The Gut !!

gaz wac

Hi,

Sorry for another repeat post but im kinda stuck!!

Started two months ago with the aim to lose weight and increase fitness (im 29). Was 13.7 and im down to 12.13 ( with alot of thanks to GEM and her stickies, so cheers)

New diet:

9.00 Two weetabix, low fat milk with raisins and green tea
11.00 two pieces of fruit, green tea
1.00 two weight watchers brown bread, peppers, lettuce, slice of ham and mustard.
3.00 two pieces of veg, green tea
7.00 dinner, fish, two baby poatoes and a load of frozen mixed veg
9.00 might have another piece of fruit after gym

Going to say total cal's = c.1,400 - 1500 per day

Excersise: 20 min jog about 5 times a week / 30 min cycle twice a week / gym 3 times a week usual, squats, bi's-tris, then shoulders-chest etc (hour sessions)

Can see a difference, but not with the gut !! will this just come in time?

Thanks for any advice
Gaz

MicraBoy

gaz wac wrote: »

...

Started two months ago with the aim to lose weight and increase fitness (im 29). Was 13.7 and im down to 12.13 ( with alot of thanks to GEM and his stickies, so cheers)
.....

*FAINTS*

blah

I can't see anything wrong with that, well done with your progress so far.

The only thing is that people say that the gut is always the last to go when you're losing weight. People are always on here saying that they've lost loads of weight but still can't get that six pack they want (although I know that's what you're saying). I think that if you're noticing a difference, then keep it up, the stickies are the way to go.

PS G'em is a girl

g'em

1500 calories?? How tall are you?? That's a minute amount of food to be eating for an average bloke (I think it's fairly safe to assume that with a username like Gaz that you are, indeed, of the male persuasion? I always thought that g'em was a fairly feminine handle tbh but then I added in the vixen with pink headscarf avatar just to clear up any confusion. Seems it didn't work ). The 'average' guy needs around 2500 cals per day.

How about trying some porridge oats for breakfast.

Have some nuts or some protein (a hard boiled egg, some meat) alongside the fruit when snacking.

Eat something more substantial than WW bread at lunch and ditto for the fruit after training - you need to get protein into you then more than any other time of the day.

gaz wac

fixed that ^

Thanks Blah,

Its far from the six pack I want, just want to lose the moobies and little love handles I have going at the mo . Just didnt want to continue with that diet in case there was a problem with it. Is the calorie intake enough? Keep reading that I could be "starving myself" or " I will lose muscle if not eating enough" !! but if what im eating / doing at the mo is correct, ill just keep at it. Really enjoying it, been out of the gym for three years and missed it !

Gaz

gaz wac

g'em wrote: »

1500 calories?? How tall are you?? That's a minute amount of food to be eating for an average bloke .

Hi G'em,

Im about 5ft 5in. I was reading one of your stickys and yes it does seem minute, but im eating more than ever now ( the good kind) and im never hungry !! good point, ill put more protein into diet when snacking and after gym. Can you see anything else I can change?

Thanks for your help

gaz

gsxr1

gaz wac wrote: »

Hi,

Sorry for another repeat post but im kinda stuck!!

Started two months ago with the aim to lose weight and increase fitness (im 29). Was 13.7 and im down to 12.13 ( with alot of thanks to GEM and her stickies, so cheers)

New diet:

9.00 Two weetabix, low fat milk with raisins and green tea
11.00 two pieces of fruit, green tea
1.00 two weight watchers brown bread, peppers, lettuce, slice of ham and mustard.
3.00 two pieces of veg, green tea
7.00 dinner, fish, two baby poatoes and a load of frozen mixed veg
9.00 might have another piece of fruit after gym

Going to say total cal's = c.1,400 - 1500 per day

Excersise: 20 min jog about 5 times a week / 30 min cycle twice a week / gym 3 times a week usual, squats, bi's-tris, then shoulders-chest etc (hour sessions)

Can see a difference, but not with the gut !! will this just come in time?

Thanks for any advice
Gaz

do you not be starving with the hunger.

I could not imagine eating that little. especially at 10am.

celestial

Hmm - I think it's a fairly reasonable amount of food for a bloke looking to lose fat. Don't forget he says he never feels hungry.

I think something we tend to overlook on this forum is to lose fat you need to eat LESS!

This will be different for everyone though - so it's what works for you - don't go hungry but watch your intake and ask are you truly hungry?

g'em

celestial wrote: »

Hmm - I think it's a fairly reasonable amount of food for a bloke looking to lose fat. Don't forget he says he never feels hungry.

He's 181lb and eating 1500 cals per day. Even on a cut I didn't go under 9 cals/ lb of body weight. Add to that some cardio and resistance training each week and I think it's reasonably fair to say that Gaz would do well to increase his food intake. I agree that you need to create a calorie deficit in order to lose weight, but appetites differ and while he may not feel hungry it doesn't mean he doesn't need to eat, especially after training.

gaz wac

g'em wrote: »

I think it's reasonably fair to say that Gaz would do well to increase his food intake. I agree that you need to create a calorie deficit in order to lose weight, but appetites differ and while he may not feel hungry it doesn't mean he doesn't need to eat, especially after training.

So would it be ok for me to stay on this diet for three/four months, just so I can lose the weight and after that increase my carbs to 2,500 per day and just keep up with the training? Took your advice re: chicken and eggs for protein, so they are in my diet from today.

Did my first 5mile run last night, which took me 50 mins really didnt think i was going to be able to do it!! just means that I can start working on bringing that time down.

Thanks again for your comment, much appreciated

Gaz

g'em

Honestly, no. I think you need to increase your food intake now to stop your body starving itself.

