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Weight loss and calorie intake question
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Straight to the point... yes... you should be getting the recommended caloric intake. Going a little lower won't hurt you, but too low (like the 600-800 range you've already mentioned) and your body isn't getting the energy it needs to function daily. It may be working for right now, but it WILL catch up to you.
As people have said, you should grab some light snacks here and there to compensate. The trick is to find healthy snacks with some calories that don't have a whole bunch of crap in them such as the aforementioned fruits, nuts, vegetables. There are probably also some beverages that you can have to increase your intake. Ideally, you should have a bit more to eat in the morning so your body processes these foods before you wind down for the day.
As people have said, you should grab some light snacks here and there to compensate. The trick is to find healthy snacks with some calories that don't have a whole bunch of crap in them such as the aforementioned fruits, nuts, vegetables. There are probably also some beverages that you can have to increase your intake. Ideally, you should have a bit more to eat in the morning so your body processes these foods before you wind down for the day.
I honestly think that 1000-1200 would be enough assuming that the calories you do eat are very nutritious. You'll be able to drop some serious weight if you're much higher than you should be. I'm not sure your details so i have no idea what your ideal weight is (and how far it is from your target).
Rustler
Golden Member
I have lost a 150lbs, you have to change the way you eat, more vegtables, fruits, protien, chicken and tuna are good for that. I work out every day either I run 3-5 miles or work out with weights. When I am at work I eat every couple of hours, the trick I have found is to make your body feel well fed so it dosen't go into starvation mode. Lots of veggie snacks, fruit, whole grain cereals, cut back on the carbs and increase the protien intake. I am now at the same weight I was when I was a Army Ranger in Vietnam circa 71-73.
SludgeFactory
Platinum Member
Source?
SludgeFactory
Platinum Member
I closed it pretty much instantaneously when I saw "Rick Astley" in the tab, and heard and saw nothing. 😛
<inner voice> But what if it's a video of Rick Astley eloquently expounding on the phyisology and biochemistry of human metabolism, caloric partioning, and glycogen & lipid storage, all in a smooth yet rich baritone? 😕 </inner voice>
OneOfTheseDays
Diamond Member
Focus more on your exercise and less on the diet. Yes dieting is important, but you'll go insane trying to stick to that perfect diet plan. Start going to the gym 4-5 times a week and definitely do some weight-lifting. Building muscle mass means you will burn more calories.
Starving yourself is not the way to go. It may go ok for a few days or a few weeks, but then one day you're going to crack and want to eat 2 large pizzas and a gallon of ice cream because you're craving junk food.
A good way to do it (as others have said) is to eat 5 small meals a day, stay away from unhealthy/empty calorie snacks, to do 20-30 minutes of cardio 4-5 days a week and isolate muscle groups and lift weights.
Also, make sure to treat yourself to junk food every now and then, as all work and no play isn't that much fun if you're in this for the long-term.
A good way to do it (as others have said) is to eat 5 small meals a day, stay away from unhealthy/empty calorie snacks, to do 20-30 minutes of cardio 4-5 days a week and isolate muscle groups and lift weights.
Also, make sure to treat yourself to junk food every now and then, as all work and no play isn't that much fun if you're in this for the long-term.
You gotta do some more research man...protein shakes are very much a staple in very many weight-loss routines.
OP- If I were you I'd avoid fruit. Crazy as it sounds I know but I'd avoid it. It has way too much sugar for what you're trying to do, ie, lose weight. Well...except for apples and pears...those are two good fruits that, while having a high amount of carbs, are slow-burning carbs, which are the only carbs you want to eat right now.
I don't think you're eating enough either...actually...I'm surprised that what you listed is 1200 calories. At your weight...I'd say you should get around 2k...maybe 1800...eat 5-6 small meals per day....hell, a meal can consist of a protein shake and a small handful of peanuts...but it helps boost your metobolism.
Speaking of which....time for a shake for me!
TallBill
Lifer
Eat some fucking red meat. I can't understand where the hell you got the idea that meat is bad for you? Every single thread that you make you post this, and it boggles my mind.
And eating under 1000 calories is not healthy. Find your maintanence level and slowly back off. Its a gradual process, same with gaining weight.
And eating under 1000 calories is not healthy. Find your maintanence level and slowly back off. Its a gradual process, same with gaining weight.
My wife and I just cut our caloric intake last week. She cut hers to 1200/day from about 1600 (25% decrease) and I cut mine to 1600/day from what was probably about 3000 (nearly 50% decrease). We eat what we want (which isn't much) but just watch the calories. We didn't increase activity -- yet -- but I've already lost 8 lbs (222 -> 214) and she hasn't lost any weight.
slackerinabox
Lifer
Don't mean to knock red meat - I LOVE red meat but it's my vice, moderation is hard if I have the stuff around. It's hard to explain, I have the personality type where I'm doing much better just staying away from something than cutting back (i.e. when I noticed I was drinking too much I had to stop drinking, cold turkey, for a few weeks to get that addiction away before returning to a normal place).
Fiber = win. It will help you feel full. Whole grains are yummy, too 😛
the only thing that really doesn't help you feel too full is carbohydrate. fats and protiens both do a good job of keeping you full, but protien is 4cal/gram and fat is 9cal/gram. Carbs are 4cal/gram.
Fiber has the same number of calories as carbs(because it is a carb) but fibers are not digested in the body(well, it is, but you don't get as much out of it) like other carbs.
uclaLabrat
Diamond Member
Non-soluble fiber isn't digested by the body. If it can't digest it, it doesn't have any calories. The body doesn't have the enzymes to digest cellulose.
OP, are you tracking what you eat on Fitday ?
You lose fat by burning slightly more calories than you consume over an extended period of time, not by making drastic reductions.
Now, onto some specifics:
Here is the problem with most of the advice you are going to get: it is too vague. "cut out sweets", "don't drink pop", "don't eat after X PM", it's all too vague to be very useful. For maximal results, you need to take a more methodical approach.
First of all, you cannot spot reduce, so doing crunches will not burn any of the fat off your stomach.
Second, losing fat is ultimately a matter of burning slightly more calories than you consume over an extended period of time.
What you need to do is start tracking exactly what you eat each day. Fitday makes it easy. You will also need a starting point for your BMR - this is the number of calories you would need to eat in a day to exactly maintain your current weight. You can find an estimate here - make sure to click on the link labeled "Daily Calorie Needs" to find an estimate based on activity level.
Now, eat that number of calories each day for a week, and track your weight first thing each morning. If at the end of the week, you have not lost a pound, then cut 300 calories from your daily total and eat that amount for each day of the next week. Continue to track your weight, and keep making reductions until you are losing about 1 lb./week. I recommend getting 40% of your calories from protein, 40% from carbs, and 20% from healthy fats. Need help on what to eat? Check out this link
If you want to preserve muscle, I would recommend a weightlifting program focused on basic compound movements, low reps, and heavy weight. This will help persuade your body to burn fat instead of muscle while you are in a caloric deficit. Some of that 10 lbs. you lost could have very well been muscle if you weren't following any sort of weightlifting routine.
If you want to do some cardio on top of this then go for it, but it is not required for losing fat. If you want to do cardio, I would recommend shorter, high intensity sessions instead of longer, lower intensity.
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