Jump to content
TSM Forums
Sign in to follow this  
Damaramu

My new way of eating.

Recommended Posts

So yesterday and today I only consumed about 1500 calories. I added up what I'm going to be eating tomorrow and it clocks in around 1500. I've run 3 miles everyday this week.

I guess I should see the pounds melt off sometime soon! Haha. I've lost two more pounds since Sunday. Probably still water weight though.

 

But, the low amount of calories I'm consuming kind of scares me. I mean I can't really consume more than I am now given my meal plan. So I'm just going to keep eating like this and get down where I want to be waist size-wise and weight-wise. I'll continue to lift weight to hopefully foster muscle growth while I'm running of the inches.

The only thing I'm afraid of is not being able to foster that muscle growth while I'm trying to lose my stomach because of the low amount of calories I have.

Should I integrate a protein shake in post-workout or at some point during the day? Or should I get down to my target waist size and weight and then integrate that in if I'm not happy with where my muscle is and want it to grow more?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Should this be moved to the food folder?

 

I'm not a big fan of low-carb diets, and if you're going to be doing a lot of cardio, then you should be eating lots of starches and sugars. Not more than you use, but enough to keep you going. Cross-fit is indeed a great workout plan, far better than the usual routines you'll find out there.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Well, I've lost 10 pounds in 2 weeks. My wife has lost 9. Just watching what I eat has helped tremendously.

 

Of course the CF nazi's still don't think I can lose weight and have a nice physique if I don't eat strictly paleo.

 

I mean something about the way they all latch onto that diet and act like every other way of eating sucks just gets to me. I mean, some people don't want to eat nothing but nuts, fruit, veggies and meat. And they act like if you don't do that then you're going to be a huge fatass your whole life.

 

And I don't understand the methodology behind eating a diet that is really high in fat. That's another thing they suggest. "Eat a ton of fat!" I mean I know a low-fat diet isn't good like they lead us to believe in the 90's, but eating copious amounts of it seems like a one way ticket to a heart attack.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Tyler, you said when you started you were fat right? So how were you running 8 miles at a time? When I go for a jog now I can keep up a jog for about a half mile then I have to walk until I catch my breath and my legs stop burning. It takes me like an hour to get through 3.5-4 miles off a treadmill because I get tired so easily. I don't even know if I'd have time to pound out 8 miles.

How did you do it?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

it's all mental. your legs get numb after about 3 miles. if you're running at about an 8.5/9 minute pace, 27 minutes sucks ass, but once you get past that point, it's cake. i also recommend, if you can, running outside because it's cathartic to actually see yourself making progress rather than staring at a wall for hours and hours.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Like how many calories did you eat for lunch usually? I know you said to follow serving sizes and keep a sandwich around say 300 calories. But, is that all you ate?

 

Because I've been counting my lunch and dinner calories. I'm typically getting around 600 calories at each meal. So usually throughout the day I'm getting about 1200 calories. Maybe 1350 if I eat oatmeal for breakfast. 1500 if I eat a snack at some point.

 

So I'm low on calories still. It's hard to eat more. But, I have cheated on the weekend. So I think the calories I consume then probably make-up for the lack of calories here.

 

I wonder how much the low-carb actually matters in fat loss? I've had people say "Well you need to limit your carbs. If you eat too many then you won't burn fat or calories when you workout. Just carbs." And then they want me to keep my carbs around like 30 a day. That seems really low.

 

Of course these are the same people that propose a high-fat diet and tell me I need to be eating food soaked in olive oil and stuff glazed with almond butter and make sure I get plenty of high fat meats. Because they say the higher the fat content, the more weight you'll lose. That seems counter-productive.

 

Oh well, I guess if I'm not taking in too many calories at lunch (like i said around 600-650) then I'm ok with what I'm eating. I figure when I get the fat off and if I'm unhappy with my muscle then I'll add a protein shake for extra protein and calories. For now I'm just going to continue to eat low low calories everyday. Unless you think it may hamper my weight loss. Then again I think the starvation effect sets in when you only eat like 500 calories a day.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

you're definitely overthinking this.

 

if you're too sore on a daily basis, eat a bit more. if you're truly sticking by a reduced calorie diet -- and only you can judge whether you are or not -- give it three or four months. if you haven't lost ten pounds by then, start worrying about all this low/high carb crap. otherwise, just do what you've got to do.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Then again I think the starvation effect sets in when you only eat like 500 calories a day.

God, no. It varies from person to person, but generally it's around 1000. For someone larger (not fatter, but larger) like you, it's probably higher -- maybe 1200-1300.

