Daily caloric intake, macros..advise needed

IWILLBelieveAchieveInspire

Hi,

Lately I have been second guessing everything I know about weight loss and I'm looking for some constructive advise. It's likely because I try and read everything I can get my hands on in relation to diet, healthy lifestyle but now it's just left me plainly put..CONFUSED! A little history... I have lost 65lbs thus far but still question if I am doing things right. I'm 42yrs old, 5'3". Do I eat enough calories for what i"m trying to achieve or am I eating too much. In the last 7wks I have drastically changed my workout routine. I typically workout 5days a week but instead of the endless cardio, I have now been lifting weights primarily. I do a 4day split with weights and after lifting i will typically do anywhere from 10-20min of skipping intervals or some sort of circuit training exercises. This can vary depending on how hard I pushed myself on any particular day. On leg/glute days I often am too exhausted for any cardio. On my 5th day I typically do intervals or a HIIT routine. I am loving this new routine. My end goal is to preferably loose another 45lbs. The scale isn't my main focus at this point and I have turned to measuring myself to gauge progress. I have one more week to go before I measure myself again and see what type of progress my 8wks of work has given me with this new routine. My ultimate goal is to look smaller, tight, muscular. Admittedly my diet is a work in progress but with the exception of the last week (I completely fell off track and blew my diet, didn't log..something which frustrates the heck out of me) I have been pretty consistent with logging but didn't start logging here until (jan 20th approx) i did it prior to that on my own at home. I guess I worry if I am eating enough for what i want to achieve and what macros should I follow for optimum results. I do find i'm hungry during the day. As much as i haven't focused on the scale I have looked at it since i began this new routine 7wks ago. I did drop around 5 lbs but after my wickedly bad last week I wouldn't doubt it if I gained it all back. I haven't stepped back on the scale because I don't want to get discouraged. I've just brushed myself off and committed to starting over again and log and eat good. But one day i read calorie deficit is all that is needed, the next one i read if i want to gain muscle that will ultimately burn fat..eat more, extra protein..etc.. I don't know what to follow now. I'm simply second guessing everything i learned.

If you have any helpful advise for me I'd appreciate it. If you have knowledge on diet and could give me advise what would it be? I have seen previous posts where people were dealt with in a pretty harsh manner in regards to their diet questions. I will open my food diary reluctantly as I understand this may help you get a better picture of my diet. Again..I didn't start logging here until Jan 20/14...I did not log at all last week(and I really don't want people making me feel bad about that).Tuesday feb 11 is where my wicked eating began a week ago. I know I shouldn't have, but I'm not perfect. I just had a terrible week, that's it! I'd rather not go into the details of my week and what caused it. Please be kind. I'm looking for constructive criticism not a slap on the wrist. I already do that quite well for myself already.

Lizzy622

Breath! You must have learned something on your journey losing 65 pounds. Calories deficit IS all you need to lose weight but if you want to lose fat and retain muscle, eating a balance of macros is the better way to go. So eat enough protein and don't forget the fat. Lifting will help you get strong and keep your muscle. Follow what you know.

Ainar

Well you lost 65 lbs which is great. You obviously doing something right. There are many ways how to lose weight. My suggestion would be to stop worry about all those different things you read and just stick to what works for you. The thing about doing it the most optimal way is subjective. I mean what's "the most optimal"? For me it means to do things the way that is the most easiest for you to stick to and still works. For some it might mean - the fastest way. Personally, I could get results I'm after way faster if I would put more work and discipline in. But that would be very hard to maintain with my lifestyle, so not the most optimal. The whole thing about this attitude of doing things the fastest way is wrong. Healthy eating and fitness should be lifestyle change and therefore you should condition yourself to do things the way what is the most "optimal" for YOU in a long term, not the one that brings the fastest results. So stop changing things and confusing yourself with all those new techniques and just find one thing that works, that you like the best and stick to it until it brings you results.

Generally, weight loss = calorie deficit. Weight gain = calorie surplus (also includes muscle gain, unless you are not seriously lifting for too long in which case you can gain muscle on deficit). To maintain weight (also including muscle) ate at maintenance. Lifting heavy while being in deficit will help you maintain muscle what you already have so later you don't have to build it up again.

If you count cals, or just ate healthy and be aware how your body reacts and change accordingly (you don't have to count, it's just that counting cals is the best way how to be aware, mirror and scale works too) you will lose fat or/and gain muscle.

If you lift and eat right (by "right" I mean calorie deficit or surplus depending if you wanna lose or gain something) you will look fit, toned and be strong. If you do cardio you will get in good shape and be healthy. Don't try to over-complicate things.

33Freya

There are so many differing opinions and advice out there because there are so many different people with different goals! Some want to lose weight, regardless of if it’s fat or muscle- they only want the scale to go down so they cut calories to an extreme (which as we know, tends to lead to fast weight loss, which leads to gaining all the weight back in fat, lowering the metabolism and causing all sorts of heartache).
Others want to get “big and strong” and gain muscle. Others want to “cut,” usually as part of a “bulk and cut program” where they feed their body to grow muscle, gain fat in the meantime, then “cut” the fat with specific macros and cardio (this is what the typical body builder does).

Still others (okay, ME) want to transform- lose fat but not muscle. My research has lead me to believe that for me, 40% of my macronutrients should come from Protein, 40% from good carbs (mostly veggies and some whole grains) and 20% fat. I lift heavy in splits (different parts of the body on different days) and I do HIIT cardio. I eat way more than I did when I was “dieting” and I am at only a 250-500 calorie deficit each day. Sometimes more, sometimes less. I have seen strength gains each week and have lost about .5lb per week. It’s slooooowww but it is steady and I’m confident that it is sustainable, meaning that I will keep it off. Muscle burns more calories than fat does, which is why it raises your metabolism.

