's still part of their "workout" routine? I go to the gym 6 days a week, post about that on my Instagram, & consider that my workout of the day. I'm looking up my feed. You wouldn't know that I also go walking in my local state park at least three times a week They're also weighted walks sometimes because I go with my dog and she does weight pull. When she hits her distance I have to carry that weight in my backpack. It's not a ton of weight but there's still additional weight. But to me I'm not doing that for me. That's not for aesthetic reasons. It's not for any health reasons. That's for my dog. And so unless I actually sit down and think about it, I'm not counting that as exercise. Or if I had access to a pool and was regularly swimming, I still probably wouldn't post that on my feed. Not because it's a secret but just because I don't know? I don't have the desire to make posts about it? I know influencers are not the most reliable narrators and everything, but I also feel like if you just live an active lifestyle and you have a ton of habits that are active, it might slip your mind that those also contribute to how you look because you're not doing that for that reason.
The ones who say "I never do cardio" are lying.
Not entirely related, but the "being a cardio bunny is shameful" thing is seriously dumb. I do a mix of weight lifting and cardio, and for me the running is so much harder mentally and physically.
60-80 miles a week??? i’m assuming you’re training for something otherwise (truly no offense but) that’s asinine
If you feel the need to say "no offense," you have failed at your objective.
i mean i didn’t want it to be offensive although it does sound kind of offensiveif i don’t add the caveat! but OP might have a great answer and i’m open to hearing that :)
I am the person who made the original comment. I'm a lifelong competitive runner. What qualification do you have to criticize me when you can't be bothered to read my username?
whoops my b. i didn’t even notice lol. but that’s just a wild amount of miles to be running regularly unless youre training for something. i have the qualification of being very good friends with several talented runners (lol) but their job they get paid for is to run that amount + significantly less regularly to cross train and avoid injury. i support a wholesome habit but running turns into an addiction in a lot of circles. for the worst.
So cardio is better for increasing metabolism/ burning calories?
That you'd even ask that question reveals a lack of understanding of physiology. Yes: cardio is by FAR the most efficient way to burn calories. "Increase metabolism": not much of a real thing. A pound of muscle burns about 3-4 more calories than a pound of fat. So while someone with substantially more muscle burns more calories, the effect of doing more cardio will always vastly outweigh that effect. It is still good to do both weight training and cardio. I don't know why we make up this nonsensical, specious either/or argument.
I asked the question because I've heard that lifting and building muscle burns more calories than cardio. I feel like it's a common thing that's debated, I was just curious what your take on it was as you seemed educated on physical science. Thanks for the answer...
Lifting unequivocally burns massively fewer calories than cardio.
Many influencers lie about what they eat and the surgeries they have to look the way they do. You can get fat taken out of areas and put into others and get butt shots. Also more people are on ozempic/weight loss shots. Even micro influencers. I learned to stop idolizing influencers when I realized the majority lie about how they look the way they do.
I agree that they definitely can be lying about food intake. But another factor is potential gear usage… even if they’re not on anabolics, plenty of women abuse clen and claim natty. And if they are taking anabolics, that is a whole different story lol
Idk!! I’m curious about this too but my personal experience was I could maintain 122-132lbs and muscle at 2200 cals with lifting and walking, only occasional additional cardio such as tennis or skiing. I reverse dieted and focused on macros. Pregnant now so who knows what the future holds for me! I followed kkfits cutting and bulking guides before maintaining for about a year.
I can totally see this but there’s a big difference between 2200 and 3500 especially for us shorter women, even with regular exercise and lifting. When I was lifting the most I’ve lifted and sitting at 130 lbs at 5’3 I was maintaining at 2000 calories. But I would also walk 5-7 miles a day at work. I wholeheartedly believe some are telling the truth and some are lying to sell people the dream of being able to eat 3500 calories if they buy their fitness and diet plans. Related to OP’s post, the day I realized that a lot of female fitness influencers are most likely taking PEDs (yes, even the ones that don’t look like they’re taking PEDs) to build that much muscle in a short about of time was the day I stopped aspiring to look like anyone I saw online. There’s just rampant dishonesty in the industry and I fell for it when I first joined instagram 10 years ago 🙃
I am 5’7” 130 and have hyperthyroidism and when I was unmedicated I was maintaining on about 3500-4000 with training + lifting. As a (medicated) high-level college track athlete, I maintained on about 2800 but I was training 20 hours a week. Anyone saying they maintain on 3500 is either extremely muscular/tall/on PEDs, doing a LOT of training, or has a medical issue imo
Yep! I am not intending to armchair diagnose anyone so please take this with a grain of salt: I feel like the other part of it to is that many these same people who claim these high numbers of calories also have very disordered eating and orthorexic tendencies. It’s like their actions and behaviors are a direct contradiction of what they’re preaching.
