Diet/Weight Loss/Calories

SwdDub · 13-01-2010 3:15am #1

About 18 months ago I realised I let myself go into rag order. I was a big drinker and smoker and weighed 215 lbs (15st 5lbs). So anyway, I got decided to do something about it. Kicked the cigs, cut down on the gargle, stopped with the constant junk food and so on.

I now eat what I would consider to be a healthy diet with fresh fruits and vegatables and real dinners made from proper ingredients and proper portion sizes etc...

I got down to 187 (13st 7lbs) and can finally work out properly because my lung capacity has started to improve at long last (my lungs were in tatters from the smoking for a long time). However, the weight loss has come to a stop. Now I was told I’d hit a plateau at some stage but that regular exercise would help get the ball rolling again.
At first when the weight stopped coming off I wasn’t exercising because of work and my personal life. But now that I am exercising (min 3 – max 5 days a week) there is still nothing doing. I’ve become a pretty good judge of what my body can handle in terms of exercise and increasing the workouts over time so I’m not really here for advice on that (but feel free to chip in if I’m missing something glaringly obvious on that front).

Anyway, given all the previous information about myself (hopefully I covered most of the relevant stuff), this is the bit I was hoping for a hand with. I got given this information by someone who should really know what they are talking about (friend of a friend of a friend) but I don't have access to the person in question to ask various questions I have. I was never that interested in Calorie counting but I was advised I best get an interest now I’ve hit a plateau.

Sex: Male
Age: 28
Height: 5 feet 9 inches
Weight: 189 lbs
Target Weight: 168 lbs

Estimated Calorie Count per Day to Maintain Weight: 2800 calories
Recommended Calorie Count per Day for Weight Loss: 2200 calories

Estimated Weight Loss: 1.3lbs
Estimated Time to Target Weight: 4 months

So a few questions if any of you lads and ladies can help.

1)Does that look about right? I know its hard to be precise as individual cases vary but does that seem about right?

2) I have been told that I should never eat less than 1800 calories per day as it is very detrimental? Again can anyone confirm this?

3)Not eating enough calories per day can prevent weight loss? Again I know cases vary but may this be true?

Here’s the deal, it turns out I eat, on average, about 1600-1800 calories a day. I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. I drink plenty of water and usually I’d snack on something like an orange or whatever. When I was given a shove to try and make the 2200 calories per day I found I couldn’t do it. My 3 meals usually come in at around 1500-1700 calories and I only ended up eating for the sake of it to try get up to 2200. I ended up making a pig of myself and eating stuff I didn’t really want and still came in 200 calories short.

I do also know its not just about the calories themselves and there are other nutritional factors involved. The only thing my diet tends to be a little deficient of is protein. I get enough carbs but not too many. Same goes for fat. I need to lower my sugar intake a little too.

Anyway, thats the story with me. I was hoping someone could shed some light on where I am going wrong or what I should be doing. Being stuck on 189lbs is getting a bit frustrating now to be perfectly honest about it. Anyway, from reading the threads here I know there are plenty of you who know what is what so I’m hoping you can help me out.

Cheers

I’ve noticed a lot of people listing their diets on here so I’ll throw a weeks worth out there for people to have a gander at.

Tues: Breakfast : Rice Krispies – Lunch: Tuna Mayo Roll – Dinner: Skinless Breast Chicken and Noodles in Black Bean Sauce
Wed: Breakfast: same – Lunch: same – Dinner: Breaded Cod Fillets with Beans/Greens etc... and Potatoes
Thurs: Breakfast: same – Lunch: Toasted Ham and Cheese Sandwich (brown bread) – Dinner: Mince and Pasta in sauce
Fri: Breakfast: same – Lunch: Koka Noodles – Dinner: Pork Chops and Mashed Potatoes with Carrots/Beans etc...
Sat: Breakfast: same – Lunch: Chicken and Mayo Roll – Dinner: Chicken and Roast Potatoes with Beans/Carrotts etc..
Sun: Breakfast: same – Lunch: Homemade Salad (Mixed Lettuce, Yellow Pepper,10g Feta Cheese, Olives) Dinner:Spaghetti and Meatballs in Basil and Tomatoe Sauce
Mon: Breakfast: same – Lunch: Koka Noodles – Dinner: Fish Fingers (4) Low Fat Oven Chips and Beans

I'd snack on apples and oranges. Thats not to say there wouldn't be the occasional ice pop (very fond of loop the loops) or packet of crisps or something generally frowned upon thrown in once a blue moon! But I don't do it regularly. Most of the dinners involve some kind of fresh veg and so on. I also cut out the fizzy drinks and drink about 6 litres of water a day. I do ocassionally top off the top of my water bottle with a dash of Robinsons Lemon Barley

Just one thing to be noted as well, while I appreciate all advice, is that I cannot afford to be going out and buying a tonne of weird or specific stuff or going to the shops to get this that or the next thing every day.

