Is there something missing? - confused

[Leckerbissen]

Hi everyone

I've just joined this site and just started lifting so i have a whole bunch of newbie questions - please be nice :-)

I'm a week or so into the NROLFW apart from eating loads of protein do i need to think about taking anything else? As well as trying to lose my stomach over hang i want to build muscle not just tone.

I'm quite confused about how much to eat of what type of food. I'm 5 ft 7 and around 147 lbs i know i need to have 1g of protein per lbs of my own bodyweight. Based on a calculation i'm told i should be aiming for 2300 cals when i'm lifting and around 300 less on the rest days but i don't know
A; if that is sufficient for my goals
B: how to work out my carbs, protein and fat intake. how does that divide between my number of cals?

After a week or so of following the NROLFW i'm feeling quite fatigued, could just sleep - maybe its to do with my period? but its making me think i'm not eating right.

I'm sure the answers are really simple but i'm trying to do this working out at home by myself and finding the numbers a bit mind blowing. Would be great if people could suggest specific numbers/formula

Thanks
J

[oregonchick76]

Hello 'yummy bite'...
It's not about eating 'tons of protein'. It's about meeting your macro needs, eating in the right calorie range and training smarter.
Protein should be around 1g per lb of body weight, fats should be around .3-.4g per lb of body weight and the rest should be carbs.
If you are trying to lose fat, eat at a slight deficit, to lose around 1/2 lb per week. How many calories would that be? Well, you can start at your 2300 and give it a couple weeks. If you don't lose or are gaining, start bringing those calories down. And obviously, count the calories accurately - measure and weigh everything.

For me personally, since I have a desk job and am not hitting the gym for an hour every day, I have to bring my calories down a LOT below what the calculators say in order to lose weight. I tend to cut on 1200-1400 calories per day, for a modest loss of about 1/3 - 1/2 lb per week.

[Echo814]

Those look like the calorie recommendations from the book, mine were 2200 on workout days and 1900 on rest days and it actually worked out to be right about maintenance/slightly under for me. The strategy of the book is for a recomp, you won't lose much weight, if any, but lose some inches since you will taking advantage of what we call newb gains. The author does say that if you are looking for more of a fat loss approach to lower no more than 300 cals per day if you are maintaining weight on the cals. I recommend this aproach too, I tried it on 1400 cals a day and it did not end well lol.

All the macronutrients are important, not matter if you are trying to lose, gain or maintain weight. Everyone responds differently though so you may need to play around with numbers until you find something that works. As mentioned above get in the minimum requirements for protein and fats and divide the rest of your calories however feels best for you.

Your fatigue could come from a lot of things like you mentioned the lack of sleep and TOM. It could also be starting a new program and if you are challenging yourself and your body isn't used to it yet. Before you started the program where you active or working out regularly?

[Leckerbissen]

@ oregonchick76
I hate picking user names, i'm learning German and that was the first thing which came to mind - I think tasty morsal sounds better :-) You speak German?

Thanks both for the advice, yes the numbers are out of the book, i don't want to lose weight i just want my wobbley bits ( which shouldnt wabble) to tone up and get a nice set of guns etc. Before i started this program i wasnt really doing much, i'm qutie active ( or can be) used to do lots of running/squash/gym etc so i'm not a stranger to exercise. We've just been separated for a few months or so :-)

I'm getting really confused with all these number now so.

weight: 147 lbs
Cals: 2300

daily protein: 147g ( based on 1g per my lbs)
daily fat between 36.75g and 49g ( based on 3 or 4 g per my lbs)
daily carbs 2116.25g and 2104g (based on taking protein and fat from cals)

That can't be right??
Maths was never my strong point

Thanks
J

[momandmd]

@ oregonchick76
I hate picking user names, i'm learning German and that was the first thing which came to mind - I think tasty morsal sounds better :-) You speak German?

Thanks both for the advice, yes the numbers are out of the book, i don't want to lose weight i just want my wobbley bits ( which shouldnt wabble) to tone up and get a nice set of guns etc. Before i started this program i wasnt really doing much, i'm qutie active ( or can be) used to do lots of running/squash/gym etc so i'm not a stranger to exercise. We've just been separated for a few months or so :-)

I'm getting really confused with all these number now so.

weight: 147 lbs
Cals: 2300

daily protein: 147g ( based on 1g per my lbs)
daily fat between 36.75g and 49g ( based on 3 or 4 g per my lbs)
daily carbs 2116.25g and 2104g (based on taking protein and fat from cals)

That can't be right??
Maths was never my strong point

Thanks
J

LOL I think your math is off!
Fat is 9 calories per gram
Protein and carbohydrates are both 4 calories per gram
(alcohol is 7 calories per gram, but we don't need to know that, do we )

So your protein requirement takes up 4*147=588 calories
Your fat requirement takes up say 9 * 40 = 360 calories
So together they should account for 948 calories per day, leaving 2300-948=1352 calories of carbohydrates.
1352/4=338 g of carbohydrates on 2300 kcal days.
Hope that helps!