 

If you're working out daily, you should be taking in at least 2000 calories a day. You can't sustain 6-7 pound losses per week, and you shouldn't be trying to. 2-3 pounds a week is a good, healthy rate.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

So what happens if I stay at 1200 a day? Will I stop losing weight? Because I certainly don't want that, but I'm in love with the way I'm losing weight! Haha. Getting 2,000 is hard for me right now.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

1200 is probably a bit low. you're just going to start getting really sore and not recovering as quickly. i wouldn't expect 6 pounds a week is sustainable; i'd say 2 is more realistic. but, i had weeks when i lost that much, and your metabolism is probably kicking up right now; just don't get discouraged when it doesn't stay at 6 a week. 2 a week is great.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Well is it how many calories you consume a day or how many you consume in a week? Because I may consume 1200 today, but then have a cheat day on the weekend and get in 3000.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Tyler, you said when you started you were fat right? So how were you running 8 miles at a time? When I go for a jog now I can keep up a jog for about a half mile then I have to walk until I catch my breath and my legs stop burning. It takes me like an hour to get through 3.5-4 miles off a treadmill because I get tired so easily. I don't even know if I'd have time to pound out 8 miles.

How did you do it?

Sounds like you're going too fast. What speed do you set the treadmill at for a jog?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Tyler, you said when you started you were fat right? So how were you running 8 miles at a time? When I go for a jog now I can keep up a jog for about a half mile then I have to walk until I catch my breath and my legs stop burning. It takes me like an hour to get through 3.5-4 miles off a treadmill because I get tired so easily. I don't even know if I'd have time to pound out 8 miles.

How did you do it?

Sounds like you're going too fast. What speed do you set the treadmill at for a jog?

 

7 miles per hour.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Tyler, you said when you started you were fat right? So how were you running 8 miles at a time? When I go for a jog now I can keep up a jog for about a half mile then I have to walk until I catch my breath and my legs stop burning. It takes me like an hour to get through 3.5-4 miles off a treadmill because I get tired so easily. I don't even know if I'd have time to pound out 8 miles.

How did you do it?

Sounds like you're going too fast. What speed do you set the treadmill at for a jog?

 

7 miles per hour.

Well, that would explain it. You need to get your endurance up before you can go that fast for any length of time.

 

Just for a point of reference, I weigh around 280 and I'm running at between 5.0 and 5.5 now for nearly half an hour. It took me nearly two months just to get to that point.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

So you said Crossfit was for people already in shape? So it's something you have to work up to right? So I need to be just getting my body in general shape before hitting CF hard and fast?

 

Have you seen this website: http://www.crossfitendurance.com/index.php ??

 

A lot of the exercises posted on here I don't think I could do correctly. So I probably just need to run sprints, hills, stairs and jog miles before I can undertake something like this.

 

My coach said today "You need a good fitness foundation before you get too crazy and intense." Maybe he's right, maybe I have no foundation right now and that's why I suck at CF and suck at trying to run forever.

 

 

But that CF Endurance website confuses me. They talk about the evils of "Long Slow Distance" runs. They go on and on about how people that do that are unhealthy and it's all about the intervals, tabatas and time trials. Yet one of their WoDs is a 1-13.5 mile time trial run. (you pick the distance) So what exactly do they consider a long slow distance I wonder?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

again, a lot of crossfit is based on people who are already in shape, getting in better shape. CFE is pretty great, and it's designed to help people improve their performance. but, your number one goal should be getting to a manageable weight; once you get there, you can build your foundation up and become a higher performing athlete.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Well those crossfitters are trying to convince me that the WoD's are the ONLY workout I need for losing fat and for getting in better cardio shape for rugby. That just doesn't compute with me. They told me if I did the WoDs as RX'd 3 days on and 1 day off that I'd be able to run circles around my teammates cardio-wise.

 

I did do a Tabata interval on the stationary bike the other day. You think "4 minutes? How hard could that be?" Yikes.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

This is where the working out and losing weight thing gets confusing. You always hear two different things.

 

Example. Tyler tells me that the WoDs probably aren't enough to lose fat and meet the goal I want. Meanwhile the CF people tell me that the WoD is ALL I need to do and I'll lose fat and get in great cardio shape.

I'm being tugged in two different directions!

 

Oh and then there's the calories thing. I was watching the Biggest Loser (yes i know, not a great representation of weight loss) and they tell people that they have to eat. "You can't lose weight by not eating. You have to eat enough calories."

I hear the same thing all over the place.

 

Yet for the past 3 weeks I've been on a calorie restrictive diet (1200-1800 a day, sometimes I splurge and go into the 2000-2800 range, but that's only like once a week) yet I'm dropping pounds like I want to. It's been 21 days and I've gone from 275 to 257! No way that's all water weight.

 

So working out and being restrictive on calories is working for me, yet I hear tons of people say you can't do that. And then they caution that my body will start storing fat or I'll stop losing weight or that I won't recover. So far it's been 3 weeks and none of those things have happened. I keep losing weight.

 

Yes my progress has slowed down, but it's slowed down to an actual natural pace. I'd measure that I've probably lost about 3 pounds in the last week as opposed to that crazy 6-7 pace I was at before. But, I'm not discouraged. I know that 2-3 pounds a week is good and natural.

 

Argh, so many different directions you get pulled when you really get into this stuff.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  

×