diet advise please

[Rover]

hello, everyone. i have been reading this forum's posts for a few weeks now and i am quite impressed with the insight offered by the contributors. being naturally able to gain weight easily (or is it just a habit?), i have, for years, been going to the gym, working with a trainer, trying to eat healthy, etc, etc. it has kept me from being “out of shape”. thank you very much. but i do feel on the sluggish side. and i have realized that i do not know what i am doing and don't really have a plan. after coming across this site and reading all the posts i am feeling new enthusiasm.

so here goes: i would like to do what Cursor did but I would like to do it in 2 stages : first get the handle on the diet, second the workout. i am a 30 yo, 5'8”, male, 164lbs, i have according to my TANITA scale 20% body fat.

i am trying to adopt Cursor's meal plan for somebody how does not work out (at the moment). here is what i have been able to come up with: starting with 1700 calories per day (which is what i should be burning according to my RMR calculator) and a Cursor's plan adopted to 1700 calories below.

M1 - 406 cal [ 28p 57c 7f]
M2 - 406 cal [ 28p 57c 7f]
M3 - 322 cal [ 28p 26c 12f]
M4 - 322 cal [ 28p 26c 12f]
M5 - 242 cal [ 28p 11c 9f]
Tot - 1700 cal [140p 179c 47f]
Pct [33%p / 42%c / 25%f]

keep the protein coming steady
reduce carbs toward the end of the day

The questions i have are:

a) i have been monitoring my diet for the last week and lo and behold i can go on only 1300 calories per day! am i starving myself? i do not feel hungry. should i "stuff" myself with food to get the message to my body that "food is coming" and it's okay to increase metabolism? how do i stimulate my metabolism in general (in terms of the number of protein carbs and fat i am eating)?

b) i have read on this board that one is supposed to constantly listen to one's body for the feedback and adjust the diet accordingly. what am i listening for? feeling of being full? hungry? not hungry?

i appreciate it if anyone has any thoughts / experience / advice to offer.
Thank you
Rover

[threenorns]

definitely, you do not want to go below 1700. the fact that you're comfie at 1300 is probably a sign that your metabolism has dropped. get that food in!

that whole "listen to your body" thing is, imo, utter rot. if i listen, my body says "SUGAR! NOW!", no matter what time of day it is.

eat every three hours, by the clock. greenies (salad and other green veggies like green beans and broccoli, basically) are free food - eat as much as you want.

keep tab of how your clothes are fitting - if they start getting tighter, walk an extra half-hour a day.

yes, you HAVE to get the exercise going NOW. just cutting back food will make your body cut back on active tissue because there's not enough fuel to support it all and your body doesn't need it because you're not using it anyway.

[Rover]

Thanks, threenorns, i was hoping to get into a habit of eating right slowly, then start working out - just so that i can devote enought attention to all this stuff. guess i will need to rethink that. :

[.V.]

One warning though - if you diet and don't exercise, then you run the risk of becoming a "skinny fat person". At 20%bf, you aren't fat though. What I mean by "skinny fat person" is you lose weight by losing muscle and fat - your bf% stays the same. End result - no better off.

[Visionary]

Don't forget your "healthy" fats...easy way to up your calories and your body will love you for it.
http://vanderbiltowc.wellsource.com/...ent.asp?ID=559

[threenorns]

seriously, the best way to go about it would be to get your workout routine dialled in and nailed first because that's the easy part.

[Rover]

maybe breaking things down into parts wasn't such a good idea in this case. it is better to be warned now then find out after the fact that things are not working. well, i am gonna search thru the old posts to get me a workout schedule.be back with more questions!
thanks, guys!

[threenorns]

hey, any time!