[Leckerbissen]

LOL I think your math is off!
Fat is 9 calories per gram
Protein and carbohydrates are both 4 calories per gram
(alcohol is 7 calories per gram, but we don't need to know that, do we )

So your protein requirement takes up 4*147=588 calories
Your fat requirement takes up say 9 * 40 = 360 calories
So together they should account for 948 calories per day, leaving 2300-948=1352 calories of carbohydrates.
1352/4=338 g of carbohydrates on 2300 kcal days.
Hope that helps!

Your first post is an amazing one! :-)

I have been trawling through every bodybuilding/fitness site going for hours trying to find out how to work it all out! Why do they make it so complex? I couldnt find the formula you used anywhere.

To bad my suggested daily intake of 2000g worth of carbs isnt right - i quite like rice and pasta :-)

Yes, thanks it really really helps I was starting to think the math was a secret which wasn't shared with newbies x

[momandmd]

Glad to help! 2000g of carbs would be a lot of rice .

[Leckerbissen]

Glad to help! 2000g of carbs would be a lot of rice .

Mmmm rice :-) but maybe not so much!

I was curious about how close i was to my actual goals so i added my food intake up for the day (roughly) - waaay off. Fitday doesnt work so well for me.. is there something else available?

Protein: required = 147g: Actual = 201g
Carbs: required = 338g: Actual = 210g
Fat: required = 40g: Actual = 35.2g (not too bad)

So much extra protein and not enough carbs have to get on that and re-adjust.

Althought looking at the sample menu from NRLW based on 2000cals, someone should be looking at protein = 180g carbs = 165g Fat = 69g

Bit confusing

[Leckerbissen]

Mmmm rice :-) but maybe not so much!

I was curious about how close i was to my actual goals so i added my food intake up for the day (roughly) - waaay off. Fitday doesnt work so well for me.. is there something else available?

Protein: required = 147g: Actual = 201g
Carbs: required = 338g: Actual = 210g
Fat: required = 40g: Actual = 35.2g (not too bad)

So much extra protein and not enough carbs have to get on that and re-adjust.

Althought looking at the sample menu from NRLW based on 2000cals, someone should be looking at protein = 180g carbs = 165g Fat = 69g

Bit confusing

I've been even futher off with my carbs as my USA cup measure was wrong! which meant that i was actually using half a cup.

Promise i'll stop going on about carbs and protein and macros blah blah - i'm sure you're all sooooo fed up with all the newbie food type questions. If i can just get a few things straight.

I'm i ok to carry on with my worked out P/C/F requirements?
Does my protein and fat stay the same even on none work out days?
Why are my numbers so different from those in the book?
Could my lack of carbs be the reason i'm feeling quite low and exhausted?

Thanks in advance

[Leckerbissen]

Can anyone help me?

[DivaJana]

I'm i ok to carry on with my worked out P/C/F requirements?

go the required or the actual, both seem fine just up ur fats abit, u need to hit your P and F requierments and fill the rest with whatever.

Does my protein and fat stay the same even on none work out days?

yes the off days are just as important because they are your recovery days.

Why are my numbers so different from those in the book?

there is no perfectly accurate one size fits all theory. but go with the sticky in nutrition thread it worked for alot of poeple

Could my lack of carbs be the reason i'm feeling quite low and exhausted?

Yes that's possible some people respond better to high carbs other don't consume carb at all (keto diet)

[Leckerbissen]

go the required or the actual, both seem fine just up ur fats abit, u need to hit your P and F requierments and fill the rest with whatever.


yes the off days are just as important because they are your recovery days.


there is no perfectly accurate one size fits all theory. but go with the sticky in nutrition thread it worked for alot of poeple


Yes that's possible some people respond better to high carbs other don't consume carb at all (keto diet)

Thanks for your help :-)

I think i'm still doing something wrong - my body really isnt happy with my new eating plan. I've just got no energy, i'm exhausted and at points a little low.

Before i started this i ate quite a high carb low protein diet and for the first week of the change everything was fine but its just gone down hill from then. My numbers obviously arent working out for me - maybe i worked them out wrong?

[wakechica]

You protein is too high and fat is too low.

Fat you want about 1g/kg BW

So:

70g fat = 630cals
210g carb = 840cals

Which is 1,470 cals.

If you want to eat at 2000 that leaves you 530cals to play with which gives 132g protein which is more realistic and still at the higher end of protein consumption. You could if you wanted lower your protein slightly and eat more fat or more carbs.

Protein should be 1-2g/kg BW;I usually go halfway house say 1.5. Even the highest figures is not as much as you calculated.

With such a high protein diet it's no wonder you're struggling.

[Leckerbissen]

You protein is too high and fat is too low.

Fat you want about 1g/kg BW

So:

70g fat = 630cals
210g carb = 840cals

Which is 1,470 cals.

If you want to eat at 2000 that leaves you 530cals to play with which gives 132g protein which is more realistic and still at the higher end of protein consumption. You could if you wanted lower your protein slightly and eat more fat or more carbs.

Protein should be 1-2g/kg BW;I usually go halfway house say 1.5. Even the highest figures is not as much as you calculated.

With such a high protein diet it's no wonder you're struggling.

Thanks, thats really interesting!!

I thought i was strugling because of the lack of carbs not too much protein.

So its 1gram of protein per lbs body weight, which makes mine at 147g does that sound like a do able number.

I'm looking to eat at 2300. do i just up the carbs?

Thanks