Macros and exercise

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alexbewley55
alexbewley55 Posts: 9 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi guys, I've recently got back into the gym and dieting after a while out of it. I am 6'0" at 265Ilbs/125kg. I'm looking to drop from 30/35% body fat to 10%. Weight isn't much of a problem as will then bulk. I'm currently doing 45 mins on the treadmill burning around 700/800 kcals. I also am tracking my diet using kcals and macros. My TDEE is 3056kcals I'm struggling to hit 1800kcals consumed per day if I eat clean which leaves me in a huge deficit, so looking at average 1600kcals per day with exercise included. I'm worried that being in such a deficit is going to hold up progress and struggling getting higher macros etc, I do want quick results but not looking for overnight, looking 12/18 months to hit target. Any sooner would be great but not looking for miracles.
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Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    If you can't meet your calorie goals while "eating clean," it's likely you're restricting too much. Have you eliminated too many calorie-dense foods from your diet?
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    Calorie dense foods include fats and oils like peanut butter, nutella. Also dates and raisins, macadamia nuts, peanuts, avocados, cheese, sausage, flax seed.
  • alexbewley55
    alexbewley55 Posts: 9 Member
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    I'm having a fuel 10k porridge cup for breakfast, cheese and onion baguette for lunch and chicken and rice and/or veg for dinner, no snacks and only drinking water
  • toe1226
    toe1226 Posts: 249 Member
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    RodaRose wrote: »
    Calorie dense foods include fats and oils like peanut butter, nutella. Also dates and raisins, macadamia nuts, peanuts, avocados, cheese, sausage, flax seed.

    Boom, exactly. I have filled 3-4k while training quite easily. A big baked sweet potato with almond or peanut butter, fish, meat, nuts, whole avocados...yummm!
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    alexbewley55 wrote: »
    I'm having a fuel 10k porridge cup for breakfast, cheese and onion baguette for lunch and chicken and rice and/or veg for dinner, no snacks and only drinking water

    You have a lot of options: Add some snacks. Add a beverage with calories. Add some foods like nuts, plant oils, avocado to your meals. Have a dessert.
  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,643 Member
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    I often eat ice cream to fill my macros. Literally, eat anything calorie dense. You've gotten some great suggestions here, but even eating minimally processed, (which I don't always do for convenience) I find it incredibly easy to eat 2800 calories on a day. I often find it hard to not overeat, especially if I'm doing long bouts of cardio. I could easily eat 5000kcal on a cardio day... and occasionally do... peanut butter is often the bane of my existence.
  • alexbewley55
    alexbewley55 Posts: 9 Member
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    Ok thanks guys, I suppose my real question is that the low macros I am hitting, are they too low to lose body fat percentage and then when I hit desired level raise to maintenance by adding in all of the above?? Or are they too low to see results?
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
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    No - they are not too low. Now if it were 800, maybe.... :)
  • cecsav1
    cecsav1 Posts: 714 Member
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    What are your macros?
  • alexbewley55
    alexbewley55 Posts: 9 Member
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    I've got a TDEE OF 3056 and am only hitting 1600 calories at best, that's after exercise of 700/800 calories burned. My diet is as above, I never feel hungry etc but don't wanna be too low if it's gunna slow down weight loss
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    alexbewley55 wrote: »
    I've got a TDEE OF 3056 and am only hitting 1600 calories at best, that's after exercise of 700/800 calories burned. My diet is as above, I never feel hungry etc but don't wanna be too low if it's gunna slow down weight loss

    It's not going to slow down your weight loss to eat so little while exercising heavily. It's going to consume a lot of your muscle mass though. Are you wanting to lose muscle?
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited January 2016
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    The things that stand out to me are
    Not eating enough
    Your LBM will be decimated..you need to preserve it if you want a decent body composition
    Shed loads of cardio but I think your burns might be over ..prob closer to 5-600 if at 4mph
    Where's your protein
    Where's your progressive resistance programme

  • cecsav1
    cecsav1 Posts: 714 Member
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    Macros = protein, carbs, and fats

