Diet and Weightloss Newbie - Calorie Intake & Food

Chlozo

Hey everyone,

I've just started my weightloss journey this week. Currently, I'm 24 and 14 stone (196lbs).

Question 1
I'm just starting to get to grips with MFP, and I know how important it is to get the right calorie intake / deficit in order to lose weight.

I've used a few online calculators to work out my BMI, BMR and TDEE, and most of them roughly place me as:
BMI is: 34.7
BMR is: 1603 calories
TDEE is: 2485 calories
(I was a little confused as to what to put as my activity level, but decided to go for moderate exercise, as I'm going to the gym 5 days a week for an hour, with 30 minutes cardio and strength. Saying that, I am sat at my desk for 8 hours a day, although I go for a 1 hour walk a lunch. So I'm not sure if I've done that right or not?)

Is 1,985 calories what I should be aiming for per day (I've done a deficit of 500 calories from my TDEE)? Or have I misinterpreted it wrong? It just seems like that's a really high figure for calorie intake per day to lose weight. If I've got it wrong, can someone explain it all to me, and let me know roughly what calorie intake I should be aiming for to lose weight and gain some muscle?

Question 2
At the moment, I've been trying to make a few changes to my diet, but I'm finding myself so hungry whilst I'm at work, and my stomach has been rumbling all week.

For example:
Breakfast: 40g Fruit & Fibre with 125ml of Semi-Skimmed Milk.
Snacks: 1 Apple, 1 Banana, 80g Grapes
Lunch: Salad
Drinks: Water / 2 x Protein scoops with water.
Desert: Muller Light Yoghurt

I'm usually ok after my dinner in the evenings, it's just during the day I'm feeling so hungry. Does anyone have any ideas as to healthy things to eat that would fill me up at the same time too?

Any tips or advice really is appreciated!

juggernaut1974

Chlozo wrote: »

Is 1,985 calories what I should be aiming for per day (I've done a deficit of 500 calories from my TDEE)? Or have I misinterpreted it wrong? It just seems like that's a really high figure for calorie intake per day to lose weight. If I've got it wrong, can someone explain it all to me, and let me know roughly what calorie intake I should be aiming for to lose weight and gain some muscle?

A couple things...

Assuming your inputs are correct into the calculator, then yes you've done the math correctly for a 1 lb per week weight loss. "Moderate" exercise might be a bit aggressive for what you've described...so you could probably safely drop another hundred or two calories and not have any ill-effects.

Secondly, losing weight and gaining muscle are diametrically opposed. As a general rule, you can't do both while eating at a significant deficit. Gaining muscle (as in gaining actual muscle mass) is accomplished by eating at a surplus while doing progressive weight lifting. You can gain strength, and you can uncover existing muscle (often giving the appearance of 'new' muscle), but building new muscle mass is not likely to happen.

I'm usually ok after my dinner in the evenings, it's just during the day I'm feeling so hungry. Does anyone have any ideas as to healthy things to eat that would fill me up at the same time too?

Maybe you simply need to shift your calories around in the day more...eat a bit more for breakfast and lunch, and a bit less at dinner time. Meal timing is really a matter of personal preference, so if you find you're hungrier earlier in the day, eating more calories then as opposed to the evening won't affect your weight loss (assuming you maintain the daily deficit).

Alternatively, add some more fats and proteins to you earlier meals - fruit, salads, etc tend to be carb heavy. Not that there's anything inherently wrong with that, but fats and proteins tend to keep you satiated longer than carbs.

sandbox580

I have a meal with high protein for breakfast and low cal snacks all day so I can have a nice dinner. I tried doing it other ways but always became hungry and peckish by 3. I find that keeping my calories first and last in the day tides me over and starts me up and I still graze all day. 20lbs os far!(