Insanity says how many calories I should eat ?!?!?!!!!??!?

UK1993
UK1993 Posts: 4 Member
edited November 8 in Food and Nutrition
I really, really, REALLY need some help here. So I have decided to take the 60 Day Insanity challenge tomorrow. While going over the elite nutrition guide I used the calorie intake equation and it says in order to lose weight I would have to consume 3,332 calories per day minus a 500 caloric deficit. I'm also 230 pounds, male and 6 "2. Even with the deficit I'm looking at 2,832 calories per day with a minimum of 2,332 calories. Would I really lose weight consuming between 2.3k-2.8k calories per day? Would it be wise going lower than that? Let's say.....1500 to maybe 1900? or 2000 calories?
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Replies

  • squirrelone
    squirrelone Posts: 58 Member
    Are you sure that is your BMR and not your TDEE?
    For a person of your size and age, It fits pretty well if it includes a lot of exercise (6-7 days a week).

    In any case, you are looking at a BMR of around 2100-2200 calories. And whatever you do, you NEVER wan't to go below that. NEVER.
  • Mycophilia
    Mycophilia Posts: 1,225 Member
    I'm curious, what's so bad about eating below your BMR?
  • squirrelone
    squirrelone Posts: 58 Member
    Mycophilia wrote: »
    I'm curious, what's so bad about eating below your BMR?

    Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is what your body needs to survive WITHOUT any physical activity. It is pretty much the bare minimum if you were in a coma.

    Eating below that is literally the same as killing yourself. It may be slower than a shotgun to the face, but just as effective.
  • GertrudeHorse
    GertrudeHorse Posts: 646 Member
    edited November 2014
    UK1993 wrote: »
    I'm also 230 pounds, male and 6 "2

    Would I really lose weight consuming between 2.3k-2.8k calories per day? Would it be wise going lower than that? Let's say.....1500 to maybe 1900? or 2000 calories?

    The short answer is yes you probably would. I'm an inch shorter than you, weigh ~70lbs less than you and my maintenance is 2,850 plus exercise burns. It makes sense for you to be able to lose weight on what my maintenance is, definitely. The best way you can do it, though, is to try something for 6 weeks consistently and monitor results. Adjust up or down as needed.

    Why would you want to eat less than that? Surely it's best to lose weight and maximise the amount of food you get :smile:
  • GertrudeHorse
    GertrudeHorse Posts: 646 Member
    Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is what your body needs to survive WITHOUT any physical activity. It is pretty much the bare minimum if you were in a coma.

    Eating below that is literally the same as killing yourself. It may be slower than a shotgun to the face, but just as effective.

    Okay, it's not quite that extreme. It's unadvisable for most people to eat below their BMR, yes. But someone at 230lbs will have fat reserves their body can use during times of reduced intake. It's not quite the same as someone at 130lbs eating below their BMR, which is dangerous to do for any length of time. Basically -- to the OP -- it won't kill you to go below your BMR, but there's no need to unless you're feeling unwell or anything. Like I said,
    eat as much as you can while still losing. That's a win in my book!
  • dunnodunno
    dunnodunno Posts: 2,290 Member
    Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is what your body needs to survive WITHOUT any physical activity. It is pretty much the bare minimum if you were in a coma.

    Eating below that is literally the same as killing yourself. It may be slower than a shotgun to the face, but just as effective.

    Okay, it's not quite that extreme. It's unadvisable for most people to eat below their BMR, yes. But someone at 230lbs will have fat reserves their body can use during times of reduced intake. It's not quite the same as someone at 130lbs eating below their BMR, which is dangerous to do for any length of time. Basically -- to the OP -- it won't kill you to go below your BMR, but there's no need to unless you're feeling unwell or anything. Like I said,
    eat as much as you can while still losing. That's a win in my book!

    What they said! Eat all the foods!
  • squirrelone
    squirrelone Posts: 58 Member
    Okay, it's not quite that extreme. It's unadvisable for most people to eat below their BMR, yes. But someone at 230lbs will have fat reserves their body can use during times of reduced intake. It's not quite the same as someone at 130lbs eating below their BMR, which is dangerous to do for any length of time.

