silly question about weight loss, bear with me....

[Alexandra park]

im five foot eight, and weigh 12 stone. too fucking heavy. bmi 26%. too fat.
i have started boxercise once a week, and also play a good level of football every saturday. training for that is thursdays too. i normally consume around 2k calories a day, but that will contain a takeaway a week and ten pints a week.
my new regime is the above training plus one 5k run a week and 1500 calories a day. does this sound reasonable, or too mild a change? shouyld i batter it a bit more or is this gonna get results? thoughts would be greatly appreciated gents, even if its something to motivate myself.
thanks

[Alexandra park]

and another thing.......ca anyone suggest one thing that works for you? cheers

[DanishFightfan]

Cutting 500 calories per day and an extra workout should help.. But i think it also depends in what form those 500 calories comes in..
What do you eat on a regular basis?
Breakfast?
Lunch?
Dinner?

Do you have these 3 meals everyday? Do you eat small meals in between? Do you snack before bedtime?

[Jdsm]

1500kcal is far too low.

[Alexandra park]

thanks for posting, gents. normally its a creal for brekky, always lunch and dinner, usually healthy ish and ill eat fruit and veg. snacks before bed is a norm, but never sweets or anything. chicken, turkey, mince, salad, bread, tea, healthy ready meals. i dont really eat that much shit tbh. just have the odd binge weekend. does this help?

[fireal221]

Yeah dude, you are on the right track. Dont drop your calories too low depending on how your body reacts to your workouts. As long as you eat clean foods... keep your sugar intake low becuase that will create excessive bloating, and consumer a moderate amount of lean protein.. chicken, fish, lean beef. Load up on veggies... can never have too many veggies. try to eat them raw becuase cooking will reduce the nutritional value. Consider adding more running into your routine. Doesnt have to be a killer 5k run every time. But if you can make time for, lets say, 1.5 miles a day 4 days out of the week, you will see results. Running in the most effective form of cardio and uses every muscle in the body... burns the most amout of calories than any other form or cardio, and keep your metabolic rate high long after you are done with your run. Get a good amount of rest each night as rest s crucial in muscle recovery. But not matter what, diet is always the #1 ingredient to succesful weight loss. You have to eat to lose weight. Throw in a snack between each meal... perhaps a serving of vegetables, just to give your metabolism something to burn. You want your metabolism to work as long as possible throughout the day and if you allow too much time between meals, it will slow down and stop burning. Try to get the majority of your carbs in during the earlier part of the day (breakfast in particular) and as the day goes on, rely on protein and healthy fats and of course veggies to fuel your body. Im a personal trainer and fitness enthusiast so if you have any questions drop me a line.

[markiepoop]

you don't need to explicitly count your calories, etc. It'll only make your life way harder.

For permenant weight loss, i would suggest you take a slow and sustainable route. Eat healthy (stay away from oily food, chocolate, generally food which nutritional value do not match their calories ) avoid the beers and make sure you eat only till you are 80% full.

The reason why i suggest not to count your calories is because it's gonna make your weight loss very tough. Based on my experience, i felt very restricted and my mood was affected. It seemed like i placed myself in a mental jail and calorie counting was just driving me nuts. From time to time i couldn't take it and went binging which of course affected my weight loss progress..

Also, keep active. Exercise daily, preferably a variation of exercises if you get bored easily. ( Running, skipping, swimming ,cycling )

and btw, 1500 cal goal is way too low, do go for too drastic changes because most likely u will give up.

[Alexandra park]

thanks guys. i know its all pretty basic stuff but sometimes the most miniscule different slant can keep u on track.

[Brand NOOBian]

I lost 17 kg over the last 8 months through boxing and dieting. I worked out roughly 4-6 days a week, about 2-2.5 hours a day. I used a calorie counting app at first to get a general idea on how many calories I was eating. I was eating roughly 1700-2000 calories a day and kept the foods I ate during the week pretty consistent. I stopped counting calories after that since they pretty much stayed the same. On weekends I ate pretty much whatever (reasonable amounts) and also drank beer every once in awhile, but got back to my routine during the week.

I recently stumbled across this from the bodybuilding.com forums. You might find it helpful.

Estimating Requirements
The simplest method is to base your intake on a standard 'calories per unit of weight (usually kilograms)'. Typically:
- 26 to 30 kcals/kg/day for normal, healthy individuals with sedentary lifestyles doing little physical activity [12.0-14 kcal/pound]
- 31 to 37 kcal/kg/day for those involved in light to moderate activity 3-5 x a week with moderately active lifestyles [14-16 kcal/ pound]
- 38 to 40 kcals/kg/day for those involved in vigorous activity and highly active jobs [16-18 kcal/ pound].
For those involved in HEAVY training (eg: athletes) - the demand is greater:
- 41 to 50 kcals/kg/day for those involved in moderate to heavy training (for example: 15-20 hrs/ week training) [18.5-22 kcal/ pound]
- 50 or above kcals/kg/day for those involved in heavy to extreme training [> 22 kcal/ pound]

