Nutrition help

[andybgr]

Greetings,

I am male 39, I weight 100kg, height is 174cm and my body fat is about 28%.

I'm into weight training 3 times per week and I'm starting the 4th week this Monday. I haven't seen the scale change, but in the mirror I already started to look different.

I did train before had some gains, and then I stopped because of an injury (it's one of the reasons I got so much fat).. but now I 'm back into the game for good - injury is just an excuse....

My 1st goal is to drop the fat to about 15% and gain muscle at the same time. So I have a series of questions ,

1) How many calories do I need?
2) Should calories be different on rest days than training days?
3) What should be the composition of my nutrition? (protein %, carbs, fibers, fat)
4) How long should it take to reach my goal if I do everything as planned?



Finishing 3 weeks in the gym, I already see some toning everywhere on my body except my belly and chest because most fat is concentrated there.

I do push my self in the gym and add weights when necessary.

For my nutrition so far, I am not counting calories yet but I think it's time and that's why I'm here .

If I make a good estimated guess, I eat about 2400 calories per day in 5-6 meals.

- I do concentrate to create a habit of eating healthy meals (no junk food, sodas, or fat).
- I added protein to every meal. Counting the protein I eat about a little bit more than 100grams per day.
- I cut the carbs. I only eat some carbs for breakfast right before training (my training is in the morning about 2-3 hours after breackfast)
- I do get a protein right after training within 20-30minutes and some electrolytes.

That's about it, I am just trying to create good habits before counting calories, but now it's time to start counting.


My 2nd longterm goal is to go into bodybuilding, not for events, just for me. I'm not sure if I can accomplish that at 39 but I will do my best.

Thanks

[paulinkansas]

Do you have a small to medium sized dog?

[andybgr]

Do you have a small to medium sized dog?

what do you mean? I have a pitbull

[SuffolkPunch]

If your weight isn't dropping, it's because your calorie intake is too high, it's that simple.
1. Take what you are eating (put your daily eating into myfitnesspal or similar app) and deduct 500.
2. No
3. Read the sticky thread at the top of the page
4. You can expect to lose about 1-1.5lbs a week if you get calories right but don't plan too far ahead, just take what you get for now.

You don't need 5-6 meals a day, in fact that may make appetite control harder.

Cutting out heavily processed foods is a good idea. Use minimally processed foods like meat, eggs, vegetables, fruit, beans, pulses, wholegrains

No need to fixate on carbs. It's calories that matter. No need to worry about slugging down protein straight after training. You have hours to get the next feeding in.

[andybgr]

If your weight isn't dropping, it's because your calorie intake is too high, it's that simple.
1. Take what you are eating (put your daily eating into myfitnesspal or similar app) and deduct 500.
2. No
3. Read the sticky thread at the top of the page
4. You can expect to lose about 1-1.5lbs a week if you get calories right but don't plan too far ahead, just take what you get for now.

You don't need 5-6 meals a day, in fact that may make appetite control harder.

Cutting out heavily processed foods is a good idea. Use minimally processed foods like meat, eggs, vegetables, fruit, beans, pulses, wholegrains

No need to fixate on carbs. It's calories that matter. No need to worry about slugging down protein straight after training. You have hours to get the next feeding in.

Thanks SuffolkPunch I will do that,

I thought that I wasn't losing weight 3 weeks into the gym because I started replacing fat with muscle, I thought the fat will wash off after a while until my body gets used to these changes.

If I calculated it correctly, my BMR should be around 2800 cals/day. So I should eat about 2300 if I want to lose 0.5 kg per week. There is no way I'm eating 2800 at the moment

[SuffolkPunch]

At 100kg, you are looking at losing maybe 25kg before looking lean. Muscle gain is very slow, you will likely never be 100kg and lean as a natural lifter. Your target weight should be more like 75-80kg. So the emphasis will have to be on letting weight drop.

Be careful of calculators, they often over read for heavier people (which is unfortunate).

It's more likely your BMR is 1800 and your TDEE (which is BMR + daily activity) is more like 2500. But if you want to start with 2200, try it - but that might turn out to be a bit slow considering the amount of fat you need to lose.

[andybgr]

At 100kg, you are looking at losing maybe 25kg before looking lean. Muscle gain is very slow, you will likely never be 100kg and lean as a natural lifter. Your target weight should be more like 75-80kg. So the emphasis will have to be on letting weight drop.

