Losing fat, clean eating and making enough calories

[Fall13]

Hi there,

I recently checked out my calories and I am only intaking 900-1200 per day. I stopped seeing good weight loss in June, prob due to low calorie intake. I am trying to eat clean but I wanted to know if anyone had tips for someone trying to lose weight and make my calories. I eat all the time but I keep it lean and clean so it is tough. I looked back to my eating journal back when i was losing 5-10 lbs per months a couple of years ago and I was consuming 1700-2000 calories and losing great.

Any tips or advice on how to get enough to fuel the body and still lose

[xvicknumber7x]

Exercise more? Your maintenance cannot be 1200.

[tiffy_sugar]

Yeah, 1200 is too low. I thought I could lose on 1200 since my life is so sedentary even though I do lift and do cardio ALOT (6 days a week). 1200 was just not enough to stoke my fat burning fire... 1400 is the lowest I can possibly go... you might want to try uping your cals for 3 weeks to 1400 or even 1600 and just see what happens. Dont do too much cardio either. Cardio doesnt burn fat the way lifting does...and you gotta go heavy. The more muscle that needs to rebuild, the more fat your going to burn.

[scubyfan]

Cardio doesnt burn fat the way lifting does...and you gotta go heavy.

This is the biggest load of bull I've read on this forum. Wow!

OP: As you lose weight, it will take more effort to continue losing weight. When you're REALLY overweight, the pounds just come off. As you lose those pounds, you have to work extra hard to get the rest of the weight off.

Up your calories to 1600, double your cardio (but give youreself some rest in between), and hit some weights. You'll do fine!

[xvicknumber7x]

Also, try Keto.

[Fall13]

This is the biggest load of bull I've read on this forum. Wow!

OP: As you lose weight, it will take more effort to continue losing weight. When you're REALLY overweight, the pounds just come off. As you lose those pounds, you have to work extra hard to get the rest of the weight off.

Up your calories to 1600, double your cardio (but give youreself some rest in between), and hit some weights. You'll do fine!

Hey thanks, I'm going to try 1600 per day and double my cardio, I really enjoy lifting so I will still being do that as well. Hopefully it helps me lose fat again.

[tiffy_sugar]

This is the biggest load of bull I've read on this forum. Wow!

OP: As you lose weight, it will take more effort to continue losing weight. When you're REALLY overweight, the pounds just come off. As you lose those pounds, you have to work extra hard to get the rest of the weight off.

Up your calories to 1600, double your cardio (but give youreself some rest in between), and hit some weights. You'll do fine!

Sorry, I was just always told this by people (and my trainer before she moved.). I thought cardio was to burn carbs, weights help to increase the muslce, and the more muscle you had, the more fat you burned throughout the day? Is this not true?

[chevy72blu]

I agree on upping your cals for a week or two. It worked for me.

Carb cycling has worked wonders since I started it, and its a lot less intense than going full blown keto. Might be something you want to check out.

What macro split are you using? If im low on cals, a few tbs of peanut butter or a handful of raw almonds usually bump me up where I need to be.

[Fall13]

Sorry, I was just always told this by people (and my trainer before she moved.). I thought cardio was to burn carbs, weights help to increase the muslce, and the more muscle you had, the more fat you burned throughout the day? Is this not true?

I have always thought this too? Untrue? I do cardio, to do it. Then I lift because the more muscle you have the more calories you burn for the next 24 hour period right?

Any who I am not sure what split I am doing right now, my calorie counting website has been down for days and I am pretty pissed about it.

I am still eating clean but I changed it up a little. In the morning I am using 1 cup of rolled oats with a handful of blueberries and chopped walnuts. Double what I normally eat. Then for Lunch and I am eating 3 oz of whole wheat pasta with veggies and including 2 pieces of fruit daily instead of just 1 post workout.

Any suggestions, or does this sounds alright?

[Fall13]

I agree on upping your cals for a week or two. It worked for me.

Carb cycling has worked wonders since I started it, and its a lot less intense than going full blown keto. Might be something you want to check out.

What macro split are you using? If im low on cals, a few tbs of peanut butter or a handful of raw almonds usually bump me up where I need to be.

Yea I have heard carb cycling is awesome! I would like to try it after I try this for a while. I eat almonds everyday but I always try not to eat too much fat. I now it is good fat but I try to watch my fat intake.

How much fat would be considered too much for 1 day for someone that is trying to lose. My fat usually comes from avocade, almonds, olive oil, almond butter etc.

[IH8CARDIO]

Cardio doesnt burn fat the way lifting does...and you gotta go heavy.

This is the biggest load of bull I've read on this forum. Wow!

Well, in my humble opinion that one statement isn't a load of bull at all. In my experience anyway, cardio's effects on fat loss pale in comparison to what weightlifting does for me. Certainly cardio is a tool that can - and often should - be used in one's arsenal, but IMHO weightlifting and diet are far more important.