There are then a number of other formula which calculate BMR. This means it calculates what you need should you be in a coma.
1/ Harris-Benedict formula: Very inaccurate. It was derived from studies on LEAN, YOUNG, ACTIVE males MANY YEARS AGO (1919). Notorious for OVERESTIMATING requirements, especially in the overweight. IF YOU CAN AVOID IT, DON'T USE IT!
MEN: BMR = 66 + [13.7 x weight (kg)] + [5 x height (cm)] - [6.76 x age (years)]
WOMEN: BMR = 655 + [9.6 x weight (kg)] + [1.8 x height (cm)] - [4.7 x age (years)]

2/Mifflin-St Jeor: Developed in the 1990s and more realistic in todays settings. It still doesn't take into consideration the differences as a consequence of high BF%. Thus, once again, it OVERESTIMATES NEEDS, ESPECIALLY IN THE OVERWEIGHT.
MEN: BMR = [9.99 x weight (kg)] + [6.25 x height (cm)] - [4.92 x age (years)] + 5
WOMEN: BMR = [9.99 x weight (kg)] + [6.25 x height (cm)] - [4.92 x age (years)] -161

3/Katch-McArdle:Considered the most accurate formula for those who are relatively lean. Use ONLY if you have a good estimate of your bodyfat %.
BMR = 370 + (21.6 x LBM)Where LBM = [total weight (kg) x (100 - bodyfat %)]/100

As these are only BMR calculations To convert BMR to a TOTAL requirement you need to multiply the result of your BMR by an 'activity variable' to give TEE.
The Activity Factor is the TOTAL cost of living, NOT JUST YOUR TRAINING. Think about it - if you train 1 hr a day - WHAT ARE YOU DOING THE OTHER 23 HRS?! So MORE important than training -- it includes work, life activities, training/sport & the TEF of ~15% (an average mixed diet).
Average activity variables are:
1.2 = Sedentary (Desk job, and Little Formal Exercise)
1.3-1.4 = Lightly Active (Light daily activity AND light exercise 1-3 days a week)
1.5-1.6 = Moderately Active (Moderately daily Activity & Moderate exercise 3-5 days a week)
1.7-1.8 = Very Active (Physically demanding lifestyle & Hard exercise 6-7 days a week)
1.9-2.2 = Extremely Active (Athlete in ENDURANCE training or VERY HARD physical job)

How Accurate are they?: They give rough ball-park figures and are still 'guesstimations'. So the aim is to use these as 'rough figures', monitor your weight/ measurements for 2-4 weeks, & IF your weight is stable/ measurements are stable, you have likely found maintenance.

Using the Above to Recalculate Based on Goals
You then need to DECREASE or INCREASE intake based on your goals (eg: lose or gain mass). It is not recommended to use a 'generic calorie amounts' (eg: 500 cals/ day). Instead this should be calculated on a % of your maintenance. Why? The effect of different calorie amounts is going to be markedly different based on someones size/ total calorie intake. For example - subtracting 500 cals/ day from a 1500 total intake is 1/3rd of the total cals, where 500 cals/ day from 3000 total intake is only 1/6th of the total. The results will therefore be markedly different on an individuals energy level & weight loss. Generally:
- To ADD weight: ADD 10-20% calories to the total above
- To LOSE weight: SUBTRACT 10-20% calories from the total above
Then monitor your results and adjust as required.

Macronutrient Needs
Once you work out calorie needs, you then work out how much of each macronutrient you should aim for. This is one of the areas that is MOST often confused but This should NOT be based on a RATIO of macro intakes. (eg: '30:40:30 or 40:40:20') Your body doesn't CARE what % intake you have. It works based on SUFFICIENT QUANTITY per MASS.

So to try to make it as simple as possible:
1. Protein: Protein intake is a bit of a controversial issue in nutrition. The general recommendations given in the 'bodybuilding' area are nearly double the 'standard' recommendations given in the Sports Nutrition Arena.
The GENERAL sports nutrition guideline based on clinical trials suggest that in the face of ADEQUATE calories and CARBS the following protein intakes are sufficient:
STRENGTH training -> 1.4 to 2g per KG bodyweight (about .6 / pound)
ENDURANCE training -> 1.2 to 1.8g per KG bodyweight (about .8 / pound)
ADOLESCENT in training -> 1.8 to 2.2g per KG bodyweight (about 1g / pound)
BUT researchers also acknowledge that protein becomes MORE important in the context of LOWER calorie intakes, or LOWER carb intakes.
Recent evidence also suggests that protein intakes of 3g/kg help with physiological and psychological stressors associated with high volume or intense training.
One should also note that ADEQUATE v's OPTIMAL is not discussed when it comes to hypertrophy v's performance.
And lastly - you need to consider thermogenics/ satiety/ and personal preference.

So - General 'bodybuilding' guidelines for protein would be as follows:
- Moderate bodyfat and training load = 2.2-2.8g per kg TOTAL weight (about 1-1.25g per pound)
- Very Low bodyfat or Very Low Calorie or High training load = 2.4 - 3g per kg TOTAL weight (1.1-1.35g per pound)
- High bodyfat, high calorie, or low training load = 1.6 to 2.2g per kg TOTAL weight (.75 - 1g per pound)
Anecdotally, as most find HIGHER protein intake better for satiety, partitioning, blood sugar control, and hypertrophy. UNLESS you have medical reasons for lower protein, or unless guided to use the GENERAL sports nutrition guidelines, I would suggest the BODYBUILDING values.


