1700 Custom Diet Help

ChristohperRussell

Hi guys and girls,

I'm male, 6ft 2" and weigh roughly 266 pounds. Converted this is 188cm and 121kg. I estimate my body fat percentage to be roughly 30%.

I'm 100% positive that I'd like to try a 1700 calorie diet consisting of exactly the same foods over a 7 day period. The diet needs to contain x amount of protein in grams. Essentially this is a low carbohydrate/Fat diet.

The theory behind it is; by consuming a lot of protein will maintain/minimise muscle loss that will be inevitable with a 800 calorie deficit. It's a hypothesis I guess and I'll experiment with it for my own conclusions.

What I need help with is how much protein to consume. My thinking is along the lines of;

-Verified formulae: Lean Mass Weight (Kg) x 2.75 = Daily Protein Requirement

My weight being 121kg, take off a third body fat at 30% leaving roughly 80kg of lean mass times 2.75 = (220g of protein a day).

So I'm wondering how many calories just in protein I will consume and what will be left for fat + Carbohydrates.

1 can of tuna 165g = 200 calories 40g of protein roughly so I'll need to eat 5 and half cans of tuna a day equating to 1000 calories. I don't know about you but to me that seems a tall order! Wow, perhaps protein shakes but then I'll be hungry so tuna AND chicken. But chicken is higher in calories isn't it? And lower in protein? This is difficult! I'd have to start taking vitamins/supplements to make up for the reduced intake outside of protein. And on top of that, I'm hearing all sorts about the right sources of protein as they do differing things, from whey to salmon.

The point is, I'd just like your thoughts on things. Are my calculations on target? What's the knowledge behind different sources of protein over just one source?

I'm not focussing on how much weight I'll lose each week, that'll just become apparent as I go along. Any help would be appreciated.

Dragonwolf

I don't have exact numbers, but you do have 3-5 meals to spread your protein intake over. Therefore, you can have something like:

breakfast: 3 egg omelet with red peppers, green onions, and a little cheese

snack: cottage cheese and an apple

lunch: grilled chicken with tomato and onion (or whatever other healthy toppings), wrapped in lettuce

snack: protein shake with skim milk

dinner: lean steak, grilled, with steamed carrots and broccoli, and some strawberries


Like I said, I don't have exact numbers, but something like that should get you in the ballpark, and you can tweak from there.

If you go the fish route, be careful of mercury. Even canned tuna has enough mercury that you should limit yourself to something like 3-5 cans per week. The rule of thumb is that the higher on the food chain (and typically, the larger it is, the higher it is), the more mercury it contains per serving, unless it's farmed fish.

ChristohperRussell

Thank you. I like the meal you've set out, a lot! I think my diet plan is flawed to be honest after discussing it with people. Today will be well spent working out a good balance to stick to with a reasonable calorie deficit and increased exercise. You've done well to lose that much weight, congratulations :-)

Dragonwolf

Thanks! Same for you.

And I'm glad you liked my food ideas.

Low carb diets can be done, but you do have to be careful of your Ketone levels (which increase if you don't have enough carbs, and can be dangerous if the levels get too high).

I generally just go for balance (I have to have my cereal in the mornings!), but if you do a lot of working out, increasing your protein intake is a good idea. Keeping your carbs in check except on big cardio days is probably a good idea, too. Fats, of course, in moderation, but I don't get too hung up on fat content, because some fat in the diet is good. It's just a matter of knowing what ones (hint - the fats in things like nuts aren't bad).

All in all, it's just a matter of being informed about the pros and cons of the different types of diets, being information on what nutrients your body needs and how to get them, and listening to your body. I think a lot of people overthink things sometimes.

mrsdchavis

I weigh 215.... I'm 24 and a stay at home mom. The survey says I need to be on a 1700 calorie diet. I don't know how to plan my meals. I think I gain weight due to skipping meals. I currently eat about 1200 calories a day. I do not eat oatmeal. Please help! I need motivation. All my friends are very slim an I always feel like the fat girl in the group. I also would like a confidence boost. I bought protein powder today to make shakes an smoothies. I'm winging it right now. I would love for us to help each other out