Weight loss or leaning out question

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jwisjw
jwisjw Posts: 11
in Health and Weight Loss
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 168lbs
Daily Workout: Typically P90x, starting to add HIIT workouts on days that aren't P90x cardio.

As of a few weeks ago I've set myfitnesspal to 1200 calories under the Sedentary option (even though I'm probably much more active than that) so that allowed me to have a daily 1000 calorie daily deficit. This would push me to workout and be able to eat back my calories and if I did go negative, no big deal as I have the 1000 calorie buffer. Problem is the I've not experienced any weight loss nor do I feel like my body looks more fit.

Weekly Net Calories
Week of May 27, 2013: -4927 (2073 total weekly deficit)
Week of May 20, 2013: -2269 (4731 total weekly deficit)
Week of May 6, 2013: - 962 (6038 total weekly deficit)

I do enjoy my alcohol, both beer and liquor but from my understanding as long as you have a weekly deficit, something should happen to your body. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Replies

  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
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    Uhm. You seem to be over cals, not under. Shows as negative if over.

    If I misunderstood, second guess is your exercise cals may be off.
  • jwisjw
    jwisjw Posts: 11
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    Uhm. You seem to be over cals, not under. Shows as negative if over.

    If I misunderstood, second guess is your exercise cals may be off.

    Sorry if I wasn't clear enough but according to myfitnesspal, I can eat 2200 calories to maintain my weight. So by setting it to 1200 calories, I have a daily deficit of 1000 calories or a weekly deficit total of 7000 calories if I were to eat 1200 calories a day.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
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    Sorry if I wasn't clear enough but according to myfitnesspal, I can eat 2200 calories to maintain my weight. So by setting it to 1200 calories, I have a daily deficit of 1000 calories or a weekly deficit total of 7000 calories if I were to eat 1200 calories a day.

    It's an interesting method. I'd take a closer look at those exercise calories.

    Also, doesn't P90X have a nutrition plan? 4000 calorie days of fast food and beer are kinda brutal.
  • jwisjw
    jwisjw Posts: 11
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    It's an interesting method. I'd take a closer look at those exercise calories.

    Also, doesn't P90X have a nutrition plan? 4000 calorie days of fast food and beer are kinda brutal.

    The only exercises I can monitor properly through my heart rate monitor would be the plyometrics, KenpoX and they seem very close, if not under estimated compared to what websites would calculate. I do a lot of tracking via endomondo for those 4k days when I'm walking. :) Just as a reference inputting Backs and Biceps for the 52 minutes only burns 367 calories... Seems about right given the duration.

    P90X recommends eating 2300 calories daily... Which can range anywhere from a 300-700 daily calorie deficit, not including my HIIT work outs.
  • jwisjw
    jwisjw Posts: 11
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    Hmm, can leaning out be achieved while drinking alcohol so as long as the calorie deficit is still negative?
  • victoriannsays
    victoriannsays Posts: 568 Member
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    I suggest using the TDEE -20% method for calories. It already has your activity included. No messing around with calorie burn calculations and "eating back" Why would you put sedentary when you're not?

    I "leaned out" while drinking alcohol, lifting, and light cardio.
  • jwisjw
    jwisjw Posts: 11
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    I suggest using the TDEE -20% method for calories. It already has your activity included. No messing around with calorie burn calculations and "eating back" Why would you put sedentary when you're not?

    I "leaned out" while drinking alcohol, lifting, and light cardio.

    Would leaning out be a proper term for trying to achieve defined abs?

    Thanks for the suggestions, I will look into TDEE - 20% method. IIRC, that is similar to the P90X formula.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
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    I "leaned out" while drinking alcohol, lifting, and light cardio.

    It's a question of amount and moderation.

    Tuesday 5 shots of hard liquor
    Monday 54 oz beer
    Sunday 54 oz beer, half shot
    Saturday 76 oz beer
    Friday 16 oz beer, 2 shots
    Thursday 16 oz beer, 2 shots
    Wednesday 40 oz beer

    So in one week we have 256 oz (32 cups) of beer and 9.5 shots of liquor.

    Pile on Panda Express, pizza, ice cream, fatburger, chili cheese fries, Oreo blizzard, wings etc pretty much every day.

    It's pretty much the opposite of any cutting plan in existence.
  • jwisjw
    jwisjw Posts: 11
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    It's a question of amount and moderation.

