How many calories?

[BigBob0505]

So I started lifting in February 2020. Just started because someone asked me how much I could bench and I had no idea. I had been working out with dumbells for about 2 years off and on before that. So bought a barbell and some weights. Last year I focused on gaining strength. This year I want to lose the fat. Right now I'm 6 foot 1 and 315 pounds. Turning 36 in May just had a physical and they said im healthy. Ha. Wonder what you have to weigh before they call you fat these days. Ha. Anyways I just started tracking my calories. I eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch everyday. Eat whatever the wife makes for supper. Today I ate 2000 calories. I feel full and just finishing up my work out. Do you think that is to few calories? Thanks.

[xsquid99]

I'll tell you this, people are rarely correct with their calorie counting unless you're weighing every single thing that goes into your mouth down to the gram using a digital food scale. Even then there is a margin of error because food labels are really only accurate to within +/- 20%, which is a pretty wide margin. Also, 2000 is a very nice round number, and a daily intake rarely works out to a number like that so experience tells me that you're very likely just estimating/guessing and not actually tracking your intake.

Better way of doing it is tracking your calories religiously for at least 3 weeks, which means weighing every bit of cooking oil, sauce, salad dressing, condiments, non zero-calorie drinks, etc and then watching what your weight does over that amount of time. If you're losing about 1% of your bodyweight weekly then you're right in the sweet spot for weight loss.

You should (and will) feel hungry if you're in a sustained deficit for a while.

[BigBob0505]

I'll tell you this, people are rarely correct with their calorie counting unless you're weighing every single thing that goes into your mouth down to the gram using a digital food scale. Even then there is a margin of error because food labels are really only accurate to within +/- 20%, which is a pretty wide margin. Also, 2000 is a very nice round number, and a daily intake rarely works out to a number like that so experience tells me that you're very likely just estimating/guessing and not actually tracking your intake.

Better way of doing it is tracking your calories religiously for at least 3 weeks, which means weighing every bit of cooking oil, sauce, salad dressing, condiments, non zero-calorie drinks, etc and then watching what your weight does over that amount of time. If you're losing about 1% of your bodyweight weekly then you're right in the sweet spot for weight loss.

You should (and will) feel hungry if you're in a sustained deficit for a while.

Yea I weight and cook my breakfast and lunches.
Yesterday day was 1917 calories and today was 2444 calories. Today was higher because Tuesday nights we go out to eat and I had soda with my meal. I use my fitness pal to track the calories. Sweets are definitely a problem for me especially if I'm tired. Ha. Good advice just need to track if for a few weeks and see whats happening. On a plus note it but my numbers into the US Navy body fat estimater and it said I was Ohhh Beast. Ha. Thanks for the input.

[serjioc]

I think you have to weigh yourself and see if it's too many or not.

If your gaining weight lower calories from what you eat and vice versa. If your losing weekly stay at that calorie amount and you'll keep losing.

[BigBob0505]

I think you have to weigh yourself and see if it's too many or not.

If your gaining weight lower calories from what you eat and vice versa. If your losing weekly stay at that calorie amount and you'll keep losing.

Yea I will just run with what I'm doing for a few weeks and weigh myself and find out how its going. I use to weigh myself everyday but now I'm a once a week guy. So I will weight in tomorrow morning and see what happened this week.

[Tommy W.]

At your weight you should shoot for a 2 LB loss per week. At the end of a month at those calories weigh yourself and if you haven’t lost 8 lbs then lower your calories. If you’ve lost more and can handle that calorie amount then you’re ahead of the game just get in the proper minimum nutrients

When you weigh yourself always do it in the morning after you pee and before you eat or drink anything

[BigBob0505]

Well dropped about 10 lbs. Sure its because I had been eating like garbage and this week have been sticking to my planned meals. Now if I could just drop 10lbs a week for the next 10 weeks. Ha. I'm sure it will level off next week or the one after. Been working alot so can only count on getting my work outs in on Monday and Friday. Just gonna keep grinding away.
317.6# last week. 306.8# today.

[Tommy W.]

Well dropped about 10 lbs. Sure its because I had been eating like garbage and this week have been sticking to my planned meals. Now if I could just drop 10lbs a week for the next 10 weeks. Ha. I'm sure it will level off next week or the one after. Been working alot so can only count on getting my work outs in on Monday and Friday. Just gonna keep grinding away.
317.6# last week. 306.8# today.

you lost a lot of water weight. You wont keep losing 10 a week. The challenge is staying on course when the loss slows down.

[serjioc]

Well dropped about 10 lbs. Sure its because I had been eating like garbage and this week have been sticking to my planned meals. Now if I could just drop 10lbs a week for the next 10 weeks. Ha. I'm sure it will level off next week or the one after. Been working alot so can only count on getting my work outs in on Monday and Friday. Just gonna keep grinding away.
317.6# last week. 306.8# today.

Great job man! Keep it going!

[BigBob0505]

Well after this week down to 303.6 pounds. Thats down another 3.2 pounds. So let's hope it continues. Have been pretty tired this week, but also have worked some 12 to 14 hr days. Yea its cable cut season. Ha

[serjioc]

Well after this week down to 303.6 pounds. Thats down another 3.2 pounds. So let's hope it continues. Have been pretty tired this week, but also have worked some 12 to 14 hr days. Yea its cable cut season. Ha

That's a good amount even if small. Keep it going.