Calorie Confusion!!!!

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sheer_abulous
sheer_abulous Posts: 25
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi guys,

I've just started this programme and in need of a little help. I've been losing weight for 6 months now and have gone from 20.5% body fat to 12.5%. I work out for an hour and a half 4 days a week at the gym, I walk briskly for 25 minutes to the gym and 25 back home. I then walk briskly for an hour to work and back home afterwards. I'm a male, I'm 178cm tall and weigh 72.9kg. I carry a lot of weight on the love handle and lower ab area. I'm trying to gain muscle and lose fat, but I cannot for the life of me consume the 1200 calories i've been recommended to eat, especially as with exercise I'm encouraged to eat more. I've got 1,338 calories left for today and I can't think of anyway of eating that much healthily and I suffer quite badly from bloating. Does anyone else have this problem and if so, how did you/do you get past it?

Replies

  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Wow, that is a lot of hours spent exercising. On days you go to the gym and work that adds up to more than 4 hours. I can't imagine when you have time to eat or do anything else. Your diary is not open, but there are lots of calorie rich healthy foods you can add to your diet. Nuts (or nut butters) and vegetable oils are both very high calorie and very healthy.
  • therobinator
    therobinator Posts: 832 Member
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    You've got to make your diary public so people can help you.
  • ChantalGG
    ChantalGG Posts: 2,404 Member
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    Olive oil dressings, avocado, beans, nuts, milk, protein shakes, will give you extra calories.
  • MissLuana
    MissLuana Posts: 356
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    All nuts are high in calories but are healthy for you. Avocados are another good way to use a lot of calories.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Hi guys,

    I've just started this programme and in need of a little help. I've been losing weight for 6 months now and have gone from 20.5% body fat to 12.5%. I work out for an hour and a half 4 days a week at the gym, I walk briskly for 25 minutes to the gym and 25 back home. I then walk briskly for an hour to work and back home afterwards. I'm a male, I'm 178cm tall and weigh 72.9kg. I carry a lot of weight on the love handle and lower ab area. I'm trying to gain muscle and lose fat, but I cannot for the life of me consume the 1200 calories i've been recommended to eat, especially as with exercise I'm encouraged to eat more. I've got 1,338 calories left for today and I can't think of anyway of eating that much healthily and I suffer quite badly from bloating. Does anyone else have this problem and if so, how did you/do you get past it?

    This may not be what you want to hear but, for a man 1500 is the minimum not the 1200, that is meant for women.
    How are you calculating calories burned? If you are not using a HRM I would only eat 50-75% of the cals that the machines or MFP suggests.
    What is your weekly weight loss goal? Sicne you don't have much more to lose I would suggest 0.5/lbs/week as your goal. This will limit the amount of muscle you lose as you lose weight. contrary to what you want to do but when you lose weight you will lose, not put on muscle. As to build muscle you need to be in a caloric surplus, unless you are new to strength training then you may put some on at first, but this phase wont last long.

    It is more effective to build muscle and lose fat at different times do a cut phase until your BF is where you want it then change to a bulk phase to add mass, then repeat.
  • bjohs
    bjohs Posts: 1,225 Member
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    I've never heard of MFP recommending only 1,200 calories for a guy. Can that be right? I thought the lowest a male should consume is at least 1,800 calories net. You have to eat to lose, especially when you are working out that hard. My only suggestion would be to take a very good look at your food diary and see if any improvements can be made. The saying goes "Abs are made in the kitchen." Good luck!
  • louiseei
    louiseei Posts: 254 Member
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    Surely 1200 is too low for a man - I thought MFP recommended 1500 minimum for a male plus exercise calories - you need fuel for those workouts or you'll burn yourself out.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    I've never heard of MFP recommending only 1,200 calories for a guy. Can that be right? I thought the lowest a male should consume is at least 1,800 calories net. You have to eat to lose, especially when you are working out that hard. My only suggestion would be to take a very good look at your food diary and see if any improvements can be made. The saying goes "Abs are made in the kitchen." Good luck!

    1500-1600 for a man is the lowest, my maintenance is only 1950 so I could easily go below 1800 without any issue.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,239 Member
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    If you are eating "diet" food that is low cal stop eating that, and eat the normal food that is like it. For example if you currently drink skim milk, switch to 2%. Make sure you get healthy fats like those mentioned above from nuts, avocados, and the like. Most of all, open your diary because as a male you should not be eating only 1200 calories. That is way too low as 1500 calories a day is seen as a very low calorie diet for the vast majority of males.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,239 Member
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    I've never heard of MFP recommending only 1,200 calories for a guy. Can that be right? I thought the lowest a male should consume is at least 1,800 calories net. You have to eat to lose, especially when you are working out that hard. My only suggestion would be to take a very good look at your food diary and see if any improvements can be made. The saying goes "Abs are made in the kitchen." Good luck!

