Need help with this healthy lifestyle vs. diet

ripcord

Hi all,

I'm going on holidays in 17 weeks time. I am curently 226 pounds (approx 16 stone). I would like to be 14 stone before my holiday. This means getting down to 196.

So I need to lose 30 pounds in 17 weeks. Is it possible?

I'm male, 5'11". I have some muscle, but I'm confident that I definitley have over 2 stone of fat - hence the target weight. I'm trying healthy eating, but its tricky. Sugary foods, pastries, chocolate are my downfall.

I exercise 5 days a week (not weekends) - running on threadmill some days. Astroturf other days. At the moment, this is my diet, and accoring to the scales I am losing one pound a week

Breakfast: 2 Shredded Wheat biscuits

Lunch: Brown breand tuna sandwich

Snack: 2 apples

Dinner: Readymade microwave dinner (not 'wholesome' - but it helps me keep my portions down).

However I seem to be generally hungry all day and it's starting to annoy me! Some nights I have a MASSIVE bowl of cornflakes just before I go to bed because I don't want to go to sleep hungry!

I am reluctant to add more calories because I will lose less weight. I am thinking of trying atkins again, but I only lasted a week on that before, and I hated it.

So my question is: How can I reach my target weight on time - yet not feel hungry all day?

Help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks.

boomtown84

ripcord wrote: »

Dinner: Readymade microwave dinner (not 'wholesome' - but it helps me keep my potions down).

They must be some nasty potions if you can keep them down with a horrible microwave dinner!

ripcord

boomtown84 wrote: »

They must be some nasty potions if you can keep them down with a horrible microwave dinner!

Corrected! I'll admit "microwave dinners" sounds bad. I should call them "ready-made meals". Most of the ones I get are actually very nice!

Fizman

ripcord wrote: »

Corrected! I'll admit "microwave dinners" sounds bad. I should call them "ready-made meals". Most of the ones I get are actually very nice!

Replace nice, with bad.

Seriously though, you're not getting near enough protein by the looks of it! You'll have to be much more specific with regard to this meal and potions thing.

cmyk

ripcord wrote: »

So I need to lose 30 pounds in 17 weeks. Is it possible?

Yes it is...but it'll require a lot of work and effort. Your diet and exercise plan need some adjustments, I don't have time at the moment, but if no one has helped by later this evening i'll throw an eye over it.

In the meantime have a read of the nutrition stickies, which in itself should help throw some light on things for you.

The Big Red Button

Re. the microwave dinners - to be fair, some are better than others - e.g., I eat Cully & Sully chicken casserole the odd night for a treat, here are the ingredients - I think I could be doing a lot worse?

OP I don't know how you keep going for the day on Shredded Wheat and a sandwich! :eek: You don't say otherwise, but I assume you work normal daytime hours? Shouldn't you be getting most of your calories in at breakfast and lunch, when you actually need the energy? And then a light evening meal.

Scrambled eggs for breakfast only take a couple of minutes in the microwave, and will keep you going for much longer, especially if you throw in some veg/chicken/etc as well.

ripcord

Fizman wrote: »

Replace nice, with bad.

Seriously though, you're not getting near enough protein by the looks of it! You'll have to be much more specific with regard to this meal and potions thing.

There a loads of different readymade meals you can get nowadays. I prefer these because I know exactly how many calories I'm eating. Also, if I make dinner from scratch, I tend to make way too much - so the readymade meals help keep me to keep the portion size respectable. Hope that makes sense. I suppose I could work on making my dinners the correct sizes - but of course I tried to take the easy way out

ripcord

chatterpillar wrote: »

Re. the microwave dinners - to be fair, some are better than others - e.g., I eat Cully & Sully chicken casserole the odd night for a treat, here are the ingredients - I think I could be doing a lot worse?

OP I don't know how you keep going for the day on Shredded Wheat and a sandwich! :eek: You don't say otherwise, but I assume you work normal daytime hours? Shouldn't you be getting most of your calories in at breakfast and lunch, when you actually need the energy? And then a light evening meal.

Scrambled eggs for breakfast only take a couple of minutes in the microwave, and will keep you going for much longer, especially if you throw in some veg/chicken/etc as well.

I work normal 9 to 5. I'm sitting at a computer all day, so I reckon I don't need that much energy to keep going. I am thinking of doing exercise in the morning, so I will probably need to change the breakfast...

The Big Red Button

ripcord wrote: »

There a loads of different readymade meals you can get nowadays. I prefer these because I know exactly how many calories I'm eating. Also, if I make dinner from scratch, I tend to make way too much - so the readymade meals help keep me to keep the portion size respectable. Hope that makes sense. I suppose I could work on making my dinners the correct sizes - but of course I tried to take the easy way out

I'd be more concerned with the ingredients of the readymade meals, though, than the calories. Especially if, as you say, you're aiming for a healthy lifestyle versus a diet.

For dinner, it's easier than you'd think to control portion sizes. Buy meat in bulk, and weigh out and freeze in advance, so that you just need to thaw one pre-measured portion the night before. Most veg is very filling but low in calories, so you don't need to worry much at all about portion sizes (spinach is fantastic in any dinner, in my opinion!) And that's all you need really, meat and veg, then throw in whatever spices and herbs you fancy. If you like tomatos, passata is a fantastic base for any sauce.

Also, if you make too much dinner, just get in the habit of freezing/refrigerating portions - don't feel like you have to eat it all there and then!