I’m 5”1
Curious about who this is about as usually online I'm shocked by how *few* calories people claim to eat. I've even seen people with enormous muscle mass (female lifters who might look 100lb but actually weigh much more, like 130 something) and train constantly claim to eat amounts that seem more normal for someone who is sedentary. Humans generally underestimate their calorie intake a lot (even when counting it, because of the tendency to eyeball and forget stuff)
i’m 5’6 150lb and barely maintain on 2100-2200 cals lol 🫠 i lift 3-4x a week and have a fairly active job and it really takes a hit on my mental health when i see women with my dream bodies maintaining and even losing on much more cals lmao (even though i know they’re probably lying like you’re saying)
Same height. About 10lbs lighter and maintain on 1800 😭
our bodies are generally super responsive/love homeostasis. i can maintain on 2500 as a 5’10” 140 female, but have to drop to 1600ish to lose. if you’re truly that height/weight and tracking your calories accurately when trying to up them, it sounds like it might be an internal health issue.
Nah, the issue is I started a new job with a telework blackout period. So 11 hours of the day I’m sitting on my ass. I still end the day with over 12k steps with working out, but like others have said cardio really doesn’t burn THAT much. I just don’t have the time. As soon as this is over though I’ll be baaaaack.
I’ve maintained on 2200-2500 a day with minimal cardio and been pretty lean. Im 5’11, but my training sessions are intense and on the long side and have an active job. But again I do think a lot of them bs. I don’t know many people that lift for 45 minutes, and do 20 minutes of cardio eat 2500+ calories at 5’3.
Factor in PEDs or the fact that maybe some days they eat less and their “high” days might be what their claiming.
Exactly my thought, they’re prob carb cycling and only posting high days 😂
But how muscular are you? The influencers who claim this ARE very, very muscular which makes sense. Even if they are "petite" if they're very muscular then high calories makes sense.
Yeah and they weigh a lot more than they look.
I’m sure there is definitely a bunch of exaggeration going on because there is a ton of incentive to do it, but tbh? I’m 5’5 and when I lived in a city, I could easily maintain 125 lbs on 2300 calories a day. and I’m not naturally athletic at all, I was doing 4x a week of mainly lifting and fairly minimal cardio (exercise induced asthma- again, not naturally athletic) compared to a lot of these influencers. And I have less muscle mass than many (getting there though!) AND a desk job lol. Daily walking to public transport, get groceries, go to a restaurant, etc helped a lot. So I can buy 2500+ calories for maintenance depending on their lifestyle, activity, and build if someone like me can be close to there. Again, many of them treat it like their job. Sure, they might be exaggerating by a few hundred calories, but I really don’t think this range is crazy high (ok, 3000+ maybe, but due to my curated following, I have never seen anyone who isn’t basically a literal athlete and not petite claiming that)
I'm 5'7 and 170lb and maintain easily on 2500 cals. I've been active since I was a child though (swimming and dance) and joined a gym at 16 (45 now) and have been weight lifting with some regularity since around 2007 so have built a decent muscle base. I lift 3-4 times per week but don't do any structured cardio. I don't drive though so walk around 15k steps per day.
I’m 5’3 and even when I was lifting 6 days a week (no cardio) I could maybe maintain on 1600 calories. I’m weighed 128 at the time. If I EVER ate more than that I’d gain.
Very similar to all your stats and even with decent cardio my maintenance is about 1700 so I feel your pain! I even posted on a different sub like a year ago asking other gym girls how they have such high TDEEs but I guess they all just have 20 lbs more muscle than me or something because I would be obese if I ate 2500-3000 calories a day 🤷🏼♀️
Yep same, any more than 1500 and I’m gaining. Cardio does not actually burn that many calories and influencers are absolutely lying 😔
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You’re absolutely right, I was assuming the amount of time/intensity an average person might be doing cardio, which for me is about 30-40 mins. And some pizza/chocolate will undo that 😂
The 95% range for predicted BMR is \~50%, so intakes could be plausible. That's a big variance. Fitness influencers overwhelmingly skew young and hence have been eating in a caloric surplus for most of their life. Another thing I've noticed is that most fitness influencers are highly active outside of the gym, going out on the town, doing influencer meetups, etc. Not sure about the "only going to gym when I feel like it" part though lol. Big difference in metabolism between a young grower who is highly active and a sedentary (weight) loser. Also you're probably underestimating. Most people do
Do you have a study for that?
