I need help with what to eat and how much

ben2795

Ive done alot of researching over the years but the problem is, everything is related to gyms and workouts so apologies if this is long winded but heres a quick background.

Im a carpet installer, im up at 4.30am and often get home around 5/6pm sometimes later sometimes earlier.

I drive 2 to 5 hours a day working mostly on building sites not peoples homes,i dont have the time or energy for the gym but my work is physically and mentally enough,im muscular with a bit of fat ontop, from research i burn around 3 to 400 callories an hour and i work generally 8 hours a day.

I dont know what kind of diet i can have to help me cut the fat but also provide me with enough energy and all the nutrients i need to be healthy and keep me going all day.

ben2795

Forgot to add, im 6ft, 25 years old and around 200lbs.

Nony_Mouse

When you do your set up for MFP, one of the questions it asks is what your activity level (outside of deliberate exercise) is. For you, I'd choose active or highly active. For your weekly weight loss goal, choose 0.5 lb if you have less than 20 lb to lose, and 1 lb if above that (you say 'a bit of fat', so I'm assuming you don't have a great deal to lose). That should give you a daily calorie goal that's suitable. Then, just eat the foods you like and that you know give you enough energy within that calorie allowance. The MFP default macro (carbs, fats, protein) percentages are fine to start with, you can play around with them down the track if you want to.

In 4-6 weeks, look at your average weekly weight loss in comparison to expected weight loss, and raise or lower calorie intake if necessary (increase if you're losing faster than expected, decrease if you're losing slower).

Buff_Man

Well if you want to reduce your bodyfat you need to maintain a calorie deficit. Working out is just one method of doing this, the other is eating less food. So if you don't want to workout then log everything you eat for a week, then reduce it by say 300 cals a day for 2 weeks. If you don't lose weight/fat drop again by 100 cals. You have to be consistent and as accurate as possible with what you eat. Undoubtedly, a balanced diet of good fats, complex carbs, fruit, veg and protein should give you the energy you need.

PAV8888

I would start just by keeping track of my food for a few weeks and then reviewing and seeing which items seem like good deals to you and which ones don't; thus you may want to replace them with better alternatives!

Doing all this will probably also make you limit your food more than enough to lose a bit of weight. Especially in the beginning logging takes time and it is sometimes easier not to eat something than have to log it (ask me how I know! )

As a construction worker/carpet installer, assuming you're not a mega slacker, your actual activity level is well above the maximum level of very active.

Hence I think that you don't even need to add a formal deficit to start losing a bit of weight around the edges.

You may want to note that your weight TREND over time (say at least 10-15 days as a male) is what matters, not your daily weight which can go up and down a lot based on factors other than your fat level.

Please read: "food, condiments, and drinks with calories (including alcoholic drinks)" everywhere I mentioned the words food, logging food, and making choices among foods above!

sijomial

ben2795 wrote: »

I dont know what kind of diet i can have to help me cut the fat but also provide me with enough energy and all the nutrients i need to be healthy and keep me going all day.

Any kind of healthy diet that puts you into a small but sustainable calorie deficit - including a slightly smaller version of the diet you are already eating perhaps?

You might simply look at making a few substitutions of foods and drinks that you currently eat (diet coke instead of coke for example) or make some reductions in higher calorie items (one beer instead of two). Start reading labels and doing comparisons between options, a review of your food diary might identify easy wins.

Assuming your current diet currently provides your with "enough energy and all the nutrients i need to be healthy and keep me going all day" (hitting nutritional goals isn't difficult with a large diet) then don't make drastic changes.
Dieting for weight loss doesn't mean you have to make major changes or eat "special foods" or avoid certain foods.

It's a maths game not a penance!

SERmom3

Good advice above. The only thing I would add is that you should probably consider reducing calories on days you’re not working. If you have Saturdays and Sundays off, I’m assuming you’re not in the “highly active” category on those days. Maybe check out what your calorie setting should be on a “lightly active” setting and aim for that on your non-working days.

Best of luck!

ben2795

I take a meal replacement shake in the morning from the protein works, i take 2 crunkie bars to work and 2 chicken lettuce and mayo wraps to work, then i come home and have dinner(usually chicken or fish with chips and broccoli. I only drink water, i dont drink fizzy or coffee and i rarely eat sugary foods as i have Gerd, all of which cause me heartburn.

I dropped my weight to around 196 and then it seemed to slow, im just about to depart from my month vacation in california and ive indulged a bit, currently 215 😅.

I had the muscle and definition for most of my body but not my torso, maybe i just dont work them muscles enough