Fizman

ripcord wrote: »

There a loads of different readymade meals you can get nowadays. I prefer these because I know exactly how many calories I'm eating. Also, if I make dinner from scratch, I tend to make way too much - so the readymade meals help keep me to keep the portion size respectable. Hope that makes sense. I suppose I could work on making my dinners the correct sizes - but of course I tried to take the easy way out

In fairness I know exactly where you come from, I still tend to use them from time to time.

You definitely need more protein though, particularly in your early part of the day.

teednab-el

chatterpillar wrote: »

Scrambled eggs for breakfast only take a couple of minutes in the microwave,

They don't agree with me when I have them before my porriage, I would be on the pot all day so had to cut them out of my diet in the mornings. I put banana and youghart into my porridge instead of milk.

tattykitty

ripcord wrote: »

Breakfast: 2 Shredded Wheat biscuits

Lunch: Brown breand tuna sandwich

Snack: 2 apples

Dinner: Readymade microwave dinner (not 'wholesome' - but it helps me keep my portions down).

However I seem to be generally hungry all day and it's starting to annoy me! Some nights I have a MASSIVE bowl of cornflakes just before I go to bed because I don't want to go to sleep hungry!

I'd be very grumpy and faint if I ate as little as you do...and I'm a 10st 4lb, 5' 4" female! (Granted, I'm a bit of a chubster, but still. )

Losing a pound a week is a good steady way to keep off the weight, but if you're eating in a manner that you don't consider a permanent change, the weight will creep back on as soon as you revert back to your "normal" way of eating. Better to overhaul your eating properly and be in it for the long haul, I think.

I don't think you mentioned whether you drank alcohol? That's a big source of my calorie woes...about 200cals in a pint of beer, 160 in a regular glass of wine (approx) is worth remembering and taking into account.

I'm not a nutritionist or any kind of expert (though I did successfully lose five stone a few years ago and have kept it off), but I would recommend little and often. If you're hungry, try supplementing meals with fruit, a handful of unsalted raw nuts and seeds (careful not to buy those coated in flavourings or cooked in oil), low fat yoghurt with a little honey or berries, dried fruit (go easy on them - your bowels will thank you for it). Slice a banana onto your Shredded Wheat - it's an extra 100-130 calories but you'll feel fuller.

The occasional ready meal won't hurt (though the salt content is usually monstrous), but try and cook for yourself if you can a few night a week. Try a two-egg omelette or scrambled eggs with plenty of your favourite salads/veggies, stir fries with lean chicken or pork, even something like tinned mackerel on toast if you can stomach it (I can't bear oily fish - but it is good for you!). Another poster said about cooking in batches and freezing portions - I wholeheartedly agree. I usually make a massive portion of chili (simply onions, peppers, chilies, and garlic softened in a drop of olive oil, add tinned tomatoes, season, let it bubble for 30 mins, then drain two tins of whatever beans you like - I use butter beans and chickpeas - throw them into the mix with a pinch of coriander, cook for another 10 minutes and voila) and I freeze six or seven portions in tupperware boxes. I have it for lunch or dinner with all sorts of things - rice, pitta, a wrap etc. I also add cooked meat to the chili when it's warmed through if I'm really hungry.

The other thing I'd recommend is variation. Do you eat a tuna sandwich for lunch every day? Are you happy with that? A bit of variety means you're more likely to enjoy your food and feel better about what you're eating. Egg or ham salad (without the mayo), leftover cooked meat from the night before etc.

Finally, consider making additional, small changes to your routines to incorporate more "incidental" exercise. Walk to work or get off the bus a few stops early. Take the stairs instead of the lift. Go for a stroll at lunchtime. It sounds silly, but these little things really do make a difference.

Best of luck!

ripcord

So now the new plan is:
8:00 - 9:00am: Go to the gym (run/jog 5K)
10:00am Breakfast (Scrambled egg)
2:00pm Brown bread tuna sandwich
5:00pm 2 Apples
7:00pm Dinner (Ready meall or try smaller portions).
10:00pm Protein shake (protein powder, banana, milk, strawberries)

I thought I might add the shake near bed time so I'm not hungry going to bed. (I don't go to sleep until 12 so I would be reall hungry if I hadn't eaten since 7). Is the shake too much? If I follow this, will I reach my target weight in time?

Any help appreciated!

UnknownSpecies

There's no veg included there at all. You're dinner should really be a lot more substantial. I'd suggest including veg like spinach, broccoli and sweet potato to your dinner. Also, ready meals are processed crap. You're doing yourself absolutely no good with them. Ditch them for some chicken breasts or steak once in a while. You should have a look at the stickies in the Nutrition & Diet forum. They will help you give you an idea what you need to be eating and there's a post there that tells you exactly how to calculate how many calories you should be taking in for weight loss. Good luck and I hope you follow the advice!

ebixa82

I find it bizarre that anyone who has even the slightest interest in their health would even considering eating any kind of microwavable dinner.

If you are too lazy to cook something healthy then you will be too lazy to put in the hard work needed to stay healthy.

A healthy meal could be prepared in 10-15 minutes. Nobody can be that busy that they can't find the time.

ripcord

Hi All,

Thanks for all the replies. I'm sick of the fad diets at this point - I reckon i'm going to stick with basic calorie counting.

I'm a 33 year old male who weighs 103kg and sits at a computer all day - so according to this thread:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=50914107

I require ( (103 * 11.6) + 879 ) * 1.4 = 2903 calories just to get by, regardless of exercise.
Have I got that right? It sounds a lot...


Some websites say that to lose 1 pound of fat you need a calorific deficit of approx 3500 calories. Is this correct? I realise it would depend on a lot of factors, but is it a good enough guide?


So..... If (after taking exercise into account) I reduced my calorific intake to 1900 a day - saving me 1000 cals/day = 7000 cals/week. I should lose 2 pounds in a week?