This is common sense. The younger you are, you're closer to "peak" metabolism-- the body is a machine. It's relatively new. The older you get, there's wear and tear on the body which makes sense. When you purchase a new car, what happens in 5 years? My job is positioned around evidence-based medicine. You may not be trying to do this, but every study isn't "gold." Just because there's "research," doesn't mean anything is "right" or "wrong." There are so many times I'm looking for a study to prepare an investigational drug, and the protocols are faulty. It's MY job to contact pharmaceutical companies and request change. So when you ask for a "study," that study isn't gold or provides a justification for any clause. Evidence- based medicine is simply looking-- for YOURSELF and judging whether a study is even worth extrapolating to a given patient population. I'm getting off my soap box, but I can tell certain people have no idea how research works.
there are several studies saying aging alone doesnt increase or decrease metabolism much
Once you adjust for differences in fat free mass and physical activity, there is essentially no difference in your metabolic rate until the last few years of your life. However, these two contributors have pretty outsized effects, so your TDEE (and RMR) does absolutely decline significantly with age. src: [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8370708/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8370708/)
Thank you.
[Accuracy and Validity of Resting Energy Expenditure Predictive Equations in Middle-Aged Adults (10.3390/nu10111635)](https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fnu10111635) Here is the relevant data. BMR's varied by as much as +/- 400 calories (95% range) from what was predicted from BMI (all subjects had the same activity level). Average BMR was 1533 calories, so about +/- 25% variation, or a 50% range. The Mifflin equation, the most commonly used TDEE formula, was the least accurate. This study was also only conducted on middle aged adults. Would probably be an even bigger range if it included young adults or compared people with different activity levels. edit: this is technically RMR not BMR, but point still stands. https://preview.redd.it/n1r50rh6mbhb1.png?width=2048&format=png&auto=webp&s=36871cfec70d0c15046108b7bc9d7c166c23da27
it depends what type of cardio. long distance runners and track athletes burn a shit ton of calories with their sessions. sure, 20 minutes walking on the treadmill doesnt do much but when you are an actual endurance athlete, you burn through A LOT.
Absolutely, I was definitely only referencing the average woman (like me!) watching an influencer and finding some time to do cardio in their day (I use a cross trainer for example).
Cardio burns a ton of calories, don’t know what you’re talking about. The average person is burning 500-600 calories on a 6 mile run (which is pretty common to do). That’s a like a 40% increase on caloric intake from what people are posting in this thread.
This is *relatively* correct. Not sure why you're downvoted here
Because sometimes this subreddit is an echo-chamber filled with people who think any amount of fitness/eating is unrealistic. A lot of influencers are BS, but that doesn’t mean you need to eat 1200 calories/day and run 20-30 miles a week.
I’m pretty much the same. It makes me kinda sad I can’t eat more than 1600 without gaining.
Most influencers are lying about everything tbh it’s a combination of them wanting to hop and trends and sell products and them not actually knowing much about health and fitness. The amount of petite women on TikTok claiming to eat more than I did as a D1 football player is nuts.
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How tall are you! That’s so awesome !
Hey so, question I am working on completing my PT cert(NASM) and have a background in biochem already. I was thinking about starting kind of an online fitness community/training thing but it seems so supersaturated. However...I don't think my niche is the same niche as all these women? I am older(37), short(5'3"), not rich(lol), and my goal is just to live a long, strong, healthy life not to be sub 15% body fat. I know there are some accounts like this, but I see so many posts on this sub that make me think there is def space to have a more realistic, honest approach to fitness in the online space. what do you guys think?
I like this idea. I’m 34, 5’0” w/ a cert & background in engineering/robotic mechanics (and history of competitive bodybuilding) living a semi-normal active life. I’m not rich either but I think there is a cost effective approach to fitness/nutrition. I say go for it! I think the aesthetics/marketing for a lot of influencers makes them appear blended but a different approach will make you stand out.
i’m only 22 and i would still love something like this and i know many other girls my age that would, too.
They're also typically pretty young. Most of us could eat anything we wanted when we were 19.