It’s awesome that you have already accomplished so much and now you are weight lifting and doing HIIT! That’s the best for a TRANSFORMATION Goal: to lose fat and keep/gain muscle. I doubt that even during a wicked week, that you went over 17,500 calories, which would be what you need to gain that 5lbs back Just get on track and move forward: enough regret. Yesterday is behind you, now smile!

Based on today’s foods in your diary, it looks like you needed a break. Try having a cheat MEAL once per week. It’s something you can look forward to, and most people need to splurge now and then. (I do, and we all have times when that cheat meal turns into a cheat weekend- see all the chocolate in mine?!) Plan it for one of your HIIT days and eat whatever you want for that one meal a week.

I didn’t get a good look at your macros, but definitely shoot for 1gram of protein per lb of your lean body mass per day. If you have no idea how much lean body weight you have, you can usually go to your school or gym and get the skin caliper test for free and they will tell you. (advice adapted from Tom Venuto’s book, Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle).

It looks like you’re on a great track!!

IWILLBelieveAchieveInspire

Thank you so much for the positive words of encouragement.

I guess I have been really overthinking things lately. I want to make sure I am doing all I can to make reaching my goal a reality. I'm serious about loosing weight and am committed to doing what it takes. I'm a work in progress and definitely have made mistakes along the way but i want this more than anything. I really do believe it is my lifestyle now and I will reach my goals by sticking to it. Currently my macros are set to 40 protein/40 carbs/20fat. In the past I was allowing myself a 'cheat' once a week but found that the cheat was turning into a day and then a weekend. It was really sabotaging my hard work. So as of the new year I decided to eliminate them just to regain focus. i have eaten things since then that I wouldn't consider healthy but I didn't let it consume my day. I just ate it and adjusted accordingly. i find this has really helped with not loosing control altogether. I find once i gave myself permission to eat the junk in larger quantities it's very hard for me to stop..eg..this past week. I will likely introduce them again once I am in control again but for now it works for me.
Now i know i have to be realistic..I will likely never look like a fitness model but I do love the look of their bodies. If i were to strive for a 'look' that is it. That is why I switched my focus to weights. I just second guess it because i am the only woman in the weight area almost the entire time I'm at the gym. Can i loose the weight with this method always goes through my mind. I can't wait to measure myself in another week. For a long time i was told by a friend that was advising me..lift light, lots of reps..you don't want to bulk under the fat. Yet, it was opposite to everything I was reading so I just decided to do it my way. I lift as heavy as possible, 4sets and around 10reps. I do around 4 exercises per muscle group. I record what i'm doing and try and increase my weight if i find i can. I am getting stronger. I'm serious and committed to progressing.
Thank you so much for your input. It is always good to get another persons point of view. I am open to learning and improving.

IWILLBelieveAchieveInspire

I didn’t get a good look at your macros, but definitely shoot for 1gram of protein per lb of your lean body mass per day. If you have no idea how much lean body weight you have, you can usually go to your school or gym and get the skin caliper test for free and they will tell you. (advice adapted from Tom Venuto’s book, Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle).

It looks like you’re on a great track!!

Ok..this is where some of my confusion is..I'm approx 195lbs..so are you saying i should eat 195grams of protein? That's soooo much higher than what I'm eating right now. I believe MFP with the macros i have set are putting my daily protein intake goal as 145g. If thats the case then I am REALLY under on protein and need to adjust to maximize my results. I don't necessarily need quick results, I just want results.

michael300891

RDA for protein is 0.8g/kg.

AT 196lbs (89kg) = 71g protein

Recommend intake for those conducting exercise is 1.2g/kg

AT 196lbs (89kg) = 107g protein

Recommend intake for those conducting extreme endurance training or substantial calorie deficit with expected losses in lean body mass is 1.8g/kg

AT 196lbs (89kg) = 160g protein

Feel free to match your goals to whichever you think you apply to.

---

Doctoral Researcher in Exercise Adaptation and Metabolism:

Follow me on Twitter ( https://twitter.com/Michael300891 )

IWILLBelieveAchieveInspire

RDA for protein is 0.8g/kg.

AT 196lbs (89kg) = 71g protein

Recommend intake for those conducting exercise is 1.2g/kg

AT 196lbs (89kg) = 107g protein

Recommend intake for those conducting extreme endurance training or substantial calorie deficit with expected losses in lean body mass is 1.8g/kg

AT 196lbs (89kg) = 160g protein

Feel free to match your goals to whichever you think you apply to.

---

Doctoral Researcher in Exercise Adaptation and Metabolism:

Follow me on Twitter ( https://twitter.com/Michael300891 )

Thanks so much..that is very clearly stated.

michael300891

Glad to be of help, feel free to ask if you have any other questions.

Cheers, Mike.

---

Doctoral Researcher in Exercise Adaptation and Metabolism:

Follow me on Twitter ( https://twitter.com/Michael300891 )

IWILLBelieveAchieveInspire

bumping

IWILLBelieveAchieveInspire

Anyone else wanna give me some input?

browncurlz3

See a nutritionist. Especially if you're stressing over it...go see a professional. Literally, it is their JOB to help you eat well. I did it 1.5 years ago and it freed up so much of my mental sanity!! And...I lost some lbs and gained strength.