I could probably keep track of what I ate - but keeping track of the cals I burn from exercise might be tricky. I do boxing training twice a week, and I do spinning classes. Can somone recommed a site that would help me figure out the calories burned? Or would a heartrate monitor be more accurate?

Thanks a million - its a tough road and its great to get valuable advice..

Mellor

ripcord wrote: »

Hi All,

Thanks for all the replies. I'm sick of the fad diets at this point - I reckon i'm going to stick with basic calorie counting.

I'm a 33 year old male who weighs 103kg and sits at a computer all day - so according to this thread:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=50914107

I require ( (103 * 11.6) + 879 ) * 1.4 = 2903 calories just to get by, regardless of exercise.
Have I got that right? It sounds a lot...

Firstly, its been 5, almost 6 weeks since the OP. Have you made any positive changes to your diet in that time. You said you had 17 weeks, is that now 12 weeks?

2900 is probably about right. It's a very general calculation. Every burns at a different rate.

Some websites say that to lose 1 pound of fat you need a calorific deficit of approx 3500 calories. Is this correct? I realise it would depend on a lot of factors, but is it a good enough guide?

1 lb of fat = 3500 calories of energy. It doesn't always come off at a steady and uniform rate, plus its hard to track with other factors affecting your weight. But its more or less the deficit you need to loss 1 lb.

So..... If (after taking exercise into account) I reduced my calorific intake to 1900 a day - saving me 1000 cals/day = 7000 cals/week. I should lose 2 pounds in a week?

If you consistantly hit a 7000 calorie weekly deficit, you'll lose weight are roughly 2lb per week. Very roughly.

I could probably keep track of what I ate - but keeping track of the cals I burn from exercise might be tricky. I do boxing training twice a week, and I do spinning classes. Can somone recommed a site that would help me figure out the calories burned? Or would a heartrate monitor be more accurate?

Don't worry about tracking calories from exercise. Most of the time people over estimate the energy used through exercise. Think of this as bonus deficit. Over a week the amount is actually quite small amount and it will probably served best is you ignore it and hope that it covers any food calories you underestimated.

MrStuffins

ripcord wrote: »

Hi All,

Thanks for all the replies. I'm sick of the fad diets at this point - I reckon i'm going to stick with basic calorie counting.

I'm a 33 year old male who weighs 103kg and sits at a computer all day - so according to this thread:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=50914107

I require ( (103 * 11.6) + 879 ) * 1.4 = 2903 calories just to get by, regardless of exercise.
Have I got that right? It sounds a lot...


Some websites say that to lose 1 pound of fat you need a calorific deficit of approx 3500 calories. Is this correct? I realise it would depend on a lot of factors, but is it a good enough guide?


So..... If (after taking exercise into account) I reduced my calorific intake to 1900 a day - saving me 1000 cals/day = 7000 cals/week. I should lose 2 pounds in a week?

I could probably keep track of what I ate - but keeping track of the cals I burn from exercise might be tricky. I do boxing training twice a week, and I do spinning classes. Can somone recommed a site that would help me figure out the calories burned? Or would a heartrate monitor be more accurate?

Thanks a million - its a tough road and its great to get valuable advice..

Ok, I hope I don't get ripped apart here for giving bad advice, but i'll just tell you what i've been doing!

You sound like me 7 weeks ago. I saw a picture of myself at a friend's party and thought "F*ck this, I gotta do something".

My diet IS terrible. it's aweful! And I knew that if I just changed it radically I would not stick to it. If it felt like too much hard work then I wouldn't stick to it!

So, I decided to make 1 change a week to my diet and bring each change forward. Just small simple things. I'd count my calories and create a deficit.

I downloaded the MyFitnessPal app. My intention was to lose 1lb per week. The app calculated my BMR (my daily calorie needs) and gave me an allowance for each day. Since then, i've entered every single calorie i've consumed into that app. If not, i'm just lying to myself and letting myself down. You can calculate your exercise calories burned wit this app (however, i've heard on this forum that they can be over-estimated so beware).

The changes were simple. First, no fizzy drinks, week 2, add more meat to my diet, week 3, Low Fat Milk and cut down on bread etc.

It's now July and this week my change is add Whey Protein shakes to my diet due to the exercise, i'll get into that now.

Exercise wise, for me it's simple again, walking and lots of it! I stick the iPod on, listen to a podcast and walk and walk! My local Tesco is a 10-15 min walk away. When I need to buy something i'll go to Tesco, but first i'll walk in the opposite direction and take a stupidly long route. Sometimes the whole trip takes me 90-120 mins. it all adds up! I use the MapMyWalk app to track the walks PLUS calories!

I also do BJJ and I started Couch to 5K, but I injured my knee about 5 weeks ago so I haven't done either of these things in the last few weeks (re-started Couch to 5K this week)

So I don't waste away, I started Convict Conditioning (Google it) and I love it so far, even though i'm on the early stages. The increased Protein in my diet from the shakes will hopefully help me gain strength while i'm at a calorie deficit, or hopefully ensure I don't become weak.

Anyway man, my first week I stepped on the scale and i'd lost 1.5lb. I felt like a new man! I was on top of the world! And I knew if I stuck to it (there wasn't much sticking because the changes were so small) that i'd have that feeling the following week!

And I did, and have continued to do so each week since! I started approx 7 weeks ago and i'm already down 12lbs (and hopefully 1 more when I weigh in on Friday ).