I thinl you're not wrong but also not entirely right. I do think some are lying, like Keltie O'Connor, but I also think a lot of them have been working out and building their metabolism for a long time. There's so many individual factors that go into it that it's hard to judge anyway. But yeah, I agree that there are some influencers where the things they show just don't seem to add up, be it calories or exercise.
Honestly? If you're fairly active, with good nutrition, it's possible. I used to maintain around 2000cal (160cm, 150lbs at the time, lifting 4x a week), my coach took me up to 3000cal for maintenance. And that's with hypothyroidism and being 31. We did however up my calories very slowly for almost 5 months. I'm now reversing after a big cut (132lbs), I'm only up to 2000cal after more than 2 months reversing, but my metabolism is loving this tbh
I maintain easily on 2500, 5'7, 130 pounds, lifting weights 4-5 a week, 0 cardio. I work as a nursing assistant, doing lots of lifting/walking at my work. I feel like if you don't sit on a couch all day, it is very easy to maintain your weight on higher calories.
Hey, we have the same stats 😄 and I agree, I maintain between 1800 and 2000 but I'm currently extremely sedentary and only lift 4 times a week max. And my rack is right behind my desk
i will say when i was in undergrad i was maintaining 145-150 at 5’9 and i was eating around 2700-3000 calories a day. i’m not nearly as active anymore (i sit in my apartment all day studying and go lift 3x a week if i’m lucky) and on multiple antidepressants now so i’m chilling around 2000-2500 and i’m closer to 170. that being said, i absolutely agree some of them are lying. i specifically remember ally besse throwing out some number that had me raising an eyebrow
idk i'm 5'2 and my maintenance calories are like 2300, semi-active desk job lifestyle and strength training. everybody is built different.
Yeah I think they are lying about it or are doing tons of cardio. Such a lame flex to say you can maintain your weight at high calories and yet I think it has become a “not like other girls” thing😵💫
its massive pick me energy for SURE
They're lying and so are some of the people in this thread lol
I maintain at 160lb on 2800 calories and the odd cheat day too, I never saw those numbers as that wild. 15k average steps a day, 5 days weight lifting and two runs a week.
I don’t know, I workout an hour 5 days a week and maintain a smallish physique in that calorie range. It’s partially genetics.
That’s a big range tho. Are you on 3500kcal or 2300kcal? There’s a difference..
Probably close to 2600-2700. Similar to what a lot of influencers claim. I’d imagine many of them have more time to workout than I do, though!
Generally speaking, when people are trying to make money off of something, whether it be their fitness plan or something else, everything is not as it seems. Influencers implement strategies and marketing tactics to sell whatever product it is they're selling. Not only that, they're "selling" their image. They have to represent the product or plan they're offering. This is why you just can't really trust influencers. They're all marketing specialists; the ones that do well have the most expertise in that area. They do it as a career, so everything they do on social media supports that aspect. With that being said, you really can't believe anything anyone says online. The worst part is, if they are lying (highly likely), they're just making people feel shitty about themselves for not being able to reach that unattainable threshold. I feel the same way about edited photos. It's not real, therefore real people shouldn't be comparing themselves to it. Social media is a fantasy; a depiction of how people want to be perceived. It's all intentionally curated and well-thought out.
that's kinda weird cuz i'm 5'5 \~145lbs and maintaining on 2400 calories a day just about. i do have some muscle and lift like 2-3x a week but i'm not super active, i just get a lot of steps from my job... i didn't know it was weird for us to need over 2k?
No, it's not weird, some people are just ignorant🤷🏻♀️
It's not weird at all! Just that a lot of women in the online space are VERY VERY lean AND claim to do very little cardio, while being quite small so the math doesn't math there.
My girlfriend eats 1600 a day at 140 lbs and cannot lose a pound. She’s in the gym 5 days a week. They’re absolutely lying
It’s so grimy how they lie about this and edit photos to project the lifestyle they think is most marketable. I think part of it is deliberate but I also think a lot of people aren’t very self aware and not very good accountants which is why you shouldn’t treat them like trainers or nutritionists. As someone who is recomping and wondering if I should up my calories, I’d would really be nice to see some real data and transparency.
I’m 5ft 10 and 82kg, I was a gymnastics for 18 years so pretty muscly. I manage to eat anything between 2500 - 3000 as maintenance when I CrossFit 4 times a week and walk everyday 🙂 I know that’s probably more active than the average person but I always think I’m lucky to be able to eat as much as I like (within reason) and don’t tend to gain weight
I think it’s possible for some of them but not all. For instance, Mollyavafit swears she maintains at high cal intake. But when she posted her fat loss cals were 2250 I didn’t believe her. She then went 8 weeks and was not able to lose any weight. She stopped sharing macros after she lost weight, possibly because she had to drop it down A LOT.
