Need Help with correct calorie amount

PhilipPta
PhilipPta Posts: 2
in Introduce Yourself
Hi, I really hope someone would be able to assist me. I quit smoking in November last year and decided to get of the couch and to replace that crappy old habbit of 17 years with exercise. I am a 35 year old male,1.65 cm tall, or shall i say short....? weighing in at 227 pounds. I already lost a couple of pounds consuming 1610 calories a day for my first week. Second and third week I got stuck. I joined a gym where my main focus is cardio for about 60 minutes a day (treadmill, eliptical trainer, cycling and rowing.) burning between 400 and 450 calories a day. This happens every other day. I`m a computer geek and always sit in front of my pc at work. I hardly get up from my desk during the day. By the time I`d like to get up, its already time to go home. So, the calculators found on the net ask you if you are active or sedentary. I am both. I need to know how many calories I should consume per day in order for me to lose the 66 extra pounds that i am carrying? Or should i have a different calorie intake every second day when i exercise and a different on for every second day that I don`t? Or should i start going to the gym 7 days a week? I am really lost here. I lost only the first week and no i am slowly gaining. I eat descent foods, whole grains and all the correct stuff i should. Just need to know how many calories i need to eat and should i eat back my exercise calories every other day after exercise....? Please, be so kind to assist. Thank you all.

Replies

  • changergirl
    changergirl Posts: 81
    It's quite common to stop losing weight or even gain weight when you start a new exercise routine. Your muscles retain water until they get used to the new activity.

    As for how many calories, I'm a female so I don't know if you can compare my stats to yours but I started off at 211 pounds and I'm 170cm. Without exercising at all, I lost my first 35 pounds eating right around 1650 calories a day so I'd say you probably should be eating a bit more than you currently are. Also I'd say if you're working out every other day you're at least 'lightly active'. It really depends on the intensity of your workout.
  • angelzprophecy
    angelzprophecy Posts: 130
    so heres my opinion on your situation

    to me, it sounds like you started at too low of calories and now you dont have anymore to take away er you dont want to take anymore away. In dieting, much like lifting, its all about progression right?
    so for me, ill start a diet at maintenance calories but add 10 minutes of cardio at the end of lifting. then next week ill cut my calories by 100, then next week ill up my cardio to 12 minutes and i continue until im at the weight i want and always making progress, never platueing, because i leave room for progress (as in more caloric deficit or more cardio)

    well... this is something to keep in mind because your metabolism will adapt to your cardio and deficit so you need to be able to go further than it has adapted

    and as for eating more when you exercise, i dont think it matters as long as the net calories at the end of a week are at the deficit you want. i dont eat back my calories
    for reference, i maintain at 2000 calories - 137lb 5ft10, when i cut, the lowest i would go is 1750 but your metabolism is different than mine and could be a lot slower or faster, who knows. i would say my metabolism is average
    oh, try having a cheat day and then dieting again. that usually worked for me when i was platueing in weight loss
  • PhilipPta
    PhilipPta Posts: 2
    Hi Guys,

    Thank you for your assistance with this. I will skip a day to see the influence on my diet and i will increase my calorie intake to 2600 for the first week. Changergirl if you lost weight by eating 1650 and no exercise then i`m clearly consuming too little calories. I have read both your responses and have come to my conclusion based on what you both said. Let me start somewhere and see how it goes. It`s just terrible putting in an hour of cardio and sweating only to find at the end of the week that you gained a kilogram. This all while eating very little. So thanks again and let see how it goes.
  • BeAnInspirationToday
    BeAnInspirationToday Posts: 8
    Hello I am in a similar situation very new to all of this but I have been going strong lost 13 lbs in I think three weeks and havent weighed in since but last weight I was the exact same I am unsure what I am doing wrong I know it says im eating inder but I feel I am eating enough ... please help !!

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