Who is on a diet right now?

My trainer put me on an 1,100-calorie per day diet. This somehow seems incorrect. I have always been told that I should eat a minimum of 1,200 calories per day to support my metabolism.

I suppose it's better than the Cabbage Soup Diet. That diet gives you the worst gas ever. But you lose tons of weight!

7/7/2009 8:20:06 AM

Quote :

"I have always been told that I should eat a minimum of 1,200 calories per day to support my metabolism."

how many times have you had someone take the time to evaulate your metabolism and figure out how many calories you should take in?

i'm guessing no more than once, if that.

7/7/2009 8:22:20 AM

when we hongry...

we don't eat

7/7/2009 8:24:35 AM

Never. Where can I have my metabolism measured?

I've always read in other diet books and by other personal trainers that I should eat between 1,200 and 1,500 calories per day ... spread out in 5-6 small meals per day. I thought eating less would put your body in starvation mode.

7/7/2009 8:24:40 AM

the way that you're saying "I should eat..." makes it sound like you took what you read in these books very personally.

7/7/2009 8:27:16 AM

what's your height
current weight
body fat %

throughout the day are you sedentary, moderately active, extremely active

7/7/2009 8:30:50 AM

Quote :

"Never. Where can I have my metabolism measured? "

if you are a fairly normal individual you can just look up one of those charts to see how many calories you burn every day. you will have to answer questions such ^ to get an approximation for your rate.

the only way to find out exactly is to go to a high tech gym or a kinesiology/exercise phys department at a university and have the experts measure it.


[Edited on July 7, 2009 at 8:34 AM. Reason : ]

7/7/2009 8:33:21 AM

I've lost around 15 pounds over the past few months, but I haven't really been dieting. Just going to the gym 5/7 days a week and doing cardio and weights. I usually eat what I want, but try to have smaller portions. It's not really a diet, more of a lifestyle.

[Edited on July 7, 2009 at 8:35 AM. Reason : -]

7/7/2009 8:35:20 AM

Quote :

"what's your height current weight body fat % throughout the day are you sedentary, moderately active, extremely active"

All of these were measured last Thursday:

5'7"
125 lbs
15.5%
moderately active (2 hours of exercise per day)

Goal is to drop a dress size and fit into my old clothes again.

7/7/2009 8:36:29 AM

lifestyle > diet

7/7/2009 8:36:31 AM

you're fucking tiny as hell and you want to lose more weight?

1100 is DEFINETLY not enough for the numbers you posted, since you're already pretty lean (and no I don't trust that you're actually 15.5%, but even adding a 3% error has you around 18%). The only thing 1100 calories is gonna do is promote muscle loss.

what is your current exercise routine? (2 hours seems like A LOT)
post up your weights, cardio, etc.

Also, I hope you're taking at least 1-2 rest days

[Edited on July 7, 2009 at 8:47 AM. Reason : ]

7/7/2009 8:46:26 AM

You don't need to lose any weight, just tone up a little.

7/7/2009 8:48:25 AM

Lucy is so totally lean and tone. She doesn't need to do anything.

Except maybe force her sister-in-law to go for a jog everytime she comes to town. Or maybe to hit up the hotel gym in Vegas.

I should be carefully counting everything and measuring portion sizes, but over the last month or two I have been extremely slack. Which is why I've not lost any weight. I'm going back to Denver on the 17th for an adjustment to my band which will restrict how much I've been able to eat (because I have a lap band) and hopefully get me back on track to losing weight.

7/7/2009 8:50:27 AM

i drink that much a day in beer.

7/7/2009 8:58:54 AM

I realized Shock Top has 171 calories

so thats 1026 for me

7/7/2009 9:00:48 AM

beer is what helped me put on so much weight in 2007.

7/7/2009 9:01:52 AM

^^^^^^ Just trying to tone and shrink my ass so I can fit into my skinny jeans again. I gained 8 lbs this year and wouldn't mind getting back in my old shape.

As for my workout, I do a one-hour power walk daily. Plus, I do 30 minutes of cardio (running or elliptical) and 30 minutes of weights five days a week. On the weekends, I mix it up with other sports, like tennis, surfing, swimming and rock climbing. No days off, but I don't do a hardcore workout on the weekend.

^^^^ And I'm ready for Vegas, baby!

^^ If I want wine, then I end up just drinking my dinner based on the above calorie count.

7/7/2009 9:08:23 AM

5 days of weights? On that little amount of calories?

I'm guessing you do a body part split too? (PLEASE tell me I'm wrong)

7/7/2009 9:12:54 AM

^ Yes on the body part split. But no on the number of calories. I haven't started the diet yet. I'm currently on 1,200-1,500 per day.

