40/40/20 ratio is almost impossible.

[Trix]

Originally Posted by cursor

Very active.

Using that level it tells me that total calorie in take should be about 4000, I am barely doing 1700 now and i feel just fine. Does that sound right? I want to loose weight but i wanna make sure i stay healthy too.

Originally Posted by Cort

Lean meat tends to be high in protein and low in fat. It's easier if you're willing to do basic cooking once in a while. It isn't that hard to bake or grill some chicken, turkey, or beef if you have access to an oven or grill.

I actually have a george foreman grill that I use on occasion and love, maybe i will start using that more often.

[cursor]

Fill me in on your stats, Trix:

• gender
• height
• weight
• estimated body-fat level

If you prefer, feel free to PM the information to me.

[Trix]

Originally Posted by cursor

Fill me in on your stats, Trix:

• gender
• height
• weight
• estimated body-fat level

If you prefer, feel free to PM the information to me.

• Male
• 5' 11"
• 250 Lbs
• 31 % ( according to my digital scale, waiting on my calipers still )

[cursor]

Your BMR calories are probably about 2000 per day. With that, you won't ingest enough to fuel any of your other activities (beyond base existence). Given your activity level, I would guestimate that your intake requirements are close to 3500 calories. The exact amount that YOU need should be juggled over the course of several weeks, depending on how your body responds to the balance of food and activity.

[Firehawk]

Cursor is that 3500 calories the requirement to neither grow nor shrink? Just wondering because i'm 6'3 298 @ about 32% and have been wondering how many calories i should be taking in on weight training days and non weight training days so that i can lose fat and keep my strength increasing slowly. 1.5-2lbs a week fat loss is ideal if i can get away with it.

Not trying to hijack the thread, it's just running in parallel .

[.V.]

Trix, just another little tidbit of info. It is not that hard once you get the hang of it. Fitday does help with that too. It just takes some time.

Now remember the 40/40/20 is just a guide - you will have to modify it based on your needs. If you need more carbs and less protein or less fat - adjust accordingly. If you are wanting to burn fat and want less carbs with more fat to keep from being hungry - then adjust for that. If you want to have a balanced diet and just eat less calories than you are burning - then stay close to the 40/40/20 or to bulk, eat more calories than you are burning and stay close to the same ratio. There are so many ways to do it.

Here is one example taken straight out of my freezer & pantry and plugged into fitday:

Boneless/skinless chicken thigh cutlets - 8 pieces
Brown rice - 4 cups
Broccoli - 4 cups
Low carb special K - 1 cup
Skim milk - 1 cup

Water - 1 to 1.5 gallons

Totals: Cal-1934, P-206g (44%), C-226g (43%), F-27g (13%)

Spread this throughout the entire day. This is 5 whole food meals for me, not including my suppliments, protein shakes, and dextrose shakes.

If you want more fat, simply add some to the diet and it will change the numbers closer to where you want...Exchange 2 pieces of chicken for some red meat.

Now if that seems like the results will be too slow for what you want, here's how I lost all of my fat (I used to be a 300 pounder).

Breakfast - 2 whole eggs, 2-3 oz sausage.

3 or 4 other meals consisting of meat and green veggies - either broccoli, asapragus, green beans, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, big salads, etc... you get the idea. Meat choices were either beef, pork, chicken, or fish.

If I found I was getting hungry, I had beef more often, If I couldn't eat at least 4 meals a day, I replaced the beef with fish or chicken. It worked for me.

It seems way out of balance, but it - along with weight training and cardio changed me from a 34 year old with DMII symptoms, early onset heart disease, really bad cholesterol, and often unable to walk to what I am now. 36 years old and in the best shape of my life who can walk, run, cycle, lift weights most of the time. Still some leg problems - but the heart and DMII symptoms are all gone, the cholesterol is most excellent. The heart disease risk factors are now gone from all of my lab work.

Best wishes for your successful transformation.

[Trix]

Originally Posted by cursor

Your BMR calories are probably about 2000 per day. With that, you won't ingest enough to fuel any of your other activities (beyond base existence). Given your activity level, I would guestimate that your intake requirements are close to 3500 calories. The exact amount that YOU need should be juggled over the course of several weeks, depending on how your body responds to the balance of food and activity.

Wow i really don't think i will be able to eat that much, and should i even be eating that much if i want to loose weight? I was hoping to get down to the 220 or lower area. I will continue my research and appreciate all the info you have posted.

Thanx welch for that tidbit

[cursor]

What have you been doing so far (and for how long?) with respect to your dieting and exercise programs in order to lose fat? What kind of success have you experienced?

