Insanity workout diet plan - Advice needed.

SuperGizmo

Hi all.

I am new to all of this so apologies if this kind of thing has been dealt with before. But I am looking for some help.

I am a month into the Insanity workout. It's tough going but I am determined to see it through (and possibly do it again if I am not happy with the results).

I don't have many problems following the diet plan. However, the equation it uses to calculate my calorie intake needed to lose weight comes to 3045 calories per day if I am to do Insanity. In case it helps, the numbers put into the equation are as follows.

Weight - 209 pounds
Height - 72 inches
Age - 29

This seems like far too much calories, and as such I have been afraid to step my meals up (even though I am already eating 5 times a day). I am seeking advice about how I should deal with this. Should I bite the bullet and eat that much or continue as I am (currently eating about 2100 - 2600 a day).

Thanks in advance.

SarahLynne22

When I calculated mine, it originally told me to eat 2400 calories, but after taking out the 500 (for weight loss), I was still at 1900 calories a day. So what I did, it used my target weight (125) and used that to do my calculations. I am only on Day 2 of Insanity, so I might have to re-evaluate depending on how I feel.
My advice is to at least cut out the 500 calories, and then see how you feel.

SuperGizmo

3045 is what I came up with after the 500 subtraction. Should have said that before.

You make an interesting point about calculating with your Target weight though. But doesn't that hinder your energy requirements for your current weight? In theory anyway.

SuperGizmo

Also, would it be better to follow the calorie guidelines set by MFP? For me it suggests eating 1940 a day, but according to my heart rate monitor I burn between 500 and 800 calories for each Insanity workout. As a result I'd be down to as little as 1140 calories as long as I am not eating back the calories.

This can be confusing :-)

SuperGizmo

Just read why you should always eat back your calories, it makes sense to me.

Does this mean that the value of 3045 calories might be right for me? Taking into account the exercise and the eating back of calories of course.

JJordon

Insanity uses the Harris Benedict equation. It came out round 1908. I prefer a more modern approach the Mifflin St Jeor equation that was last updated in the1990s. It's a bit more accurate than its predecessor.

Www.calculator.net
Look for it here, to get an idea.

Yasmine91

For me it was over 3000 calories too but I find that, that is way too high for me so I eat at my BMR and don't eat my excersise calories back. That's what I'm starting with and I'm gonna see how that goes. Try finding out what your BMR is and eat those calories.

robin820

Depends are you losing now in month one? If so do as you have been doing and things will be just fine. I have done 5 1/2 months of Insanity straight and after the first round I really went witht he MFP calculations for what I should be eating. You tend to even out th eplaying field this way. I have been maintaining quite well and just now am I really concentrating on the food aspect once again. We shall see. You dont want to cut your calories too soon, yeah you may lose rapidly one week or two but you will platuea this much faster too.

girlie100

the 3045 will cover your calorie expenditure from exercise, it you have a HR monitor then you can set your calories to a sedentry TDEE -20% and then track your exercise calories.

YoungDoc2B

If you think that's too much even after factoring in the 500, cut another 250-500 calories. That would give you a deficit of 750-1000 calories a day, which should yield 1.5-2lb weight loss per week. Basically, it all just depends on how you feel and what you want to do. The number they give you is just a guideline. Find out what works best for you.

BflSaberfan

I found the calorie recommendations by Insanity to be way too high, I think they overestimate their calorie burn personally.