Be careful of calculators, they often over read for heavier people (which is unfortunate).

It's more likely your BMR is 1800 and your TDEE (which is BMR + daily activity) is more like 2500. But if you want to start with 2200, try it - but that might turn out to be a bit slow considering the amount of fat you need to lose.

Yeah I guess you are right, I probably miscalculated my BMR and I eat the same calories for maintenance instead for losing.

I should drop that number and see how it goes.

Thanks again

[EiFit91]

Greetings,

I am male 39, I weight 100kg, height is 174cm and my body fat is about 28%.

I'm into weight training 3 times per week and I'm starting the 4th week this Monday. I haven't seen the scale change, but in the mirror I already started to look different.

I did train before had some gains, and then I stopped because of an injury (it's one of the reasons I got so much fat).. but now I 'm back into the game for good - injury is just an excuse....

My 1st goal is to drop the fat to about 15% and gain muscle at the same time. So I have a series of questions ,

1) How many calories do I need?
2) Should calories be different on rest days than training days?
3) What should be the composition of my nutrition? (protein %, carbs, fibers, fat)
4) How long should it take to reach my goal if I do everything as planned?



Finishing 3 weeks in the gym, I already see some toning everywhere on my body except my belly and chest because most fat is concentrated there.

I do push my self in the gym and add weights when necessary.

For my nutrition so far, I am not counting calories yet but I think it's time and that's why I'm here .

If I make a good estimated guess, I eat about 2400 calories per day in 5-6 meals.

- I do concentrate to create a habit of eating healthy meals (no junk food, sodas, or fat).
- I added protein to every meal. Counting the protein I eat about a little bit more than 100grams per day.
- I cut the carbs. I only eat some carbs for breakfast right before training (my training is in the morning about 2-3 hours after breackfast)
- I do get a protein right after training within 20-30minutes and some electrolytes.

That's about it, I am just trying to create good habits before counting calories, but now it's time to start counting.


My 2nd longterm goal is to go into bodybuilding, not for events, just for me. I'm not sure if I can accomplish that at 39 but I will do my best.

Thanks

As others mentioned you should read the stickies, they are very helpful.

You probably have a higher BF% than you think, but that is hard to know without pictures. You probably also carry a lot of abdominal fat that involves certain risks to your health. So I would be in favor of going all out for fat loss, maybe try to lose 20 kg and see if you can maintain that weight.

You should also always attempt to get stronger, even while cutting.

[faithbrah]

As others mentioned you should read the stickies, they are very helpful.

You probably have a higher BF% than you think, but that is hard to know without pictures. You probably also carry a lot of abdominal fat that involves certain risks to your health. So I would be in favor of going all out for fat loss, maybe try to lose 20 kg and see if you can maintain that weight.

You should also always attempt to get stronger, even while cutting.

was going to say this too. 174 cm, 100 kg and only 28% bf is pretty damn good

[andybgr]

As others mentioned you should read the stickies, they are very helpful.

You probably have a higher BF% than you think, but that is hard to know without pictures. You probably also carry a lot of abdominal fat that involves certain risks to your health. So I would be in favor of going all out for fat loss, maybe try to lose 20 kg and see if you can maintain that weight.

You should also always attempt to get stronger, even while cutting.

Yes I understand. I got my BF% number from visiting a nutrition specialist, but those "devices" are not that reliable. I just accept that 28% because that's the only official number I have.

I will upload some pictures.

I 've seen people around my BF% and they seem way worse than me. My image seems mostly "athletic" with abdominal fat, mesomorphic body type.

Yes I believe losing 20kg would be ideal. But how can I tell if at the same time gain muscle weight? What is the optimal weight if I aim for muscle at the same time?

surely it should be higher than 80kg - this is what confuses me the most. That's why I said on my first post that I just aim for 15% BF without mentioning the body weight.

I think I have a lack of knowledge on this matter.

[faithbrah]

Yes I understand. I got my BF% number from visiting a nutrition specialist, but those "devices" are not that reliable. I just accept that 28% because that's the only official number I have.

I will upload some pictures.

I 've seen people around my BF% and they seem way worse than me. My image seems mostly "athletic" with abdominal fat, mesomorphic body type.