When you reduce your calorie intake too much your body is left with no choice but to find alternative means of feeding its nergy needs. While in an ideal world that would mean that we'd start burning off fat like nobodies business it doesn't happen that way - our bodies are designed with survival in mind, not fat loss. So when food is scarce we begin to start eating into muscle as well as fat and we'll try to hold onto fat to protect our organs.

Ideally you want to create a situation where your body is only slightly and gently calorie deficient of about 10-15% of your daily needs, which in your case will amount to about 2000 calories per day.

If you continue undereating you will lose weight, but you will lose as much, if not more 'weight' of muscle as fat.

Keep your food centred around vegetables, meats, nuts, seeds, fruit, some dairy and oils and you can't go wrong.

gaz wac

Ok thanks, ill look at ways to increase calories in my diet today, trying to include the above items and looking at your stickies and ill post up a revised diet in a few days ( dont have computer at weekends).

Thanks G,em

Gaz

celestial

g'em wrote: »

Honestly, no. I think you need to increase your food intake now to stop your body starving itself.

When you reduce your calorie intake too much your body is left with no choice but to find alternative means of feeding its nergy needs. While in an ideal world that would mean that we'd start burning off fat like nobodies business it doesn't happen that way - our bodies are designed with survival in mind, not fat loss. So when food is scarce we begin to start eating into muscle as well as fat and we'll try to hold onto fat to protect our organs.

Ideally you want to create a situation where your body is only slightly and gently calorie deficient of about 10-15% of your daily needs, which in your case will amount to about 2000 calories per day.

If you continue undereating you will lose weight, but you will lose as much, if not more 'weight' of muscle as fat.

Keep your food centred around vegetables, meats, nuts, seeds, fruit, some dairy and oils and you can't go wrong.

At the end of the day I don't see how he is starving himself. If he were starving himself he would feel hungry. He says he doesn't feel hungry - ever. We also don't really know how many kcals he is consuming on average each day - he would need to measure everything to really know.

For his body to be starving itself and for it to be holding on to fat he'd need to be going hungry, a lot of the time. The food he has detailed looks reasonable to me - he has breakfast, a light lunch, dinner in the evening and snacks on fruit. No problems as far as I can see.

g'em

If Gaz is eating as he's described then 1500 cals is a fairly accurate estimation of the calories in those meals. Some (lucky?!) people genuinely have small appetites and very little food will satiate them. Sorry, but I don't see how 1500 calories per day is healthy for a 12 stone something bloke who is active very regularly during the week. Besides which his diet is lacking in good fats and he's neglecting his nutritional needs post workout. I'm not suggesting he ups his food intake by any drastic amount, simply add in some more food where it's needed.

celestial

g'em wrote: »

If Gaz is eating as he's described then 1500 cals is a fairly accurate estimation of the calories in those meals. Some (lucky?!) people genuinely have small appetites and very little food will satiate them. Sorry, but I don't see how 1500 calories per day is healthy for a 12 stone something bloke who is active very regularly during the week. Besides which his diet is lacking in good fats and he's neglecting his nutritional needs post workout. I'm not suggesting he ups his food intake by any drastic amount, simply add in some more food where it's needed.

Yup defo, and I overlooked that - I do agree with the good fats and the post-workout needs - I know that for me a piece of fruit ain't gonna cut it after a good workout!! He needs to get the right food in post-workout for sure.

I would actually have said he is getting slightly more than 1500 kcals in with what he is eating - he is having dinner in the evening and we have no idea what quantity of food this involves... anyway, I figure if he gets those two things above right he should be pretty much fine:)

gaz wac

Hi Celestial / G'em

Thanks for the comments, they all help.

Im getting the figure of 1,500 cals from the calorieconnect website. Ive all ready started to include the boiled eggs and chicken into my diet for protien. Ill look around at the weekend and see what nuts I like to include them. Just one point about the post workout food, I have some fruit and veg at my three o clock snack, and im training at 7 till about 8 and this is when im having my dinner. As reguards to portions, it could be a chop/ chicken brest / mackeral (eat alot of fish), four/five baby poatos (cant fint poatos on colorieconnect), four "trees" of broccoli/cauliflower, handfull of mix veg etc..

Used to work out in the gym 5 days aweek three years ago so would hate to loose the muscle thats under the fat, it took me two years to build up:D

Thanks again
gaz

g'em

gaz wac wrote: »

Ive all ready started to include the boiled eggs and chicken into my diet for protien.

Perfect!

gaz wac wrote:

Just one point about the post workout food, I have some fruit and veg at my three o clock snack, and im training at 7 till about 8 and this is when im having my dinner. As reguards to portions, it could be a chop/ chicken brest / mackeral (eat alot of fish), four/five baby poatos (cant fint poatos on colorieconnect), four "trees" of broccoli/cauliflower, handfull of mix veg etc..

Ah ok, whatever way I was reading your OP I thought this was before your training, sorry. That sounds fine, forget about cal counting with veg, just eat, eat, eat. Also try and get some protein in that pre-training snack alongside the fruit (ideally you'd like to try and have some protein at every meal).

Keep us updated

gaz wac

Hi Folks,

Just to give you an update on my progress. Started off weighing 13.7 around the start of July...weight myself on sunday night and im down to 12.6

Eating properly Monday to Friday is working out great, as im now always thinking 2 or 3 days in advance for my meals, its so true what you say about being orginised!! I think ive only had 3 take aways in that time ( huuuuge difference) and hitting the gym 3 / 4 times a week and keeping up with my cycling and running. The Gut is still there but I can see a big difference so just going to keep at it and i MIGHT even give up the drink for October to boost my progress. Its so great to hear people commenting on the weight that ive lost

Thanks again for all the stickies G'em, find myself reading them once a week to get more hints.

Gaz wac