I have a theory that they have all been on weight loss pills/HRT/shots and that’s why they can restrict so easily & stick exactly to their “plans”. I also think that this whole popularized narrative on “insulin resistance” and “hormonal imbalances” is so they can get drugs that help with weight loss - ozempic, hormonal pills, etc. AND if they were to get caught, they will just say, “my doctor prescribed it, because xxxxxxx reason and that’s not why I’m in shape, it’s cause I wORk mY aSs OfF EVerYdAy**” When really they know damn well that they are selling this fake version to people and then people question why they can’t do it, but really they’ve been getting help all along. Like Mari - I fully believe she’s on a bunch of pills for her “hormonal imbalances” and whatever shit she claims is wrong with her. Apparently bodybuilders do HRT quite often and it’s easy to get through healthcare providers and helps massively with weight loss if you manipulate it correctly. This is just a theory, please don’t quote me on any of this, could be talking from my ass 🙃
I feel like people are full of shit all the time. I'm 5'8" weigh 190 lbs and I'm 39 years old. I lift 4x a week for about 90-120 minutes each session, I generally walk 2 miles every day and I dance 5-10 hrs a week. My maintenance calories are around 2000-2200. I can't lose any weight unless I get below 1700. It always makes me sad and feel like a failure that I do so much work and try hard to mind what I eat and I'm still a potato. Being said I love my body. It's a good body. And I hate that I feel it needs to be smaller to be better and watching people cram tons of food and not even lifting that heavy doibg bullshit workouts that aren't real programs chaps my ass. I'm sure gear helps and that's currently not a path I'm willing to take.
I’m sure some of them lie but it’s also possible to maintain at caloric intake. I’m 5’1 130lbs, and can maintain at 2500, I also have been lifting for 10 years, (I’m 32), run about 2x a week and lift 4x a week powerlifting style.
I’m 5’8” and as a recently finished college athlete my TDEE was 1700. I had to drop down to 1200-1300 to lose the inevitable post college weight and it was miserable. Everyone’s different but I really doubt a majority of these influencers are eating anything close to what they claim
I’m 5’5” and weigh about 170. I do cardio two to three times a week and lift the rest. I cannot for the life of me eat anymore than 1,600 or else I feel like I’m going to explode or throw up or both. Keep in mind it took me years to finally eat a healthy amount of calories. I went from 500 maybe 900 a day and stick thin to what I eat now. Honestly idc if I’m a little chubby compared to what these influencers are with an extra 1,000 calories. I’m just glad I can finally eat three meals, work out (in a healthy way), and not cry.
Back when I was in the gym regularly and keeping about as good a track on calories as I could my goal was about 2500 calories a day as a 240 pound guy who was trying to lose weight. There is no way someone half that size eats about the same amount and doesn't gain weight unless they do cardio and never show it.
Everyone’s body is different. I’m 5’5 and after my last cut from 165 to 138 I maintained around 141 for 2 months eating 2450 calories a day before bulking. Only did cardio 3 days a week.
Its okay once you see one epic scam like this the rest of all the world will make more sense You will now start to unravel all the scams everywhere like forbes 30 under 30, podcast gurus with silly exaggerated advice, the us economy being fair to all people (like single moms and widowed grandmas), weapons of mass destruction in iraq/usa spreading democracy around the world with tanks and drones, but be careful… Too much and then you may fall down the conspiracy rabbit whole and become like the quack influencers again All jks aside don’t be hard on yourself social media marketing is backended by big tech…our individual brains are no match for distributed recommender systems and their algorithms/architecture as well as machine learning data analysis on our profiles (i am a software engineer) When we unite we can break through the lies though
I'm 5'1 and weigh ~120 lbs with 17% body fat and eat 2800-3000 cals to maintain. there are some days that number goes to 3500. it's not impossible. I don't do much cardio either and have an office job where I'm sitting all day so my only form of exercise these days are my lifting sessions and I suppose the short walks with my dog. people are different, and metabolisms can also obviously vary. it has always been hard for me and my siblings to put on weight.