It's amazing! The increased exercise makes me feel fresh! The better foods make me feel super! When people say "Jesus Stuffins, you've lost weight" I feel top of the world! And what makes it better is that I know I can stick to it because i'm trying to do it long term rather than losing all the weight at once.

Anyway, sorry for the long post. Hope anything I wrote above helps you out.

ripcord

MrStuffins wrote: »

Ok, I hope I don't get ripped apart here for giving bad advice, but i'll just tell you what i've been doing!

You sound like me 7 weeks ago. I saw a picture of myself at a friend's party and thought "F*ck this, I gotta do something".

My diet IS terrible. it's aweful! And I knew that if I just changed it radically I would not stick to it. If it felt like too much hard work then I wouldn't stick to it!

So, I decided to make 1 change a week to my diet and bring each change forward. Just small simple things. I'd count my calories and create a deficit.

I downloaded the MyFitnessPal app. My intention was to lose 1lb per week. The app calculated my BMR (my daily calorie needs) and gave me an allowance for each day. Since then, i've entered every single calorie i've consumed into that app. If not, i'm just lying to myself and letting myself down. You can calculate your exercise calories burned wit this app (however, i've heard on this forum that they can be over-estimated so beware).

The changes were simple. First, no fizzy drinks, week 2, add more meat to my diet, week 3, Low Fat Milk and cut down on bread etc.

It's now July and this week my change is add Whey Protein shakes to my diet due to the exercise, i'll get into that now.

Exercise wise, for me it's simple again, walking and lots of it! I stick the iPod on, listen to a podcast and walk and walk! My local Tesco is a 10-15 min walk away. When I need to buy something i'll go to Tesco, but first i'll walk in the opposite direction and take a stupidly long route. Sometimes the whole trip takes me 90-120 mins. it all adds up! I use the MapMyWalk app to track the walks PLUS calories!

I also do BJJ and I started Couch to 5K, but I injured my knee about 5 weeks ago so I haven't done either of these things in the last few weeks (re-started Couch to 5K this week)

So I don't waste away, I started Convict Conditioning (Google it) and I love it so far, even though i'm on the early stages. The increased Protein in my diet from the shakes will hopefully help me gain strength while i'm at a calorie deficit, or hopefully ensure I don't become weak.

Anyway man, my first week I stepped on the scale and i'd lost 1.5lb. I felt like a new man! I was on top of the world! And I knew if I stuck to it (there wasn't much sticking because the changes were so small) that i'd have that feeling the following week!

And I did, and have continued to do so each week since! I started approx 7 weeks ago and i'm already down 12lbs (and hopefully 1 more when I weigh in on Friday ).

It's amazing! The increased exercise makes me feel fresh! The better foods make me feel super! When people say "Jesus Stuffins, you've lost weight" I feel top of the world! And what makes it better is that I know I can stick to it because i'm trying to do it long term rather than losing all the weight at once.

Anyway, sorry for the long post. Hope anything I wrote above helps you out.

Oh my God this is a freaky coincidence! Just two days ago I downloaded the MyFitnessPal app too! I have entered my height/weight and target loss - and it told me how much calories I can have every day.

This morning I have started entering every single thing I eat into the app. I've scanned the barcode of a few items and it seems to work too. Its great to see how many calories I have left for the day, and be confident that I will lose weight during the week if I stick to it.

The app is a real eye-opener. For fun I entered some sample foods I would eat usually - and the calorie count was huge! Playing around with it has made me realise just how little calories are in vegtables!

After my lunch I have approx 850 calories for the rest of the day. I will reduce the pasta in my spagetti bol tonight and pack the sauce with onions/peppers/mushrooms. Once I work it out exactly, I should be within my allowed amount. And I have training tonight - although like yourself - I don;t think I'll enter this in the app as I'm not sure how many cals I'll burn.

So far this app is a great help!

PS. Thanks for the inspiring post - it gives me hope!

ripcord

I should point out that the MyFitnessPal app told me I only needed 2500 cals per day. That takes into account my sedentary lifestyle (sitting in office all day ).

However the equation in one of my previous post (which also takes into account lifestyle) says 2900 - so I'm not sure which one is right

Mellor

MyFitness app displays the calories including a deficit based on your desired rate of weigh loss.
Could be that.

ripcord

Mellor wrote: »

MyFitness app displays the calories including a deficit based on your desired rate of weigh loss.
Could be that.

Checked that but the 2500 is the required amount to maintain weight.

When I select the option to lose 2 pounds a week, it reduces the allowance to 1500 per day (which would be correct given 2 pounds = 7000 calories per week).

Its a strange one. Its a big difference between 2500 and 2900 per day. More googling required...

MrStuffins

Well I think mine was around the same in the app, approx 2500. When taking into accout the defecit, I was allowed 2080. All in all, it worked out correct for my weight loss.

I mean, some weeks i'd get my calories bang on each day and lose 1lb.

Some weeks i'd have a deficit for the week of approx 1750cals and have lost that extra 0.5lb.

It seems pretty close for me personally.

Brian?

ripcord wrote: »

Mellor wrote: »

MyFitness app displays the calories including a deficit based on your desired rate of weigh loss.
Could be that.

Checked that but the 2500 is the required amount to maintain weight.

When I select the option to lose 2 pounds a week, it reduces the allowance to 1500 per day (which would be correct given 2 pounds = 7000 calories per week).

Its a strange one. Its a big difference between 2500 and 2900 per day. More googling required...

2500 is about right for maintenance. I am 110kg and if I put that into myfitnesspal I get 2090 to lose weight.

You're doing something wrong. That 2090 figure is bang on.

ripcord

briankeating wrote: »

2500 is about right for maintenance. I am 110kg and if I put that into myfitnesspal I get 2090 to lose weight.

