Reposting from Exercise group - question on changing macros with exercise

Hi!

I'm an exercise newb. About five years ago I trained for a mini-tri, so I've exercised before, but I don't know a lot about the physical impact of exercise on nutritional needs. In my prior life (pre-WLS) I was probably averaging between 3500 and 5500 steps a day with a sedimentary day job and an active home life. The year prior to my WLS I was having some funky health issues (falling a lot) that dramatically reduced the amount of walking I was doing to around 2000 to 3000 steps most days. Now I'm at a new job, 9 weeks post RNY, and I've worked up to about 12,000 steps a day mostly through long walks in the evening, and I'm starting the C25K program.

My new job is also in a new city, so I'm still getting the hang of my new routine, but starting next week I am going to bike to work which will be a city street commute of about five miles. Part of it could be on a bike path but I am giving myself (not having been on a bike in a few years) an hour of time to go just five miles, so I won't be exactly huffing and puffing (although my heart rate will be up from shear terror I'm sure!). In mid to late June I'm planning to stop at a fitness center twice a week on my evening commute to swim laps. I suck at swimming and now I won't even have my body-fat flotation advantage! But I figure if I allocate 30 minutes twice a week, it will fill in some upper body fitness gaps and also help my cardio which as always been pathetic.

Here is the daily averages from my past two weeks according to my S Health tracking app and my diary:

• 12,000 daily steps (total, including below activities)
• 15 flights of stairs (3 or 4 at a time as work breaks)
• 15 minutes SLOW jog
• 30 minutes or more at a "brisk" walk
• Additional moderate walking, literally walking the dog until I meet my step goal.

Going forward it should look more like this:

• 13,000 daily steps (more weekdays less weekend)
• 20 flights of stairs (a few flights at a time, week day only)
• 30 minutes jogging (3-5 times a week)
• 30 minutes brisk walking (7 days a week)
• 12 miles (round trip) biking (4 days a week)

By late June it should be this:

• 14,000 daily steps (more weekdays less weekends)
• 30 flights of stairs (a few flights at a time week day only)
• 30 minutes of jogging/running (3 nights a week)
• 30 minutes of swimming (2 nights a week)
• 30 minutes of brisk walking (7 days a week)
• 12 miles (round trip) biking commute 4 days a week
• Weekend hikes, kayaking, other activities (more for fun than for calories burned)

QUESTION: I know I shouldn't "count" exercise calories in my daily calorie intake, ie I shouldn't think I can eat more just because I'm more active... but what about protein and other macros? Should I add the thirty minutes of jogging and the 12 miles of biking into my MFP as "exercise" and then adjust my diet up to the protein levels that are recommended? Or is the jogging/walking/biking all just general "activity" unless I'm really putting a ton of effort into it? By ton of effort I mean pushing to exhaustion.

I know I HAVE GOT to get this exercise going because my actual goal is much more about being physically fit and strong than it is a number on the scale. At the same time, my scale isn't moving anywhere near the rate I'd expected :( so hopefully seriously ramping up the activity level will help that too!

My big goals are to finish a mini-tri late fall of this year, to be able to mount a horse from the ground (this summer), and to be able to run an entire 5K (next spring). Overall I just want to feel fit and capable of keeping up with my peers.

So I am even more of a newbie than you are so take my response with a grain of salt.

From what I understand from reading here and other fitness forums/books/etc you are very unlikely to gain muscle while loosing weight. You will want to exercise for overall health and to help retain the muscle you already have but you shouldn't need extra of either overall calories or any of the macros while you are focused on losing. Plus the things you mentioned seem to be more cardio than strength training. Again that is from my pretty small understanding of exercise. Caveat - I know you have struggled getting enough protein in without the exercise so it may be a good idea to be even MORE protein forward once you bump up the activity.

Also just as a general "Hey look I think this is cool" thing. Instead of doing the C25K app, I'm going to be starting the Zombies, Run!!! 5k trainer app. It seems to have a better transition through out instead of the BIG jump you get in week 5 of C25k. Plus ZOMBIES!!! Something to consider.

Zombies Run is the BEST EVER. Good choice. :)

I've been doing the Jeff Galloway 5K app, which has been good...gotten good feedback from seasoned runners on it.... I am taking a forced hiatus due to surgery, so will check out the zombies too when I get back on track...

My brother, who held the Marine Marathon record, for something like 24 years, turned me on to the Galloway method...if it's good enough for the MARINES...well, you know :)

I found it easier to navigate, by myself, than C5K, and didn't have phone, etc back then...haven't tried Zombies yet, though

I did Galloway to train for my first 1/2 marathon. It was easy to follow and completely worked. I still have my Garmin set to 4:1 intervals even though I don't take the walk breaks. I find it comforting knowing the break is there if I need it. It was awesome to meet the man at the expo before my first 1/2 and than him for his plan

There's a Zombies fitness app?! How did I live without this knowledge?? My life has been an undead lie :(

Zombies don't get enough cardio.

Yes, it's the one thing that keeps them from being really healthy.

Seriously - how do you not know about this?! Zombies, Run is an awesome app. There's the 5k training app and then the regular one. The 5k training app is the best 5k plan I've found since it includes more than just intervals - there's some skipping, calf raises, heel lifts, etc.

The regular app is fantastic. It intersperses your music with "mission" segments from a post-zombie apocalypse world. I think there are 5 seasons now? Maybe 6? I'm only at season 4 so I'm not 100% sure. It's a really well developed app and is one of the primary ways I motivate myself to get out and run. I'm not "allowed" to listen to ZR unless I'm exercising :)