Questions, Questions, Questions

gbreault87
gbreault87 Posts: 18
in Getting Started
So first up, dailey calorie intake... I know that the site gives you a recomend value but what if you want to loose more weight. Lets say 1000 calories a day. Ppl are always freaking out saying that you will throw your body into starvation mode and not loose weight, but what if you eating tons of celery and carrots and literally staying full all day long, it just doesnt seem possible that you could go into starvation mode when your full. Thoughts...???
Second, how much black coffee and green tea a day do you think is too much? Im drinking about 8 cups of black coffee a day and 2-4 cups of green tea a day (only through the week, I really dont drink any coffe or tea on the weekend.) You always hear all this crap about too much caffine.
Third, water... how much water do you guys/ladies drink a day...Ive been shooting for a least a half gallon NOT including all my coffee and tea.

Well thats all for now...by the way I'm 26, male, 300lbs, 5'9".

Replies

  • kristen6022
    kristen6022 Posts: 1,923 Member
    First - the minimum daily requirement for men is 1500. It's extremely unhealthy to eat under that for an extended period of time. Not only will you lose fat you'll lose tons of muscle. 2lbs/week is the fastest you should aim to lose, even at your weight. This is a marathon not a sprint.

    Second - diet variety will be more benficial in the weeks and months to come. Don't limit yourself because I can guarentee you'll fail.

    I aim for 8 8oz glasses of water a day, not including coffee. I include tea in that equation because I drink decaf. Caffiene won't affect weight loss.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    You know how doctors always tell you that taking more than the recommended dosage of a medication will not make it work faster or better, it will just throw things off or lessen the effectiveness of the medication?

    It is the same with losing weight. Going too low or too high can slow down the rate of your weight loss and cause other problems. The reason everyone says 1200-1500 is because it is the recommended dosage for optimal results. Deciding that you know better, and want to change your medication to get better results, isnt going to help you succeed.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    also, it is recommended not to exceed 330 mg of caffeine per day and half a gallon of water per day is just perfect.
  • sepulchura
    sepulchura Posts: 95 Member
    In my experience: bodies tend to do better when they are put through force (e.g. a nice walk, some jumping jacks, swimming) and then fed, rather than starved. I've never seen starving work.

    Got it on the low-cal filling foods. You need energy to burn energy. If you focus on mustard, pickles and celery all day, you're going to throw a wrench in the works. Now I DO use those low to no cal things for when I want to eat impulsively.

    I don't think rapid weight loss is a great idea. Set it for 2 pounds a week, eat your minimum calories and eat back your exercise calories, that's my recommendation.

    Caffeine: um, too much of a chemical is usually not the best idea. I'd cut that back were I you.

    Water; awesome! Some might argue more water than that, but I think you are doing great. That's about what I drink per day.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Another way to look at it from a health perspective is to calculate your BMR. This is your Basal Metabolic Rate and roughly the number of calories your body needs just to do basic functions like digestion, brain function, blood circulation, etc. In your case, that number is about 2600.

    Let's say you're not active, so that gives you a sedentary TDEE of about 3100 calories. There are two ways you could figure your deficit. Most use a 20-25% deduction which would give you 1800-2500 calories per day. Or you could go with the 3500 calories = a pound thing and figure with a goal of 2 pounds per week, that's a deficit of 1000 calories a day, which would give you a daily calorie goal of 2100.

    Why starve and malnourish your body when you should be able to lose weight no problem by eating plenty of good food?

    BTW, I used the following website to come up with these numbers:
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
  • mom2fabfive
    mom2fabfive Posts: 207 Member
    Great advice from the others. You need a balance of nutrients and while celery is a great snack it can't meet our nutritional needs alone. Focus on lean protein and healthy fats and fruits and veggies. Cut back on the coffee. Great job on the water intake. I have found that drinking at least 64 oz a day is what helps me keep weight off.
    Tara
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    celery is the most useless food ever.

    next to ice berg lettuce.

    might as well eat a dandelion for dinner.
  • gbreault87
    gbreault87 Posts: 18
    thanks for all the good info everyone
  • Cyclingbonnie
    Cyclingbonnie Posts: 413 Member
    I agree with most what everyone said ... however ... celery is delicious and so are dandelions, don't much care for iceberg lettuce ... has no taste.

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