You're doing something wrong. That 2090 figure is bang on.

Ok so this is what I'm calculating:
My age: 33
My weight: 227.4 lbs (103 kg)
My lifestyle: Sedentary

Using the equation here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=50914107
My RMR is (103 * 11.6) + 879 = 2073.8
Due to my sedentary lifestyle my caloric requirement is 2073.8 * 1.4 = 2903 calories.

In My Fitness Pal - Entering:
Current weight as 227.4 lbs,
Starting weight as 227.4 lbs
Gender: Male
Date of birth: Correct for 33 years
Activity level: Sedentary
When I set Weight Loss Goal at zero (for maintenance) - My Net Calorie Goal = 2500 calories

Any ideas? Equation says I need 400 more calories just to get by. Equation is wrong?

MrStuffins

I dunno. 2500 sounds about right to me. If I was you, i'd just test it out. Give it a week, enter "Lose 1lb per week". Get your calorie stats right and weigh yourself next week. If you've lost a lb then BINGO!

Burkatron

ripcord wrote: »

Ok so this is what I'm calculating:
My age: 33
My weight: 227.4 lbs (103 kg)
My lifestyle: Sedentary

Using the equation here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=50914107
My RMR is (103 * 11.6) + 879 = 2073.8
Due to my sedentary lifestyle my caloric requirement is 2073.8 * 1.4 = 2903 calories.

In My Fitness Pal - Entering:
Current weight as 227.4 lbs,
Starting weight as 227.4 lbs
Gender: Male
Date of birth: Correct for 33 years
Activity level: Sedentary
When I set Weight Loss Goal at zero (for maintenance) - My Net Calorie Goal = 2500 calories

Any ideas? Equation says I need 400 more calories just to get by. Equation is wrong?

Easier Equation is Lyle McDonalds! Weight in lbs by a factor of 11-13 (sedentary - active person) for weight loss

so 227.4 x 11 = 2501.4 calories

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/how-to-estimate-maintenance-caloric-intake.html

Brian?

Burkatron wrote: »

ripcord wrote: »

Ok so this is what I'm calculating:
My age: 33
My weight: 227.4 lbs (103 kg)
My lifestyle: Sedentary

Using the equation here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=50914107
My RMR is (103 * 11.6) + 879 = 2073.8
Due to my sedentary lifestyle my caloric requirement is 2073.8 * 1.4 = 2903 calories.

In My Fitness Pal - Entering:
Current weight as 227.4 lbs,
Starting weight as 227.4 lbs
Gender: Male
Date of birth: Correct for 33 years
Activity level: Sedentary
When I set Weight Loss Goal at zero (for maintenance) - My Net Calorie Goal = 2500 calories

Any ideas? Equation says I need 400 more calories just to get by. Equation is wrong?

Easier Equation is Lyle McDonalds! Weight in lbs by a factor of 11-13 (sedentary - active person) for weight loss

so 227.4 x 11 = 2501.4 calories

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/how-to-estimate-maintenance-caloric-intake.html

So 2500 is maintenance? That makes 2000 for weight loss.

Brian?

ripcord wrote: »

briankeating wrote: »

2500 is about right for maintenance. I am 110kg and if I put that into myfitnesspal I get 2090 to lose weight.

You're doing something wrong. That 2090 figure is bang on.

Ok so this is what I'm calculating:
My age: 33
My weight: 227.4 lbs (103 kg)
My lifestyle: Sedentary

Using the equation here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=50914107
My RMR is (103 * 11.6) + 879 = 2073.8
Due to my sedentary lifestyle my caloric requirement is 2073.8 * 1.4 = 2903 calories.

In My Fitness Pal - Entering:
Current weight as 227.4 lbs,
Starting weight as 227.4 lbs
Gender: Male
Date of birth: Correct for 33 years
Activity level: Sedentary
When I set Weight Loss Goal at zero (for maintenance) - My Net Calorie Goal = 2500 calories

Any ideas? Equation says I need 400 more calories just to get by. Equation is wrong?

I don't see the problem. Myfitnesspal is telling you 2500 for maintenance, subtract 500 for weightless. Do that.

MrStuffins

Yeah you are the same weight now as I was when I started and the app gave me an allowance of 2080, which seemed spot on. I'd go with it!

Burkatron

briankeating wrote: »

So 2500 is maintenance? That makes 2000 for weight loss.

nope, sorry shoulve been more clear. You multiply by a factor of 14-16 for maintenance 11-13 for weightloss so 2500 would be his defecit Calories!
110kg & only 2090kcals for weightloss? That seems extremely low for starting out! You recalculate every time you stall(as I'm sure you know already). I'm just going by Lyle McDonald, the man knows his stuff & backs it up with studies & results!

ripcord

briankeating wrote: »

I don't see the problem. Myfitnesspal is telling you 2500 for maintenance, subtract 500 for weightless. Do that.

No problem - just a but confused because of the different maintenance amounts:

MyFitnessPal is telling me 2500 for maintenance.

But the equation here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=50914107 is telling me 2903 for maintenance.

Now I see Lyle McDonald is telling me (227.4 x 14) = 3183 for maintenance!

Burkatron

ripcord wrote: »

No problem - just a but confused because of the different maintenance amounts:

MyFitnessPal is telling me 2500 for maintenance.

But the equation here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=50914107 is telling me 2903 for maintenance.

Now I see Lyle McDonald is telling me (227.4 x 14) = 3183 for maintenance!

2500 calories on the recommended (crappy) guidelines on the back of a cereal box is for an average person & size!

