Critique my diet and exercise routines please!!!

Hey all,

let me first introduce myself, my name is Ian Charlery and i am new to this app. i would like some help with my diet and exercise routines. The information on my account is accurate and even discreet at times. I am looking forward to some pointers from you guys who know more!

Replies

  • vklebanova
    vklebanova Posts: 152 Member
    I'm not sure what exercises you are doing but your calories burned for the day are very high - make sure this is accurate. Also you're eating a lot of food that digests quickly and isn't powering your muscles.

    Avoid Propel - or anything like it - and try to stick with just water.
  • abetterjune
    abetterjune Posts: 219
    Agree with the above poster... also... what exactly are your goals? I'm assuming from your picture you're trying to build/ gain vs lose weight?

    Your macros are a bit all over the place. I'd focus on higher protein and higher fat.

    Invest in a good quality recovery drink.

    Spread your calories out more evenly throughout your meals.

    More fruits and veggies.

    HR monitor to accurate record calories burned.
  • Hello,

    thank you for the feedback!

    Today i jogged 1.5 miles 20minutes, swam for about 30 minutes or so, rode my stationary bike for 20minutes which i do not think i added in the total and played basketball for two hours. It all came up to that amount.

    What kind of foods would you suggest i eat?

    Thank you about the propel i only drank it whilst i was playing basketball for so long to taste something different from the gallon of water i drank. Does that make it okay?

    Looking forward to hearing from you. Thanks.
  • In that picture i was lifting but i am not anymore. My goal is simply to get down to 205lbs.

    I will invest in a good heart rate monitor. Any suggestions?
  • jcr85
    jcr85 Posts: 229
    Not enough protein... why did you stop lifting?
  • vklebanova
    vklebanova Posts: 152 Member
    Well as someone pointed out, it depends on your goals.

    Eat leaner and stuff that lasts - think REALLY basic and as natural as possible (if it's in a box it's no good...). Also if you're trying to lose weight than your dinner should make up less than 30% of your calories for the day.

    Also regarding all your activities for the day... I'd say you burned the following:

    Jogging for 20 mins (assuming you're going 4.0 mph) is about 200 cals
    Swimming for 30 mins (assuming you're actually doing work the entire time): about 250 cals
    Stationary bike for 20 mins - about 130 cals
    Basketball for 2 hours (AGAIN assuming you are HARD CORE playing the ENTIRE time): 850 cals or so.

    I'm not seeing where you get 2000+ cals from this. I'm assuming you weigh 180 lbs for all of these.. if you weigh more than obv you can adjust the cals burned to higher but regardless.. there's no way you're burning as much as your counting off.

    MFP HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY over estimates the cals you burn - get a HRM or at least a pedometer to help you keep a more accurate count
  • aproc
    aproc Posts: 1,033 Member
    In that picture i was lifting but i am not anymore. My goal is simply to get down to 205lbs.

    I will invest in a good heart rate monitor. Any suggestions?
    Why stop lifting? Even if your goal is to lose weight, continueing to lift will help you retain more of your muscle in the process. That and making sure your getting enough protein. Surely you don't want to lose all the muscle you worked to get? :)
  • FitGuyMemphis
    FitGuyMemphis Posts: 10 Member
    Hey man,

    looks like you eat some pretty decent foods, but as some of the others said you need to adjust your macros and cut down greatly on the carbs/sugars. Get rid of breads, croutons, pastas, etc....oatmeal is OK because it is a slower absorbing carb, but if you can avoid anything with processed grains or sugars, assuming your goal is to cut out fat and gain weight. Also pay attention to your protein intake. Protein intake should be anywhere from .7 grams to 1.0 gram of protein per lb of body weight each day if you are active and lifting. Keep it on the lower end if you aren't doing a lot of resistance training, and don't be scared of fat, fat is GOOD for you.

    Go to www.reddit.com/r/paleo or www.reddit.com/r/keto for some helpful advice. Check out ketogenic diets on that link...in the side bar there are some informative faqs that will answer all your questions, and if you have any more, of course feel free to message me!

    Good luck!
    -Brian
  • jcr85
    jcr85 Posts: 229
    Hey man,

    looks like you eat some pretty decent foods, but as some of the others said you need to adjust your macros and cut down greatly on the carbs/sugars. Get rid of breads, croutons, pastas, etc....oatmeal is OK because it is a slower absorbing carb, but if you can avoid anything with processed grains or sugars, assuming your goal is to cut out fat and gain weight. Also pay attention to your protein intake. Protein intake should be anywhere from .7 grams to 1.0 gram of protein per lb of body weight each day if you are active and lifting. Keep it on the lower end if you aren't doing a lot of resistance training, and don't be scared of fat, fat is GOOD for you.

    Go to www.reddit.com/r/paleo or www.reddit.com/r/keto for some helpful advice. Check out ketogenic diets on that link...in the side bar there are some informative faqs that will answer all your questions, and if you have any more, of course feel free to message me!

    Good luck!
    -Brian

    Lol why push your keto agenda?
  • Well as someone pointed out, it depends on your goals.

    Eat leaner and stuff that lasts - think REALLY basic and as natural as possible (if it's in a box it's no good...). Also if you're trying to lose weight than your dinner should make up less than 30% of your calories for the day.

    Also regarding all your activities for the day... I'd say you burned the following:

    Jogging for 20 mins (assuming you're going 4.0 mph) is about 200 cals
    Swimming for 30 mins (assuming you're actually doing work the entire time): about 250 cals
    Stationary bike for 20 mins - about 130 cals
    Basketball for 2 hours (AGAIN assuming you are HARD CORE playing the ENTIRE time): 850 cals or so.

