Ya your BMR (basic metabolic rate) is like 2100 which is if you laid there motionless, that's how many calories your body would need to survive. For a sedentary lifetstyle like office job or something..add in a couple of hundred calories. That's how i estimated around 2500. What i meant by adding was..we estimated you need 2500..but then say today...you go and do HIIT and burn around 300 calories. Now your body needs 2500 + 300 = 2800. So if you only eat 2500, you're in a 300 calorie deficit thanks to your workout. 1 lb = 3500 calories. So if you do 3500 divided by 300 you get you 12 days. 12 days to lose a lb. get me? You can create a deficit by either cutting your calories or increasing your workouts. They say a healthy man should at the very minimum eat 1800 calories. So some may ask well what if i only need 2000 a day, and I will be 200 calories under..it's gonna take me forever to lose a lb. Well that's why we work out. If that person cuts 200 cals and then burns 300 by working out, he is in 500 cal deficit day or 1lb/week. What you need to do is eat around the same calories for a week or two and see how your weight changes. If you are losing 0.5/1lb a week, that's awesome. I dont know if i will confuse you here but you said 17lbs in 90 days. Well 17/90 is about 0.19lbs a day or 650 calorie deficit. if you knew your calorie intake then you could just add 650 to that and see what you need daily. as far as protein and carbs. your body hates muscle. It would rather break down precious muscle than use fat for energy. carbs being the first choice. so eating a well balance diet where you are not too high or low in anything can ensure maximum fat loss. Yes atkins and low carb diets work to lose "weight" and after you start eating again, you gain it all back. so eating protein make sures you don't lose muscle. When i first did a cut, I did cardio only and didnt care about protein and only callories and I ended up looking sick..because i lost all definition and muscle i had. protein also fills you up which is very useful while trying to lose fat. in terms on building muscle, protein is the building block and carbs are the workers. right now i am eating 500 over what i need because i am bulking and i try to get around 150-200g of protein. it's hard. yest i ate a steak (40g), 2 chicken pieces (56g), and 2 shakes (48g).
Thanks for the input. The main thing that I am having trouble with now is hunger. You stated protein is needed and it fills you up and I have also heard the same about food high in fiber. Have any tips on eating something that will subdue the hunger? What type of meal plan are you on?
Well avoid simple sugar foods. These foods cause an insulin spike and you end being more hungry. Many of these things you eat have "high fructose corn syrup." Fiber is very good at keeping you full. Also water. Make sure you get 10glasses of water a day. Get your water in between your meals so you get the feeling of being full. Get atleast 25-30g of fiber. These are some of the foods I eat. carbs: oatmeal - VERY good complex carbs. (i mean the 100% natural ones..where on the box the only ingredient is rolled oats) sweet potato - should be part of every diet..high in good carbs/fiber whole grain bread brown rice whole grain pasta beans protein: chicken - 4oz chicken breast is 100cals/25g of protein! lean steak egg whites milk cottage cheese - very good to eat before bedtime. fish like salmon, tilapia etc. and of course protein shakes (whey) I eat some peanut butter daily also. I know it's a calorie dense food but gives you good fats you need. fats are important for cell function. just avoid saturated fat. take a multivitamin, and fish oil (provided you don't have any clotting problems like you're not taking aspirin etc) when you create your meals..try (yes try..it's very hard to get it like this everytime) to get the same ratio i gave. 40/40/20. I mean if you look at fast foods they had the intent to be heathly. like a burger...you get our carbs in buns, protein in the meat, and of course vegetables. here's a sample plan. you DO NOT have to eat like this..just get a idea of where I am coming from. remember..balance source of carbs and protein! meal1 egg whites milk whole grain bagel banana meal2 pasta chicken breast vegetables meal3 steak potato vegetables meal4 baked fish corn brown rice meal 5 cottage cheese eat 5-6 small meals. that way you are not eating a big meal at 12 and waiting till 5 for the next one. that's what gets people in trouble. there's no food out there than can keep you full for that long.
Thanks again for the input. I've basically been doing this: Meal 1 2-3 pieces of fruit 1-2 slices of bread water Snack 1-2 pieces of fruit water Meal 2 Lean meat 1-2 vegetables water Snack Vegetable snacks (carrot sticks, tomatoes, etc.) water Meal 3 Lean meat 1-2 vegetables Bread 1 piece of fruit Snack 1-2 pieces of fruit and or vegetable I think I may be doing overkill on the fruits but it works for me. I may not be getting enough protein as you already stated. I generally dislike dairy products except milk in cereal or sweets like ice cream and such so I have avoided them. Sorry but I cannot eat cheeses, yogurt, etc as the taste and smell just make me sick. Anymore advice on how I should balance or change up this diet?
i know you're focus isn't on building muscle (yet) but check out some of the nutritional articles on this site. www.bodybuilding.com Since you said you're having hunger issues... try snacking on egg whites to curve the hunger. The plan ndnguy85 described is pretty much what i've lived on for the last 2 years. Being able to eat the same thing day in and out helps
cut out all this fruitmania. Having an apple or a banana or something a day is one thing but your entire day is filled with fruits. fruits = simple suguar = insulin spike = hunger! Get some nuts. Pistashios are very good. Keeps you full way longer than any fruit you are eating right now. Breakfast..you have to have a solid breakfast. i mean good source of protein and carbs to jump start your day. 2 slices of bread and 2 fruits is not going to cut it. you are a 224lb man, not a21 year old girl. also what you eat before you workout and after is VERY important. 30-60mins before, get good solid complex carbs in. right after get a simple sugar (now would be a good time to eat a fruit to cause a insulin spike) and PROTEIN! then in about 2 hours get a very good meal consisting of good complex carbs and protein. hope all this helps.
Where can I get protein in the morning from? All breakfast meats are pretty fatty and high in calories and I am not sure about their protein content. I am not a big egg white eater, for some reason I never could do it. I have heard that egg beaters could be substituted for egg whites as they have just slightly less calories and protein than egg whites based on similar amounts. So I am thinking for breakfast, a couple of egg beater burritos with whole grain tortillas and chopped tomatoes or salsa.
OK, this may be a dumb question but what do protein shakes taste like. They don't sound too appealing but I may be way off base. Where does the protein come from?