You wont stay at 227lbs if you eat 2500 a day! At 155lbs my maintenance is 2200-2500 cals (depending on activity levels ), add another 72lbs & maintenance has to go up!

edit: 2900-3183 isn't that much of a swing as no equations are exact! Lyle even says in the article (I think anyway) there's up to a 200cal difference to other formulae. It's just his is far less complex & he's one of the the top experts in the world!

ripcord

Burkatron wrote: »

2500 calories on the recommended (crappy) guidelines on the back of a cereal box is for an average person & size!

You wont stay at 227lbs if you eat 2500 a day! At 155lbs my maintenance is 2200-2500 cals (depending on activity levels ), add another 72lbs & maintenance has to go up!

edit: 2900-3183 isn't that much of a swing as no equations are exact! Lyle even says in the article (I think anyway) there's up to a 200cal difference to other formulae. It's just his is far less complex & he's one of the the top experts in the world!

I know it seems I got the 2500 maintenance from a general descrption somewhere, but that is the actual value that the MyFitnessPal app calculated based on my weight, age, and lifestyle.

I'm starting to think that app might be underestimating my maintenance requirement. I'm trying to lose two pounds a week - so the app says I'm allowed 1500 a day - it's tough going.

I'll give it a week. If I lose more than 2 pounds, I'll know to increase my maintenance total.

Burkatron

ripcord wrote: »

I know it seems I got the 2500 maintenance from a general descrption somewhere, but that is the actual value that the MyFitnessPal app calculated based on my weight, age, and lifestyle.

I'm starting to think that app might be underestimating my maintenance requirement. I'm trying to lose two pounds a week - so the app says I'm allowed 1500 a day - it's tough going.

I'll give it a week. If I lose more than 2 pounds, I'll know to increase my maintenance total.

Good luck with that but eating that little is going to make your goals ALOT harder as it you'll be hungrier & more tempted to give into cravings!h
A week wont be long enough, the more weight you have to lose the quicker it comes off at the start! You have to account for water/glycogen weight & everything!

BraziliaNZ

losing weight isn't easy and you will have to feel hungry for a while. Is it really that bad? It's hardly agonising. It goes away after a few weeks anyway I find. If you are hungry it's good, it means you're depriving your body of calories that it's used to, and the weight will fall off. In my experience anyway.

Brian?

Burkatron wrote: »

briankeating wrote: »

So 2500 is maintenance? That makes 2000 for weight loss.

nope, sorry shoulve been more clear. You multiply by a factor of 14-16 for maintenance 11-13 for weightloss so 2500 would be his defecit Calories!
110kg & only 2090kcals for weightloss? That seems extremely low for starting out! You recalculate every time you stall(as I'm sure you know already). I'm just going by Lyle McDonald, the man knows his stuff & backs it up with studies & results!

I am not convinced, if I eat 2000-2100 a day for a week I lose 2-2.5 pounds. I know n=1 here but it works well for me. Now this is before I add in kcals for exercise.

I did 4 weeks at 2090 give or take and went from 255 to 245, maybe slightly too fast weight loss but I actually got stronger so I was happy enough. I am going to re jig the numbers and use the same method to get down to 235 in the next 5 weeks. I might be approaching actual lean then.

Burkatron

briankeating wrote: »

I am not convinced, if I eat 2000-2100 a day for a week I lose 2-2.5 pounds. I know n=1 here but it works well for me. Now this is before I add in kcals for exercise.

I did 4 weeks at 2090 give or take and went from 255 to 245, maybe slightly too fast weight loss but I actually got stronger so I was happy enough. I am going to re jig the numbers and use the same method to get down to 235 in the next 5 weeks. I might be approaching actual lean then.

As I said, they're just formulae! What works for 1 person isn't going to be the same for the next & all that jazz! For me I know I maintain at 2500 - 2800 cals...I don't really count that often, (feck it I just eight 800g of chicken wings 1/2 a tub of coleslaw topped with Franks red hot sauce & a load of veggies That happens more often then it should!Calories for today are overshot,life is good) Once I go significantly under 2500 (200-500 deficit) I lose weight & I'm only 155lb short arse!!

colman1212

I think you are doing too much thinking about this and not enough doing. This thread started on June 24th. How have you got on so far?
If you have a healthy diet (low carb) diet and train hard you will lose weight. Its that simple.

Being honest that diet isn't great.
Just focus on having protein in all your meals and keep the carbs to a min.

Breakfast: 2 Shredded Wheat biscuits (exchange for scrambled eggs or omelet +veg)

Lunch: Brown breand tuna sandwich (add in some greens)

Snack: 2 apples (change for nuts and fish)

Dinner: Readymade microwave dinner (not 'wholesome' - but it helps me keep my portions down). Just get some veggies and meat in here. Forget the microwave dinner. Its a bad habit. Or just cook a stir fry every second day and put the half in the fridge for the next day.

ripcord

colman1212 wrote: »

I think you are doing too much thinking about this and not enough doing. This thread started on June 24th. How have you got on so far?
If you have a healthy diet (low carb) diet and train hard you will lose weight. Its that simple.

Being honest that diet isn't great.
Just focus on having protein in all your meals and keep the carbs to a min.

Breakfast: 2 Shredded Wheat biscuits (exchange for scrambled eggs or omelet +veg)

Lunch: Brown breand tuna sandwich (add in some greens)

Snack: 2 apples (change for nuts and fish)

Dinner: Readymade microwave dinner (not 'wholesome' - but it helps me keep my portions down). Just get some veggies and meat in here. Forget the microwave dinner. Its a bad habit. Or just cook a stir fry every second day and put the half in the fridge for the next day.