I say this in a pre-emptive fashion because I asked an acquaintace who is fit and has a healthy lifestyle what the thing to do was and he went into preachy mode. Telling me to buy all this mad stuff to eat and also that I should be running x amount of miles a day and so on.

I live with my missus, we’re far from minted and so when we do grocery shopping the vast majority of the stuff we buy is for both of us so it needs to be stuff that she’ll eat too.
Also, I'm willing to work hard and sacrifice but I'm not going to turn into a total nutcase about it. I'm not going to eat seeds and berries etc... for 6 months just for the sake of losing weight! I exaggerate but you see what I mean! I don't mind doing this over the long haul either.

Cheers again

ronbyrne2005 · 13-01-2010 3:38am

Well done on your weight loss so far. You know what you need to do judging by your post, you have recognised your deficit of protein and that too little calories can paradoxically inhibit further weight loss.

You are consuming a lot of simple carbs in that diet, even your fish fillets have breadcrumbs on them so cut back on carbs like white pasta, potatoes,noodles(terrible stuff) and start consuming more veg(broccoli,carrots, etc) and complex carbs (wholegrain rice , wholewheat pasta etc) .

Also if you are doing the same workout in gym all the time you might need to change that as your body gets adapted to it.

By doing the right workouts and eating better diet(more protein, less simple carbs) then you will have a higher muscle mass which will raise the amount of calories you burn per day even at rest.

Dont mind people with their specific diets with expensive supplements etc, you can buy good food cheaply in likes of LIDL ALDI and TESCO.

corkcomp · 13-01-2010 8:35am

SwdDub wrote: »

About 18 months ago I realised I let myself go into rag order. I was a big drinker and smoker and weighed 215 lbs (15st 5lbs). So anyway, I got decided to do something about it. Kicked the cigs, cut down on the gargle, stopped with the constant junk food and so on.

I now eat what I would consider to be a healthy diet with fresh fruits and vegatables and real dinners made from proper ingredients and proper portion sizes etc...

I got down to 187 (13st 7lbs) and can finally work out properly because my lung capacity has started to improve at long last (my lungs were in tatters from the smoking for a long time). However, the weight loss has come to a stop. Now I was told I’d hit a plateau at some stage but that regular exercise would help get the ball rolling again.
At first when the weight stopped coming off I wasn’t exercising because of work and my personal life. But now that I am exercising (min 3 – max 5 days a week) there is still nothing doing. I’ve become a pretty good judge of what my body can handle in terms of exercise and increasing the workouts over time so I’m not really here for advice on that (but feel free to chip in if I’m missing something glaringly obvious on that front).

Anyway, given all the previous information about myself (hopefully I covered most of the relevant stuff), this is the bit I was hoping for a hand with. I got given this information by someone who should really know what they are talking about (friend of a friend of a friend) but I don't have access to the person in question to ask various questions I have. I was never that interested in Calorie counting but I was advised I best get an interest now I’ve hit a plateau.

Sex: Male
Age: 28
Height: 5 feet 9 inches
Weight: 189 lbs
Target Weight: 168 lbs

Estimated Calorie Count per Day to Maintain Weight: 2800 calories
Recommended Calorie Count per Day for Weight Loss: 2200 calories

Estimated Weight Loss: 1.3lbs
Estimated Time to Target Weight: 4 months

So a few questions if any of you lads and ladies can help.

1)Does that look about right? I know its hard to be precise as individual cases vary but does that seem about right?

2) I have been told that I should never eat less than 1800 calories per day as it is very detrimental? Again can anyone confirm this?

3)Not eating enough calories per day can prevent weight loss? Again I know cases vary but may this be true?

Here’s the deal, it turns out I eat, on average, about 1600-1800 calories a day. I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. I drink plenty of water and usually I’d snack on something like an orange or whatever. When I was given a shove to try and make the 2200 calories per day I found I couldn’t do it. My 3 meals usually come in at around 1500-1700 calories and I only ended up eating for the sake of it to try get up to 2200. I ended up making a pig of myself and eating stuff I didn’t really want and still came in 200 calories short.

I do also know its not just about the calories themselves and there are other nutritional factors involved. The only thing my diet tends to be a little deficient of is protein. I get enough carbs but not too many. Same goes for fat. I need to lower my sugar intake a little too.

Anyway, thats the story with me. I was hoping someone could shed some light on where I am going wrong or what I should be doing. Being stuck on 189lbs is getting a bit frustrating now to be perfectly honest about it. Anyway, from reading the threads here I know there are plenty of you who know what is what so I’m hoping you can help me out.

