How do I safely bring my calories back up?
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Thanks again everybody that's chimed in. I'm going to increase my target to 1500 and leave my current fat and protein targets in place, so more carbs *yelp*.
I'm also going to double down on my logging, starting immediately. I just logged my lunch weighing everything as accurately as possible. It came out about 100 more calories than I would have ballparked. If one of you intrepid investigators would care to take a peak and grade it, I'd be appreciative.
In case anybody is still curious, I'm on the last exercise of week 5 in this exercise plan
http://www.muscleandfitness.com/workouts/workout-routines/reform-90-day-transformation-program-every-man1 -
Thanks again everybody that's chimed in. I'm going to increase my target to 1500 and leave my current fat and protein targets in place, so more carbs *yelp*.
I'm also going to double down on my logging, starting immediately. I just logged my lunch weighing everything as accurately as possible. It came out about 100 more calories than I would have ballparked. If one of you intrepid investigators would care to take a peak and grade it, I'd be appreciative.
Looking pretty good to me. The only thing I'd change would be to weigh the mustard too - a really great trick I learned for condiments is to put the jar on your scale, zero it out, apply whatever you were going to apply, and then weigh again - the negative number is how much you took out.1 -
MegaMooseEsq wrote: »Thanks again everybody that's chimed in. I'm going to increase my target to 1500 and leave my current fat and protein targets in place, so more carbs *yelp*.
I'm also going to double down on my logging, starting immediately. I just logged my lunch weighing everything as accurately as possible. It came out about 100 more calories than I would have ballparked. If one of you intrepid investigators would care to take a peak and grade it, I'd be appreciative.
Looking pretty good to me. The only thing I'd change would be to weigh the mustard too - a really great trick I learned for condiments is to put the jar on your scale, zero it out, apply whatever you were going to apply, and then weigh again - the negative number is how much you took out.
Thanks, I did weight the mustard actually! But the entry didn't have a weight, so I decided the weight on the scale by the weight on the package for a serving, that's how I got 1.2 tbsp. Do you think that's a reasonable approach? Or would you try something different?3 -
MegaMooseEsq wrote: »Thanks again everybody that's chimed in. I'm going to increase my target to 1500 and leave my current fat and protein targets in place, so more carbs *yelp*.
I'm also going to double down on my logging, starting immediately. I just logged my lunch weighing everything as accurately as possible. It came out about 100 more calories than I would have ballparked. If one of you intrepid investigators would care to take a peak and grade it, I'd be appreciative.
Looking pretty good to me. The only thing I'd change would be to weigh the mustard too - a really great trick I learned for condiments is to put the jar on your scale, zero it out, apply whatever you were going to apply, and then weigh again - the negative number is how much you took out.
Thanks, I did weight the mustard actually! But the entry didn't have a weight, so I decided the weight on the scale by the weight on the package for a serving, that's how I got 1.2 tbsp. Do you think that's a reasonable approach? Or would you try something different?
Super reasonable, I do the same thing for a couple of foods I haven't wanted to bother making new entries for. Carry on!4 -
MegaMooseEsq wrote: »Thanks again everybody that's chimed in. I'm going to increase my target to 1500 and leave my current fat and protein targets in place, so more carbs *yelp*.
I'm also going to double down on my logging, starting immediately. I just logged my lunch weighing everything as accurately as possible. It came out about 100 more calories than I would have ballparked. If one of you intrepid investigators would care to take a peak and grade it, I'd be appreciative.
Looking pretty good to me. The only thing I'd change would be to weigh the mustard too - a really great trick I learned for condiments is to put the jar on your scale, zero it out, apply whatever you were going to apply, and then weigh again - the negative number is how much you took out.
Thanks, I did weight the mustard actually! But the entry didn't have a weight, so I decided the weight on the scale by the weight on the package for a serving, that's how I got 1.2 tbsp. Do you think that's a reasonable approach? Or would you try something different?
I will sometimes use entries for cups or tablespoons when I weigh something out. For example: if the package says 1 cup is 185 grams and I weigh out 185 grams, I consider it irrelevant whether I log 185 grams or 1 cup.2 -
How much do you need to lose? If you are far enough overweight that 2 lb/week is a reasonable goal than you are probably fine continuing as you are (with whatever actual calories you are consuming now). If you are not obese, then you probably want to eat more.
1250 net or total calories? If net, then it could be your exercise calorie burn estimate that is off.