7/7/2009 9:21:09 AM

I've always heard women need at least 1,200 calories a day for their metabolism, unless it's doctor approved

7/7/2009 9:21:58 AM

oh god, here goes another TWW Fitness Guru roid rager

7/7/2009 9:25:17 AM

it's out of the scope of practice for a personal trainer to be dispensing nutritional plans.

unless he/she is also a nutritionist/dietitian. and if so - is his/her degree from university of phoenix or some other crappy online joke?

7/7/2009 10:15:30 AM

I'm dieting too but really just trying to restrict myself on portion sizes moreso than give up anything I really like.

I def could not survive on 1100 cals/day, I think I had 1200 before dinner yesterday


but 15.5% BF??? Wow that's skinny, are you sure you want to lose weight? Be careful about restricting too much cause you might be burning off some muscle in the process.


I'm 6'3"
214 lbs
and i'm guessing 25% BF

I'm trying to get to 200 by doing both a combo of weightlifting and cardio, just cause i need to convert some of that BF% into lean muscle.


I've also found if I eat regularly throughout the day, like every 1:30 or 2hrs, i have a much easier time losing weight and i dont really get too hungry.


Yesterday:

Breakfast: bowl of kashi cereal w/skim milk

10am: nutrigrain bar

12pm: ham/cheese sandwich from home

1:30: banana

3:30: nutrigrain bar

5pm: protein bar

6pm: Workout at gym. I had legs day and i probably should have brought some food with me because by the end i was feeling a little sick from pushing so hard. I went home and had to take it easy for a bit

7pm: Protein Shake

8:30: Baked Ziti, some bread at Tavola Rossa. I ate about 1/3 of my plate, got the rest to go.

10pm: mini cheesecake bite from the freezer


and today I weighed exactly the same as I did yesterday, so however many calories that is, probably around what I need to maintain my weight AND workout.

7/7/2009 10:18:10 AM

I'm 6'4"
216 lbs
and around 23% BF

I also need to hit the 200lb mark, but I've already lost over 15 pounds with my lifestyle change. Around 3-4 months back I weighed 233, now I'm 216, so 200 doesn't seem that hard really. All I need to do is stay consistent and keep going and I'll get there.

The doctor told me that 216 is a good weight for me and that 200 may be too skinny for my body. He also said that BMI is crap and that for my body frame I'm already as healthy as a horse. The thing is, I want to look dead sexy at the beach and doctors don't take that into consideration, lol.

7/7/2009 10:25:58 AM

wow i was like 235 a while back and lost weight too....

7/7/2009 10:34:35 AM

I'm 6'1 195 13.4% bf and eat 2400 cals, 180g protein, usually split over 6 meals as best I can, i dont bother trying to eat a certain amount of carbs/fats unless I'm on a TKD/CKD, all I care about is a deficit from my perceived maintenance calories and 1g protein per 1lb lean body weight. I usually keep intake ~2200-2600 cals/day, anything less and the scale does not move.

each meal includes:

1 serving whole grains - 150-200 cals
1 serving lean protein - 100-120 cals
1 serving fruit or veggie - 20-100 cals
1/2 serving healthy fat - 65-100 cals

I'll usually eat 2 servings of fruit, targeting their intake right around my workouts or front loading my day with them and the remaining 4 meals are all heaping veggie portions.

ex day:
Breakfast/PreWO:
1/2 cup oatmeal
3 whole eggs
1 banana

PWO Meal-
40g dextrin/maltodextrin/waxy maize
40g protein
5g mono/poly fats

Snacks/Lunches/Dinner
2 low carb tortillas
4oz baked chicken breast
1 cup broccoli
1/2T EVOO baked into chicken

1/2 cup brown rice
5oz tuna medallion
2 cups raw baby spinach
1/2oz mixed nuts

2/3 cup pinto beans
4oz pork tenderloin/chops
1 cup asparagus spears

Last Supper:
1 scoop casein
2 slices whole grain bread
1 cup broccoli
1oz natty pb

7/7/2009 10:58:59 AM

Quote :

"Where can I have my metabolism measured? "

A couple days after you start your period, take your body temperature reading under your armpit first thing in the morning with a mercury or alcohol thermometer, before you even get out of bed. after about 10 minutes, read the thermometer and write down the reading. Do this for 7-10 days to get a median average. If it's below 97.5, your metabolism is way too low.

If your metabolism is similar to mine (and I'd imagine it should be due to genetics), being on a caloric deficit of 500-1000 calories a day would probably give you a morning reading of 98.0. When it drops lower than that, you're not eating enough and your thyroid is shutting down.

Men can check their body temperature at any time this way. Women's body temperature changes after ovulation or something like that.

7/7/2009 11:10:07 AM

why does that turn me on

7/7/2009 11:16:14 AM

porcha you've done an amazing job w/urself and i think it's awesome you've lost so much weight and changed ur lifestyle up completely, but im gonna be honest if i had to eat that every day i'd shoot myself. I dont think i could do that for more than a week before i became miserable. I wanna eat right, but i also wanna eat happy.