Yes I believe losing 20kg would be ideal. But how can I tell if at the same time gain muscle weight? What is the optimal weight if I aim for muscle at the same time?

surely it should be higher than 80kg - this is what confuses me the most. That's why I said on my first post that I just aim for 15% BF without mentioning the body weight.

I think I have a lack of knowledge on this matter.

the "muscle weight" isn't significant enough to offset your weight loss that much, so don't worry about it. at your height, i would personally go as low as 65-70 kg, but you can stay a bit higher if you really want to

[paulinkansas]

what do you mean? I have a pitbull

There is a lift you can do at home called a "Dog Lift". You cradle your dog on the ground and pick him up. It's sort of like a squat/deadlift. It'll save you time since you don't have to go to a gym. I did dog lifts as a teenager when I didn't have access to weights.

[SuffolkPunch]

I started at 92kg and I'm 6ft tall. At the time, after doing situps a few times I thought to myself - surely I only need to lose a few kgs and I'll have a six pack...

Nearly 15 years later, all that time I stayed in the 80-90kg range and have lost lots of fat and replaced it with muscle that is probably close to my genetic maximum for a nearly 50 year old...

I'm currently 86-87kg, still no six pack - blurry abs at best although my shape is totally different and I'm twice as strong as most people I know.

[EliKoehn]

There is a lift you can do at home called a "Dog Lift". You cradle your dog on the ground and pick him up. It's sort of like a squat/deadlift. It'll save you time since you don't have to go to a gym. I did dog lifts as a teenager when I didn't have access to weights.

I always thought this was an OHP with the dog. Maybe christen a variation?

[paulinkansas]

I always thought this was an OHP with the dog. Maybe christen a variation?

My suggestion would be to do the OHP with a keg. Start with a 1/6 bbl, work up to a 1/4, then graduate with a 1/2 bbl (160 lbs). I remember this bodybuilder that was also a bartender in college. He could pick up a 1/2 and put it on his shoulders then climb up a flight of stairs. He was about 5'6".

[EliKoehn]

My suggestion would be to do the OHP with a keg. Start with a 1/6 bbl, work up to a 1/4, then graduate with a 1/2 bbl (160 lbs). I remember this bodybuilder that was also a bartender in college. He could pick up a 1/2 and put it on his shoulders then climb up a flight of stairs. He was about 5'6".

Even though I like beer, I might buy a keg just for the home gym value, since it's got good handles and you can adjust the weight unlike dumbbells.

[paulinkansas]

Even though I like beer, I might buy a keg just for the home gym value, since it's got good handles and you can adjust the weight unlike dumbbells.

I store my kegs next to my dumb bell rack. They can only adjust downward in weight. So I suggest doing more reps of OHP as the weight decreases.



kegs.jpg

[Kraken]

Each individual has specific needs and wants. The best way to figure out your needs, is to track your activity levels and your diet. Check the breakdown of your calories and your macro nutrients (fat, carbs, proteins).

From here you can have a better idea of your current status and where to go from there. I suggest you read stickies for specific macro needs based on your goals.

generally speaking, importance goes from calories to macros to activity (calories including but not limited to exercise).

Once you have these things in place, changes should be quick and dramatic at first, but then tapering off quickly as well.

[EliKoehn]

How much does one of those kegs weigh when full?

[paulinkansas]

How much does one of those kegs weigh when full?

1/6 bbl = 60 lbs
1/4 bbl = 90 lbs
1/2 bbl = 150 lbs

That's a 1/6 and 1/4 bbl in the picture

[EliKoehn]

1/6 bbl = 60 lbs
1/4 bbl = 90 lbs
1/2 bbl = 150 lbs

That's a 1/6 and 1/4 bbl in the picture

Considering most hotel/apartment gyms have dumbbells which only go up to 50lbs, that's a good range to work with for most exercises besides squat and deadlift stuff.

[paulinkansas]

Considering most hotel/apartment gyms have dumbbells which only go up to 50lbs, that's a good range to work with for most exercises besides squat and deadlift stuff.

The liquor store where I buy them has a clerk that was a pro wrestler in Japan (Bull Schmitt was his stage name). He picks up 2 kegs at a time and slings them around like they are pillows.

[AdamWW]

If I make a good estimated guess, I eat about 2400 calories per day in 5-6 meals.