    It is actually exactly the same, regardless of weight. The more you start out with, the longer it will take. But the end result is the same.

    There should never be any of this vague "it won't kill you in the short run" nonsense. This is a black and white issue. It is never advisable to eat below ones BMR for any period of time. It has zero benefits and is actively harmful.
  • DanaHerro
    DanaHerro Posts: 186 Member
    EAT THE FOOD!!!!!!!!!!
    When I started I weighed 220 @ 5'6" and my TDEE minus 20% was 2100 calories.
    I lost 1.5 lbs a week eating 2100 calories a day :) The lowest I ever got before hitting goal was 1650. Now I eat between 1800-2000 to maintain
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I don't trust Beachbody's nutrition recommendations one bit, especially as you have no idea how challenging Insanity will be for you. I'd go to http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/, enter your info, use the moderately active setting, and a 20% deficit.

    But yes, 2300+ seems about right.

  • UK1993
    UK1993 Posts: 4 Member
    Are you sure that is your BMR and not your TDEE?
    For a person of your size and age, It fits pretty well if it includes a lot of exercise (6-7 days a week).

    In any case, you are looking at a BMR of around 2100-2200 calories. And whatever you do, you NEVER wan't to go below that. NEVER.

    I did the Benedict HARRIS formula that was inside of the Insanity nutritional guide. I put in the stats, did the calculations and came up with 3k cals minus 500 or 1000 to come up with a 2.3-2.8 daily caloric intake. I just don't want to gain weight eating all of this food. That's my biggest concern. Plus I completed 32 minutes of Insanity today without stopping :-) Oh and I've been drinking a lot of water today as well.

  • selfepidemic1
    selfepidemic1 Posts: 159 Member
    Okay, it's not quite that extreme. It's unadvisable for most people to eat below their BMR, yes. But someone at 230lbs will have fat reserves their body can use during times of reduced intake. It's not quite the same as someone at 130lbs eating below their BMR, which is dangerous to do for any length of time.

    It is actually exactly the same, regardless of weight. The more you start out with, the longer it will take. But the end result is the same.

    There should never be any of this vague "it won't kill you in the short run" nonsense. This is a black and white issue. It is never advisable to eat below ones BMR for any period of time. It has zero benefits and is actively harmful.

    You do know people fast, right? Its actually been proven to be healthy to eat less because your body repairs cell damage rather than replace it, which has helped longevity and the problem with chromosones getting shorter each time, which eventually equals into problems like cancer.
  • athensguy
    athensguy Posts: 550
    edited November 2014
    Mycophilia wrote: »
    I'm curious, what's so bad about eating below your BMR?

    Eating below your BMR and talking about it on the forum will get a lot of people replying that it will kill you or something, though I doubt they'll present any evidence for that.
  • squirrelone
    squirrelone Posts: 58 Member
    athensguy wrote: »
    Eating below your BMR and talking about it on the forum will get a lot of people replying that it will kill you or something, though I doubt they'll present any evidence for that.

    So your claim is that consistently eating less than the body needs to survive without any physical activity, is not going to eventually starve you to death?

    What you are claiming is like saying that a car that has a 200 mile range on one tank of fuel, can do that trip on less fuel every day.

    Short term fasting is not going to do any harm. But eating less than your body needs to maintain basic functions like breathing, is not sustainable.

    Is it going to kill you tomorrow? nope. In a month? Probably not. But at some point it will and until then you are severely straining your body. To start with, we are talking muscle loss. Long term? Take a guess. The body WILL find it's energy somewhere.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    UK1993 wrote: »
    I really, really, REALLY need some help here. So I have decided to take the 60 Day Insanity challenge tomorrow. While going over the elite nutrition guide I used the calorie intake equation and it says in order to lose weight I would have to consume 3,332 calories per day minus a 500 caloric deficit. I'm also 230 pounds, male and 6 "2. Even with the deficit I'm looking at 2,832 calories per day with a minimum of 2,332 calories. Would I really lose weight consuming between 2.3k-2.8k calories per day? Would it be wise going lower than that? Let's say.....1500 to maybe 1900? or 2000 calories?