7/7/2009 11:21:21 AM

BMI is total crap, though a fairly low BMI is optimal in order to reduce strain on your joints.

^^^ I'll try that. I had no clue you were so in tune with the woman cycle. Mom would be proud. Perhaps you can teach her the proper way to wear a woman's swimsuit as well.

^^ And GROSS.

^ I agree. Porcha has done a great job. I need a bit more flexibility in my diet. I'm a sucker for wine and good microbrews.

[Edited on July 7, 2009 at 11:24 AM. Reason : ^ damn you ]

7/7/2009 11:23:22 AM

Porcha is a machine, lol. He's also dropped well over 100 pounds I think? For most people 20-30 pounds is the goal, so I don't think you need to use that routine. The biggest thing is consistency with workouts, eating healthier foods, and eating less of them. If you slack in any of these areas, you will slow down your results.

7/7/2009 11:24:06 AM

I'm on a pseudo-diet right now. I did hardcore Atkins for about 3 months and dropped nearly 30 lbs. Now I am eating "good carbs", but still keeping my carb intake limited to about 100g per day.

of course this past weekend fucked me all up, so I'm trying to avoid carbs all together this week until I drop back into ketosis.

7/7/2009 11:25:07 AM

Ketosis gives me wicked bad breath.

7/7/2009 11:25:41 AM

^ That's how you know you're in ketosis. That, and being really weak.

7/7/2009 11:26:26 AM

^ not true, at least not in my case. I am a lot more alert when in ketosis, and have never had any problems with weakness. no bad breath problems either

[Edited on July 7, 2009 at 11:27 AM. Reason : a]

7/7/2009 11:27:44 AM

I need to diet again. I cut 25 lbs and put on a bunch of muscle in the first half of 09, but the last 5-6 weeks I've basically stayed the same weight. I want to repeat now that the second half of 09 is on. Almost everything I eat is really good, healthy, food; but I just need to cut back on how much of it I'm eating and bump up my exercise a little bit more to start losing again.

[Edited on July 7, 2009 at 11:28 AM. Reason : l]

7/7/2009 11:27:59 AM

Screw that, I just take daily supplements, hit the gym (1hr cardio 3x a week, 1 hr weights 2x a week), and eat food that you know is better for you than other crap.

works just fine!

7/7/2009 11:28:17 AM

^^^ Ketosis makes me feel semi-drunk.

[Edited on July 7, 2009 at 11:28 AM. Reason : .]

7/7/2009 11:28:38 AM

It is just more of a steady energy, rather than the quick boost and subsequent crash you get from carbohydrates.

7/7/2009 11:29:36 AM

I've never tried Atkins, does that really work? I'd imagine eating cheese, bacon, steak would get old really fast.

7/7/2009 11:30:34 AM

There are a lot of things you can eat that don't have carbs in it. Most all of the green veggies have no carbs. Eggs, all types of meat (of course you want to choose lean meats), salads with oil and vinegar....lots of stuff! Plus all the sugar free jello you can stomach.

7/7/2009 11:32:13 AM

South Beach is better. Seafood, egg whites and lean proteins for the win. Buffalo chili. Mmmm.

Though I think Zone is great if you prefer a balanced diet that allows for a more generous portion of healthy carbs.

7/7/2009 11:32:27 AM

Snacking was nearly impossible when i was on Atkins.. jello was okay for a few days but i mean that is the hardest thing about the induction phase. Buffalo shrimp ftw though

7/7/2009 11:32:38 AM

hell yeah Atkins works, but it isn't for everyone. you're right, it does get old after a while. but if you follow it correctly, you can gradually reintroduce carbs into your diet.

[Edited on July 7, 2009 at 11:33 AM. Reason : a]

7/7/2009 11:32:59 AM

ive never tried any fad diets.


i really focus on reducing fat and portion sizes and just making better choices.

I've lost 20lbs doing it and plan on losing another 15 w/it

7/7/2009 11:33:48 AM

Lunchtime!

Yay for sashimi and green tea

7/7/2009 11:35:33 AM

Mmm sushi nomnomnom

7/7/2009 11:35:48 AM

yeah, portion size is key as well.

7/7/2009 11:36:22 AM

it's not fun but it'll help me plateauing....i can lose ~10lbs of random stuff from my system within a week of going on a CKD

i dont stay on a CKD plan for more than a month though, refeeding every 10 days, you do feel low energy the first few days as you become ketotic but after those first few days, I feel totally fine, never lost strength while cutting with keto yet. TKD is much more fun, you don't feel as wonky but I don't see results as fast.../shrug, weight loss is not and should not be a fast process anyways. I'm more in the mood to recomp now than actually lose weight. I'll likely eat 3000-3500 cal/day throughout the month of august.

7/7/2009 11:37:54 AM

SET 'EM UP

7/7/2009 11:48:20 AM