estimated Calories burned seems way too high

I've been keeping track of my calorie intake and burn for a couple of years and while I lost 20 pounds or so in a little of a year period, I've lately put some back on and am struggling with taking it off. I changed jobs, and while my workouts have stayed the same or increased, my daily activities are primarily sedentary.

When I use every calculator and average it all together it seems my base met. rate would be about 1400-1500 (I weigh 135 pounds, I'm 37, trying to get back to 130). To determine my daily calorie needs I summarize my workouts for the week in terms of calories, divide by 7 and add that number to 1400. When I lost weight this worked when I stuck to around 2000 calories a day.

I've struggled this time around though and then read threads telling people to eat more. WHile I don't think that is the problem (please, I could eat 3000 calories everyday and never feel full, I in love with food!!). For workouts I use the number of 100 calories per mile running, 500 per 3000 yards of swimming (a typically workout) and 400 per hour biking (I'm not that great a biker, average 17.5 on the road). When I check this against the calories burned numbers here and elsewhere they say my numbers are way to low, but I simply can't believe that the 2500 yards I swam in 47 minutes this morning burned 564 calories or that the 70 minute trainer ride burned 700! based on that I should eat a minimum of 2600 calories today to maintain my weight. I assure you if I did that I would gain.

I eat about 2000 calories a day, mosly quality. Breakfast is typically yogurt, fruit, kashi and an egg beater (I don't get enough protein, so this is a new addition). Lunch is often salad or wrap of salad with tuna, or soup and salad (all made at home). Dinner is salads, lean meats, some carbs. Snacks are plentiful but not necessarily bad for me-kashi bars, almonds, more yogurtl more fruit, but I do love popcorn and eat a minibag of lowfat kettle korn almost everyday. And between fiber one and kashi and beans (three things I love) I have more fiber than I know what to do with).

Currently my workouts total about 10 hours a week (pre IM plan). I can drop weight for a week or two and then just get hungry!! So the four pounds it took four weeks to lose has come back as 4 pounds in two weeks time.

I do think I'm eating enough, when I went over 2000 a day the weight jumped up rather quickly. I don't fuel preworkout in the AM unless its over an hour workout, always replenish with protein and carb after. PM workouts usually are within three hours of lunch so I have a little something if I'm feeling empty, but usually nothing.

What am I doing wrong?

Edited by k_hase 2008-02-26 4:57 PM