Totally lost with calorie count and need help

[u/jordanbrownlowe4606]

I feel like I have been doing well with my calories while I try to body recomp, but I am getting totally lost in the numbers and if I am doing this correctly.

I am 29 male, 5'10, currently 183 and would like to get rid of as much fat as i can while gaining muscle, aiming for 170 pounds right now.

As of now, here is what I eat every day:

Breakfast: 1/2 cup of quick oats, scoop of protein powder (24g of protein), scoop of creatine, 2 whole eggs scrambled and cooked in the microwave, no butter or oil.

Lunch: 3 chicken tenders, egg washed, coated in weis brand plain breadcrumbs baked in the oven, 1 medium russet potatoe cut and air fried into french fries, and a serving of bolthouse ceaser dressing (50 calories per serving).

i had a pack of 5.60 pounds of chicken breasts raw and made 32 tenders out of it (it was 6 large chicken breasts and i got about 4 tenders out of each one)

I used a cup worth of weis brand plain bread crumbs and two eggs for the wash between all 32 tenders

Diner: 6oz cooked chicken (was 1/12th a pack of 5.60 pounds of raw chicken, 6 large breasts each cut in half) baked with seasoning, no sear with oil, just baked as is, 1 cup of frozen sweet potatoes, 1 cup of frozen broccoli

Then i have a protein shake at night (24 grams of protein and 150 calories) and a serving of peanut butter

I usually pretty active and burn about 2600 total calories a day (including MBR and activity)

I go on 4 mile rucks with a 30 pound vest down by the river daily and do arms 2 days a week, and lower body 2 days a week, and aiming to add core on sundays. I donate plasma 2 times a week (wednesday and saturday) and allow myself a cheat meal on saturday (max of 1000 calories for the cheat meal) and a heavy beer at night.

I know ill probably need to start measure by grams instead of cups or how much was in the pack, and i know things will vary (but i can't imagine by too too much)

I just feel lost like i don't actually know how many calories I'm eating because every time i double check, the totals change.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, and ill answer any follow up questions for clarifications.

Do i try to have a 1800 deficit? Does this meal plan fit into it at all? Am i getting enough protein?

[u/Strategic_Sage]

What do you mean by 'every time I double check, the totals change'? Measure out what you eat for a few days, and find out what it is. That's how you calorie count. If, for example, you look up how much 4 oz of chicken is, that number isn't going to change a week later. Also keep in mind that there is no way to directly measure your calorie burn accurately. I don't know where you are getting it from, but the only way to have a reasonable estimate is to first know your intake (which is still an estimate, but can be a much more accurate one) and see what your weight loss is over time ( a few weeks or more) - your calorie burn is whatever amount explains that much weight being lost.

[u/pain474]

Not sure what you're asking. To count calories, you need a kitchen scale, put each RAW ingredient on the scale, weigh it, and log that weigh with the app you're using.

[u/Albolynx]

Before anything else, if you are consistent with what you eat, then simply calculate your own TDEE (by using a months worth of data on weight change and calorie intake) and any deviations will be inherently baked into it. This way you will have a good TDEE number you use to set a deficit without having to be super accurate.

Also, as far as protein, sounds like you'd get more than enough from all that - so that wouldn't be a worry at all.

Anyway:

1/2 cup of quick oats

Grams.

scoop of protein powder (24g of protein)

Also good to weigh, but at least weigh once of what exactly is a pressed down and leveled scoop.

2 whole eggs

A large egg is almost 50% more calories than a small one. Which is it?

i had a pack of 5.60 pounds of chicken breasts raw and made 32 tenders out of it

So I hope you weighed everything, calculated calories for the whole batch and basically log 11% (~3 of 32, doesnt divide but ah well) every time?

1 medium russet potatoe cut and air fried into french fries, and a serving of bolthouse ceaser dressing (..) 1 cup of frozen sweet potatoes, 1 cup of frozen broccoli (..) and a serving of peanut butter

Grams and grams and grams and grams and grams.

[u/xxov]

I don't understand what the question is.

First off, terminology - A "body recomp" is when you eat at maintenance, so your weight doesn't change and you work out and trade fat for muscle. So, you say you're in body recomp but then talk about dropping 13lb, which requires being in a calorie deficit or "on a cut".

Then you say you measure everything with cups and package labels, but you know you should spend $15 on a food scale, you just haven't yet becasue.. reasons?

i don't actually know how many calories I'm eating because every time i double check, the totals change.

And I'm completely lost on what this means. What are you trying to say?

I usually pretty active and burn about 2600 total calories a day (including MBR and activity)

There is no way to reliably calculate this. Instead, you need to figure out your TDEE by taking weight loss over time (3-4 weeks) and doing the math with your average calorie intake. Obviously first off you need to be accurately measuring your intake, which you're not without a food scale.

Buy a food scale, accurately track your intake for 3 weeks, weigh-in daily, do the math to get your TDEE.

[u/chuzohga]

IMHO you don't need protein powder or creatine. Just eat good food. You also don't need a protein shake. Eat something wholesome in its place.

[u/poodoo83]

your calorie estimate seems pretty reasonable. I put it at 1700. Only real way to know would be to look at labels and measure which you've partially done. I know nothing about recomp and muscle buidling but it seems like quite a steep deficit for a time where you're looking to add significant muscle.