[Trix]

Originally Posted by cursor

What have you been doing so far (and for how long?) with respect to your dieting and exercise programs in order to lose fat? What kind of success have you experienced?

Well this is my 3rd week into weight training and cardio and i have gone everyday except sundays. Keep in mind i am considering this my first official week as the first 2 weeks were more of a "get a feel for it" weeks as i had not done any type of exercize in about 5 years.

I cut out all junk food from my diet, i use to eat 3 bags of chips a week, 1-2 pops a day, sweets , chocolates, all that has been removed. Do I notice a change? yup i have lost average 5 pounds and notice my waste line is a tad bit smaller. I have also notice during my hockey and soccer nights my shifts are now much longer So what i am doing seems to be working, but i just wanna make sure i am doing it right, this is my first day tracking food, and according to fitday i have only comsumed 2000 calories in the last 23 hours.
50% carbs 21% protein and 28% fat

[cursor]

21% (protein) of 2000 is just 105 grams. At this point, you probably have about 170 lbs of lean mass. If I were you (or if you were me ...) I'd add about 45 grams per day. Add additional carbohydrates both before and after your Max-OT workouts. If you're already full, then focus on food sources that are more dense in carbs. Note that there is a big difference between a cup of peas or corn and a lighter vegetable like zucchini squash.

Fiber Ratio
Losing Fat ... and Keeping It Off

[sunmedicFL]

Trix, I can almost copy word for word what you're saying, same #'s, same %'s. I've been at it for a little over a month now, and my diet is slipping this weekend past, I need to reign it in. Keep an eye on fitday, as it grows you can better trend what you're doing vs the glimpse you have now, it's interesting.
Good luck, you sound like you're off to a good start.

[threenorns]

trix: you don't get healthier by cutting off your body's fuel supply. you get in better shape by forcing it to work harder, which will stimulate new muscle growth, which will increase the amount of calorie needed. if you cut your calories too much, your body will NOT improve - it will register an emergency situation (famine) and begin shutting down operations.

ever heard the term "skinny fat" person? those are the ppl you see who are very small in dimension but when you look at them, there's no muscle definition whatsoever. these are ppl who lost weight by starving - yes, they lost weight; yes, they got smaller - but they didn't *improve*: they're the same blobby shape, just on a smaller scale.

take a deep breath, relax, and do it the right way for long-lasting results that will be much more easily maintained.

[Pelon]

Originally Posted by Trix

Wow i really don't think i will be able to eat that much, and should i even be eating that much if i want to loose weight? I was hoping to get down to the 220 or lower area. I will continue my research and appreciate all the info you have posted.

Thanx welch for that tidbit

Depending on your activity level, you can lose plenty of fat while consuming that many calories. When I was at 250 lbs., I averaged about 2800-3000 calories per day and was still losing 1.5 to 2 lbs per week. My highest calorie day at that time was about 3900 (a hard cardio day) and the lowest was about 2250 (a rest day). I did about 6 - 9 hours of steady-state cardio and 2-3 hours of strength training per week.

[rbuchman]

Originally Posted by Trix

I just find it that for someone like me who does not cook much it is hard as hell to keep a balanced diet.

Exactly, if you rely on other's to cook your food or buy it prepared you'll never come close to the 40/40/20 ratio. You are right almost all packaged products are high in carbs and low in protien, so don't eat them. Eggs tuna and chicken all have tons of protien and no carbs.

One of the biggest things is to convince yourself that a "balanced" meal doesn't need a starch. I.e. for dinner you don't need rolls and a baked potato with your meat and veggies, and if you are going to eat sandwiches make one with lots of meat instead of two with little meat.

[Trix]

Originally Posted by rbuchman

Exactly, if you rely on other's to cook your food or buy it prepared you'll never come close to the 40/40/20 ratio. You are right almost all packaged products are high in carbs and low in protien, so don't eat them. Eggs tuna and chicken all have tons of protien and no carbs.

One of the biggest things is to convince yourself that a "balanced" meal doesn't need a starch. I.e. for dinner you don't need rolls and a baked potato with your meat and veggies, and if you are going to eat sandwiches make one with lots of meat instead of two with little meat.

Thanx for the tips everyone, I am actually on my 3rd day now of tracking and am doing much better and getting close to that 40/40/20. Although some of you are telling me i need to be eating about 3000+ calories a day i have been at the 2700 area the last couple of days and fell fine. Keep in mind this is all knew to me and of course i am learning as I go. If i see the 2700+ calories is not cutting it I will increase it.