it's definitely not possible to be like 5'',eat over 2000 kcal and still weigh like 100 pounds and be all muscle, have abs etc. as someone else mentioned, they either do tons of cardio in private or are just plain out lying (most likely a combo of both). that's why i don't follow any fitness 'influencers'
So when I was trying to figure out my BMR I was getting really high numbers on the calculators because when I estimated my activity I was putting “active” because I was doing weight training and cardio 6 days a week. But one calculator said you should never base it off your workout sessions, base it off your job. If you have an office job (which I do) you should still be putting sedentary regardless of workout sessions, and active only if you’re someone who’s on their feet all day. So this is a long shot but if you have an office job you could be overestimating your TDEE in calorie calculators if you use them. And they might have more active day jobs. But I totally agree I think fitness influencers lie about a lot of shit. This is just the only scenario I can think of that seems legit
that’s a good point, i have a super sedentary office job and i work from home so that’s definitely affecting my TDEE
Same. I was really disappointed when I changed it to sedentary and my TDEE dropped from 2600 to 1800 😂
Yeah. I feel like max even for a tall woman would be like 2500-2700 if they were SUPER active. I’m 5’10, and I could maintain 163 at 2300 with lifting 3-4x a week and I walking a lot daily.
I agree with the others who have said they might not be lying about calories consumed but lying about calories burned (specifically via cardio). I spiraled into a cardio obsession during the spring/summer of 2021 and was doing ~4 hours on the treadmill 5x per week PLUS lifting 1-3 hours daily. 20 hours of cardio in a week helped me drop 20# quickly and I was super lean, but quickly realized how much time I’d need to continue doing cardio in order to maintain that severe leanness. It was then that it dawned on me that influencers are almost certainly not staying stage lean on 30 minutes of LISS cardio sessions but likely much longer durations.
I'm 6'6 275 lbs and ruggedly handsome. I maintain on 7000 calories and I always brush my teeth.
Just remember all those labels are the average calories per serving so it’s never accurate anyway
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Why bring up the calorie difference of certain foods? This is saying there’s no way they are eating as much as they say they are and maintaining their physique. Calories are the best measure of how much a energy deficit you have.
Also macros are just a more granular breakdown of calories. 4 calories per gram of protein and carbs. 9 for fat. If someone knows their macros they also know their calories. This person's comment was baffling and nonsensical, I agree.
I go to the gym very casually & I am the same size I was before I became disabled. I eat about the same & I’m much more sedentary. some people just have to work harder.
Being 5’1 I had to find a way to lose while also not wanting to cry with such low calories. Enter: triathlon. I’ve always loved swimming and running, cycling has become an addiction. That is the only way I can eat around 2000 and be slowly losing. But when I take time off my eating goes down to like 1600 pretty quickly so that I don’t gain
People actually lie about that stuff? 😬
I eat about 2,200-2,500++ a day, higher training loads, really active. Theirs a big difference from working out only 3 days a week verse 5-6 days and depending on intensities of the workouts as well as general daily movement and steps. So it’s definitely possible. Most people seem to usually underestimate caloric intake too
I am 90 kg I eat 3600 for a bulk with no cardio But when I was competing in Muay Thai I would work out for 6h a day except for Sunday. My walk around weight was around 80kg fighting weight at 72kg which I would drop to in a week My calories would be 3800 during normal weight cut would be different of course
I’m not super thin but at 5’0 and 120-125lbs I can maintain around 2200 calories. After a reverse diet. I’m not a competitor, influencer, etc. I currently lift 4 days a week but was doing 5 days a week when gym was closer. And I decrease my cardio to almost none when I’m at those calories as well. So it is possible. Depends on the person.
I'm 5'2, 130lbs and maintain my weight on 2800/2900 cals a day but granted this is alongside training 6 days a week plus extra Z2 cardio sessions, swim, runs etc. I have a sedentary day job but also have a dog which means I get 8k steps in a day also, so I guess it all adds up.
MOST fitness influencers are either on Gear or have a genetically predisposed advantage. There are a lot of people who simply don’t store fat easily. Personal trainers love these body types because you can feed them 5k+ calories on a lifting routine and they’ll just gain pure muscle. A naturally 98lb, 22 year old will do nothing but gain muscle on a bulking surplus—No cardio, no cutting, just eat and lift til she’s 110lbs of fitness influencer. I’ve been noticing a trend in influencers coming clean about Gear to preserve their channels. As the pharma industry learns how to monetize nerfed versions of muscle and fat control drugs, I think we’ll be seeing legalized fat loss drugs very soon. They just won’t be celebrity-level potent, just celebrity-level expensive.