Cheers

I’ve noticed a lot of people listing their diets on here so I’ll throw a weeks worth out there for people to have a gander at.

Tues: Breakfast : Rice Krispies – Lunch: Tuna Mayo Roll – Dinner: Skinless Breast Chicken and Noodles in Black Bean Sauce
Wed: Breakfast: same – Lunch: same – Dinner: Breaded Cod Fillets with Beans/Greens etc... and Potatoes
Thurs: Breakfast: same – Lunch: Toasted Ham and Cheese Sandwich (brown bread) – Dinner: Mince and Pasta in sauce
Fri: Breakfast: same – Lunch: Koka Noodles – Dinner: Pork Chops and Mashed Potatoes with Carrots/Beans etc...
Sat: Breakfast: same – Lunch: Chicken and Mayo Roll – Dinner: Chicken and Roast Potatoes with Beans/Carrotts etc..
Sun: Breakfast: same – Lunch: Homemade Salad (Mixed Lettuce, Yellow Pepper,10g Feta Cheese, Olives) Dinner:Spaghetti and Meatballs in Basil and Tomatoe Sauce
Mon: Breakfast: same – Lunch: Koka Noodles – Dinner: Fish Fingers (4) Low Fat Oven Chips and Beans

I'd snack on apples and oranges. Thats not to say there wouldn't be the occasional ice pop (very fond of loop the loops) or packet of crisps or something generally frowned upon thrown in once a blue moon! But I don't do it regularly. Most of the dinners involve some kind of fresh veg and so on. I also cut out the fizzy drinks and drink about 6 litres of water a day. I do ocassionally top off the top of my water bottle with a dash of Robinsons Lemon Barley

Just one thing to be noted as well, while I appreciate all advice, is that I cannot afford to be going out and buying a tonne of weird or specific stuff or going to the shops to get this that or the next thing every day.

I say this in a pre-emptive fashion because I asked an acquaintace who is fit and has a healthy lifestyle what the thing to do was and he went into preachy mode. Telling me to buy all this mad stuff to eat and also that I should be running x amount of miles a day and so on.

I live with my missus, we’re far from minted and so when we do grocery shopping the vast majority of the stuff we buy is for both of us so it needs to be stuff that she’ll eat too.
Also, I'm willing to work hard and sacrifice but I'm not going to turn into a total nutcase about it. I'm not going to eat seeds and berries etc... for 6 months just for the sake of losing weight! I exaggerate but you see what I mean! I don't mind doing this over the long haul either.

Cheers again

well done on weight loss so far. those calculations look approximatey correct and yeah you should NEVER eat less than 1800 cals a day as a guy.

a bit of tough love is required regarding the diet - horrendous man, sorry. rather than going through the whole thing imo you should drop everything (from the list above) aside from carrots, beans, greens, chicken, brown bread and feta read the nutrition stickes and report back with an updated plan!

SwdDub · 13-01-2010 3:37pm

They are two somewhat conflicting opinions lads. One says cut out white pasta, potatoes and noodles. Replace with wholegrain rice and wholewheat pasta.
The basic advice is less carbs more protein.

The second reply says everything in my diet has to go apart from vegetables, chicken, brown bread and feta cheese.

I may be no nutritional expert but I can't see how that type of diet could be classed as 'horrendous'. It may not be exactly balanced but its certainly isn't a garbage diet. See this is where I need some advice. I mean I looked through the sticky threads and it says whats good for protein/carbs/fibre etc.. but a lot of the stuff I am already eating is in there.

I get the basic notion of less carbs, more protein and make sure you vary workouts. But is a complete overhaul of everything I eat (which is not as straightforward as it may seem to some) just to lose a little over 1lb a week for 4 months absolutely nessecary? I would have thought it a case of tweaking a few things here and there and knocking a couple of things on the head rather than a complete 'rip it up and start again' approach

I've no problem with a bit of sacrifice. I quit smoking unaided so I know I have the willpower to give things a miss if needs be. However, while I admit to no expertise, the second option of elimination 90% of my diet as it stands seems a bit drastic.

As I said the stuff I buy when I go shopping needs to be stuff my missus will eat as well. Also, any dietary changes I make need to be somewhat bareable at least. I know too many people that go on these mad diets and last a few weeks before cracking up and jacking them in.

