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[MyThirdEye]

I had really bad eating habits as a kid, which led to me being obese.
Old

I had a friend die, which made me realize how precious life is, and that I should enjoy it. I couldn't go around being fat anymore.
New

I started lifting late in my sophomore year of HS, which did very little for me, because I was still taking in the same amount of calories. I started consuming <500 calories a day, and running at least 1 mile a day. I went from 250lbs to 195lbs. I got very bored with running and cycling, and lost a ton of muscle.

This summer I decided to take up lifting again, except do it the right way. I vigorously lift for 30-45 mins about 4 or 5 times a week, and try to keep my caloric intake under 1200. I can't seem to lose my man-handles. They have decreased in size, and have become more muscle, but I am still not satisfied. I also still have a gut that has immensely decreased in size, but is going away. I have been boxing for a cardio workout, because I hate running around the streets like a goon. My friend and I usually do 4 minute rounds, 3 times, or until he can't go anymore.

So, my question is: Should I go back to the super low caloric intake to lose my 'handles, or keep lifting? Lifting and boxing has increased my self esteem tenfold.

Critique please.

 

[Kipper]

Super low caloric intake + high activity level = setup for failure.

1200 kcal would keep a 40-kilogram adult alive. For reference, that's 88 pounds. And also for reference, such a person would be either a.) dead, b.) a dwarf, or c.) in an intensive-treatment inpatient program for eating disorders.

It certainly would not help you in losing love handles, and it will ultimately work against you because you will not be able to maintain exercise at a particularly high intensity - especially not in the long-term.

You'd probably do better with either HIIT (anaerobic bursts of exercise at very, very, very high intensity, interspersed with rest) or low-intensity, long-duration cardio. While heavy lifting will certainly burn calories, it is an activity which heavily favors carbohydrate as a fuel rather than fat. You can certainly produce weight loss by inducing a caloric deficit through lifting + lower intake, but it's probably more effective to throw in some sort of cardiovascular, preferentially fat-burning exercise somewhere in there. Boxing should fit the bill, more or less.

 

[brikis98]

As Kipper indicated, 1200 calories is way too little for an active 195lb male. Your body will go into starvation mode, your metabolism will crash, you'll be constantly tired & hungry and the weight you lose will include a very large proportion of muscle instead of fat. Not good.

Start with the fat loss sticky: it contains lots of useful advice on losing weight, weight training, cardio, HIIT, etc.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

As everybody here has stated so far, 1200 calories is far too low for a 195 pound male. Your body isn't reacting accordingly because it being starved. If you increased your calories to about 500 below what your body would normally consume and if you kept lifting, you would lose that weight. I wrote the fat loss sticky that brikis posted. Pretty much all the info I would give you is written in there. Please, don't ever go into that high of a caloric deficit again. It destroys your body's normal processes and hinders your goals.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

What the hell is wrong with you 1200 calories? and you still wonder why your not making progress :roll: Christ man diet is 90% of it. Exercise 10% not the other way around. Who gave you this idea that 1200 cals is sufficient? Kick them in the face.

 

[darkxshade]

Your caloric intake should be = to the number of calories burned by your BMR(Basal metabolic rate). It's the extra calories you burn with cardio that reduces your weight in a healthy way. You then do resistance training to reduce muscle loss.

What you're doing is not going to get you anywhere, you should be eating at least 2000 calories for your weight.

 

[MyThirdEye]

Well, today I rode my bike 28 miles, and lifted for 30 minutes. I had a Fiber bar for breakfast, which is around 120 cals, some pasta and a 3 small slices of pizza for lunch, and a 6 inch club from subway with double meat for dinner. I rode 10 miles in the morning, went to work, lifted after work, and rode the rest of the 18 miles after I lifted. I burn lots of calories working, because I do odd jobs and landscaping.

I had 160 cals of dietary protein when I returned home. Is this enough food to eat?

 

[Pantlegz]

I don't think so, I'm not sure about the calories in 'some pasta' or 3 small pieces of pizza.