OP: it's clear to me that your major problem is diet. Can you give more information? If possible can you write out a sample day of meals you eat? I'm sure we can give you some tips on what to adjust and add to help you get more calories in.

[Fall13]

Well, in my humble opinion that one statement isn't a load of bull at all. In my experience anyway, cardio's effects on fat loss pale in comparison to what weightlifting does for me. Certainly cardio is a tool that can - and often should - be used in one's arsenal, but IMHO weightlifting and diet are far more important.



OP: it's clear to me that your major problem is diet. Can you give more information? If possible can you write out a sample day of meals you eat? I'm sure we can give you some tips on what to adjust and add to help you get more calories in.

Hey there! Here is a sample of my regular diet from before. The past day or so I have changed my diet with the above. More oats, 1 more piece of fruit etc.

Supplements:

I was taking

NO XPLODE, just stopped two days ago. 1 scoop

CLA 5 grams/day

ON 100% whey 1.5 scoops mixed with water post workout

multivitamin


Morning 7 am



-5 egg whites with spinach and onion or 1/2 cup dry rolled oats with chopped walnuts

-1 slice of whole wheat toast

10 am - ON 100% Whey shake 1.5 scoops mixed with water

- 1 piece of fruit



12:30 pm - 1/2 cup brown rice with 5 oz chicken breast

- 3 cups romaine lettuce with lemon juice

- 0.25 avocado



3 pm - 1/2 cucumber

- 3 hard boiled eggs white only



6 pm - 5 oz chicken breast with 1 cup veggies



I drink a ton of water, and I use pam and olive oil on occasion



Any advice would be greatly appreciated

[kimm4]

The most important key to dropping b/f and getting results is your diet...get those calories in check. Then get in the gym and push those weights. Don't be afraid to go heavy, you'll actually make better gains. Throw in some cardio, but there is absolutely no need for double cardio sessions. If you're diet is on point...you'll be good to go!!

I don't think there is any need for carb cycling at this point...usually a 40/40/20 or 50/30/20 works very well for most.

Note to Scubyfan: Just because you're overweight doesn't mean the pounds just fall off. You have to really work hard to lose that b/f...and woman hold more fat than men...so it's even more difficult...

Good luck.

[MichelleAntonia]

i have recently started hitting the weights HARD, cutting cardio by half, and switching to high protein, low carb (basically keto) and i can pretty much say i have NEVER seen such quick fat loss results. i am 1000% converted to the weights>cardio for fat loss. i'm mad i wasted so many years doing so much cardio!!!

[Fall13]

i have recently started hitting the weights HARD, cutting cardio by half, and switching to high protein, low carb (basically keto) and i can pretty much say i have NEVER seen such quick fat loss results. i am 1000% converted to the weights>cardio for fat loss. i'm mad i wasted so many years doing so much cardio!!!

Yea I am not a big fan of cardio myself and I should maybe attempt to do more of it. I usually lift. I love the way it makes me feel. I was doing low carb a few days out of the week, but the weight loss just came to a stop. I noticed I was eating all day but only making a small amount of calories. I have gotta start feeding my body and hope I start dropping. Today I upped it and I felt like I was eating a ton but I did have more energy.

[tiffy_sugar]

What calorie tracking site do you use? Fitday is the one I use and I love it!!! I was the same as you as one point, thinking that since I was eating every 2 hours, I must have been getting in my cals, but in reality I was only eating 800 - 1000... Just adding in a whole egg here, a banana there, a few extra fish oils, and cooking with olive oil was all it took to hit 1400 cals for me (although its closer to 1500 the last few days). And i can tell a HUGE difference in my lifting and energy levels. and a 50/30/20 split seems to what works best for me (i'm kinda carb sensitive) but many find 40/40/20 to work the best... figureing out your macros seems to be what takes the longest.

[Fall13]

What calorie tracking site do you use? Fitday is the one I use and I love it!!! I was the same as you as one point, thinking that since I was eating every 2 hours, I must have been getting in my cals, but in reality I was only eating 800 - 1000... Just adding in a whole egg here, a banana there, a few extra fish oils, and cooking with olive oil was all it took to hit 1400 cals for me (although its closer to 1500 the last few days). And i can tell a HUGE difference in my lifting and energy levels. and a 50/30/20 split seems to what works best for me (i'm kinda carb sensitive) but many find 40/40/20 to work the best... figureing out your macros seems to be what takes the longest.

Thank god I wasn't the only person doing this. I use my-calorie-counter.com I've used it for a few years so I am pretty stuck on it, but I think something happened and my ISP won't let me on certain sites, so yesterday I used Fitday and I liked it. I pay $5/ month so I can add my foods. What crap huh! So Fitday it is. Yea I was thinking that I was eating every 2-3 hours and doing my body good, when I wasnt. I was keeping carbs fairly low unless it was a pre workout. Eating egg whites and salad with chicken. Which doesn't give you many calories. I am gonna give 40/40/20 a shot and see what happens. I am pretty carb sensitive myself but I'll do this for the first month or so. If I fail then I'll switch to 50/30/20.