2. Fats: Generally speaking, although the body can get away with short periods of very low fat, in the long run your body NEEDS fat to maintain health, satiety, and sanity. Additionally - any form of high intensity training will benefit from a 'fat buffer' in your diet - which controls free radical damage & inflammation. General guides:
Average or low bodyfat: 1 - 2g fat/ kg body weight [between 0.40 - 1g total weight/ pounds]
High bodyfat: 1-2g fat/ Kg LEAN weight [between 0.4 - 1g LEAN weight/ pounds]
Low calorie dieting - you can decrease further, but as a minimum, I would not suggest LESS than about 0.30g/ pound.
Note 1: Total fat intake is NOT the same as 'essential fats' (essential fats are specific TYPES of fats that are INCLUDED in your total fat intake)...


3. Carbs: For carbs there are no specific 'requirements' for your body so - but carbs are important for athletes, ACTIVE individuals, or those trying to GAIN MASS. [carbs help with workout intensity, health, & satiety (+ sanity)]. This means if you are an athlete involved in a good volume of training I would suggest you CALCULATE a requirement for carbs as a PRIORITY - then go back and calculate protein / fat:
Moderately active: 4.5 - 6.5 g/ kg (about 2 - 3g/ pound)
High active: 6.5 - 8.5 g/ kg (about 3 - 4g/ pound)
INTENSE activity: + 8.5g / kg (more than 4g/ pound)

For 'others' - simply carbohydrate intakes via the calories left over from fats/ protein:
carb cals = Total cal needs - ([protein grams above x 4] + [fat grams above x 9])
carb grams = (above cals)/ 4

Link: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

[fireal221]

I will never understand the concept of having a "cheat day". If you have a goal in mind to better yourself, no matter what that goal may be, why would you take a day off and allow youself a potentially large step back. Thats like a boxer dropping his hands cause he gets all cocky and then getting knocked the fuck out in that one split second that he felt like showboating. I know everyone on this board can name an instance when they've seen that happen. Granted, Brand NOOBian did say "reasonable amounts", but if its "reasonable" then why even bother tempting yourself. Consistency does not afford time off, and you have to be consistent to reach your health goals.

[Jdsm]

Originally Posted by markiepoop

you don't need to explicitly count your calories, etc. It'll only make your life way harder.

For permenant weight loss, i would suggest you take a slow and sustainable route. Eat healthy (stay away from oily food, chocolate, generally food which nutritional value do not match their calories ) avoid the beers and make sure you eat only till you are 80% full.

The reason why i suggest not to count your calories is because it's gonna make your weight loss very tough. Based on my experience, i felt very restricted and my mood was affected. It seemed like i placed myself in a mental jail and calorie counting was just driving me nuts. From time to time i couldn't take it and went binging which of course affected my weight loss progress..

Also, keep active. Exercise daily, preferably a variation of exercises if you get bored easily. ( Running, skipping, swimming ,cycling )

and btw, 1500 cal goal is way too low, do go for too drastic changes because most likely u will give up.

Or he could get into the habit of tracking calories and include foods such as chocolate in moderation without restricting his food intake, which for a lot of times makes them much more prone to a binge.

Track calories, get sufficient protein & fat, get plenty of vitamins and minerals and most important avoid food avoidance.

[Brand NOOBian]

Originally Posted by fireal221

I will never understand the concept of having a "cheat day". If you have a goal in mind to better yourself, no matter what that goal may be, why would you take a day off and allow youself a potentially large step back. Thats like a boxer dropping his hands cause he gets all cocky and then getting knocked the fuck out in that one split second that he felt like showboating. I know everyone on this board can name an instance when they've seen that happen. Granted, Brand NOOBian did say "reasonable amounts", but if its "reasonable" then why even bother tempting yourself. Consistency does not afford time off, and you have to be consistent to reach your health goals.

Different strokes for different folks. I reached my goals even though I had "cheat days". I never saw eating food that tastes good once in a while as "tempting" myself. It's not like having the occasional burger/pizza/fried chicken/beer/etc. is gonna suddenly turn me into a junk-food eating, no exercise getting couch potato. A more appropriate analogy for this scenario would be a boxer winning a fight, taking a day or two off to relax and celebrate, and then getting back to work. But most of my "cheat" meals are meals I eat with other people who don't want to eat what I usually eat.

If having a cheat day significantly affects your motivation/weight loss and you don't have the will power to stay on your diet the other days of the week, then don't have cheat days. If you can have cheat days without them significantly affecting your progress, then it's not a big deal. Just my 2 cents speaking from my experience.

[El Puma]

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

[Jdsm]

Originally Posted by El Puma

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

You know what all of these carb timing protocols tell us? It doesn't make a difference when you eat them purely from a body composition standpoint.

[Uncle Roger]

ditch them beers man

alcohol makes you fat