How many calories per meal?

[djheater]

I want to lose about 30 pounds by the end of August and get down to around 200 pounds.
I work 50 hours a week, am in school full time, have three kids and a wife who like attention, and am also a research assistant. I haven't found time to take an occasional walk, much less get to the gym.

It's been easy for me to simply adjust my caloric intake and compulsively enter my calories at dailyplate.com. I'm currently on an 1850 calorie diet and haven't had any problem with it.

I shoot for about 500 calories a meal and then throw in a couple of evening snacks, or a couple of glasses of wine. Is 500 calories a sufficient meal? It seems to be for me.

Update:
Feb 4 - 235
Mar 11 - 225
Apr 17 - 218 - had a couple of bad (and by bad I mean good) weekends

 

[TecHNooB]

If you're strapped for time and can only eat 3-4 meals a day, eat your biggest meal in the morning (breakfast and lunch). Consume most of your carbs during the day (between 7am to 5pm). Eat as much protein as you want. Go for the lean stuff but don't kill yourself finding 'low fat' foods because that's not important. What's important is what foods you choose to eat. My advice is to get most of your carbs in during breakfast/lunch/as soon as you get out of work. Bring some fruit with you to munch on between 3 to 5 pm. Avoid sweet cereals, white bread, and milk like the plague. Stick to water for beverages.

 

[KoolDrew]

A 1850 calorie diet is way too little for a 230lb male. That's nearly a 1600 calorie deficit a day, more or less depending on your metabolism. How long you been on this diet? How rapidly are you losing weight?

 

[djheater]

Ah, I should have mentioned, my diet is actually really good, always has been, I just always eat and drink to much.

For the last ten years or so...
Whole grain everything wherever available
No processed foods 90% of our foods are from trader joe's or whole foods or home made
No soda
I'm lactose intolerant so no milk, I eat cheese a bit though, much to my wife's dismay.
I don't eat a lot of meat, comparatively, and mostly chicken.

So you'd reccomend greater than 2\3 of my caloric intake before 7p? What's the rationale?

 

[djheater]

Originally posted by: KoolDrew
A 1850 calorie diet is way too little for a 230lb male. That's nearly a 1600 calorie deficit a day, more or less depending on your metabolism. How long you been on this diet? How rapidly are you losing weight?

1.5 weeks, lost about 3 pounds the first week. Expect to lose about 2 pounds a week, which is, I understand, about the maximum healthy amount you can lose.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: KoolDrew
A 1850 calorie diet is way too little for a 230lb male. That's nearly a 1600 calorie deficit a day, more or less depending on your metabolism. How long you been on this diet? How rapidly are you losing weight?

I severely doubt he should be taking in 3400 calories for maintenance, especially if he sits in an office 50 hours a week. Keep in mind, his lean muscle mass is much lower than that, so he's burning much fewer calories at a sedentary 230 than a ripped up 230.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: djheater

Originally posted by: KoolDrew
A 1850 calorie diet is way too little for a 230lb male. That's nearly a 1600 calorie deficit a day, more or less depending on your metabolism. How long you been on this diet? How rapidly are you losing weight?

1.5 weeks, lost about 3 pounds the first week. Expect to lose about 2 pounds a week, which is, I understand, about the maximum healthy amount you can lose.

I'm pretty sure you'll survive, but I would also suggest being careful with that. Although I doubt you're in a 1600 caloric deficit, 1800 is a bit low. I would suggest something a bit higher, maybe in the 2000-2200 range just to make sure your body doesn't kill your metabolism.

 

[spamsk8r]

I started at 230 a few months ago (mid-October), and by eating a 2200 calorie diet I've lost 16 pounds thus far (with exercise). I don't think an 1850 calorie diet would kill you, as long as you don't feel like you're starving all the time. I've found that for me, 2000-2200 is the sweet spot where I'm not hungry, but I'm still losing weight. Just food for thought.

