Upping fat to fill calories

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  • scottaworley
    scottaworley Posts: 871 Member
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    Have you figured out your BMR/TDEE?
    It could be that even 1200 is too little for you. I don't know your height/weight, but I started out at 1200 because that's what MFP told me to do. I'm much happier and losing weight more effectively now that I'm eating 1900 calories per day.
  • sg992
    sg992 Posts: 60 Member
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    yes, getting it from whole foods is just as good. Some will say better .....

    Thanks, just felt like the whey was a bit excessive since I read the protein just goes straight out of your system if you're not drinking it around workouts anyway. Since I'm only looking to fill a few extra calories I'll probably just stick with a bit extra protein food per day.

    Okay, so one at a time.
    1) There are differences in effectiveness of proteins, but unless you're really serious about bodybuilding/fitness they aren't really anything to worry about. A protein is a protein is a protein for your purposes (likely)
    2) Protein in no way goes straight out of your system. This would be MASSIVE diarrhea. Protein will always be absorbed and always be used. The amino acids in protein are essential to several organs and tissues including, but not limited to, your muscles.
    3) I would recommend a weight training or resistance program to maintain lean body mass. If you do so, you NEED a good amount of protein in your diet (1g/lb of lean body mass or so) to repair your muscles quickly.

    Yes, I'm really not looking to gain muscle, just preserve LBM and lower weight and fat %. I just thought since the whey makes me feel uncomfortably full (and I could do without the taste!) I'd rather replace that with a bit of food instead. I was going to take up weight training when I'm a bit nearer to my goal weight, right now I'm just focusing on straight loss.
  • sg992
    sg992 Posts: 60 Member
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    Have you figured out your BMR/TDEE?
    It could be that even 1200 is too little for you. I don't know your height/weight, but I started out at 1200 because that's what MFP told me to do. I'm much happier and losing weight more effectively now that I'm eating 1900 calories per day.

    I'm 5'7 and 151lbs, BMR is ~1500 and TDEE is ~1800 (I set my activity level to sedentary and I log all the exercise I do, and eat back those calories), so if I eat all my 1200 cals I get a 600 deficit each day.
  • scottaworley
    scottaworley Posts: 871 Member
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    I would encourage you to up your calories by at least 240 to 1440. This will help to keep you from losing muscle.
    When I started I wanted to do the same thing - lose weight then weight train. The problem with that is that you lose a large amount of muscle when eating at a deficit and have to work to build that muscle back up. It's up to you, but I would again encourage you to start a strength program if time and money allows. You will not gain muscle while you eat at a deficit, but it will be a lot easier for you to gain muscle when you decide to do so.
  • sg992
    sg992 Posts: 60 Member
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    I would encourage you to up your calories by at least 240 to 1440. This will help to keep you from losing muscle.
    When I started I wanted to do the same thing - lose weight then weight train. The problem with that is that you lose a large amount of muscle when eating at a deficit and have to work to build that muscle back up. It's up to you, but I would again encourage you to start a strength program if time and money allows. You will not gain muscle while you eat at a deficit, but it will be a lot easier for you to gain muscle when you decide to do so.

    Is this the case even for just toning? I figured if I started doing just some ab crunches/weights here and there once I'm 10lbs within my goal that'd just work the muscles a bit so I don't have absolute zero definition once i'm down to GW, or is that just naive thinking!
  • AvsFreak
    AvsFreak Posts: 152 Member
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    As long as you are roughly getting 0.8 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass and 0.45 grams of fat per total body weight, you can fill the rest of your calories with whatever you want. Fat, carbs or protein. Doesn't matter.
  • bcf7683
    bcf7683 Posts: 1,653 Member
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    yes, getting it from whole foods is just as good. Some will say better .....

    Thanks, just felt like the whey was a bit excessive since I read the protein just goes straight out of your system if you're not drinking it around workouts anyway. Since I'm only looking to fill a few extra calories I'll probably just stick with a bit extra protein food per day.

    Okay, so one at a time.
    1) There are differences in effectiveness of proteins, but unless you're really serious about bodybuilding/fitness they aren't really anything to worry about. A protein is a protein is a protein for your purposes (likely)
    2) Protein in no way goes straight out of your system. This would be MASSIVE diarrhea. Protein will always be absorbed and always be used. The amino acids in protein are essential to several organs and tissues including, but not limited to, your muscles.
    3) I would recommend a weight training or resistance program to maintain lean body mass. If you do so, you NEED a good amount of protein in your diet (1g/lb of lean body mass or so) to repair your muscles quickly.

    Took the words right out of my mouth :drinker:
  • sg992
    sg992 Posts: 60 Member
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    As long as you are roughly getting 0.8 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass and 0.45 grams of fat per total body weight, you can fill the rest of your calories with whatever you want. Fat, carbs or protein. Doesn't matter.

    If that's the case I'm eating under half the amount of fat I should be! 67g a day? I fill so many of those calories with carbs instead..
  • AvsFreak
    AvsFreak Posts: 152 Member
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    If that's the case I'm eating under half the amount of fat I should be! 67g a day? I fill so many of those calories with carbs instead..

    Dietary fat is good for you. It helps regulate hormones and is essential for vitamin A,E,D and K absorption. It will also help you feel fuller longer than carbs, which is good, especially when dieting.
  • scottaworley
    scottaworley Posts: 871 Member
    Options
    I would encourage you to up your calories by at least 240 to 1440. This will help to keep you from losing muscle.
    When I started I wanted to do the same thing - lose weight then weight train. The problem with that is that you lose a large amount of muscle when eating at a deficit and have to work to build that muscle back up. It's up to you, but I would again encourage you to start a strength program if time and money allows. You will not gain muscle while you eat at a deficit, but it will be a lot easier for you to gain muscle when you decide to do so.

    Is this the case even for just toning? I figured if I started doing just some ab crunches/weights here and there once I'm 10lbs within my goal that'd just work the muscles a bit so I don't have absolute zero definition once i'm down to GW, or is that just naive thinking!

    There's really no such thing as "toning". The difference between toned and ripped is body fat. You are not in danger of being ripped or bulky as long as you keep your body fat over 20%. It is very hard to drop under 20% body fat for a woman. Further, to build muscle mass requires a caloric surplus, so you have no chance of getting bulky even if you wanted to while eating at a deficit (not to mention being a woman your hormones aren't ideal for creating muscle mass).
    So to answer your question directly, yes, it is the case. Really the only reasons ever to not lift is you do not have the time, you don't care about looking fit/toned, or you can not afford weights or a gym membership.

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