    When calculating calories it seems MFP does not change their minimum for men or women. When I started here it put me at 1200. I switched that fairly quickly to something higher.
  • freerange
    freerange Posts: 1,722 Member
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    Yes your calories are way too low, check out this site http://www.burnthefat.com/ , you can burn fat and build muscle at the same time.
  • sheer_abulous
    sheer_abulous Posts: 25
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    thanks for all the advice so far guys! it's physically managing to eat that much that i'm finding difficult! i'm actually stuffed today!
  • FabCheeky
    FabCheeky Posts: 311
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    Add some good quality extra virgin first cold pressing olive oil, and extra virgin organic hexane free coconut oil to your diet. Meat is also a wonderful way to get nutrient dense calories.
  • therobinator
    therobinator Posts: 832 Member
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    thanks for all the advice so far guys! it's physically managing to eat that much that i'm finding difficult! i'm actually stuffed today!
    I am not sure how you even know you are under your calorie limit. Now that your diary is open, I have looked back through it, and nothing is logged up until today.

    Also, you say you are stuffed today, from eating only: 2 eggs, a cup of coffee, berries, yogurt, a banana, and some cheese?

    Being that you strive to be a model, and how full you claim to be from what barely amounts to one real meal eaten over the course fo an entire day, and how excessively you have been exercising....I am thinking (no offense meant if I am incorrect) that perhaps an eating disorder is at play here. Have you spoken to your doctor or a proferssional nutritionist?
  • sheer_abulous
    sheer_abulous Posts: 25
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    Thanks for the concern, but I'm not suffering from an eating disorder. I'm not going to go down that route to get a good figure, if anything I want to gain muscle and everyone needs fat in their diet to do that. I'll post a picture of myself when I get home later. As I said, this is my first day on the programme, I was just astounded by how much you have to put away. I really want to eat more, I just tend not to get hungry and eat because I should, not because I'm hungry if that makes sense? I'm getting a bit hungry now anyway, it's just hit me so when i get home after work I'll add to my diary and we'll see how close I get!
  • therobinator
    therobinator Posts: 832 Member
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    Are you a vegetarian? I notice there's no meat on your diary today. Adding meat to your diet will up your calories pretty well, due to protein and fat content.

    I personally don't think that 1200, 1500 or even more than that is a lot to eat. You will get the hang of it, and your body will want it.
  • sheer_abulous
    sheer_abulous Posts: 25
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    No, Not a vegetarian! I've had another go at it today and I really went for it last night to reach the whole intake. I suppose it takes some getting used to but I feel so full, tired and sick! thanks for your advice!
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
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    I've never heard of MFP recommending only 1,200 calories for a guy. Can that be right? I thought the lowest a male should consume is at least 1,800 calories net. You have to eat to lose, especially when you are working out that hard. My only suggestion would be to take a very good look at your food diary and see if any improvements can be made. The saying goes "Abs are made in the kitchen." Good luck!

    1500-1600 for a man is the lowest, my maintenance is only 1950 so I could easily go below 1800 without any issue.

    you weigh 72.9 kg and are 178 cm tall and are 23 yes? So according to my calculation using the Harris-Benedict equation your BMR should be 1799, giving as a minimum a TDEE of 2158 calories (ie. what you burn resting plus calories burnt being awake). This is your maintenance level of calories if you are sedentary.

    But you are pretty active, so really your maintenance calories are much higher - about 3100 calories.

    you may wish to look again at the maths that got you to first 1200 and secondly a maintenance of 1950. If you do not have a lot to lose then you should not be eating under your BMR at all - so not going below 1800.

    if you are suffering from bloatign, try and eat more wholefoods and up your protein and healthy fats.
  • stephiehampshire
    stephiehampshire Posts: 160
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    I can see where you are comming from, today I will burn at least 1094 calories, I cycle 20 miles every day to and from work, I go walking at lunch times at least 1.5 - 2 miles

    In the evening if I get bored or restless I will easily go for a run or do some steps and burn a further 200 or so calories,

    My daily minimum is 1200 plus the 1094 I have earnt so far = 2294 as my goal

    I dont eat ceral or alot of milk and bread, so breakfast for me is a banana and some breakfast biscuits, as I dont eat bread lunch is crackers and low fat cheese and pate with some vegetables, this is not enough food when it comes to the amount of exercise that I do,

    I have a bad habbit of filling my calories up with junk absaloute junk, today ive had mini bags of crisps and a cake!

    but I am trying to get into a good habit of eating 4 or 5 meals a day rather than 3, I have decided to have two lunchs and have cous cous about 3 in the afternoon as this should give me a boost for going home,

    I am going to buy in some healthier snacks than chocolate and crisps, like nuts, so that I can increase my calories without eating junk,

    Dinners are easy peasy for me, always at least 600 calories

    I would recomend trying the appraoch of little and often rather than 3 big meals, its what Im going to try,

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