Balanced Meals Vs. Eating All Day

Hope this is the right place, posted this somewhere else and they told me to post it here.



so I've pretty much been winging this whole weight loss/exercising thing. here's my dilemma. on one side, I've got my friends who are big into weight lifting (gym rats). they've got the mindset that you have to literally eat all day. snacking here, protein there, meal here, snacking there.... we're talking maybe every hour? every 2 hours. "the more you eat, the better your weight loss, because your body just starts to burn it non stop!"

on the other side, I've got friends who are big into weight loss as well as those work out programs and they're saying you need to limit yourself to eating 3 meals a day, plus one snack between lunch and dinner. all less than 1200 calories. (im 205, 6"1).

and standing in the middle is my MFP account, which says I should eat no more than 1400 cals a day.

what my question is, which of these are correct. my goal is to loose the weight and gain muscle. I want the beer belly gone. and a flat stomach. I don't care too much about having ridiculous abs. as I have a wide frame, I would prefer to have the look of a UFC fighter. not fat. but not totally defined. I guess the best example can be found here: http://www.mmajunkie.com/files/large/2789 that would be my idea look.

what would you guys recommend? who is right? who is wrong? and why? and what's the best way to get rid of the bit of weight above the groin but below the belly button (the fat you can grab! yuck!) any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Replies

  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Firstly, meal timing will have no appreciable impact on your weight loss - it should be based on energy levels, gym performance, adherence and lifestyle. See here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/820577-meal-frequency-rev-up-that-furnace-lol

    However, why are you set to 1,400 calories a day?

    Have a read of these:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
  • brodo87
    brodo87 Posts: 21
    I basically just used MFP's calculations. to loose 2 lbs. a week. with 60 minutes of exercise a day. it gave me 1500. however just last week it notified me to say that I've lost over 10lbs. maybe I should recalculate. which it did, and now it has me at 1450 I believe?
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    2lb a week is too large of a deficit for the amount you have to lose. I would reset it to 1lb a week.

    I assume you are eating your exercise calories back. Correct?
  • brodo87
    brodo87 Posts: 21
    see that's what I figure. my goal weight is somewhere around 180 or 190 I think, however I feel for my height and frame anything less would be too small. my end goal is to be fit. I read the posts and they helped a lot! a friend recommended Jillian Michael's 7 Day Metabolism Kick-Starter. I am now on day 7, and although yes, I opened myself up to more healthy and delicious foods. I also just want a damn snickers bar so bad. I have a horrible sweet tooth. I keep it under control but still, going a whole week without ANYTHING has been brutal. but here's my question. as of right now, that recommends I eat 1200 calories a day. however everywhere on this site (including your tagged posts), state going too far under your TDEE is bad. I went to http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html and entered in all my information. my goal is exercising every day (either going for a jog. hitting the pool for some length swims, or hitting the gym). so with that being said. it calculates my TDEE is 3989. According to the Leveling Obstacles approach, you would eat 20% less than 3989 (3989 x .80), or 3191.2 calories per day. currently I am eating roughly 12-1400 calories a day and I mean yes, this past week has brought me from 210.5 - 204.5, however I assume that is because It cut out all sugar (maybe 1-2g per day in the salad). zero dairy, zero bread. basically a horrible week hunger wise. my concern is, I don't want to follow a wrong step and end up big again. is this calculation correct?

    I also appreciate you sending the link on busting the myth on "fueling the furnace". and I also like the part that says eat right, but don't hold yourself back from indulging (as long as its okay for your daily intake).
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    While the 'Leveling Obstacles' approach is good as a guideline, especially for people starting out - it is a bit simplistic in some areas. (Not sure why I was credited with contributing as I did not).

    I think you have hit the nail on the head with one of the issues with low calories - you restrict so much that it is really hard for adherence. In addition, as you are restricting carbs so much on that diet - much of the weight loss is actually water weight and not fat loss.

    Also, having a very large deficit, especially with a lot of activity, can be counter-productive.

    Here is some good reading: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

    What activity level did you put into the calculator?

    Could you let me know your average gross calories for the last 4 weeks and what your weight has done during that period. Also, please indicate any significant change to your exercise routine during that period. Using your actual results is far better than an online calculator which uses estimates of estimates with input from certain populations.

    Do you strength train?