I tried a few things since the thread started that did not work. The "doing" has officially started on Wednesday . This MyFitnessPal app is a great help. I'm going to weigh myself again next Wednesday, to see if i've lost 2 pounds (taking 1500 per day - giving a 7000 weekly deficit).

Its also opened my eyes about a few things. I entered a few examples of my old diet, and was shocked at the amount of calories I was taking from cereal and pasta. Pasta is crazy! Although my portion sizes were redicolous.

That original diet is out the window. Shrreded wheat is useless to me for the amount of calories (over 200 with milk) it gives.

I'll report back after the weigh-in Wednesday!

MrStuffins

ripcord wrote: »

I tried a few things since the thread started that did not work. The "doing" has officially started on Wednesday . This MyFitnessPal app is a great help. I'm going to weigh myself again next Wednesday, to see if i've lost 2 pounds (taking 1500 per day - giving a 7000 weekly deficit).

Its also opened my eyes about a few things. I entered a few examples of my old diet, and was shocked at the amount of calories I was taking from cereal and pasta. Pasta is crazy! Although my portion sizes were redicolous.

That original diet is out the window. Shrreded wheat is useless to me for the amount of calories (over 200 with milk) it gives.

I'll report back after the weigh-in Wednesday!

Good luck dude! Let us know how you get on Wednesday.

How have your calories been so far? Are you finding it difficult?

ripcord

So here it is! Last Wednesday I weighed 227.4 lbs. The MFP app indcated that to lose 2lbs I should keep my daily calorie count at 1500.

Here is my daily calorie intake. I tried to be as accurate as I could - calculating the amount I got from ingredients in home cooked meals etc. Also sometimes scanning the barcodes on packaged goods. (I just got really hungry on Saturday so slipped up with some extra snacks and a massive bowl of cereal :mad:).

WED 1,559
THU 1,464
FRI 1,687
SAT 2,356
SUN 1,414
MON 1,551
TUE 1,569

The above numbers are only for food. I did not take exercise into account.
During those seven days, I had the following exercise:
* Two 1-hour boxing training sessions (like circuit training)
* One 1-hour five a side soccer game.
* One spinning class.

It was tough. All week I was generally hungry and tired.

And the result? Today on Wednesday 11/7 I now weigh 223.25 lbs! A loss of 4.1 lbs :eek: This seems alot. Scales is very accurate and I weighed myself at the same time and same place as last week. I also took different readings to make sure.

I'm curious to know how much of this is 'water weight'. I have to say the belt is definitley looser! It is tough going but I'm planning on keeping it at this level for one more week to see if there is any change in rate of loss.

Any thoughts?

MrStuffins

ripcord wrote: »

So here it is! Last Wednesday I weighed 227.4 lbs. The MFP app indcated that to lose 2lbs I should keep my daily calorie count at 1500.

Here is my daily calorie intake. I tried to be as accurate as I could - calculating the amount I got from ingredients in home cooked meals etc. Also sometimes scanning the barcodes on packaged goods. (I just got really hungry on Saturday so slipped up with some extra snacks and a massive bowl of cereal :mad:).

WED 1,559
THU 1,464
FRI 1,687
SAT 2,356
SUN 1,414
MON 1,551
TUE 1,569

The above numbers are only for food. I did not take exercise into account.
During those seven days, I had the following exercise:
* Two 1-hour boxing training sessions (like circuit training)
* One 1-hour five a side soccer game.
* One spinning class.

It was tough. All week I was generally hungry and tired.

And the result? Today on Wednesday 11/7 I now weigh 223.25 lbs! A loss of 4.1 lbs :eek: This seems alot. Scales is very accurate and I weighed myself at the same time and same place as last week. I also took different readings to make sure.

I'm curious to know how much of this is 'water weight'. I have to say the belt is definitley looser! It is tough going but I'm planning on keeping it at this level for one more week to see if there is any change in rate of loss.

Any thoughts?

Dude, congratulations!!!

I'm no expert, but I don't think much of it should be "water weight" since you weighed yourself at the same time last week.

What I do know is, when people start on their weight-loss they lose more than they're supposed to in the first week or so. For example, my mate started last week too, yesterday he stepped on the scale and he'd lost 8 LBS!!!

Myself, I think I lost maybe 3lbs when I was aiming for 1! I went from 229lbs to 226lbs IIRC.

Losing over 4lbs is good going and a great start in my opinion. In the future it'll begin to level out. If your calorie count is accurate and you stay within the guidelines, you will lose your goal of 2lb in the week.

ripcord

MrStuffins wrote: »

Dude, congratulations!!!

I'm no expert, but I don't think much of it should be "water weight" since you weighed yourself at the same time last week.

What I do know is, when people start on their weight-loss they lose more than they're supposed to in the first week or so. For example, my mate started last week too, yesterday he stepped on the scale and he'd lost 8 LBS!!!

Myself, I think I lost maybe 3lbs when I was aiming for 1! I went from 229lbs to 226lbs IIRC.

Losing over 4lbs is good going and a great start in my opinion. In the future it'll begin to level out. If your calorie count is accurate and you stay within the guidelines, you will lose your goal of 2lb in the week.

8Lbs??? :eek: Did he lose a limb or something??

Next wednesday will be interesting. Its really an eye opener to see how many calories I used to be eating. Unfortunatley I have a stag weekend the following week (21st/22nd) so I'm not sure how that will go calorie wise!

The triedness iand hunger is annoying. If the rate of loss is still high next week, I may increase my calorie intake a little - ie. experiment to see what is the max calories I can take and still maintain 2lbs/week loss.

colman1212

Good work buddy. Keep at it.:)

MrStuffins

ripcord wrote: »

8Lbs??? :eek: Did he lose a limb or something??