- I do concentrate to create a habit of eating healthy meals (no junk food, sodas, or fat).
- I added protein to every meal. Counting the protein I eat about a little bit more than 100grams per day.
- I cut the carbs. I only eat some carbs for breakfast right before training (my training is in the morning about 2-3 hours after breackfast)
- I do get a protein right after training within 20-30minutes and some electrolytes.

Mmmk... this makes zero sense.

You said you eat 'no fat'.... yes you do

You said you ONLY eat some carbs for bfast right before training... and in another post you said you only eat around 100g of protein.


If that's the case, how would you possibly get 2400 calories?

Even if your fat was insanely low, like 30 grams, and you ate 100g of protein, that would leave like 1600 calories remaining for carbs, which in your own words is ONLY in one meal pre-training...



So you're telling me you eat 400 grams of carbs at breakfast?


Something tells me you're just not counting or tracking anything correctly at all. Back to the drawing board.

[andybgr]

Mmmk... this makes zero sense.

You said you eat 'no fat'.... yes you do

You said you ONLY eat some carbs for bfast right before training... and in another post you said you only eat around 100g of protein.


If that's the case, how would you possibly get 2400 calories?

Even if your fat was insanely low, like 30 grams, and you ate 100g of protein, that would leave like 1600 calories remaining for carbs, which in your own words is ONLY in one meal pre-training...



So you're telling me you eat 400 grams of carbs at breakfast?


Something tells me you're just not counting or tracking anything correctly at all. Back to the drawing board.

Sorry I did not write that correctly.

By cutting the carbs I meant I stopped eating any bread and pasta all day. I used to eat a lot of that.

Of course I do get carbs from other sources though.

And about the fats, I meant the bad unhealthy ones. I added more fish in my diet and I tasted an avocado for the first time in my life

[paulinkansas]

I tasted an avocado for the first time in my life

Wait until you get your hands on some melons young man. It'll cause a growth in your pants.

[andybgr]

Hey guys, what is my activity level if I do weight training 3 days per week?

I am trying to calculate my BMR..

In most BMR calcs at the drop-down list there is Light Exercise 1-3 days per week and Moderate Exercise 3-5 days per week. Which one is it?

I am a bit confused here with these calculators.. For the first choice, 1 day is definitely not 3 but again it's on the same activity level.. same for the second choice, 3 is definitely not 5...


is there another more advanced way to calculate BMR even if it has to do with more math? For example is there a chart that shows for each activity you do how many points can be assigned? - It will be harder manually, but I bet the result would be more precise

[AdamWW]

Hey guys, what is my activity level if I do weight training 3 days per week?

I am trying to calculate my BMR..

There is Light Exercise 1-3 days per week and Moderate Exercise 3-5 days per week. Which one is it?

I am a bit confused here with these calculators.. For the first example, 1 day is definitely not 3 but again it's on the same activity level..


is there another way to calculate BMR even if it has to do with more math? Like giving points to each activity you do, manual calculation etc..

BMR isn’t impacted by activity… I think you’re mixing that up with TDEE.

You need to better describe your weight training (duration, intensity) and also your general activity (work style, step count) in order to more appropriate estimate a TDEE.

[andybgr]

BMR isn’t impacted by activity… I think you’re mixing that up with TDEE.

You need to better describe your weight training (duration, intensity) and also your general activity (work style, step count) in order to more appropriate estimate a TDEE.

Thanks, I didn't know about the TDEE.

I am just checking a TDEE calculator I've found in a random search. Same activity levels as I desribed above, 1-3 light and 3-5 moderate

My time at the gym is 20 minutes fast pace walking and about 45mins to 1 hour of full-body work outs, 3 times per week. The rest days are really rest days...work in office, and sedentary at home

[AdamWW]

Thanks, I didn't know about the TDEE.

I am just checking a TDEE calculator I've found in a random search. Same activity levels as I desribed above, 1-3 light and 3-5 moderate

I do 20 minutes walking, and about 45mins to 1 hour of full-body work outs, 3 times per week. The rest days are really rest days...work in office, and sedentary at home

So your total ‘cardio’ every day is a 20 minute walk?

[andybgr]

So your total ‘cardio’ every day is a 20 minute walk?

at a fast pace at the treadmill in the gym yes. I can also add a total of another 45 minute walk to the gym and back but in normal pace.

yeah... I get your point.. I should do more cardio at the gym