And yes- it can be very hard to estimate the calories in foods you are eating out (especially starting out). You could be underestimating those by hundreds of calories ('hidden' items like butter/oil and even small inaccuracies in calorie-dense items found in cafes like 80/20 ground beef, avocado, fries, etc can amount to a lot). If those chicken wings you mentioned were mild or medium, rather than hot, the calorie count skyrockets further (mild/medium hot sauce is hot sauce cut with butter just in case you didn't know). Mustard isn't too bad (small measurement inaccuracies won't add up to much, but any mayo inaccuracies will).3 -
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the only thing I will note is try to use grams...and yes I know..picky but when you get to the point where you really need to tighten logging it will be habit
try not use "generic" entries. Search for USDA entries and ignore the check mark. Weight packaged foods even...0 -
thanks everybody for pointing out deficiencies in my log that I didn't even notice. I thought I was doing pretty good, but apparently I'm absolute *kitten* at this.
No, you're doing a great job. The biggest takeaway from this is yes you're logging is not totally accurate but as you're losing 2lbs/WK your progress is pretty much on target for a healthy rate of weight loss. And you're actually eating more than you think. In your case that's a good thing.
I'm not totally accurate in my logging either but I'm ok with it. I accept a certain margin of error due to eating out and generally being lax about it. The scale keeps me accountable and I adjust based on what it tells me over time. That's what works for me.
Now when your progress slows down that's when you'll need to tighten up your logging.
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ladyhusker39 wrote: »thanks everybody for pointing out deficiencies in my log that I didn't even notice. I thought I was doing pretty good, but apparently I'm absolute *kitten* at this.
No, you're doing a great job. The biggest takeaway from this is yes you're logging is not totally accurate but as you're losing 2lbs/WK your progress is pretty much on target for a healthy rate of weight loss. And you're actually eating more than you think. In your case that's a good thing.
I'm not totally accurate in my logging either but I'm ok with it. I accept a certain margin of error due to eating out and generally being lax about it. The scale keeps me accountable and I adjust based on what it tells me over time. That's what works for me.
Now when your progress slows down that's when you'll need to tighten up your logging.
Thanks. I'm really happy with my progress. I just worry that my metabolism might be taking a hit, or I may have other issues I don't know about because I'm starving myself. This thread has helped ease my mind.1 -
After 2-3 months of caloric deficit you should do a 2 to 4 weeks break. No deficit or surplus. Your metabolism will slow down and "break" after that long time in a deficit.5
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After 2-3 months of caloric deficit you should do a 2 to 4 weeks break. No deficit or surplus. Your metabolism will slow down and "break" after that long time in a deficit.
This is only partly accurate. It is good to take breaks from calorie deficit for about 2 weeks roughly every 12 weeks. Your metabolism doesn't "break". It can slow down or even become damaged if you have been in extreme calorie deficit for an extended period. This is called adaptive thermogenesis. Below is a great article on diet breaks and the physiology behind it.
https://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/2 -
The idea of a "break" sounds plausible, but there's no way I'm ready for that right now. Not yet. Far too far left to go. Maybe if I see my losses slow down. I dropped another 2.1 lbs in the last week according to my weigh-in today.1
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thanks everybody for pointing out deficiencies in my log that I didn't even notice. I thought I was doing pretty good, but apparently I'm absolute *kitten* at this.
I wouldn't be to hard on yourself, you've been losing and doing fantastically, you should be so proud of what you've accomplished so far
. When I first started I never thought to log things like ketchup or cooking oil. Trial and error, we all learn as we go. Best of luck with weighing your lunches next week.xx
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If you were eating 1200 Cal's per day and working out. At your height and weight. You have no every and probably pass out1
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After 2-3 months of caloric deficit you should do a 2 to 4 weeks break. No deficit or surplus. Your metabolism will slow down and "break" after that long time in a deficit.
This is only partly accurate. It is good to take breaks from calorie deficit for about 2 weeks roughly every 12 weeks. Your metabolism doesn't "break". It can slow down or even become damaged if you have been in extreme calorie deficit for an extended period. This is called adaptive thermogenesis. Below is a great article on diet breaks and the physiology behind it.
https://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/
not sure that's how I would explain it.
Adaptive thermogenesis happens as you lose weight...your NEAT does go down it has to.
No way a person can burn the same doing nothing at 150 as they did at 250...
But I agree Metabolism won't break...only at death does this happen.
and the only way you damage it is to be at extreme deficits for a long time...such as an eating disorder etc.0 -
250+lb male, exercising for 30-120 mins daily, consuming 1200cals and losing less than 2lbs a week. In summary your tracking/weighing/estimating is off!0
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