Extra calories

aregensb

I just started following NROL4W this week and I'm very excited about it! I have my second workout today.

The thing I'm concerned about is that I'm somehow not eating enough. I have three meals a day from the book plus the two snacks and the post workout shake. With all that food, I'm still hitting only about 1800-1900 calories. My weight right now is about 160 but my target weight is about 140-145 pounds. I did the pen and paper calculation for how many calories, etc. I need based on the target weight. For non-workout days, it's 2013 and for workout days it's 2264.

Now, should I eat an extra handful of peanuts or something to bridge that gap? Or should I just keep following the menu in the book and stay at about 1800-1900 calories? Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks.

elizabethblake

I think it depends on what your goal is. If you're trying to lose fat, then keep the smaller calorie number because that will give you a deficit and you'll lose. If you're not trying to lose fat (although it sounds like you are), then up your calories.

Why don't you give it a few weeks and see how your body responds to the new routine?

thedreamhazer

I just started following NROL4W this week and I'm very excited about it! I have my second workout today.

The thing I'm concerned about is that I'm somehow not eating enough. I have three meals a day from the book plus the two snacks and the post workout shake. With all that food, I'm still hitting only about 1800-1900 calories. My weight right now is about 160 but my target weight is about 140-145 pounds. I did the pen and paper calculation for how many calories, etc. I need based on the target weight. For non-workout days, it's 2013 and for workout days it's 2264.

Now, should I eat an extra handful of peanuts or something to bridge that gap? Or should I just keep following the menu in the book and stay at about 1800-1900 calories? Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks.

We are twins. I'm 161, shooting for 145, taking in 1900 calories, with pretty much the same calories calculated based off the NROLFW equation. I'm following the menu in the book, too, which gets me those 1900 with the workout shake.
I'm starting the training program on Monday (I started the diet first). I plan on trying to get closer to 2000 calories on training days. Personally, I'm going to add in an extra tbsp of olive oil throughout the day, since I'm always under on my fat macro.

Good luck!

bizco

I'm not using the book's food plan. I use MFP's recommended calories based on my goals & settings, log my workouts in the Exercise tab, and eat back the earned "extra" calories.

kikkipoo

Oh my! I'll freak if I'm supposed to eat that many calories. Seriously? I want to lose fat still, shouldn't I maintain a deficit?

aregensb

Well, that's why I did my target weight. It is explained in the book why you're eating so many calories. Honestly, I'm a little nervous about it as well because it is a lot of calories, but the book explains that in order to build strength and muscle (which is the point of the book), you have to fuel your body correctly. Also, it's kind of a chore to eat all that food. I'll see how it goes and change my strategy in a month if it's not working for me.

I do like the nutrition plan and strength training a lot so far. It is a lot of food to eat, but I'm eating high quality, highly nutritious food. There aren't really any empty calories in my diet right now, and because I'm eating so much, I don't feel that tempted to eat a cookie or a brownie at a work birthday party anymore.

It may seem like a lot of calories, but maybe you wouldn't need the same amount. I don't have my copy of the book on me right now, but there's an equation to find your caloric needs. You could probably find a calculator online. The thing is, if I were trying to limit myself to 1500 calories per day and not eating the huge amount of protein I am taking in right now, I think I would be too tired to do the lifting.

AlsDonkBoxSquat

I'm not using the book's food plan. I use MFP's recommended calories based on my goals & settings, log my workouts in the Exercise tab, and eat back the earned "extra" calories.

This. I'm in maintenance right now and have mine pretty much figured out, but I'll push it higher next week. I'd love to follow the meal plans but they're heavy in wheat and i just can't accomodate that with my gluten allergy. I set up my macros on here and am sticking to that.

thedreamhazer

I've been following the diet plan for a week now (without the workout plan ... I start that on monday, as I said above) and I've noticed awesome results already. At (flat) 1900 intake, hitting my 40-30-30 cpf macros almost spot on, I've noticed a much better sateity, higher energy, better sleep, and the scale has already moved ... down. Despite being on my period and despite the fact that I'm coming from a 1200-1500 (net) calorie diet (which for me was around 1400-1700 intake, most days).

