So Confused About Calorie Intake [Insanity]

Hasu · June 2012

A little bit about me, I'm 26 and I was a little over 300 pounds when I decided to just say screw it and drop the weight. So many doctors kept wanting me to do surgery, lapband and the like but I didn't want to do anything like that. I figured if I just worked hard enough I could get it off myself. So I asked to see a nutritionist instead, this was back in Oct 2011.

We did the whole blood work thing, Everything came back technically normal but I was just barely in the safe zone for having a sluggish thyroid but they didn't want to treat me for it since I technically landed in the safe zone, though just barely. Because I was so big the nutritionist said to start off with a diet of 1200 to 1500 calories a day and to do some light exercise like walking since I wasn't really doing any.

I did that and found I wasn't losing anything eating 1500 calories. So after talking to the nutritionist again we agreed for me to try and keep it around 1200 and once I did that I started to see some movement. So finally happy, that I was getting somewhere that's what I kept doing. For a long time, being as big as I was/am I was told that just doing a major calorie reduction and working out the weight would really start to fall off.

That being said, the weight did NOT start to just fall off. I'd find myself going weeks with not losing anything and having to up my calories a few days and then jumping back down in order to kick start my system again. I soon became frustrated and hoped that an increase in my activity would help and it did for a bit but the weight loss was still really slow.

Now I'm down 55 pounds and finally in the very high 200s and I've started Insanity. I've just finished up week 2. I'm enjoying myself and I have noticed I move better, easier, faster and I've lost an inch or two in random places like my thighs etc but I'm not seeing any real weight loss.

When I work out I'm burning between 550 and 700 calories depending on how hard I can go that day. I know they say to eat more calories when doing a workout like Insanity but I found if I ate something like 1400/1500 calories during the first 2 weeks of this I'd put weight on, then when I went back to 1200 I'd sometimes see myself go down, but then suddenly stagnate again.

Basically I'm just not sure what to do with myself. I didn't seem to lose weight when eating anything over 1200 calories [and doing way less intense exercise] but I'm worried thats not enough fuel while doing Insanity and I'm sending myself into starvation mode... and I'm just worried/frustrated lol

yarwell · June 2012

I'm worried thats not enough fuel

This is one thing you don't need to worry about. You're carrying half a million excess calories as fat so you need not worry about fuelling. 30 lbs of excess fat can yield 1,000 calories a day and you have more.

In general creating large deficits by adding exercise doesn't work, which is why it is often advocated to eat more when you exercise more (ie keeping your original calorie deficit).

You don't say what you eat and your diary isn't open. If you're getting 50% of calories from carbs you might consider reducing that.

Charlottejogs · June 2012

Way to go on making such huge changes in your life! I did Insanity also and felt my results were kind of strange. Some people did tell me that when we start an intense work out program and muscle building that our bodies retain water which could explain some initial weight gain. I have no idea how long that would last since Insanity goes on for 60 days it seems like you would be gaining muscle the whole time...I don't know about that.

I find for myself that I am too impatient and make a change for a week or 2 but don't really give it a fair chance so where I may have seen results. Lastly, every body is different. I was so frustrated that in the second month of Insanity I didn't have much result; in the 2 weeks since I have been doing very moderate toning, jogging, and watching calories more closely and have had more change in the last week than the whole second month of Insanity- perhaps that just wasn't what worked for me. ???

Good luck! I wish our bodies were more mechanical and the process was more simple. Try to appreciate those changes you feel that improve your quality of life and show progress such as moving easier, increased stamina.... I hope that helps some!

Hasu · June 2012

You might be right that its the carbs I'm eating. When looking at my weekly calorie breakdown little pie chart on the MFP App, this past week was 42% Carbs, 41% Protein and 17% Fat

So I know I probably want to up my proteins but at the minute they seem to be almost evenly split with the carbs, do I just want to get it where I'm eating more protein than carbs or do I want there to be a drastic difference between the two? Where its mostly Protein I'm eating?

Hasu · June 2012

Way to go on making such huge changes in your life! I did Insanity also and felt my results were kind of strange. Some people did tell me that when we start an intense work out program and muscle building that our bodies retain water which could explain some initial weight gain. I have no idea how long that would last since Insanity goes on for 60 days it seems like you would be gaining muscle the whole time...I don't know about that.

I find for myself that I am too impatient and make a change for a week or 2 but don't really give it a fair chance so where I may have seen results. Lastly, every body is different. I was so frustrated that in the second month of Insanity I didn't have much result; in the 2 weeks since I have been doing very moderate toning, jogging, and watching calories more closely and have had more change in the last week than the whole second month of Insanity- perhaps that just wasn't what worked for me. ???

Good luck! I wish our bodies were more mechanical and the process was more simple. Try to appreciate those changes you feel that improve your quality of life and show progress such as moving easier, increased stamina.... I hope that helps some!

Thanks! I've been noticing that I'm moving better, stronger doing Insanity so being that I've only just finished up week two of a round one [and it *is* a 60 day program] I'm going to *try* to keep going despite my less than stellar results so far lol. I know its a whole package, diet and exercise and it all takes time but I do sometimes wish it would come together just a *touch* faster ^_^

yarwell · June 2012

If you're eating about 1500 calories and 40% are protein then that's 600 calories / 150g per day of protein which is high enough (at least). You can't utilise protein above a certain level so that's probably a reasonable maximum.

