getting back into working out, food question?

darce27dk
darce27dk Posts: 17 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, I have recently just began working out again after about a month slup. I work a 12 hour desk job and have recently started insanity (day 1) and taking a short bike ride when i get off work. I was thinking of trying to cut back on processed foods and sugars but I feel kind of clueless; as should I cut out bread because it is processed or what? I would also like to stay on a high protein kick, to get some lean muscle and tone up a bit. My problem is I am an apple shape (all my fat is stored around my stomach). I really really enjoy bike rides and working out, as it is a major stress reliever for me. I do love love love to cook for everyone, which tends to get me into trouble sometimes. I was also thinking since I am working out again I should up my calories, yet since I work a desk job I dont want to up them too much. I dont care about the scale at all but just want to lose some inches! Any advice on food, workouts or anything would help kick me back into healthy mode!

Replies

  • jennfranklin
    jennfranklin Posts: 434 Member
    Hi.. I am also an apple shape! For me, lowering my carbs at night has really been helpful. But I love carbs and I am not willing to give them up. I try and eat dinner around five, making that the last time I consume a lot of carbs. On the days you workout you will need adequate carbohydrates and protein to help your body recover. I find it almost impossible to get rid of all of the processed foods, because of my hectic work schedule.
  • alyhuggan
    alyhuggan Posts: 717 Member
    You can lose all of that fat eating whatever you want, just some foods will be better for your health. First of all, you aren't going to magically lose that fat round your stomach, it will shrink in time as your body fat percentage goes down. I have the same problem, my stomach is stubborn and I guarantee it won't be gone till I'm under 13 stone. Calculate your TDEE first of all using this: http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html then to lose lose 1lb of fat a week just take off 500 calories from your TDEE, for example my TDEE is 3595 calories as of last week, that means to lose 2lb of fat a week I eat 2500 calories a day (unless you are very active I wouldn't recommend this as you need to have a decent amount of calories to get all your nutrients and macros) On days where I also do trolleys at work I add some extra calories if I'm still hungry, for example today I'm on 2858 as I did trolleys for an hour. Then once you are into a routine like that then maybe start removing processed foods if possible, however at the end of the day it is generally just calories in vs calories out for weight loss. If you are bulking you must be eating MORE than your TDEE, it is rare to gain muscle while eating less as you're body needs extra calories ontop of what it burns to then build muscle. So you can eat over your TDEE, usually 250-500 calories over is the normal range. Personally I'd just go 500-600 calories over, but I don't mind putting on some fat as it's easy to get rid of. I hope that's helped slightly :)
  • SBrad55
    SBrad55 Posts: 2 Member
    A good place to start is this article - http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/truth-about-white-foods
    It explains the difference between things like white bread vs. 100% whole wheat and white rice vs. brown rice, etc

    Of course, everything in moderation is important for the long haul as is portion size. If you switch to more "low glycemic" foods I bet you will find a big difference in your shape but also your mood, how full you feel, etc.

    A good resource for more info is http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/glycemic-index-diet/MY00770

    Regarding eating more calories because you are working out - just be careful of falling into the trap of overestimating how many calories you've burned in your workouts. I did the same workout on 2 different ellipticals and there was a 500 calorie difference in the # of calories it said I burned. Lots of articles discuss that people tend to overestimate how many calories they've burned...http://www.sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=8_reasons_why_youre_not_losing_weight

    Hope that helps!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    Unless you have a medical condition then there is no reason to cut out sugar or bread. Doing so will not increase fat loss. Second and most important, when doing a beachbody program use their calculator to figure out how many calories you need. I cant tell you how many people fail by not following the program as designed.
  • darce27dk
    darce27dk Posts: 17 Member
    Thanks for the help everyone! I will be checking out those articles! Sounds to me dedication and time will be my best key. You all are helping my motivation! Thank you!
  • jakkisr
    jakkisr Posts: 175 Member
    I'm an apple too and lost my 10lb in the last 90 days - cutting bread, pasta, rice and potatoes was key. Upping protein always works for me and gives me the energy to exercise. I ate the same foods as before but lowered the oil and reduced the portions (MFP works!)
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    Eat whatever you want. Just hit your macros. I eat cake, pizza, ice cream, bread, etc. every day with no problem. Eat enough protein, eat enough fat, get your micros (food and/or supplements) and fill thebrest of your calories with whatever you want. It'd be a good idea to lift some weights, too.

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