    Check out iifym.com
  • alexbewley55
    alexbewley55 Posts: 9 Member
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    Proteins 232g carbs 232g and fats 52g but am not hitting them. I don't want to lose Lean body mass which is why I'm asking the question, I am struggling to hit the macros eating clean and wholesome. I don't want to thrown random junk in, just stopped a mild red bull addiction lol (2-3 cans a day). Any idea on hitting targets without consuming a *kitten* ton of sugar, tonight is cheat meal and dominos have me well over today but that's 1 cheat every 2 weeks.
  • alexbewley55
    alexbewley55 Posts: 9 Member
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    Apologies also I train 5 times a week minimum broken into 45 mins cardio and weight training for 45 mins, 10 reps 3 sets per exercise minimal rests between sets and splits like this:
    Day 1: Chest and Triceps
    Day 2: Back and Biceps
    Day 3: Shoulders
    Day 4: Legs
    Day 5: Abs/core

    Sometimes I'll train 7 days and do one big session on each individual group per day
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited January 2016
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    alexbewley55 wrote: »
    Proteins 232g carbs 232g and fats 52g but am not hitting them. I don't want to lose Lean body mass which is why I'm asking the question, I am struggling to hit the macros eating clean and wholesome. I don't want to thrown random junk in, just stopped a mild red bull addiction lol (2-3 cans a day). Any idea on hitting targets without consuming a *kitten* ton of sugar, tonight is cheat meal and dominos have me well over today but that's 1 cheat every 2 weeks.

    What do you term clean and wholesome

    Full fat dairy, beef, home made fries, nuts, avocados, stir fries with olive oil, cheese, vegetables roasted, fried

    Perhaps it's time to widen your repertoire of foods ...to hit your calorie goals once you've hit your macro and micro nutrients ...nothing wrong with ice cream, cakes, cookies, chocolates, chips etc


    Why do you think pizza is junk ...carbs, protein, fats ...meh ..you have the calories and it can help you hit your macros. I think you're being unduly tough on yourself for no real reason

    Your protein should be around 170 minimum and your fats 92g at minimum amounts for your size
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    alexbewley55 wrote: »
    Proteins 232g carbs 232g and fats 52g but am not hitting them. I don't want to lose Lean body mass which is why I'm asking the question, I am struggling to hit the macros eating clean and wholesome. I don't want to thrown random junk in, just stopped a mild red bull addiction lol (2-3 cans a day). Any idea on hitting targets without consuming a *kitten* ton of sugar, tonight is cheat meal and dominos have me well over today but that's 1 cheat every 2 weeks.

    As I said above, people who struggle to hit their calories goals eating "clean and wholesome" are usually restricting too much. You've eliminated too many foods from your life. There is no reason why pizza should be limited to a "cheat meal." You need fat and protein daily and pizza has those. Your body uses carbohydrates every day. Pizza has those.

    You don't have to throw in "random junk." You will need to figure out some calorie dense foods to include in your diet.
  • cecsav1
    cecsav1 Posts: 714 Member
    edited January 2016
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    I'm going against the crowd here, as I am apt to do... lol. My suggestion is just eat MORE. Add a meal or two. Have oatmeal twice a day. Eat 12oz of chicken at a sitting instead of six. Cook your eggs with some butter; use the yolks.

    As mentioned above, you may need to increase fat. At about 170 pounds, my intake is 47g fat per day which is almost the same as yours. However, there's no reason to eat pizza or poptarts if you're following a more traditional bodybuilding diet, which it seems like you're trying to do.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    cecsav1 wrote: »
    I'm going against the crowd here, as I am apt to do... lol. My suggestion is just eat MORE. Add a meal or two. Have oatmeal twice a day. Eat 12oz of chicken at a sitting instead of six. Cook your eggs with some butter; use the yolks.

    As mentioned above, you may need to increase fat. At about 170 pounds, my intake is 47g fat per day which is almost the same as yours. However, there's no reason to eat pizza or poptarts if you're following a more traditional bodybuilding diet, which it seems like you're trying to do.

    Eating more of what he's currently eating may work, but if the foods he is eating are filling him so much that he's struggling to eat 1,800 a day, increasing portion sizes may not work.
  • alexbewley55
    alexbewley55 Posts: 9 Member
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    I get what your saying guys and I think your right, maybe I'm being far too strict on myself, I had a knee reconstruction 3 years ago and piled on weight I'm desperate to shift, if I hit 180g protein 180g carbs and 80g fat would this be more beneficial to my weight loss as opposed to my current very strict diet? Also would carbs be better from starch sources rather than sugar?

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