Don't be afraid to eat! I'm loving this food and how it makes me feel.

aregensb

I've been following the diet plan for a week now (without the workout plan ... I start that on monday, as I said above) and I've noticed awesome results already. At (flat) 1900 intake, hitting my 40-30-30 cpf macros almost spot on, I've noticed a much better sateity, higher energy, better sleep, and the scale has already moved ... down. Despite being on my period and despite the fact that I'm coming from a 1200-1500 (net) calorie diet (which for me was around 1400-1700 intake, most days).

Don't be afraid to eat! I'm loving this food and how it makes me feel.

I'm with you on following the higher calorie diet. It's a lot easier to avoid unhealthy foods on this diet rather than the 1200-1300 cal diet I was on before. I haven't weighed myself yet... I'm trying to wait for a week and see where I get to. I get discouraged if I weigh myself too often (that whole impatience thing). I think I'm going to make Monday my official weigh-in day.

bizco

Oh my! I'll freak if I'm supposed to eat that many calories. Seriously? I want to lose fat still, shouldn't I maintain a deficit?

Yes, you should still maintain a deficit if you want to lose weight. Lifting will help you perserve and condition the muscle you already have. But you will still lose some muscle tissue in addition to fat when you're eating at a deficit to lose weight.

aregensb

Oh my! I'll freak if I'm supposed to eat that many calories. Seriously? I want to lose fat still, shouldn't I maintain a deficit?

Yes, you should still maintain a deficit if you want to lose weight. Lifting will help you perserve and condition the muscle you already have. But you will still lose some muscle tissue in addition to fat when you're eating at a deficit to lose weight.

I don't know if this is necessarily what I'm supposed to do, but I calculated my caloric needs based on my target weight. If I had based it on my current weight, I'd be eating about 200 calories more I think. Right now, I still tend to be 100-200 calories under my recommended intake of about 2000/2200 nonworkout/workout day.

aregensb

Oh my! I'll freak if I'm supposed to eat that many calories. Seriously? I want to lose fat still, shouldn't I maintain a deficit?

Think about the daily recommended caloric intake. The BASELINE for women is 1200 calories. If you are wanting to start doing lifting exercises, then you need to fuel your body properly. It's not like you're eating 2300 calories and not doing any exercise... you're eating between 1900-2300 cals (based on your height, weight) and doing heavy lifting exercises. You're building muscle - your body won't do that easily if you're not eating enough of the right stuff. The thing to remember is that muscle continues to burn calories even at rest... it boosts your metabolism.

fitrunnermd

This is helping to reaffim that I need to up my calories considerably. I'm 192 lbs and I want to get down to at least 160. MFP put me on 1230 calories and I upped myself to 1380 but I think this might be why my weight loss has stalled after the first month.

edit.

So I did a quick search to see what my actual BMR is. MFP calculated it to be1585. The calculator I found online ( http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/) calculated 1638. I estimated that I am a moderate exerciser that exercises between 3 - 5 times a week. So this means multiplying my BMR by 1.55. So my body needs 2540 (acording to the BMR calculator I found) or 2457(according to MFP using the multiplier I found). Wanting to lose about 1.5 lbs a week means buring at least 5250 calories a week which means burning 750 calories a day. So this leaves me with eating either 1707 calories (MFP) or 1790 (Internet BMR calculator). I'm going to up my calories and take stock of what happens over the next month. I figure it will take that long for my body to like the additional calories. Hopefully this will mena I am less tired also.

elizabethblake

This is helping to reaffim that I need to up my calories considerably. I'm 192 lbs and I want to get down to at least 160. MFP put me on 1230 calories and I upped myself to 1380 but I think this might be why my weight loss has stalled after the first month.