    Tuesday 5 shots of hard liquor
    Monday 54 oz beer
    Sunday 54 oz beer, half shot
    Saturday 76 oz beer
    Friday 16 oz beer, 2 shots
    Thursday 16 oz beer, 2 shots
    Wednesday 40 oz beer

    So in one week we have 256 oz (32 cups) of beer and 9.5 shots of liquor.

    Pile on Panda Express, pizza, ice cream, fatburger, chili cheese fries, Oreo blizzard, wings etc pretty much every day.

    It's pretty much the opposite of any cutting plan in existence.

    So calorie deficit means nothing for "leaning out?" Or is it more about calorie deficit with a "balanced diet?"
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
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    So calorie deficit means nothing for "leaning out?"

    You're 5'10 and 168, working out regularly? I'm guessing you're beyond the simple "I'm fat and need to lose weight" stage - where the twinkie diet or whatever basic calorie deficit works fine. You want to look good (right?). Massive sodium and alcohol intake will inhibit you. Eat cleaner and cut back on the drinking and you'll get to where you want to be.
  • jwisjw
    jwisjw Posts: 11
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    You're 5'10 and 168, working out regularly? I'm guessing you're beyond the simple "I'm fat and need to lose weight" stage - where the twinkie diet or whatever basic calorie deficit works fine. You want to look good (right?). Massive sodium and alcohol intake will inhibit you. Eat cleaner and cut back on the drinking and you'll get to where you want to be.

    Thank you.

    As weird as this sounds... Will the source of alcohol intake make a difference for any progress detriment.. say 4 shots versus 4 beers? Given, the calorie deficit are balanced to be the same.
  • Wetcoaster
    Wetcoaster Posts: 1,788 Member
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    http://www.leangains.com/2010/07/truth-about-alcohol-fat-loss-and-muscle.html
  • jwisjw
    jwisjw Posts: 11
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    http://www.leangains.com/2010/07/truth-about-alcohol-fat-loss-and-muscle.html

    Thanks! Very interesting article.
  • victoriannsays
    victoriannsays Posts: 568 Member
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    that is quite a bit of alcohol. I should have looked in your diary before commenting.

    I lost body fat while drinking alcohol 1-2x weekly. 5-6 drinks a time. If you want to get lean, drinking that much isn't going to help you get there.

    Also, if you are filling up your daily calories with empty calories from alcohol, where are you getting your nutrition? If you want to keep those muscles and lose the fat, you have to be taking in a good amount of protein.
  • jwisjw
    jwisjw Posts: 11
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    So just an update.

    Since this thread, I've switched to hard liquor over beer (for the most part)... The scale has changed from 166-168lbs down to 162-163lbs. However, the water retention from the weekend lasts a couple of days before it falls off. I can tell looking in the mirror that the definition in my abs will change significantly.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Height: 5'10"
    Weight: 168lbs
    Daily Workout: Typically P90x, starting to add HIIT workouts on days that aren't P90x cardio.

    As of a few weeks ago I've set myfitnesspal to 1200 calories under the Sedentary option (even though I'm probably much more active than that) so that allowed me to have a daily 1000 calorie daily deficit. This would push me to workout and be able to eat back my calories and if I did go negative, no big deal as I have the 1000 calorie buffer. Problem is the I've not experienced any weight loss nor do I feel like my body looks more fit.

    Weekly Net Calories
    Week of May 27, 2013: -4927 (2073 total weekly deficit)
    Week of May 20, 2013: -2269 (4731 total weekly deficit)
    Week of May 6, 2013: - 962 (6038 total weekly deficit)

    I do enjoy my alcohol, both beer and liquor but from my understanding as long as you have a weekly deficit, something should happen to your body. Any thoughts or suggestions?

    Your math is WAY off.

    2200, if truly sedentary outside of exercise, would be maintenance. No exercise known, expected, or accounted for using MFP's system.
    You eat 1200 every day, 1000 cal deficit daily.

    With exercise though, probably closer to 3000 or more on those days you exercise for maintenance since the exercise adds 800 or more.

    1000 cal deficit on those days is eating 2000 calories.

    Now you see why you log a workout of 800 cals, your eating goal goes from 1200 to 2000. The 1000 cal deficit is still in there.

    And if you actually want the workout to be more than a waste of time and energy and actually benefit from it, you'd keep the 1000 cal deficit by eating back your exercise calories.

    Frankly, it's probably too great a deficit to begin with anyway, should take the recommended 1 lb loss weekly and get 500 cal deficit.

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