    I'm not seeing where you get 2000+ cals from this. I'm assuming you weigh 180 lbs for all of these.. if you weigh more than obv you can adjust the cals burned to higher but regardless.. there's no way you're burning as much as your counting off.

    MFP HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY over estimates the cals you burn - get a HRM or at least a pedometer to help you keep a more accurate count

    Hello again,

    I am 6'4" and weigh 245lbs. I will definitely invest in a HRM so that i can get a more accurate reading. Thank you for the wonderful advice!
  • In that picture i was lifting but i am not anymore. My goal is simply to get down to 205lbs.

    I will invest in a good heart rate monitor. Any suggestions?
    Why stop lifting? Even if your goal is to lose weight, continueing to lift will help you retain more of your muscle in the process. That and making sure your getting enough protein. Surely you don't want to lose all the muscle you worked to get? :)

    Hey,

    i stopped lifting because i did not have the time to do it anymore. I was just too busy! However, i am actually reconsidering starting back since i will be off of school for three months. Thanks for the feedback!
  • Hey man,

    looks like you eat some pretty decent foods, but as some of the others said you need to adjust your macros and cut down greatly on the carbs/sugars. Get rid of breads, croutons, pastas, etc....oatmeal is OK because it is a slower absorbing carb, but if you can avoid anything with processed grains or sugars, assuming your goal is to cut out fat and gain weight. Also pay attention to your protein intake. Protein intake should be anywhere from .7 grams to 1.0 gram of protein per lb of body weight each day if you are active and lifting. Keep it on the lower end if you aren't doing a lot of resistance training, and don't be scared of fat, fat is GOOD for you.

    Go to www.reddit.com/r/paleo or www.reddit.com/r/keto for some helpful advice. Check out ketogenic diets on that link...in the side bar there are some informative faqs that will answer all your questions, and if you have any more, of course feel free to message me!

    Good luck!
    -Brian

    Hey Brian,

    thanks for the feedback and heads up i will read the links that you have provided. Thanks once more.
  • babesintow
    babesintow Posts: 59
    Front load your calories, heavier meals earlier in the day...more time to burn it off.
    Higher protein (lean protein), my goal is a little more than 1/3 of my average total (it will change if you exercise that day) for breakfast, helps control hunger throughout the day
    Sports drinks may be necessary if your sweating a great deal to keep electrolytes in balance, but stick to water if you can (I hate plain water so that has been something I am still working towards)
    Pick one goal at a time, it is easier to stick to rather than changing everything at once
    Measure out your food, make sure you know what a serving size is so you can accurately track calories
    Circuit training is really the exercise that made the largest impact for me, my routine is burning an average of 1000 calories (that is after subtracting my 20 %) I started losing weight weekly once I added circuit training and I had been working out for a while without such rapid results.

    My heart rate monitor is a Garmin, I connect it to my Motoactv (build it mp3 player, GPS and connects to foot pods, heart rate monitors wireless headphones) I have had it for about a month now and I really like. I tried a heart rate watch but it was too difficult to use so I took it back for the Motoactv.

    MFP tends to overestimate calories more as the time you post increases. One of the trainers told me that there can be roughly a 20% error rate with heart rate monitors as well. So I always subtract that when I post my exercise for the day. MFP is really bad at counting calories for walking, once it said it was 100+ calories and my monitor said 35.

    Quick meal ideas, invest in steamer bags of veggies and other side dishes. They are quick and easy to use. When you make a healthy meal, make extra to eat later or to freeze. It is easier to eat healthy if it is just as easy to grab as junk food.
  • Front load your calories, heavier meals earlier in the day...more time to burn it off.
    Higher protein (lean protein), my goal is a little more than 1/3 of my average total (it will change if you exercise that day) for breakfast, helps control hunger throughout the day
    Sports drinks may be necessary if your sweating a great deal to keep electrolytes in balance, but stick to water if you can (I hate plain water so that has been something I am still working towards)
    Pick one goal at a time, it is easier to stick to rather than changing everything at once
    Measure out your food, make sure you know what a serving size is so you can accurately track calories
    Circuit training is really the exercise that made the largest impact for me, my routine is burning an average of 1000 calories (that is after subtracting my 20 %) I started losing weight weekly once I added circuit training and I had been working out for a while without such rapid results.

    My heart rate monitor is a Garmin, I connect it to my Motoactv (build it mp3 player, GPS and connects to foot pods, heart rate monitors wireless headphones) I have had it for about a month now and I really like. I tried a heart rate watch but it was too difficult to use so I took it back for the Motoactv.

    MFP tends to overestimate calories more as the time you post increases. One of the trainers told me that there can be roughly a 20% error rate with heart rate monitors as well. So I always subtract that when I post my exercise for the day. MFP is really bad at counting calories for walking, once it said it was 100+ calories and my monitor said 35.

    Quick meal ideas, invest in steamer bags of veggies and other side dishes. They are quick and easy to use. When you make a healthy meal, make extra to eat later or to freeze. It is easier to eat healthy if it is just as easy to grab as junk food.

    Thank you for the feedback! Some great information in there! I will most definitely research a good HRM. I appreciate your your advice! Thanks again!
  • FitGuyMemphis
    FitGuyMemphis Posts: 10 Member
    I'm merely suggesting it, because it works really well for me and has helped me overcome the psychological addiction linked to food, as well as making things easier because (at least for em) keto and IF lets me auto pilot and not have to put so much energy into planning what I am doing....

    So just suggesting it because it works for me :) Of course, the important thing for anyone is to pay attention to their bodies and how they feel, and see what works and what doesn't and be open to change if one approach they chose isn't giving them results! That's all!