 

[djheater]

Seriously, the most exercise I get in a day is walking around my office. I wake up at 5a do homework 'til 6:30 get the kids up and ready and transported, work til 5:30 go to school 'til 10p come home, do homework\chores rinse repeat.

Weekends are reserved for family time, we do try and be active but when it's 5 degrees outside and you have a 3 year old, you don't spend a whole lot of time outside. + that's when we do cooking for the week, laundry, and clean the house.

Sedentary is me.

 

[djheater]

Update: Down to 225



I incorporate exercise where I can, take the stairs, park far away, etc. Can't wait til the weather improves, I can take a 2 mile walk at lunch, might have to up the calric intake at that point...
I've always found self-denial easy, so the 1850 hasn't been hard. I always screw up when I don't have packaged food though... Thank god for trader joe's meals.

I'm happy so far.

 

[TallBill]

Originally posted by: djheater
Update: Down to 225



I incorporate exercise where I can, take the stairs, park far away, etc. Can't wait til the weather improves, I can take a 2 mile walk at lunch, might have to up the calric intake at that point...
I've always found self-denial easy, so the 1850 hasn't been hard. I always screw up when I don't have packaged food though... Thank god for trader joe's meals.

I'm happy so far.

Slow and steady is just fine and probably the healthiest way to lose weight. 10 pounds is certainly a good start though.

 

[Codewiz]

I started my weight loss at 220lbs. I am down to 180lbs now.

I eat 1200 calories a day. It is easy dropping weight. I just supplement my diet with good quality vitamins.

I stopped in January because I hit my target weight of 190. I realized I could stand to lose more weight.

In January I went back to a 2200 calorie diet without gaining any weight. I did bring the calories back in slowly as to not gain any weight.

 

[thespeakerbox]

uhh, take in more clean calories. youre eating way to little and will probably plateau and have a hell of a hard time coming out of it. For a guy your size, you can lose a good amount of weight eating 2250 cals a day. Just make sure to keep protein at least 40% of that.

EDIT: how tall are you? To lose that much weight, you must be a weak stick now? How about doing some lifting . It's bulk time.

 

[djheater]

Apr 17 - 218 - had a couple of bad (and by bad I mean good) weekends

I assure you I don't look like a stick

I would really like to exercise more but school doesn't get out for 5 weeks... hopefully then...

 

[onlyCOpunk]

Maybe the extra attention to give to you wife and family should be a family walk? Is there a gym nearby? You could sign your kids up for some sort of athletic activity like swim team or something, and then you and your wife could use the time while they are at practice to exercise together.

It's sounds like you're making excuses for not doing activities. 5 degrees isn't -20 so bundle up and get outdoors. Maybe leave the 3 year old with a babysitter for an hour?

It sounds stupid and tough to fit in exercise with your busy schedule, but if you do not push yourself now, then when will you push yourself? You are always going to find a million reasons to not exercise.

 

[djheater]

Originally posted by: onlyCOpunk
Maybe the extra attention to give to you wife and family should be a family walk? Is there a gym nearby? You could sign your kids up for some sort of athletic activity like swim team or something, and then you and your wife could use the time while they are at practice to exercise together.

It's sounds like you're making excuses for not doing activities. 5 degrees isn't -20 so bundle up and get outdoors. Maybe leave the 3 year old with a babysitter for an hour?

It sounds stupid and tough to fit in exercise with your busy schedule, but if you do not push yourself now, then when will you push yourself? You are always going to find a million reasons to not exercise.

I'm not making excuses, I choose not to push myself on exercise at this point because a) caloric restriction is working and b) the reasons I've previously presented are not actually excuses.

I have limited time for my family all other time is spent working or studying\homework. Something has to give and that's physical activity. The time I do actually spend with my family is outdoors (when possible) or cleaning the house.

I realize you guys will come back with "well you just have to make room". I urge you to consider hte possibility that "making room" may not be the best alternative for some.

I say I'd like more physical activity because I'd like to be building muscle (not weightlifter, just tone) instead of just shedding mass. Since I CAN'T at this point do that I'm not too unhappy with just shedding mass.