Next wednesday will be interesting. Its really an eye opener to see how many calories I used to be eating. Unfortunatley I have a stag weekend the following week (21st/22nd) so I'm not sure how that will go calorie wise!

The triedness iand hunger is annoying. If the rate of loss is still high next week, I may increase my calorie intake a little - ie. experiment to see what is the max calories I can take and still maintain 2lbs/week loss.

Lad, if you're tired and hungry then forget 2lbs and go for 1lb per week!

I mean, what's the point in tormenting yourself? If you wanna lose weight it's going to be a long term goal, a slow and steady process. And is being tired and hungry something you wanna get used to?

The more of a torment it is, the less likely you are to stick to it. My advise would be give yourself those extra calories every day by adjusting to 1lb per week!

Antisocialiser

If hungry up the protein and fat and decrease the carbs! You should feel more satiated.

MrStuffins

Antisocialiser wrote: »

If hungry up the protein and fat and decrease the carbs! You should feel more satiated.

+1 on the protein.

I've said on other threads i'm not a big meat eater so I recently started supplimenting my protein with Whey shakes.

I find myself less hungry each day after having one in the morning. I have one on the evening too and i'm less hungry at night.

Brian?

ripcord wrote: »

So here it is! Last Wednesday I weighed 227.4 lbs. The MFP app indcated that to lose 2lbs I should keep my daily calorie count at 1500.

Here is my daily calorie intake. I tried to be as accurate as I could - calculating the amount I got from ingredients in home cooked meals etc. Also sometimes scanning the barcodes on packaged goods. (I just got really hungry on Saturday so slipped up with some extra snacks and a massive bowl of cereal :mad:).

WED 1,559
THU 1,464
FRI 1,687
SAT 2,356
SUN 1,414
MON 1,551
TUE 1,569

The above numbers are only for food. I did not take exercise into account.
During those seven days, I had the following exercise:
* Two 1-hour boxing training sessions (like circuit training)
* One 1-hour five a side soccer game.
* One spinning class.

It was tough. All week I was generally hungry and tired.

And the result? Today on Wednesday 11/7 I now weigh 223.25 lbs! A loss of 4.1 lbs :eek: This seems alot. Scales is very accurate and I weighed myself at the same time and same place as last week. I also took different readings to make sure.

I'm curious to know how much of this is 'water weight'. I have to say the belt is definitley looser! It is tough going but I'm planning on keeping it at this level for one more week to see if there is any change in rate of loss.

Any thoughts?

You need to start putting in your exercise, otherwise you're running a higher deficit than you should be. This would explain some the 4 pounds loss. This week add in the exercise and try to fine tune your kcal intake so you lose 2 pounds.

Having said that, well done so far.

ripcord

Another update! Last Wednesday I weighed 223.25 lbs. The MFP app indcated that to lose 2lbs I should keep my daily calorie count at 1500.

Here is my daily calorie intake. Weekend was a disastor. Beer and chipper friday. Comfort food and junk at the cinema saturday.

WED 1629
THU 1455
FRI 2671
SAT 2870
SUN 2093
MON 1577
TUE 1587

Weekly Excercise: (Not taken into account above)

* Two 1-hour boxing training sessions (like circuit training)
* One 1-hour five a side soccer game.
* One spinning class.

And the result? Today on Wednesday 18/7 I now weigh 221.25 lbs! A loss of exactly 2 lbs I'm delighted. Considering how disasterous the weekend was, I was hoping for any sort of weight loss.

Its started me thinking maybe if I kept good during the week, I could have one day a week where I "indulge" in foods that are less than healthy - and still maintain weight loss.

Stag weekend this weekend! If I don't gain weight next week i'll be happy!

MrStuffins

ripcord wrote: »

Another update! Last Wednesday I weighed 223.25 lbs. The MFP app indcated that to lose 2lbs I should keep my daily calorie count at 1500.

Here is my daily calorie intake. Weekend was a disastor. Beer and chipper friday. Comfort food and junk at the cinema saturday.

WED 1629
THU 1455
FRI 2671
SAT 2870
SUN 2093
MON 1577
TUE 1587

Weekly Excercise: (Not taken into account above)

* Two 1-hour boxing training sessions (like circuit training)
* One 1-hour five a side soccer game.
* One spinning class.

And the result? Today on Wednesday 18/7 I now weigh 221.25 lbs! A loss of exactly 2 lbs I'm delighted. Considering how disasterous the weekend was, I was hoping for any sort of weight loss.

Its started me thinking maybe if I kept good during the week, I could have one day a week where I "indulge" in foods that are less than healthy - and still maintain weight loss.

Stag weekend this weekend! If I don't gain weight next week i'll be happy!

Man, massive congratulations! 2 lbs is a lot! Imagine hitting that every week!

I, like you, have had disasterous days in the past (One day I went out on the beer for the entire day and ended up 1750 cals over my daily allowance) but was still able to maintain steady weight-loss somehow (maybe I upped my exercise that week I dunno).

Also, I give myself little reward days here and day too (after I hit my 1 stone gone I had a nice indulge day).

However, DON'T aim to give yourself an "indulge day"!!!!! it's a recipe for disaster!

By all means, take a day where you'll relax and eat what you want BUT whilst counting the calories! Don't go way over!

I think the fact that you went over on the weekend and was still able to maintain has given you a false sense that it's ok to go over here and there. I would imagine that the calories that you went over at the weekend were offset by the exercise you did during that week!

It's a good start. Kick on from here!