Why do you think your weight loss has stalled? Because you upped your calories to 1380 or because 1380 isn't enough calories?

fitrunnermd

This is helping to reaffim that I need to up my calories considerably. I'm 192 lbs and I want to get down to at least 160. MFP put me on 1230 calories and I upped myself to 1380 but I think this might be why my weight loss has stalled after the first month.

Why do you think your weight loss has stalled? Because you upped your calories to 1380 or because 1380 isn't enough calories?

I think I stalled because I'm not eating enough. I'm also more tired which I have read can be caused by not eating enough for your activity level.

aregensb

Just to let you know too, even with me eating about 2000 calories, when I finish my daily food diary, mfp still tells me, "If every day were like today, you would weigh [less] in 5 weeks." I'm still eating below maintenance level, it's just that according the mfp calculations, I'll lose weight slower. I don't think that will necessary be the case with all the cardio and strength training I will be doing during the next few weeks.

elizabethblake

This is helping to reaffim that I need to up my calories considerably. I'm 192 lbs and I want to get down to at least 160. MFP put me on 1230 calories and I upped myself to 1380 but I think this might be why my weight loss has stalled after the first month.

Why do you think your weight loss has stalled? Because you upped your calories to 1380 or because 1380 isn't enough calories?

I think I stalled because I'm not eating enough. I'm also more tired which I have read can be caused by not eating enough for your activity level.

I agree, it sounds like you're not eating enough! Maybe bump up to 1500-1600 and see how that goes for a month?

lilyinlove

Now I am totally confused or just super bad at maths... I weigh 180lbs or did the calculation of [81x7.18]+795= metabolic resting rate 1377 rounded up... Now I multiply that with my BMI over 25 and under 35 years old... 2096 on resting days. Have I done this correctly?? If so Wow!!!!!


Now if i just had some peace and quiet so I could read the rest with all these kids around!

fitrunnermd

Now I am totally confused or just super bad at maths... I weigh 180lbs or did the calculation of [81x7.18]+795= metabolic resting rate 1377 rounded up... Now I multiply that with my BMI over 25 and under 35 years old... 2096 on resting days. Have I done this correctly?? If so Wow!!!!!


Now if i just had some peace and quiet so I could read the rest with all these kids around!

I used the calculator on this site to get my numbers. http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

_Sally_

Here is a link to the calculator that I used to get to my current calorie target:

http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

You plug in your age, height, current weight, BF% (if known) and your goal weight. It will then suggest daily calorie totals for slow and steady weight loss. (it is basically the maintenance level of calories at your goal weight, taking care not to go below your BMR if you have a lot of weight to lose). That way, you are developing the habits of the thinner version of yourself you want to be and there is no drastic jump from a significant calorie deficit to maintenance calorie levels.

I picked the Sedentary activity level (I have a desk job and work long hours) and add back my exercise calories.

I'm still reading NROL4W and don't know if I'm going to modify or not, other than to up my protein target to 30%.

_Sally_

I just read in the NROL4W book last night that the authors say:

1) Their calorie target levels are just a starting point. Reassess every 4 weeks and refine as necessary.

Page 68, Chpt 7 "The First Cut" - "We have no idea if that's your real maintenance level. It is, as I said, just a paper-and-pencil estimate."......"Ideally, after four weeks with maintenance-level calories, you'd assess your progress"

2) Eating up to 300 calories a day less than they recommend is OK if you've got excess weight to lose.

Page 71, Chpt 7, right before "Introducing Meal Plans", "If you feel that you must eat below your predicted maintenance level, cut a maximum of 300 calories a day.

Note: The calorie level that I have calculated for myself will be about 200 calories below the NROL4W "no workout" calorie target, and I plan to eat back at least half of my exercise calories. I find it interesting that they only give you 250 extra calories for your hard workout days, so eating half my exercise calories back will likely be at least 250 or so.