If you were to avoid low fat and diet versions of things you would probably eat more fats & oils and less carbs. Trading 10% from carbs into fats would be worth trying.

mabernier · June 2012

When I plateau, I drop down to no processed sugars or try to stay at least under say 35 grams with only eating certain fruits like strawberries, blueberries and blackberries which are low on the glycemic index. My body responds well to no processed sugars because what it does is push your body back into burning fat for cell fuel. Our bodies years ago were designed to consume fat (at the cellular level, that is). As we started eating more processed sugars, our cells started using the sugars for fuel instead of the fat and we started storing the fat. If you can drop down on the carbs and specifically sugars (I drop breads, pastas, etc and go to flax meal baked goods which are protein based), then the body will start burning the fat that it has for energy. This is part of the Maximized Living Concept that you can check out on the web. They have recipe books that give alternative recipes for some of the things we love and they are acceptable substitutes. It really focuses on dropping those sugar levels with the understanding that carbs turn into sugar....I have found this plan to be very successful and combine it with using this website as well to help me track.

Hasu · June 2012

I'm eating about 1200 calories a day, I try not to go too much over that. Although its been known to happen sometimes.

I'll have to look at reducing how many fats I'm eating, including carbs or at least eat better carbs. I'll have to try playing around with this and see what happens.

I honestly don't like to eat the diet versions of anything. I never ate much of pre-packaged anything either. I like to cook. My biggest issue was portion control [sometimes still can be]. Although now I do have a much better handle on it.

Thanks for the insight guys. I feel slightly less lost with some ideas now on how to tackle this.

cspong · June 2012

I know this isn't completely on topic, but THANK YOU! You've totally motivated me. My husband has been wanting to start Insanity but I was afraid I was "too big" (I'm 250) so I've been kind of dragging my feet and sticking to my other workouts.

You're my motivation. We can do this!

(PS. Something like Insanity is a program you really need to focus on your clothes rather than the scale. Since you are gaining muscles you tend to "reshape" more because you're losing fat but gaining muscle and holdin water... In programs like these, that scale is a lying b!tch, lol. If you're feeling better and youre losing inches, the scale will eventually follow)

Congrats on pushing it!

Edit: Oh, with a program like this, SUPER intense, I would suggest you eat at least half your workout cals back. It will be very straining on your system. You will still have the same NET cal deficit so it shouldn't affect your weight in the long run... But it'll be very hard on your body if you dont.

Hasu · June 2012

I know this isn't completely on topic, but THANK YOU! You've totally motivated me. My husband has been wanting to start Insanity but I was afraid I was "too big" (I'm 250) so I've been kind of dragging my feet and sticking to my other workouts.

You're my motivation. We can do this!

(PS. Something like Insanity is a program you really need to focus on your clothes rather than the scale. Since you are gaining muscles you tend to "reshape" more because you're losing fat but gaining muscle and holdin water... In programs like these, that scale is a lying b!tch, lol. If you're feeling better and youre losing inches, the scale will eventually follow)

Congrats on pushing it!

Oh yeah, no way! I told myself as soon as I was out of the 300s I was going to tackle Insanity and I've been doing it. I'm not going to lie the first 3 days my body was cryinggggggggg but after that it started to feel really good. You get tired but its so worth it. I'm telling you I'm moving faster, better, easier. I don't get winded anywhere near as easily and my heart is doing better. My heart rate when doing Insanity used to spike up fast, now I'm finding I actually have to workout harder to get it up. So all good things.

I do know when building muscle the scale CAN be evil. I've been trying to focus on my clothes and also my measurements just after 8 months and only 55 pounds when others [and I know I know I shouldn't compare myself but its hard lol] come out saying they dropped like 75 pounds in the same amount of time it can be discouraging.

But good luck to you! I hope you enjoy doing Insanity - even when your body is crying at you to stop initially ^_^

sweethoney750 · June 2012

Hey,
I'm in this same position too. i've been trying to see how many calories i need to take now that i'm doing insanity since the scale hasn't bugged a bit for the past 2 weeks that i started the program. I found this nutrition guide online yesterday and i'm hoping it will help. It gives the amount of calories you should eat while doing insanity. Let me know if it works for you.

http://www.howtogirl.com/2012/05/how-to-top-8-steps-insanity-diet-and-nutrition-guide/

Hasu · June 2012

Hey,
I'm in this same position too. i've been trying to see how many calories i need to take now that i'm doing insanity since the scale hasn't bugged a bit for the past 2 weeks that i started the program. I found this nutrition guide online yesterday and i'm hoping it will help. It gives the amount of calories you should eat while doing insanity. Let me know if it works for you.

http://www.howtogirl.com/2012/05/how-to-top-8-steps-insanity-diet-and-nutrition-guide/

Ooooh, I will surely take a look at that. Thanks!

TurningBackTheScale · July 2012

Hey I am on day 12 of Insanity and I have been gaining weight! My diet hasnt been perfect. I'm trying to figure out how to change it better for the good. I am about 294 and 6'0. I was thinking that im gaining muscle but IDK!

So Confused About Calorie Intake [Insanity]

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