Calories and Cardio

[LiquidTrance]

I'm new to the boards and I've been reading around and I think I'm probably hurting myself more than I know.

I had an assessment done at the gym and my goal was to loose 5lbs and tone up. The assessment was basically for a 6 week goal and it said I should be eating just a little over 1000 calories in order to loose the 5lbs. Personally I think 1000 calories is a bit low and almost unattainable for me.

My diet isn't the best, but I've made huge improvements with it. I have no idea what a MACRO is (as far as diets go) and I don't have a fat/protein/fiber(?) ratio that I follow (is this a MACRO?). I do eat 4 servings of fruit typically daily, but that alone racks up to 400 calories which doesn't leave much left out of the 1000 calorie allowance.

My other issue is my cardio. I was reading someone else's thread that people were saying 400 calories 4-6 times a week is overkill. If that is the case them I'm doing well over overkill. Typically I do cardio 3-4 days a week, but I usually burn 700-800 calories (about an hour of cardio) a session. The main reason is because on the days I do go to the gym I shoot my calorie intake from the 1000 cals to 2000 cals because that leaves me more room to actually eat real food. I typically do 2 days of heavy cardio and 2 of medium intensity. On a side note I also do weight training the same days I do my cardio because my schedule is pretty crappy.

Anyone have any input on my calorie intake or cardio habits?

Thanks in advance!

[twinnett]

http://hotnfit.com/

Check out this site...lots of info...but in short, you're not eating enough. Are you lifting?

[freebirdmac]

I'd put you at 1500 cals, 40/30/30. It sounds like you're not lifting. You really, really need to. It'll help you to preserve muscle mass so that you only lose fat and will do more for fat loss than cardio. A full body workout 3x a week plus 2-3 sessions of cardio will compliment diet. No need for long cardio sessions. Do HIIT or intervals 2x and if you'd like, a 3rd steady state session for 20-30 minutes. Between the cals and exercise you should easily see a 1 pound a week fat loss. It may not show up on the scale! Use measurements, the mirror, and progress picts.

[LiquidTrance]

Actually I do lift weights typically 4 times a week and I do the cardio on the same time, which I think I put that at the end of my long novel I wrote lol! After I wrote my post I did come up with a better meal plan that would get my eating around 1500 on average a day.

I'm not concerned so much with being at a certain weight. My main goal is really to get cut and be trim. I actually got my first "do you work out?" question yesterday while I was getting my pedicure. Made me happy because that just means my workouts are actually paying off.

I'm down to a size 2/4 (which I think is a 26-28 inch waistline - you know each brand has you at a different size somtimes) and I was a 6 (30 inch waistline), so I'm seeing it in my clothes more than the mirror which is perfectly fine.

Thank you both for your suggestions it's a big help!

[eglionz]

I have to second Freebird. It sort of sucks for us shorties because our calorie intake is naturally lower. Up it to a more consistent 1500 and focus on lifting heavy, you should be able to increase your lean mass without fat gain (at 1500 cals you'll probably slowly lose fat) as long as you pay attention to what you're eating. The scale is pretty useless unless you need to lose a lot of weight, I wouldn't even step on it. I'd keep the cardio as long as you are making progress with your lifting. If your lifts start to suffer, take another look at your nutrition and add some calories or try cutting back on the cardio a bit.

Increasing your lean mass will make it much easier to control your body fat without having to resort to super-low cal diets or excessive cardio.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=117376171

That thread illustrates why the scale is useless, and my own story is that I can fit into a pair of size 24 jeans at 115 lbs that I haven't been able to fit into since I was 100 lbs (before lifting).