What diet is right for me?
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hiyomi
Posts: 906 Member
Hi everyone, I've been eating at a calorie deficit and going to the gym 5 days a week for about two weeks now. I try to eat healthier but I usually just focus on being in a calorie deficit. I'm 5'7 female and weigh 291 lbs, looking to lose over 100 lbs and gain muscle, like considerably gain muscle, weight training is something I enjoy doing. My question is, I've been told by different fitness trainers on how and what to eat better. One said to do low carb and high protein, the other said that low carb is not very sustainable, and to keep carbs just try and eat a little less of them maybe. Another said to just eat at a calorie deficit with no changes to specific macros. Now I'm totally lost and do not know what route to go. My goals are to lose a lot of weight and to gain a good amount of muscle. My body fat percentage is currently 56%! If anyone could give me any type of information on what path I should be taking on food, I would really appreciate it. Im not even sure it's a great idea to ask since everyone might also have different opinions lol I guess I would just go with whatever I see people commenting is most effective then.
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A lot will most likely say that Calories in = calories out which is true. For me, with similar goals as you, I eat High protein /Mid Fat/ low carb. Protein being the most thermogenic means it takes the longest to break down and store, by the time it goes through the digestion, there is less to store. I eat at a deficit, watching calories, but focus on my macros and use intermittent fasting. I feel better, have more energy, and am not hungry even in my deficit. Best of luck to you!1
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For me just a simple deficit works well. I incorporate food I enjoy so I don't feel deprived.
I have read that you won't be able to gain muscle while eating at a deficit, so you might have to work on losing first, then on muscle building. But that won't stop you from weight training while you lose weight since it is an activity you enjoy. Best wishes on your journey!0 -
Eat the way you plan to eat for the rest of your life. Figure out your daily intake and eat 500 calories less everyday.5
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I do the same as mommagem2017 but i do feel not as high energy if i cut out all carbs and it affects my work outs ( i tried it before). I would make sure to eat enough protein though.
I allow myself sweets everyday so i don't feel deprived (1cookie or 1/2 cup icecream, pop cycle...) but it fits in my calories.2 -
Honestly, the best diet is the one you can stick with. Generally, that means eating the food you like in smaller portions.
For me personally, along the way, there've been a few alterations. I try to hit my protein target. My hemoglobin is borderline low, so I try to hit my iron RDA. There are foods I used to eat that I've stopped, not because I "can't" have them, but because the chunk they'd take out of my daily calories just isn't worth it. In general, I'd say I follow a healthy diet. It's not 'clean'; I eat processed foods and my lower-calorie desserts have generally cut out flour and/or fat, not added sugars. But I also eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, legumes, eggs and dairy. (I'm vegetarian, but I have been for over 25 years; it's not something I started for weight-loss.)
As far as the strength training goes, it's difficult to build muscle in a deficit, but you can strengthen/preserve what you have. You may see some slight increase at the beginning (newbie gains), but in general, you need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight and a calorie surplus to build muscle. Doesn't mean you won't see strength gains.
I've got an open diary if you'd like to check it out. Not pretending I get everything perfect, but it's working for me (I'm a woman, 5'3", starting weight 254 lbs, current weight 181, goal 130).5 -
MommaGem2017 wrote: »For me just a simple deficit works well. I incorporate food I enjoy so I don't feel deprived.
I have read that you won't be able to gain muscle while eating at a deficit, so you might have to work on losing first, then on muscle building. But that won't stop you from weight training while you lose weight since it is an activity you enjoy. Best wishes on your journey!
I had read that by people commenting before and it is true but to an extent! Weight training helps to build muscle and it burns fat! Gaining muscle also increases your metabolism and burns more calories, so though it may be affecting me right now that I'm not seeing much weight loss at the moment, I've read that in the long run it's a lot more beneficial! So I just have to be patient, measure myself and my body fat percentages to see improvement
weight in the scale is actually some of the least importance ive learned! 0 -
The first thing I tossed on this journey was the notion of "diet food". Blech! If I don't want it, I'm not going to eat it. As this has gone along, I've begun to like and want some things that might make you cringe. Don't worry. You'll experience your own unique changes.
Fitness trainers can tell you how to exercise. Dieticians can tell you how to eat. Don't get those mixed up.
And, yes, this is going to be the rest of your life. You might as well enjoy it.5 -
For your goals, I would suggest high protein. Wouldn't worry about carbs really.2
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MommaGem2017 wrote: »For me just a simple deficit works well. I incorporate food I enjoy so I don't feel deprived.