Any more opinion would be welcome

MissMotivated · 13-01-2010 3:51pm

SwdDub wrote: »

Tues: Breakfast : Rice Krispies – Lunch: Tuna Mayo Roll – Dinner: Skinless Breast Chicken and Noodles in Black Bean Sauce
Wed: Breakfast: same – Lunch: same – Dinner: Breaded Cod Fillets with Beans/Greens etc... and Potatoes
Thurs: Breakfast: same – Lunch: Toasted Ham and Cheese Sandwich (brown bread) – Dinner: Mince and Pasta in sauce
Fri: Breakfast: same – Lunch: Koka Noodles – Dinner: Pork Chops and Mashed Potatoes with Carrots/Beans etc...
Sat: Breakfast: same – Lunch: Chicken and Mayo Roll – Dinner: Chicken and Roast Potatoes with Beans/Carrotts etc..
Sun: Breakfast: same – Lunch: Homemade Salad (Mixed Lettuce, Yellow Pepper,10g Feta Cheese, Olives) Dinner:Spaghetti and Meatballs in Basil and Tomatoe Sauce
Mon: Breakfast: same – Lunch: Koka Noodles – Dinner: Fish Fingers (4) Low Fat Oven Chips and Beans

Hi SwdDub
I'm far from an expert, I just know what I've learned from boards and other forums. The big thing is processed foods are sh*te!! Eat foods that used to fly/swim/run or grow in the ground! If you make your meals yourself as much from scratch as possible you know what you're getting.
Everything I've bolded above needs to go, rice krispies are full of sugar, anything breaded is a no no, koka noodles are just crap.
For breakfast have porridge/eggs, have fresh fish/lean meats/chicken/turkey loads of veg for lunch and dinner,i would try limit the potatos to maybe a few baby potatos but not every day, I myself only have thm on Sundays now and maybe one other day during the week, if you're going to have pasta/rice/bread choose wholemeal/wholegrain, you don't need to cut out carbs but ditch the simple carbs, complex carbs are slow releasing energy, avoid sugar, allow yourself one treat meal a week where you can jave some junk or a take away but don't go mad and eat so much carp that it undoes all your work during the week! Making soups/homemade bologneise/stirfrys is a great way to get your veg for the day in and theyre easy to take to work and heat up.

SwdDub · 13-01-2010 3:57pm

Thanks for the advice. I do realise processed foods are to be avoided as much as possible and I will definitely endeavour to cut them out as much as possible. Sometimes I just don't have the time to make a meal from scratch though. I have to work whatever hours are sent my way to make ends meet so sometimes that precludes this.

Just a quick two things

1) Maynoaisse is a complete no, no altoghter?
2) Any alternatives to porridge or eggs for breakfast because I honestly can't stand either and I'd rather not have to force myself to eat something I find disgusting at the start of every day

MissMotivated · 13-01-2010 4:03pm

I would hardly ever use it but maybe try to limit the amount you use, try only use it a few time a week or something and only in small amounts?

You don't like any kinds of eggs?not boiled/scrambled/poached/ or omelettes? I'm sure there are loads of other things you could have but these are the things I stick to, I also sometimes have oat pancakes sometimes

ApeXaviour · 13-01-2010 4:22pm

SwdDub wrote: »

1) Maynoaisse is a complete no, no altoghter?

Personally I would have said rice-krispies, Koka noodles and oven chips (low fat or not!) were much bigger no-nos. They have absolutely nothing in them but empty calories that don't fill you. You can get light or extra light mayonnaise, I'd say they're grand once you don't get liberal with them.

SwdDub wrote: »

2) Any alternatives to porridge or eggs for breakfast because I honestly can't stand either and I'd rather not have to force myself to eat something I find disgusting at the start of every day

How about:
Rye bread (or equivalently dark/dense wholemeal) spread with a sparing amount of light mayo (you can use more if it's extra-light) and some crispy fried bacon patted down with a paper kitchen towel, and perhaps some half fat grated cheese on top (which you can grill on too if you like). This way you get a good protein tradeoff, which helps with fat-loss.

Personally breakfast doesn't necessarily have to entail eating traditionally breakfast foods. This morning I had a tin of tuna with some steamed fine beans, bit of garlic and Worcestershire sauce on the beans and it was lovely. I might be weird though.

Just saying though, if you happen to like steak or chicken for breaky, don't be afraid to eat it.

ronbyrne2005 · 13-01-2010 4:51pm

u could blend up with a handblender a cup of oats(cheap and very good) with some protein powder(can be bought cheap online and give you protein cheaper per gram than meat) and milk and a falvoring like cocoa powder or some milkshake mix if the taste bothers you. As said above you dont have to eat traditional breakfast food at breakfast time. A large glass of skimmed milk will help with protein too and is handy to consume on the go. Try and buy your good food in bulk when theres good offers on in supermarkets, and wither freeze this or make up several meals at once and freeze them and cook them at later date when time is tight.

Diet/Weight Loss/Calories

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