I normally eat something like 1 cup of oatmeal a banana(or fruit in general) and a a cup of milk for breakfast, run or exercise about an hour later then some more fruit,or yogurt and almonds afterwards. For lunch it's a sandwich(turkey or roast beef mostly) with another glass of milk and more almonds and or some veggie. Afternoon snack it typically a can of tuna. Dinner varies the most, but typically a high protein meat with some veggies and some carbs. And finally a night time snack, something that digests slow and high in fiber to keep me feeling full. For my main meals I try to hit at least 600 cal with an average of 200 on the snacks for an average of 2600 calories a day and plan on keeping it about there at 210-215lbs so I would say you're way low but I'm not sure of what your goals are.

I agree completely with brikis and SC the fat loss sticky is a good reference, It's been a while since I've looked over it but if it doesn't mention this then. Stay away from processed food as much as you can. I prefer to stay away from cheese too, I try to limit bread to 1 meal a day and eat lots of fresh, whole foods. Also the old saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day is most true when you're trying to lose weight, it gets your metabolism going. Try to get in at least 500 from breakfast. Thats just my opinion though...

 

[Kipper]

So basically what you're telling us is that you did a physically intensive job (i.e. not a desk job) for about 6-7 hours, then did all that physical exercise in addition? There is no way that is enough to power you through your workouts. Not a chance. You're still not eating enough, and your choices could use a bit more balance in terms of macronutrient distribution. Dinner was rich in protein and comparatively low in carbohydrate, whereas lunch is fat and carbohydrate-rich.

I'm not saying don't eat the pizza, or any of the stuff you've mentioned, just that you work a bit more balance (50% vegetable, 25% starch, 25% protein) into the mix. At any rate, you need to be eating far more than you are currently.

 

[MyThirdEye]

I worked for about 3 hours, napped and played a few games of DotA before I biked and lifted.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: MyThirdEye
I worked for about 3 hours, napped and played a few games of DotA before I biked and lifted.

You really need to get your diet and especially protein consumption regulated. If you don't, then you are going to lose massive amounts of both fat AND muscle. Read the damn fat loss sticky. You're taking in all carbs, which does no good for your body and no good for your weight loss.

 

[coreyb]

you sound like you have an eating disorder. i ate more then that when i was 8.

 

[Danwar]

29 yrs old here. 5'11'' . 232 lbs 8 weeks ago. Today im at 195.8 lbs.

I went to a doctor / nutrinionist that gave me a diet of roughly 1200 lbs a day. It was rough the first few days but now i feel great. not hungry , not weak , not dizzy or nothing. I havent lost much muscle either (i have been lifting to keep them in check).

The key is eating right, not starving yourself. i can go with 1200lbs a day and be full after each meal of the day.

to the OP. dont believe everything you read here about 1200 lbs a day being taboo. just you gotta make sure those 1200 lbs are made of healthy foods (pizza aint gonna cut it).

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: Danwar
29 yrs old here. 5'11'' . 232 lbs 8 weeks ago. Today im at 195.8 lbs.

I went to a doctor / nutrinionist that gave me a diet of roughly 1200 lbs a day. It was rough the first few days but now i feel great. not hungry , not weak , not dizzy or nothing. I havent lost much muscle either (i have been lifting to keep them in check).

The key is eating right, not starving yourself. i can go with 1200lbs a day and be full after each meal of the day.

to the OP. dont believe everything you read here about 1200 lbs a day being taboo. just you gotta make sure those 1200 lbs are made of healthy foods (pizza aint gonna cut it).

1200 lbs? You mean calories?

Either way - no, that's ridiculous. No doctor or nutritionist in their right mind would put you on anything close to that. When you do that, you starve your body, which stalls metabolism and is counterproductive to weight loss goals. Do some research. The most basic of research will tell you that this is unhealthy and that nobody with a proper education should suggest such.

 

[MyThirdEye]

Bought some Cashews and Almonds for a snack tonight, and some boneless chicken for tomorrow. 1 Breast = ? calories?

 

[venkman]

Originally posted by: MyThirdEye
Bought some Cashews and Almonds for a snack tonight, and some boneless chicken for tomorrow. 1 Breast = ? calories?

about 220 IIRC assuming it is skinless.

 

[MyThirdEye]

Originally posted by: venkman

Originally posted by: MyThirdEye
Bought some Cashews and Almonds for a snack tonight, and some boneless chicken for tomorrow. 1 Breast = ? calories?

about 220 IIRC assuming it is skinless.

skinless it is.