    I bet you could lose on that amount.

    My average intake generally lands between 1800 and 2000 to lose weight. I'm 5'4.5", about 169lbs currently and female. So no, I don't think that while doing insanity you should be eating the same calorie range as me. I'm not doing insanity, but I do workout approx 6hrs a week.

  • UK1993
    UK1993 Posts: 4 Member
    This is really confusing, lol. To eat below my range or not eat below my range haha
  • UK1993
    UK1993 Posts: 4 Member
    I'll go ahead and run with the recommended 2300kcal requirement as set out. If there's any adjustments I need to make, I will do so as time goes on.
  • nicsflyingcircus
    nicsflyingcircus Posts: 2,860 Member
    Mycophilia wrote: »
    I'm curious, what's so bad about eating below your BMR?

    Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is what your body needs to survive WITHOUT any physical activity. It is pretty much the bare minimum if you were in a coma.

    Eating below that is literally the same as killing yourself. It may be slower than a shotgun to the face, but just as effective.

    Someone needs to settle down.

  • GertrudeHorse
    GertrudeHorse Posts: 646 Member
    Okay, it's not quite that extreme. It's unadvisable for most people to eat below their BMR, yes. But someone at 230lbs will have fat reserves their body can use during times of reduced intake. It's not quite the same as someone at 130lbs eating below their BMR, which is dangerous to do for any length of time.

    It is actually exactly the same, regardless of weight. The more you start out with, the longer it will take. But the end result is the same.

    There should never be any of this vague "it won't kill you in the short run" nonsense. This is a black and white issue. It is never advisable to eat below ones BMR for any period of time. It has zero benefits and is actively harmful.

    Yes, but we weren't talking about eating below BMR forever or even for any length of time. Your first comment was implying if you do it for even one day you will drop dead, which is blatantly OTT. You have now added in all these disclaimers like "for any period of time" which is all I was trying to add to your original comment - so we agree. As you will see I was also trying to encourage the OP to eat as much as possible while still losing weight. However, your first comment was unnecessarily alarmist so I was countering that with some facts. Anyway, thanks for this scintillating discussion.
  • GertrudeHorse
    GertrudeHorse Posts: 646 Member
    UK1993 wrote: »
    This is really confusing, lol. To eat below my range or not eat below my range haha

    Eat as much as possible while still losing weight. Why would you do any other way? Food is the greatest pleasure in life. Don't deny yourself :smiley:
  • GertrudeHorse
    GertrudeHorse Posts: 646 Member
    [quote="selfepidemic1
    You do know people fast, right? Its actually been proven to be healthy to eat less because your body repairs cell damage rather than replace it, which has helped longevity and the problem with chromosones getting shorter each time, which eventually equals into problems like cancer.[/quote]

    What are you saying? Fasting prevents cancer? And stops your chromosomes getting shorter? I am confuse. Also "fasting" is a vague term; denying yourself food can cause significant damage to your body. It is dangerous to make comments like yours.
  • Sevendust912
    Sevendust912 Posts: 122 Member
    Mycophilia wrote: »

    Eating below that is literally the same as killing yourself. It may be slower than a shotgun to the face, but just as effective.

    Lol no
  • Sevendust912
    Sevendust912 Posts: 122 Member
    Mycophilia wrote: »
    I'm curious, what's so bad about eating below your BMR?

    Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is what your body needs to survive WITHOUT any physical activity. It is pretty much the bare minimum if you were in a coma.

    Eating below that is literally the same as killing yourself. It may be slower than a shotgun to the face, but just as effective.

    Lol no
  • elpmapua
    elpmapua Posts: 15 Member
    The only sensible diet I've seen eating below BMR is Lyle's version of Protein Sparring Modified fast. At relatively high protein, low fat, low carb, you eat below 1,000 calories per day. But that's supposed to be done short time, as in 2 weeks. Purpose is to get immediate weight and fat loss.

