Helping brother get in shape, thoughts on this diet?

bryann9182

I am helping out my brother and essentially training him. I have ALWAYS been much smaller and slimmer then him, so he's come to me for help. Although in his high school days (he's 21 now) he was a great athlete and in real solid shape. To make a long story short he fell off....big time.

He is 5'9" and was about 180-185lbs and lean during football. He's now sitting at about 235lbs and has a good amount of weight to lose, 200lbs is his goal. Hasn't been to a gym since, until today. I told him I would help him out with changing his lifestyle and bad habits as long as he sticks with it and proves to me he can handle this.

I am just curious, how many calories a day do you guys think should I put him on to keep him at a solid rate of weight loss (~2-2.5lbs a week) without making him eat too little. He doesn't have the discipline in him to be hungry......yet.

He is going to be on a 5 day a week training regimen. 3 days with weights and cardio, and 2 days dedicated entirely to cardio. I have him set right now between 2500-2700 calories a day, more towards the 2,700 limit. Does this seem ok? I don't want to restrict him too much to the point where he says "F this" and goes back to his old ways. He needs to do this. Thanks

Arkhos

I think that's fine with all the exercising he will be doing. After a couple of months I would drop it a little more to 2300-2400, maybe even down to 2000 depending on progress or if he plateaus. Be sure to measure him as he starts, since the exercise will really help to drop inches, even if the weight is slower to drop.

Of course the other side is the Eat More to Lose argument, that with the increase in exercise his calories may increase...

jwpe

This is a simple formula I found in the book The New Rules of Lifting that I used for my husband. Multiple weight in pounds by 11, multiply that number by your activity factor (for your brother would be eitther 40% for somewhat active-exercise an hour a day and spend atleast one other hour a day on your feet, moving or 50% for really active-daily exercise involves buckets of sweat, or you lift like a warrior 3 or 4 times a week and have the muscle mass to show for it) Based on this your brother should eat between 3600-3875 at his current weight......but if he eats at maintanence for 200 pounds it would be 3080 to 3300, and his deficit calories would be built in and he shouldn't have to keep reducing calories as he reduces weight.
I am not an expert but had the book handy as I am helping my husband do the same thing.