I have read that you won't be able to gain muscle while eating at a deficit, so you might have to work on losing first, then on muscle building. But that won't stop you from weight training while you lose weight since it is an activity you enjoy. Best wishes on your journey!
I had read that by people commenting before and it is true but to an extent! Weight training helps to build muscle and it burns fat! Gaining muscle also increases your metabolism and burns more calories, so though it may be affecting me right now that I'm not seeing much weight loss at the moment, I've read that in the long run it's a lot more beneficial! So I just have to be patient, measure myself and my body fat percentages to see improvement weight in the scale is actually some of the least importance ive learned!
you cant gain muscle and burn fat at the same time. most people when they build muscle(usually in a caloric surplus) they also gain fat. to gain some muscle and lose fat you need to do a recomp which is a long tedious way of doing things but your weight will stay the same.(you eat maintenance calories for a recomp).if you arent seeing weight loss its not because you are building muscle if you are in a deficit. weight loss is not linear so there could be many reasons why the scale isn't moving.
you can gain newbie gains buts its not going to be like lose 5 lbs and gain 5 of muscle((hence a stall wont mean this is happening). its hard for a female to gain muscle even in a surplus of calories and it takes time. I would lift heavy and get enough protein and eat in a deficit to lose the fat you do have.you will retain any lean mass you have now. once you get down to a desired weight then you can decide if you want to recomp or bulk. a lb of muscle only burns an additional 6-10 calories. its not a lot.0 -
I agree that whatever you do you need to be able to stick with. That being said, I was going simply by deficit for several months of HIIT and strength training and didn't lose at all. I haven't been back for a %BF check yet, so not sure how that has changed. I recently switched to a low carb/high protein/moderate fats like MikeEsko. It has been the ONLY thing that has finally made the scale move. I will slowly add things back in and work towards moderation, but for now, I'm sticking with what's working.0
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nygirlinmd wrote: »I agree that whatever you do you need to be able to stick with. That being said, I was going simply by deficit for several months of HIIT and strength training and didn't lose at all. I haven't been back for a %BF check yet, so not sure how that has changed. I recently switched to a low carb/high protein/moderate fats like MikeEsko. It has been the ONLY thing that has finally made the scale move. I will slowly add things back in and work towards moderation, but for now, I'm sticking with what's working.
you lose weight in a deficit. if you arent/werent losing you werent in a deficit.its actually that simple. if changing what you ate resulted in weight loss its because you took some things out or cut them down and it resulted in a deficit.0 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »nygirlinmd wrote: »I agree that whatever you do you need to be able to stick with. That being said, I was going simply by deficit for several months of HIIT and strength training and didn't lose at all. I haven't been back for a %BF check yet, so not sure how that has changed. I recently switched to a low carb/high protein/moderate fats like MikeEsko. It has been the ONLY thing that has finally made the scale move. I will slowly add things back in and work towards moderation, but for now, I'm sticking with what's working.
you lose weight in a deficit. if you arent/werent losing you werent in a deficit.its actually that simple. if changing what you ate resulted in weight loss its because you took some things out or cut them down and it resulted in a deficit.
I don't believe it's that simple actually, there are lots of things that come into play with the body, just a few simple examples are bloating and or water retention. It can be temporary but it can also be longer depending on medications or other health issues.
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I always found named diets too restrictive and annoying. What helped me was to figure out what foods fill me up the most and focus on them.
Understanding satiety: feeling full after a meal
...Tips on how to feel fuller
So how can we best try to enhance these feelings of fullness to help us control how much we eat? Here are some top tips for helping you feel fuller:- Foods high in protein seem to make us feel fuller than foods high in fat or carbohydrate, so including some protein at every meal should help keep you satisfied. Foods high in protein include meats such as chicken, ham or beef, fish, eggs, beans and pulses.
- If you are watching your weight, opt for lower fat versions, using leaner cuts of meat, cutting off visible fat and avoiding the skin on poultry as this will help reduce the energy density of the diet, which can help to enhance satiety (see below).
- Foods that are high in fibre may also enhance feelings of fullness so try to include plenty of high-fibre foods in the diet such as wholegrain bread and cereals, beans and pulses and fruit and vegetables.
- Alcohol seems to stimulate appetite in the short-term and therefore drinking alcohol is likely to encourage us to eat more. Alcoholic beverages can make you forget about your intentions to eat healthily by making you lose your inhibitions. Alcoholic drinks are also calorific, so you should cut down on alcohol consumption if you are trying to control your weight.