    As for OP, I believe you can eat at your maintenance calories, say 3,000 calories and allow Insanity to create the 500 or so deficit.

    When I started, I was roughly near your weight. I only did intense exercise every few days. I didn't really reduce my food intake. I ate normally, not counting calories then and allowed the workout to do its magic.

    I believe Insanity can do that for you plus much more, especially that you have a lot of weight and fat to lose.
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    edited November 2014
    UK1993 wrote:
    60 Day Insanity challenge ... says in order to lose weight I would have to consume 3,332 calories per day minus a 500 caloric deficit. I'm also 230 pounds, male and 6 "2. Even with the deficit I'm looking at 2,832 calories per day with a minimum of 2,332 calories. Would I really lose weight consuming between 2.3k-2.8k calories per day? Would it be wise going lower than that? Let's say...1500 to maybe 1900? or 2000 calories?
    Going by BMI, you should be 145 - 190, so yes, 1900 cal is reasonable.
    http://www.shapeup.org/bmi/bmi6.pdf
    MFP says your BMR is 1998.
    And in general, ignore exercise calories, but if you're doing something which labels itself insane, you might be burning lots, so eating back 1/3 - 1/2 might be reasonable. See how you feel. If you're hungry at the end of the day have a snack. Look at exercise as a bonus toward weight loss, but don't count on the calories.
    Most people underestimate what they eat, most machines (including MFP) overestimate calories burned.
    you are looking at a BMR of around 2100-2200 calories. And whatever you do, you NEVER wan't to go below that... what your body needs to survive WITHOUT any physical activity. It is pretty much the bare minimum if you were in a coma ... Eating below that is literally the same as killing yourself ... It is never advisable to eat below ones BMR for any period of time. It has zero benefits and is actively harmful.
    I don't know where this myth came from (don't eat below your BMR) but that's all it is.
    When I started in JAN (10 months ago, for those who are counting), my BMR was 1974 & my calorie goal was 1700.
    My current BMR is 1689, goal is 1400. My doctor suggested 1300.
    I generally ignore exercise calories.
    Despite eating below my BMR practically that whole time (I'm not perfect, there are a few days I've gone over), my doctors are pleased with my progress & my health is better than it's been for a long time (cholesterol has come way down, heart rate is down, weight is down, muscles are up, endurance is up).
    If someone is already at a healthy weight, has little fat reserves, then it would be unhealthy to eat below their BMR for very long.

    I am curious to see the studies you're relying on for your claim that there's no benefit to eating low-cal, and actually harm. I suggest starting your search here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed

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  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    BTW, it's much easier not to eat 500 cal than it is to exercise it away.

    "Most weight loss occurs because of decreased caloric intake.
    However, evidence shows the only way to maintain weight loss is to be engaged in regular physical activity."
    http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/physical_activity/index.html
  • squirrelone
    squirrelone Posts: 58 Member
    Your first comment was implying if you do it for even one day you will drop dead, which is blatantly OTT.

    I have never implied any such thing, and I resent the dishonest accusation.
    Do not put words in my mouth to fit your narrative.
  • squirrelone
    squirrelone Posts: 58 Member
    Lol no

    That is one powerful rebuttal you got going there.
    You sure showed those pesky facts that the laws of physics are no match for you.

    Well done
  • GertrudeHorse
    GertrudeHorse Posts: 646 Member
    Your first comment was implying if you do it for even one day you will drop dead, which is blatantly OTT.

    I have never implied any such thing, and I resent the dishonest accusation.
    Do not put words in my mouth to fit your narrative.

    LOL there you go with an other totally over the top comment. Dishonest accusation? Seriously? Good day, Sir.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    insanity made me seriously HUNGRY! the more cals you can eat the better in my experience!!
  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
    Sure, you can eat that much and lose weight. I'm 5'8" and 135 pounds and I can eat 2400 calories a day and still have a deficit.
This discussion has been closed.