- The ‘energy density’ of food has a strong influence on feelings of fullness or satiety. Energy density is the amount of energy (or calories) per gram of food. Lower energy density foods provide less energy per gram of food so you can eat more of them without consuming too many calories. Low energy density foods include fruit and vegetables, foods with lots of water added when cooking such as soups and stews, and lower fat foods. Click here for more information on energy density.
Read more: http://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/fuller/understanding-satiety-feeling-full-after-a-meal.html
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CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »nygirlinmd wrote: »I agree that whatever you do you need to be able to stick with. That being said, I was going simply by deficit for several months of HIIT and strength training and didn't lose at all. I haven't been back for a %BF check yet, so not sure how that has changed. I recently switched to a low carb/high protein/moderate fats like MikeEsko. It has been the ONLY thing that has finally made the scale move. I will slowly add things back in and work towards moderation, but for now, I'm sticking with what's working.
you lose weight in a deficit. if you arent/werent losing you werent in a deficit.its actually that simple. if changing what you ate resulted in weight loss its because you took some things out or cut them down and it resulted in a deficit.
I don't believe it's that simple actually, there are lots of things that come into play with the body, just a few simple examples are bloating and or water retention. It can be temporary but it can also be longer depending on medications or other health issues.
Well, yes. Are you taking a medication linked to rapid weight gain?
Otherwise, it really is as simple as tilting your energy balance toward weight loss by staying in a calorie deficit.
You're a woman, so you'll have monthly hormonal cycles which will drive you nuts, but if you stay in a calorie deficit your weight will, over time, tend to go down.1 -
Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »Eat the way you plan to eat for the rest of your life. Figure out your daily intake and eat 500 calories less everyday.
This^
I've lost weight eating low carb, then regained when I went back to my usual eating habits. Eat the way you intend to eat for life, because after you become a smaller person your maintenance calories will be smaller too. Something needs to change forever.
Weight loss is ALWAYS eating fewer calories, and/or burning more calories. Yes, there will be obstacles. If you want water weight loss.....eat low carb. But don't go back to "normal" carb levels or the water weight (glycogen stores) will return.1 -
Don't worry too much about whether you can gain much muscle while you're losing right now; even if you don't add an appreciable amount of muscle mass, lifting weights will absolutely help you retain the muscle you already have.
Since you're trying to retain muscle, make sure you're getting a good amount of protein. I'd also recommend getting a variety of vegetables and fruits, because vitamins and fiber are good for you. Beyond that, whatever eating pattern makes you feel best is good. You should feel okay about experimenting with different macro splits to see what works for you; it's more about adherence and sustainability than anything else.2 -
@hiyomi, please don't think "diet." Think "lifestyle." Suggest you choose a way to eat that you can live with the rest of your life. If you choose a specific diet, lose a lot of weight, then return to previous eating habits, you will regain all the weight you lost, and then some. And it is more difficult to lose the second time! I finally had bariatric surgery, and that tool has been enough to get me on a sustainable journey. I make sure I get in the grams of protein each day (63), water (88 oz), and everything else I concume has to fit within my daly calories (1450). I cut out refined sugars because I get a sugar ride. Currently, I'm eating gluten-free because my sister is gluten-intolerant, and I understand that can run in families. I feel better, so maybe I have some gluten sensitivity. I'll wait to see.
Listen to your body. Make sure you get in the recommended protein and water. And make sure whatever you choose is something you can see yourself using the rest of your life. Good luck!1 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »nygirlinmd wrote: »I agree that whatever you do you need to be able to stick with. That being said, I was going simply by deficit for several months of HIIT and strength training and didn't lose at all. I haven't been back for a %BF check yet, so not sure how that has changed. I recently switched to a low carb/high protein/moderate fats like MikeEsko. It has been the ONLY thing that has finally made the scale move. I will slowly add things back in and work towards moderation, but for now, I'm sticking with what's working.
you lose weight in a deficit. if you arent/werent losing you werent in a deficit.its actually that simple. if changing what you ate resulted in weight loss its because you took some things out or cut them down and it resulted in a deficit.
I don't believe it's that simple actually, there are lots of things that come into play with the body, just a few simple examples are bloating and or water retention. It can be temporary but it can also be longer depending on medications or other health issues.
it is that easy. I have a metabolic disorder and lose weight in a deficit(albeit slower than normal but still lose). the difference for me is my calories in and out is going to be lower than most calculators state because they dont take those things into consideration. bloating and water retention will mask weight loss but if you are in a deficit you will still lose weight,you just wont see the results because of the retention. even with meds the things is most will say weight gain because they increases appetite some can mess with your metabolism but again you may have to adjust your CICO to something lower than what the calculators give you.
Im also going to be 43 in a few days and have been going through perimenopause since I was in my mid 30s.3
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